Trucks

[showsteerdlux]

I have a chance to buy a 97 ford F250 powerstroke with only 56,000 miles. Has anyone had experience with these trucks? Good, bad? They are asking 13,000 which I thought was good. Are they worth it?

 

[shortyjock89]

The 7.3 PowerStroke is one of the best diesel engines out there. If the body and all the drivetrain is in good shape, I would go for it.  Try to barter down a little of course, but it's a pretty good buy if you ask me.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Its in real good condition. Thought maybe I could get it just to haul with and fool around in. Anyone know how much weight you can safely pull with them. Its 4wd if that affects anything.

 

[shortyjock89]

Well, I know you can haul a 7.5 x 22 Eby trailer with 12 fat steers on it with a 250 Powerstroke.  Pretty much anything you can hook onto it, ur good to go lol...but seriously..check the ratings, but you can haul alot with one.

 

[Doc]

I have a chance to buy a 97 ford F250 powerstroke with only 56,000 miles. Has anyone had experience with these trucks? Good, bad? They are asking 13,000 which I thought was good. Are they worth it?

Is it reg cab or super cab? If reg cab, then they are a just a little high. I sold a 95 super cab 4x4 this year with 300,000 & still running strong. You can't beat a 7.3 engine IMO. 56K miles is like brand new.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Yes it is single cab. I think it has the 3.73 rear end in it, but it may have the 4.10. The only thing we would use it for would be hauling cattle, hay and some christmas trees.

 

[TJ]

Yes it is single cab. I think it has the 3.73 rear end in it, but it may have the 4.10. The only thing we would use it for would be hauling cattle, hay and some christmas trees.

Sounds like a good buy to me & it should be more than good enough. 

BTW, I owned a Ford Diesel dually & a Chevy 454 dually before I got my Dodge Diesel 3/4 ton.  When I first got my Dodge, I used to haul up to 1,800 board feet of Red & White Oak logs (weighs more than sawed lumber) behind my 98 Dodge Ram w/ a Cummins & a 410 rear end, up to 50 miles per loaded trip, several times per week.  Talk about a lot of weight!!  I did that & I hauled cattle (11-12 head weighing 1200-1500 lbs.  in a 24 ft steel trailer was light compared to the logs) for the majority of the first 50,000-60,000 miles.  After that, I still hauled loads from time to time (been as far away as western Nebraska, soutehrn Alabama, Michigan, South Carolina, eastern Pennsylvania, etc. from KY several times per year hauling cattle).  The truck is now approaching 200,000 miles & I still have the original AUTOMATIC transmission & it has never been rebuilt!  Nothing against Fords, but Dodge trucks are RAM tough & IMHO, are slightly superior to Fords & vastly superior to Chevy's.   

 

[showsteerdlux]

I like the dodges for one reason that being the cummins. Anyone know what kind of fuel milelage to expect if nothing is behind it with weight. It would have a chip and cold air intake. How good or bad on fuel economy?

 

[Shebet21]

I've got a 99 F-250 with the Powerstroke. I routinely pull a 7x20 gooseneck with cows or horses in it and a flatbed with a skid steer and round bales all over the hills of western Wisconsin. You'll never run out of power with this engine. It's currently got 273,000 and still runs great. I did have to rebuild the automatic transmission at 220,000 but that is all I've ever done to it. I'd say a 97 with 56,000 has tons of life in it yet.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Shebet21 what kind of fuel milelage do you get pulling and empty?

 

[KDSC]

I like the dodges for one reason that being the cummins. Anyone know what kind of fuel milelage to expect if nothing is behind it with weight. It would have a chip and cold air intake. How good or bad on fuel economy?

We have a 97 ford with a 7.3 in it. It is a very very nice truck, It used to get about 14 miles to a gallon, and I always have a 16-24 foot steel stock trailer on it, I now only get about 10 miles to a gallon, But i am always hauling stuff with it.  I can haul a 6x32 foot stock trailer fully loaded, with cattle, or horses, and it pulls it fairly easy, I have had to rebuild the engine and replace the transmission in it twice, put the odometer says it has 460,000 miles on it . I can normally get about 260,000 miles on the deisel engines and about 200,000 on the trannys, so your truck is just getting broke in ;D

 

[Shebet21]

Empty I'm getting 17-18 and loaded is usually 14-15 as long as you keep it under 70mph. If you get over 70, the mileage drops as the rpm's go up. The worst I ever did loaded was hauling horses to Corsica, South Dakota when I set the cruise at about 78mph and that was 11.5 mpg.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Ok. Thats pretty good as I'll be empty most of the time. Does yours have a chip or anything after market added to it?

 

[Shebet21]

Nope, completely stock.  I've been told to chip and and I'd get better mileage but I'm happy with what I have so I've never done it.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Ok. Well if I get it I'l probably experiment with the chip and cold air intake. I currently have a ranger that gets between 22-25 and I'd like to get as close to that as I can.

 

[Shebet21]

Good luck, you'll like it. I have heard that depending on the chip, you can get 3 mpg more.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Ok. Have you heard which chip works the best on the powerstrokes?

 

[Doc]

Ok. Have you heard which chip works the best on the powerstrokes?

I've got a '99 CC Dually 4x4 w/7.3 & I've got an Edge 5 level Performance chip in mine. I've got a cold air intake on it also.

 

[showsteerdlux]

How good do you get on fuel empty?

 

[Doc]

How good do you get on fuel empty?

I can honestly say I've never checked it. I also never run under 78 wether I'm loaded or unloaded.