Ford F150 vs F250

Nautique2001 wrote:    My concern about the turbo piece is just the unnecessary strain causing wear and tear.

Ken,
Again, I'm confused or at least feel you are. Think about it this way. What's the difference between taking the engine RPM's up at the ramp compared to running down the road at 70 going uphill and against a head wind?

JoeinNY wrote: Nautique2001 wrote: My concern is wear and tear causing pre-mature mechanical issues. This was why is was thinking a bigger truck and engine. Don't be concerned - turbos are meant to spool, put the truck in 4 low and when pulling your boat up a ramp rest assured that it is barely breaking a sweat. Certainly working at much much less capacity than your boat is when pulling a slalom set.

Joe's dead on here. The Ecoboost has twin turbos which means smaller than what a single turbo would be and at a lower boost pressure (I have to assume anyway). That allows them to spool faster and at a lower RPM to give you the low end torque that you want to get that rig moving. Bigger high pressure turbos are great for mid-upper RPM boost. Smaller low pressure turbos boost at lower-mid RPM for more grunt. Very similar to how different cam grinds will move the torque up or down the RPM range of an engine. Turbos and supercharging are a science unto themselves.

The one thing I would highly suggest is that you run synthetic oil in that thing. Turbos put off heat, and I mean lots of heat. The oil that keeps them lubricated will boil and sludge up the turbo itself in no time. Especially right after you shut it off after a hard run. Synthetic oil is the only thing that can take that kind of heat. It's been highly documented on all the Volvo forums I visit that conventional oil is probably the sole reason guys are having any turbo issues at all. Like I said, I have 399K and haven't touched the turbo, engine or tranny except for a couple of seals and it's still one of the fastest cars I've ever driven from 20MPH up to about 100 (remember that high pressure thing I mentioned).

I've been using synthetic since my first oil change. Hopeful this helps with giving the engine a longer life.

I'm assuming the F250 has better low end gearing which allows the engine to work less. The 3.5 Ecoboost definitely has more power at the boat ramp than my old 2010 F150 with 5.4 V8. For some reason the transmission I had in that truck was a little rough shifting. Ultimately I do like both series trucks and they have amazing pulling power. I've just heard mixed reviews on the life span of the Ecoboost and maintenance costs. This site is definitely helpful with getting constructive feedback to make a more informed decision. I do like Ram trucks, but I've always been a Ford guy.

Ken

What? Put it in D, floor it, and when you get to the top take the E brake off, like C-Bass said.

Love, love my 2014 F-250....6.7 Powerstroke Turbo.

That said, it's not for everybody. 14.1 in town, 19hwy.

It's a beast and that's why I bought it. I drove the F150 after spending the past 4 years in my Avalanche. I personally didn't like the feel of the F150. To me, it was too cushy of a drive. I drove the F250 and fell in love. It's a big, brutal truck and takes some getting used to but I absolutely love driving it everyday.

You definitely would not want a gasoline version of this truck. Mileage would kill you and nobody wants it from a resale standpoint.

I can't speak to torque, compression, etc..., but for towing my Ski Nautique, let's just say it would pull 20 at the same time.

In the end though, if you don't "require" this type of vehicle, it's simply a matter of personal preference. I have a friend with the V6 Eco and he loves the power.

OMG Ken, don't spill your Chardonnay, let your wife drive at the boat launch

Ok, Im gonna chime in. I own a 2013 F-350 longbed crew cab 6.7. Yes, it is a land barge but it is a beautiful machine. I own it because my 7.3 had 236k miles on it and needed to have the engine pulled to replace a rusty oil pan which they were notorious for. The internals of that engine were fantastic, but the turbo was recently replaced, injectors were original, controllers were failing....but it had a lot of miles and age on it. That diesel engine was robust and I really enjoyed it, moreso than this quiet sissy 6.7! The engines internal components will rotate forever, but it is all the junk hanging on them that fails over time.

The 6.7 is a very good motor especially the 2015's. They pull great and get ok mileage. I have the factory 20" wheels and 3:55 gears.   Let me state that I was going to get a gas 3/4 ton and I would have strained it with my 35ft 5th wheel camper but who cares! My friend has that truck with a gas and it has all kinds of power and gets about the same mpg as my diesel. I found this truck online and got a crazy deal on it and that's why I have the diesel....I basically got a new truck (8k miles) and didn't have to pay the premium of the engine.

Remember when I said all the crap hanging on the engine fails....well there is a lot of crap on these diesels and you really can't work on them because they are so damn complex compared to my old 7.3. I quit trying. the emissions stuff is ridiculous, the fuel system is incredibly sensitive (most failures are being denied of warranty and cost upwards of 10k to replace due to fuel quality), and the turbo's have issues.

I had to laugh when you were hoping that the maintenance would be cheaper....well it sure as heck isn't!!!! I run synthetic oil in the truck and it holds 13 quarts. There are 2 cooling systems on the truck that need to be pampered/monitored, two fuel filters and they are 101 bucks from ford! I honestly have spent over $400.00 in fuel filters alone in the last 2 weeks simply due to poor fuel (biodiesel) the stations are selling. I have bought from these same stations for 10 years and they are now selling biodiesel in the winters when they shouldn't and it plugs the *************** out of the filters! left me stranded! The ford dealer did 12 new 6.7's fuel filters BEFORE NOON simply because of plugged fuel filters....traced down to the same stations that usually sell quality fuel. I am a maintenance freak and I knew I was going to spend more on maintenance costs on this new 6.7 than I did on my old truck, but this is ridiculous! I was actually looking last weekend for a gas 3/4 ton and couldn't find one on any lots. This truck was going down the road!

The cost factor is just too high for me to buy another one. Again, I got a stupid good deal on this truck and it is the only damn reason I bought another diesel. The superduty is a gorgeous truck and I would highly recommend one to you, but the diesel is going to nickel and dime you to death. Get a gas motor. You will put more gallons through it but you will pour in gas and oil....that's it!

I'd agree with Alan, that little jeep of theirs is awesome. Super power, gobs of torque, quiet, and just a ball to drive! If you must have a diesel and open to a Mopar product, take a hard look at the ram.

I want to get back to the point, if you have a load of spare cash and want to piss it into the wind (or just plain stupid like me)....buy a diesel. They are fun to drive and make towing a pleasure. For me it does make pulling the 10K lbs camper of ours easy. But if it weren't for the camper I sure as hell wouldn't have a diesel truck. To this day, my wheezy ol 1990 F-150 with 5.0 180hp motor still pulls the Nautique during the summers just fine! If someone would buy this camper off me I'd gladly step down to a F150 with a v-8. My buddy has a ecoboost and it is quick but I'm not sure I would buy one simply due to how complex they are.

It was a windy post, but I wanted to throw in my $.02 worth. Again, gorgeous truck and enjoy what ford has done with the truck, but unless you drive it and work the hell out of it, people like us have no business owning one!

weitekampt wrote: I wanted to throw in my $.02 worth.

$.02 worth? Todd, I think your decimal key is sticking, that was closer to $2.00 worth!

dmiracle wrote: You definitely would not want a gasoline version of this truck. Mileage would kill you and nobody wants it from a resale standpoint.

My cousins airport bought a new F250 regular cab with the 6.2 last summer. Drew says it is pooch city and gets atrocious fuel economy.

M3Fan wrote: weitekampt wrote: Ok, Im gonna chime in. This was a great read, particularly because I could perfectly hear your voice in my head while reading it, with all the classic Todd-isms and figures of speech! Loved it!

"I'm here to tell ya." LOL. Todd-isms!!! we could write a book.

Todd is the ultimate authority on oil burners. I know how much he misses playing with the 7.3 rattlecan. Old red was a beast.

I've got a 15 F350 work truck, it's an absolute beast. Gets acceptable mileage unloaded, and pretty good mileage loaded. I tow heavy things often, I have to make sure I don't need the bigger truck for a lot of of things. If you tow things right up to the point you need a CDL then it's hard to beat, if you aren't doing that then a new gas truck every few years is a better deal. Nobody needs a daily driver truck that requires the cab be removed to work on the motor.

If you just need to be different with something bigger, get a Raptor.

I already gave my best advice to ken (re: Subaru Brat), but I do have a question of my own.

When the time comes to buy a truck in the next few years, I'm contemplating 2 options:
1. New/newer 1/2 ton to use as my primary vehicle. Capable but comfortable, reasonable fuel mileage (80 mile round trip commute), etc.
2. Used/older 3/4 ton to use as a 3rd vehicle for towing and winter use, and also buy a car that would be used for commuting.

In scenario #2, it seems like a gasser 3/4 ton might be the way to go. As much as I'd like to have the pulling power of a diesel, the additional upkeep and cost does not appeal to me. Fuel efficiency is less of a concern since it wouldn't be an every day vehicle. Longevity, simplicity and low maintenance are the keys. A used/older 1/2 ton is also a consideration, but the beefier frame/axles/suspension and larger v8's appeals to me from both a longevity and capability standpoint.

Any comments on my line of thinking?

^^^ ditto.   Not really that much to insure both, and you don't have to sacrifice any one Item to make the vehicle perform marginally for both tasks.   I am on this plan too, thus the older 7.3l f250.   good for everything I need in a truck, and sits when I don't need it.

Tim, the diesel Colorado should be out by then so you can have something that tows well and gets some mileage.

I got 2 words for ya.

Fleet

Wood


or car + truck sounds good to me. I'd consider leasing a dorky economy car if you'd rather put more money into the truck