[cashcrop]

I posted this question on a LBYMforum on a financial website I subscribe to but, haven't gotten a big response to it. I'm in the research phase right now.

I have 4 yrs to decide(or at least that's the plan unless I win the lottery...LOL). I'd like to see other peoples view points of the same situation. Three things I definitely WANT A CHEVY OR GM truck, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and 4WD! I want it for pulling, hauling and transportation. I POSITIVELY DO NOT WANT ANOTHER 700r4 TRANNY!!!!!

I currently drive a 91 ext cab 1/2tn 2wd trk with a...... blankety blank rebuilt 700r4 tranny(poorly designed for a pulling trk).

I need to weigh out these pros and cons:

Used vs. new
Crew cab vs. ext cab
1/2tn vs. heavy half vs. 3/4 tn vs. 1tn

What it might be used for:

Hauling round bale trailer full
4 - 5 people
pulling a trailer full of goats or draft horse(s)
hauling construction material
pulling trailer w/ skidsteer on
pulling trailer w/ tractor on
pulling farm implements

 

[jessandcody]

Well if I had the money for a new or newer truck and the needs you mentioned I would buy an old(50's-70's) truck! You could find an old truck fairly cheap and have it compleatly rebuilt for less then the$$$$$$$$ of a new/er one. Then you know what you have, parts if they do go out are cheaper, old trucks are made to work and frankly they are more fun to drive! If you are wanting to spend less in gas and do all the work.....get a diesel!! Most farmers around here have to get 1 tons now to do what 1/2 tons did 20 years ago. I have a 91 f150 2wd auto that just lost the tranny and it was expensive to fix. I wish I had an older vehicle that was made to hold up. PLUS you would be recycling and that is always good.

good luck
Cody

P.S. Taxes would also be less!!!!!!!

 

[Shrek]

Go for the best of both worlds. A program truck leased to a construction foreman. Used for 6 to 9 months and broken in, factory maintained, 2/3 the cost of new and a program vehicle warrenty. Being leased to a construction foreman, its built for duty.

 

[johnkl]

Cody makes some good points about the benefits of an older truck however, one thing I know for sure is I would NEVER buy a new vehicle. I plotted out depreciation curves for a ford and a chevy sedan, just to see if there was any difference. There wasn't. They both dropped like rocks for the first five years, then almost levelled out in the sixth year. That tells me the time to buy is 5 yrs old or older. You're not paying for nothing then.

As to the rest of the stuff you mention---crew vs extended cab for example, I'd consider how often I'd have passengers and how far would I be driving with them. If it was often for long rides, I'd go with the crew cab. If not it would probably be easier to find extended cabs.

You can do alot of fixing on an older truck for $2000-3000 to get it into top shape where as it would just be a down payment on a new one where you get to make payments for the next 5 years.

 

[oz in SC]

Well the newer GM diesels have a GREAT automatic transmission.

Also the Duramax diesels are supposed to be pretty good so far-better than the 6.2 diesels that GM was using.

Of course this sort of truck cost plenty of $$$ if bought new or even a few years old.Diesels are in the 2500/3500's only but that is what you would need for the work you have envisioned.

Why are you stuck on GM's?

 

[Guest]

Are you financing or paying cash? Are you planning to keep and repair the vehicle until it just drops dead, or are you going to sell it before that point?

With all of the zero-interest deals done a while back, and the fact that there are still a lot of people out of work, there should be plenty of used vehicles to choose from. If you choose to buy from a private seller, ask to see all maintenance records (personally, I would not buy from someone who did their own oil changes, but then I'm not an auto whiz, you may be able to discern through discussions that they know what they're doing), and make sure that any extended warranties are transferable to you.

Always think, a vehicle is a liability, not an asset, and pay accordingly. If can at all avoid it, never finance a liability.

 

[cashcrop]

Oz,

I HATE Fords!! I don't know many people that own Dodges for workhorse type work or know much about them! Prefer a make I have had fairly good experience w/ and I know something about fixing(or know someone else who does). When I bought the chevy I currently own I had not realized the automatic tranny was not meant for a trk used for pulling or I probably would have never bought that particular used trk.

I would also never buy an 50's, 60's or 70's trk unless it was a grain trk which is something I wouldn't use that often. My back could not take it due to a back injury! Now, this might be a variation I had never considered..... buy a used light duty ext cab 4wd pick up and an old 70's grain trk in reasonable condition???

Still like Shrek's perspective best. Question is where does one look for a leased contractors trk? I live in Northern WI but, would be willing to travel to pick up for the right price!! My brother was willing to travel 8+hrs from southern WI to somewhere in Indiana to trade up from a 88 wore out crew cab diesel ford 1tn to a 2001 fully loaded Ford Excursion w/ 30,000 miles on it for $18,000 that sure smelled like brand new to me!!

Katie

 

[jessandcody]

Get the Auto truck shoppers from Eau Claire or the Twin Citys. I recall there being adds for both old grain trucks and construction lease returns from when I lived up In the cheese state. They also have alot of adds for other equipment as well. I belive its the Country Today paper also had those adds. But a word of advice on the lease returns if I may........Ive seen first hand how those trucks are driven...ouch!!! They are worked hard and drove foolish in my my experiance. They dont take the time to properly break them in and half the time they arnt even mantained! This is why they are considerably cheaper. It may be covered under a warrenty for awhile but it wont be down the road.

From a former Cheddar head
Cody

 

[cashcrop]

Cody,

I would never buy any used leased vehicles up here nowadays. I've been coming up here/lived up here off n on for 35 years. 30 yrs ago yes I/we(my family) would/ did purchase used construction/farm equipment. Farm equipment occasionally I would still/do purchase but, definitely not cars or pick up trucks(w/ the exception of a 4cyl 91 Dodge Shadow I paid $60 for this last summer).

Why???

I figured I could fix it cheaply enough and I know someone who knows enough about them to help me trouble shoot. Besides if my soon to be 82yr old Mom(who would be comfortable driving it) wrecks it while visiting up here I'm not out much! She doesn't do trks, manual transmissions or full sized cars and I ain't taking the greyhound down to help drive her in her car up and back as well as riding a greyhound back up here. Costs me $140 every time to do it that way!!

There is such a different mentality as a rule than there is in S. WI. Price is cheaper BUT, you are getting exactly what you pay for here in N.W. WI!!! People in S. WI just have no idea how to BEAT THE HECK out of equipment! I worked construction, on farms and for seed research facilities down there in S. WI. Plus, it was really frowned upon down there. Up here it seems like it's encouraged but, it could just be the result of the people I'm around that leads me to view it that way! I think they know how to beat the heck out of cars down by Madison & Milwaukee though!!!

My $0.02

 

[Hoop]

You wanted opinions.....here's mine.

Forget the Chevy.....go with a used Dodge that is 5 - 7 years old. Dodge trucks depreciate faster than any truck.....making for a great buy.

A friend recently told his Chevy dealership to be on the lookout for an inexpensive trade in. A few months later the dealership called. He picked up a 96 3/4 ton, 360 engine, 4x4 single cab Dodge truck with 72,000 miles on it for a paltry $6500. He has had the truck for 6 months, and the only repair has been replacement of the ball joints.

In case you think I'm partial to Dodge trucks.......I'm not. I currently own a Toyota Tundra that I'm very happy with. If I were in the market for a 3/4 ton, it would most likely be a Dodge.

I'm not beholden to any make or brand. I happen to feel the huge depreciation of Dodge products make purchase of a used Dodge an excellent value.

 

[cashcrop]

Hoop,

I wasn't offended by your opinion! I certainly asked for other perspectives. When we ask for someones opinion we can't always expect to agree with them but, we can learn from them!! I used to think I wanted a Dodge 3/4 tn diesel till the last 2 or 3 yrs.

My main reason for wanting a newer vehicle is due to my back and the newer designs of the seats. I will never go back to a single cab trk. They aren't for everybody though! I've known some that bought extended cabs and hated them so much after 2 yrs traded them in for a single cab. I notice when I drive down to visit my Mom in s. WI my muscles in my back are pretty sore. I have to say though that 91 Dodge Shadow seat fits my back like a glove!

cash

 

[fordy]

1)Don't buy an old truck like a 70's something unless you want to spend lots of $$$$ and time working on it.
2)To perform the Multi-Tasking role as you described it I would buy a newer Diesel . The 99-2002 ford, 7.3 powerstrokes are a good value .
3)DONOT buy a 2003 ford. 6.0 diesel because they have had LOTS of issues with injectors, oil leaks , etc. The 2004 's made prior to sept. 29th, 2003 still had 6.0, 2003 engines.
4) The 5.9 Cummins is the Best engine made for longivity and fuel milage, bar none. They sound like a washing machine. Some of the earlier dodge, 5.9 diesels around (92 thu maybe 95) or so had a 5 speed manual tranny called a Gertrag(German transmission) that just would NOT hold up(to the cummins engine) and is extremely expensive to fix. Best not purchase one of those.
5)The chevy trucks with the newer Isuzu Diesel are supposed to be a very good product. Some have reported problems with the Aluminum heads.
6) I have read that Dodge is introducing a new (and very quiet) and very powerful 5.9 diesel that is going to have a Mercedes 5 speed, heavy duty automatic transmission. It should be available in June of 04, this year. .........fordy

 

[agmantoo]

Since you are hung up on auto transmissions expect to live with the associated problems that come with them when they are applied to heavy duty use. A good standard shift transimission and someone that knows the left foot pedal is not a foot rest will get 100s of thousands of miles of reliable service.
For dependable heavy duty work get an industrial rated vehicle instead of a daily conveyance one. You may be better off to buy 2 vehicles. A runabout for the economy and convenience and a used 2 ton straight truck for the heavy duty use. A short wheelbase 2 ton truck would carry or pull whatever your needs are and without straining its mechanical ability. You can buy such a truck coming out of a fleet for less than a pickup of the same year model. These heavy duty vehicles are able to deliver service for years even with twiced the mileage of a light duty truck. Having two vehicles will let you match your "fleet" to the needs without having to pay for the portion you are using. The runabout will give the mileage and convenience when running to the store and for light tasks and since it is not being abused pulling more than its design intended extended service without the repair bills. The heavy truck will perform the tasks it is designed for and you will only be paying for the high fuel consumption when you are actually using it for the hard work. If you qualify for farm use I doubt that the insurance and tags would cost excessively and the fees are deductible.

 

[mikell]

Replacing ball joints at 72 k should thee you all you need to know about a Dodge.
Wisconsin would be a big GM area so values may be lower because of the volume of vehicles. Chevys are made in Flint MI , Canada and somewhere else in the US. Dodge in Mexico and Detroit for the smaller ones, Ford in MI and several other plants. On a side note if you order GM you can follow it down the line in Flint I did mine a few years back. Myself GM, had them all and 200k+ on all the GM's with no major repairs.


mikell

 

[cashcrop]

Mikell,

The other GM plant is in Janesville. It is their medium duty trk line. They also have one in Ft. Wayne, IN. I did some looking and thinking and I will probably wind up buying a used Chevy1500 or 2500 4wd w/ ext cab as opposed to crew cab. I looked at some of the dealerships used inventories in Rock county. I can pay about the same price as I would up here but, with lower mileage on them. Or maybe I'll see what my girlfriend Red(she works for GM) wants for hers when she sells in 3 - 4 yrs when she wants a new one. Drives better pulling a loaded 20ft Uhaul trailer loaded. Has too much power empty, though!! Accidently sqealed wheels on it once pulling away from a stop sign the one time I drove it without loaded trailer. She said she does it all the time by accident! It's got a mid sized Vortec engine in it. Looked it up but, can't remember it! Had to show her where to look for the spec sticker beneath the hood and explain sticker inside drivers side door frame/jam.

cashcrop

 

[Kirk]

Cashcrop,
Agmanto beat me to it. For the kind of jobs you are talking about a used 2 ton truck would be the way to go. They are built for that kind of work. Also it could have any of several kinds of bodies. A dump truck would allow for carrying and easy unloading large loose loads. A flatbed could let you carry heavy stuff on pallets. or you might even consider some kind of boomtruck (I like the ones used to install telephone poles) with an auger. How bout a bucket truck with a chip box? From what I understand the Allison automatic in the big trucks isnt too hard to live with. The crew cabs are available also.
If this is going to be a farm only or limited use vehicle then get a real old one from the mid 70's to the early 80's. Its not uncommon to find dump trucks or flatbeds for $2500 with less than 100,000 miles on them. They aint pretty but they sure will do the job.
Kirk

 

[Jena]

In the last few years...I have had 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton Heavy Duty and a dually. All GMC or Chevy's. All four doors and all 4WD.

I got rid of the half ton because it simply wasn't up the jobs I wanted it to do. Half tons are city people trucks.

I liked the 3/4 ton heavy duty. Make sure it's a heavy duty for the type of pulling you are talking about. I used that truck to pull a 24 foot stock trailer full of cattle, several tons of hay, etc. I pulled in snow, rain, dry, whatever. It did the job. That was "my" truck. I just traded it in for a car, since we had two big trucks and gas was getting outrageous. I got a Celica (I like to go fast) and toyota truck on the trade. I use my little toyota for farm chores, but when I need to do something farm-worthy....I get the dually.

The dually does all that the 3/4 ton heavy duty would do, but easier. It can pull more weight and it pulls the same loads that the other one did, but faster and smoother. It's comparable with the other and if there's a huge price difference....don't bother going up to the dually. You probably won't need it.

As far as new vs. used....I never, ever buy new vehicles. Waste of money. That dually probably sold new for over $40,000. We got it with 15,000 miles on it for $28k. Still had manufacturer's warranty, just as good as new, only cheaper! Low mile trucks are easy to find...at least around here.

I had no problems with any of these trucks mechanically and I got good value in trade on them. They do hold their value.

Jena

 

[cashcrop]

I called "Red" and she trade down from the trk she had.

As for tractors I'm talking 20 - 35hp models. I realized as close as my fields are I could pull a big bale trailer w/ my tractor and if I need to move drafts I can either pay to have them hauled or if it is only for use around farm I won't need a trailer or trk. If I need to use around cabin can ride or drive horse(s) over there(only 7miles away). I see no point in overloading oneself w/ more equipment to maintain or need. At this point farming is a sideline but, to make/keep profitable need to keep costs down.

Katie

 

[cashcrop]

Got to thinking about the feed issue. I haul around 400lbs of ground poultry feed at a time. I don't plan to raise or haul cattle. Maybe a couple pigs. I do plan to buy kiko goats this summer though. I may sell produce sometime in the future.

Jena,

One comment in regard to 3/4tn 4wd vs. 1tn 4wd. My former construction boss own both sizes of chevy's. One right after the other. He said if he had it all to do over again that he would have not bought the dually as it didn't have as much power because mud and snow would bind up between the dual rear wheels in 4wd.

Katie

 

[Guest]

Cashcrop,

You are asking a lot from a pickup truck and I don’t think you will find a single vehicle that will do everything you want your truck to do. The Chevy crew cab 3500 8 ft bed with the duramax and the Allison might be the only one (at $45k+).
Agmantoo has the right idea. You need two vehicles, a used medium-duty truck and a car.
For the truck consider a cabover Mitsubishi fuso or an Ivecco. These are great little trucks. We run both cabover Iveccos and Ford Superduty 350 diesels at work and the Iveccos will outlast the Superdutys 2 to 1 and the people I work with beat the snot out of them. More contractors are switching to the cabovers as they are priced very competitively with the superdutys and are a real bargain used, as no homeowners want them. I currently run a F350 diesel but my next truck will be a cabover.
If you need to stick to domestic pickups, I can tell you from experience that they all have problems. Ford is no better or worse than Chevy or Dodge. It is best to avoid brand loyalty and practice dealer loyalty. You need to find a dealer in your area that you trust and that you can work with cuz no matter what you purchase it will need repair.
With light duty trucks the automatic transmissions are a nice feature but if you intend to use the truck primarily for towing you need to be prepared to have it rebuilt at 80K and every 40K after that. Just half to accept it as the cost of convenience for towing with an automatic. Best you can do to avoid the rebuild is to change the AFT+filter frequently (like every 10K or 15K if towing) and add a transmission cooler if the truck does not already have one.
Used vs. new is a matter of taste. With the current low finance rates and dealers who are willing sell at or near dealer cost, new is the way to go. You can purchase exactly the truck you want, with the options you need, you know the maintenance history and it comes with a warrantee. Used, you usually get none of these advantages and the trucks are often priced only a few thousand below dealer cost. Good Luck with your purchase.