Chilton or Haynes?

[TaddeoEG]

Always like to pick up a service manual on all my vehicles. Which is better for a 99 XLT Supercab - Chilton's or Haynes?
Thanks

 

[martin]

I think a lot is personal choice. I find the Haynes easier to navigate and have better pictures. The Chiltons have stuff in them that Haynes do not. The factory manuals are the best but difficult to navigate and kind of expensive.

 

[Mac]

I always go right for the Ford shop manuals, usually can find them cheap on E-Bay. They might be hard to navigate but they sure are complete.
Dave

 

[daniel3507]

Go with a shop manual for sure. Lots of detailed pictures and very complete instructions.

 

[TaddeoEG]

Thanks everyone

Any thoughts on these dvd versions? Much cheaper than even a beat up hard copy from what I'm finding on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360215417339&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[daniel3507]

Ive never heard anything good or bad about them. Personally I like the books so I can take them out in the garage and while im doing a project

 

[martin]

With the dvd versions you find the sections you need for the job in hand and print out the appropriate pages if you need to refer to them in the garage or driveway.

 

[adsm08]

All of them. I have the whole set. The Haynes are nice for the pics, the chiltons are nice because they are more complete, both are cheaper than the Ford manual and usually tell you how to do things with tools that a normal person will have, instead of a special tool number. They are also cheaper and easier to find so you don't have to worry about messing them up.

The paper shop manuals and the DVDs are the exact same material, its just how its presented. Once you learn to navigate them (and the DVDs are a bit trickier) they aren't hard to get around. I have my laptops for taking out to the shop and using at work to pull up FMCdealer or Fordtechservice.

The Ford manuals are certainly more complete, but some sets of the DVDs (the yellow ones IIRC) have expiration dates and so you may have to reset the date on your computer's clock to a point before that to make them work. The other DVD set (red) will not have this problem.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I would say chiltons or a shop manual, I just got a hayens and it sucks for anything but simple stuff that I already know how to do.

 

[TaddeoEG]

Thanks. I've got a laptop as well if I want to take it out to the garage. Otherwise I can just print off the page(s) I need and take them. Kinda like that idea - all my hardcopy manuals end up with greasy fingerprints all over them.

The guy selling the one I linked claims it has no expiration and is the same as used by dealerships. I'll probably give it a try since I'm mostly interested in routine maintenance and how to take things apart when needed. Never going to rebuild an engine, tranny, or axle so I can't see spending $90 - 120 on paper versions.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, I'm to the point with my truck that I mostly use the books so that I don't have to give step by step directions to the help. I can just hand them a book and say "take this apart, here are the instructions"

 

[LittleHorse]

I despise Haynes manuals, way too incomplete. One too many times have I found them listing the instructions for taking something apart, but lacking the torque specs for putting it back together; missing information of that nature. The wiring diagrams are at best wrong and at worst missing entirely certain years, models, or particular circuits. I'll never buy another one.

Interestingly, both of the Bronco II's I've bought have come with used Haynes manuals that the owner didn't want anymore. Probably because they weren't RBV enthusiasts, but I always keep my manuals if they're worth keeping. In this case I'll send them on with the trucks if/when I sell.

 

[59flatbedford]

my dad has a lot of chilton manuals and it seems like they tell you everything except what you really need to know a lot of the time. havent been arounds haynes much so cant say. my dad has some old motors manuals from the late 50s and early sixties and they just dont make um like that anymore.

 

[LittleHorse]

my dad has a lot of chilton manuals and it seems like they tell you everything except what you really need to know a lot of the time. havent been arounds haynes much so cant say. my dad has some old motors manuals from the late 50s and early sixties and they just dont make um like that anymore.

everything you dont like about Chiltons, amplify that and you get Haynes. Better suited to heating the flue over my fireplace.