Tractors

[snoranger]

About 4 years ago we stopped buying diesel trucks in anything F550 and smaller. These are government fleet vehicles that include mason dumps used for plowing and salting, towing all different size/weight trailers, and other abusive vocations. It just doesn’t make sense to buy and maintain a diesel truck when a gas version will do the same job at a significantly lower cost.

 

[bilbo]

My 1990 F350 used to get 17mpg with the N/A 7.3l diesel and 5spd manual. Wish I had that truck now.

That's what mine averages. It's single cab, 5spd, 4.10 LSD. When I pull the enclosed trailer with the Dodge I get 7mpg but using the 7.3 I get 12-13. Cost is probably a wash with fuel being more expensive, but it's nice driving in a normal gear vs. the Hemi singing at 5500 RPM trying to maintain speed. I'd like to turbo the 7.3 to squeak a little more economy out of it but with its long life and couple of years as a shop truck before I got it the truck deserves an unmolested life of ease.

I'm just happy I'm able to scratch my diesel itch for a reasonable price. I can replace nearly all of my injectors for the price of a single PSD injector. The weak point is the injector pump I guess. They are a bit spendy and typically only last 100k-150k miles.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

That's what mine averages. It's single cab, 5spd, 4.10 LSD. When I pull the enclosed trailer with the Dodge I get 7mpg but using the 7.3 I get 12-13. Cost is probably a wash with fuel being more expensive, but it's nice driving in a normal gear vs. the Hemi singing at 5500 RPM trying to maintain speed. I'd like to turbo the 7.3 to squeak a little more economy out of it but with its long life and couple of years as a shop truck before I got it the truck deserves an unmolested life of ease.

I'm just happy I'm able to scratch my diesel itch for a reasonable price. I can replace nearly all of my injectors for the price of a single PSD injector. The weak point is the injector pump I guess. They are a bit spendy and typically only last 100k-150k miles.

Curious...how big and heavy is that enclosed? And whats in it?

 

[scotts90ranger]

My F350 is crew cab long bed 4x4 5 speed on 35" tires with 4.10 gears and empty if I cruise at 63ish or below will get 17-18mpg... seems kinda silly for a 7300lb rig but repeatable... it gets worse above 2000rpm which is 63ish in 5th, I've never seen lower than about 9mpg when towing heavy over mountain passes, usually around 11 when heavy if I'm not pushing too hard on the pedal...

 

[rusty ol ranger]

My F350 is crew cab long bed 4x4 5 speed on 35" tires with 4.10 gears and empty if I cruise at 63ish or below will get 17-18mpg... seems kinda silly for a 7300lb rig but repeatable... it gets worse above 2000rpm which is 63ish in 5th, I've never seen lower than about 9mpg when towing heavy over mountain passes, usually around 11 when heavy if I'm not pushing too hard on the pedal...

My 460 2wd club cab with an E4OD and 4.10's gets about 10 running 70mph empty, i can squeeze 13 out of it if i keep it right at 55 and drive like an egg is under the pedal.

Pulling the quads on my trailer it gets about 10 at 70 as well. Same as my buddies 6.0 chevy

Itll bury the speedo as fast as i want it to but above 70 fuel consumption seems to go wayyyyy up.

Lowest i ever recorded was towing my travel trailer, loaded with people, and a bed full of shit through some decent hills up north with the O/D off and the AC on...6.3mpg. Never hurt for power though.

 

[racsan]

we had a 6.9 once, a ‘86 2wd F250 4 speed manual. Dad bought it new, was a real disappointment. would only get decent mileage if pump was turned down then it had no power. would get stuck in wet grass since it was so light in the rear and heavy on the front. Twice when shifting from 2-3 the gear shift lever pulled out of the transmission and it went into reverse. The first time I was on ice, 2nd time I was on dry pavement but kept clutch in until I got off to the side of the road. Dad traded it in at only 12K miles for a new 89 big bronco. Swore he would never have a diesel again. He hasn’t.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

we had a 6.9 once, a ‘86 2wd F250 4 speed manual. Dad bought it new, was a real disappointment. would only get decent mileage if pump was turned down then it had no power. would get stuck in wet grass since it was so light in the rear and heavy on the front. Twice when shifting from 2-3 the gear shift lever pulled out of the transmission and it went into reverse. The first time I was on ice, 2nd time I was on dry pavement but kept clutch in until I got off to the side of the road. Dad traded it in at only 12K miles for a new 89 big bronco. Swore he would never have a diesel again. He hasn’t.

Dad bought an ‘85 F-350 2wd manual regular cab dump with the 6.9, said it was getting 16 mpg and still increasing when he sold it because it was geared wrong from the start and wouldn’t hardly get out of it’s own way. It got replaced with an 89 and dad went to the 460 then. He liked that enough that he didn’t go back to diesel and instead bought a 94 with the 460.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The 6.9 was billed as a "fuel efficent alternative to the 5.8L".

The 460 was the power king right up untill 94.5 when the PSD became its equal

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've heard the IDI 7.3 with a turbo kit and set up right can give the PSD a run for it's money...

 

[bilbo]

Curious...how big and heavy is that enclosed? And whats in it?

It's a 7X16. Usually it's not all that heavy, but the wind resistance towing a big shoebox down the road is the issue. ND and South Florida don't really have hills to climb so once you get going all you've got is wind resistance. We bought it for moving and I was planning to sell it after arriving but it's been useful so I think I'll keep it. It's about an hour to any larger city so for things like Lowes runs or buying things on CL it's nice to haul and not have to worry about rain. If I can convince my wife we need a few dirtbikes it will be great for that.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

It's a 7X16. Usually it's not all that heavy, but the wind resistance towing a big shoebox down the road is the issue. ND and South Florida don't really have hills to climb so once you get going all you've got is wind resistance. We bought it for moving and I was planning to sell it after arriving but it's been useful so I think I'll keep it. It's about an hour to any larger city so for things like Lowes runs or buying things on CL it's nice to haul and not have to worry about rain. If I can convince my wife we need a few dirtbikes it will be great for that.

I was just curious cause i towed a 7x16 enclosed down to kentucky a few years ago with a couple quads in it. Was wondering how my mileage compared. I got the same ol 10 lol

 

[bilbo]

A concrete contractor friend of mine has a 460 powered F-Super Duty. He said it didn't matter whether it was empty or towing heavy it always got 9mpg.

 

[racsan]

wind resistance is the big thing with any box trailer, I have a 6x10 single axle haulmark that empty weighs in at 1,000#. Around town or under 40 mph it’s nothing but at highway speeds its like you are pulling a parachute, my 93 4.0 that could get 18 mpg got about 10 towing, for fun once I held it wide open on a empty road. This truck that would do 90 easily would only do a little over 70 with the trailer and struggled to get there. Once it topped out at speed the engine temperature started going up. Ive pulled it with different trucks, the best truck for that trailer is dads 05 5.4 superduty.

 

[racsan]

A concrete contractor friend of mine has a 460 powered F-Super Duty. He said it didn't matter whether it was empty or towing heavy it always got 9mpg.

we had a 77 F250 with a 400, C6 , 4.10’s and full time 4wd. It got 7 no matter what. Snowplow & pulling beast though!

 

[rusty ol ranger]

we had a 77 F250 with a 400, C6 , 4.10’s and full time 4wd. It got 7 no matter what. Snowplow & pulling beast though!

I had a 78 F350 dually with a 400, T18 and 4.30 rear that averaged 6 lol