Well My original thinking for a new truck was dodge for the CTD. Unfortunatly I have been informed that isn't really possible with a dump bed. So in my research here I have found I may want a Ford superduty. What confuses me is their drivetrain options. I want max towing and GVWR capacity but in order to get that and the tow packages plus the 4.30 limited slip rear axle I have to get the torqshift auto transmission. What is the reasoning behind this?
There's really no rhyme or reason to it, just another way for Ford to force you into an auto trans. With the granny low on the 6 speed and a 23k gcvwr you can pretty much tow a barge with the 4.10s though, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You can always step up to the F450 or F550, you can get all the options you want on those including gears even deeper than the 4.30s plus they come with 19.5s from the factory. You'll have to get a DRW but with a dump box I assume you'll do that anyways. waytogo Actually I'd say go with a F450 or F550 anyways since you'll be ditching the pickup box on a F350 anyways.
I agree with Shaggy, the F450 or 550 is the way to go. My next truck will probably be an F450 or 550 with Alcoas, Full leather lariat trim, pickup bed, and 4.88 gears. Especially if they junk the 6.0 and go with an inline 6 soon.
Supposedly, but I've heard that it's the same block and head design as the 6.0, so who knows if it will be better.
Yeah I wanted to look at the commercial stuff on the website but it's broke. I can't go much wider than a normal F350 dually because I need to be able to back up the rows in the cemetery. I'll have to research the 450 and 550. I also haul a lot of dust from the quarry for mixing cement and currently with a 1 ton I can only haul 4,000 lbs since they started checking GVW and making the light duty trucks dump off if they're overweight. I also gotta keep the bed low like a 1 ton dump since my backhoe is a little PoS and can't reach up a high bed. I've learned a lot in the last 2 days here. Thanks for the site waytogo
I would love to have a 450-550 but the registration and insurance here in Kommiefornia on anything bigger than a 1ton would be like making two new truck payments a month .
ditto, they are the same deminsions, and pretty much the only way to tell them from a 350 dually is the sweet 19.5" Alcoas.
Thats what I've heard. If it's got twins and no problems like the 6.0 I'll be all over a silver 550 with shiney 19.5" Alcoas and full leather. imp: I'd like to be able to tow my Back Hoe safely, my backhoe probably weighs nearly 13-14K and combined with my gooseneck that weighs 5,500lbs, thats nearly 20K net back there, a lot for a 3/4ton SRW pickup. If I get into a lot of custom back hoe work I'll be springing for a 550 myself.
OK now I'm jealous. My boss (who is retiring after next year and turning the business over to my wife and I) is too damn cheap to buy me a real backhoe. I have a garden tractor with a 8.5' backhoe arm I gots my eyes on a 16' excavator in the future though waytogo
I've got a Case 580SE, it's 2wd though.Being a 2wd isn't that big of a deal though because I can just drag myself through the mud and water with the hoe but since we have rice and the ground is completely flooded during the summer a 4wd would be probably just enough to let me drive to levy washouts instead of dragging myself. :doah: I'd like to get a newer CAT 416 4wd sometime in the future with a cab. I get tired of the sand blowing out of the bucket and into my face blinding me while going down the road. :doah: We're looking into getting a smaller "garden tractor ourselves. We already have a little 16HP 3 cylinder Sato Beaver 3 4wd tractor but it's lacks in power for our field mower and has no front end loader. We are looking at trading it in for a JD 25HP 4wd tractor with a front end loader. Little tractors like yours are handy in the rice field.
