Sure, it CAN but that doesn't mean it SHOULD. You can open a can of soup with a screwdriver, but that doesn't mean it's a better tool for the job than a can opener.

The right tool for the job to pull a Bobcat will definately be an SD with a diesel, hands-down. Sure, a 5.4 CAN do it, but it's not the best tool for the job. Get the 5.4 and you'll be kicking yourself for not getting the diesel. Get the diesel and you might hate filling it up at the pumps, but you'll seldom wish you had settled for the 5.4.

-Joe

 

I think you guys are confused.


Yes Diesel costs more then gasoline, but you get about 30% more milage per gallon out of it.

So lets say Gasoline is $2.29 a gallon and diesel is $2.42. Then your only paying 6% more for a fuel that gives you 30% more miles out of your tank.

So your actually saving money.

 

5 miles to work won't even begin to warm up the diesel, and diesels like to be warmed up and worked. You don't say how far your towing trips are but it sounds like a gas engine would do and also save you some money.

 

A gas engine is going to hate short trips like that just as much...

I say get the PSD, it sounds like youll be towing enough to need it.

 

Oh yea my owners manual says that my truck can tow 7700 lbs (I think). But would I? HELL NO! For starters, try finding a hitch that is rated for more than 5000 lbs for a 1/2 ton. Oh yea weight distributing hitch this, weight distributing hitch that.... If I could afford it, I'd trade in my truck right now for a PSD 6spd. More power, better mileage, lasts longer, and I think it's just plain cooler.

 

I wouldn't exclude the V10 just yet. I have one in my one ton work van and it's been great. I push it hard six hours daily and spend about $20-$25 a day in fuel. It's got plenty of power and none of the high maintenance costs of a diesel. Remember, a typical service of a diesel is about double to triple that of a gas motor. Also, your initial cost of getting a diesel will probably be $3-5k more than a gas. As far as fuel mileage goes, I dunno, my counterpart at my business has an F350 with a cube on it and granted, she hauls some heavier loads than I do, but she's also spending about $50.00/wk more in fuel costs than I am. I don't think the diesels are much more economic than gas, especially with the costs of fuel these days. When it comes time to get a bigger rig, I will definitely look hard at V10 powered truck again.

 

Im calling BS

At the price of fuel today that would only be about 10 gallons for six hours of driving??? Im not sure what a gallon goes for in Canada? but its $2 and some change here in America.


Im not sure what you mean by "Pushing it hard"


Even if you were only going 60 mph in a V-6 for 6 hours "360 miles" getting 18 mpg you would still burn 20 gallons.

The only V-10 I drove got 12 mpg on a good day.

So if you drove that V-10 360 miles getting 12 mpg you would burn 30 gallons costing you in the neighborhood of $70-$75, not $20-$25.



Oil changes dont cost 3 times as much either.


Do you even know what the hell your talking about?????

Diesels make way more power per gallon then a gasoline engine ever will.

Why do you think all ships have Diesel engines? All Trains have diesel engines. All Heavy duty Commercial trucks have diesels.

They make more power, more efficiently.

 

I have a 99 7.3l and pull 8-10 times a year camping. The 7.3l pulls nice. But if i had to do it again i would get a V10 because unless you tow on a more regular basis its a waste of money and maintenance. The weight you will be towing i think you have two options V10 or PSD SD.

 

My friend just traded in his 05 F350 with a 6.0 PSD because of engine problems. They still have bugs to be worked out, you either get a truck that runs perfect and never has a problem or you get the opposite. I hate to say it but for towing and reliability the best combination is a Cummins with a 6 speed manual, they last forever and pretty much never have problems.

I would say get a 02 or 03 7.3L Powerstroke if you want to stay in the ford family. A friend of mine has 99.5 F350 and all he does is tow either a big horse trailer or a 35 ft. 5th wheel camper and he has had ZERO problems with his. It's also been chipped for the last year or two.

 

IMHO, PSD is the only way to go. I have a 99 F-150 5.4, towing I can get around 11 MPG, and that's with a lot of mods, only a small trailer with a quad. MY 2000 V-10 Excursion gets around 9-10 MPG towing or not, same trailer. Now if I add an enclosed car trailer with a car in it, I'll maybe get 8 MPG. My parents 2005 6.0 PSD is getting 18.5 MPG and that's a mixture of city and highway, towing an enclosed car trailer with a car, they are getting 15 MPG. You can't beat the PSD, you can read all you want on what the F-150 has for towing ratings and you can hear everyones stories as to what they have encountered, but it's what you want to spend and what you want to put in it. I know this was long, but I hope it helps you out in some way. Later.

 

PSD wins hands down.

 

Trying to start something?? That six hours daily driving is constant stop and go around town, and putting my foot to the floor on a regular basis, and being hard on brakes. Its the nature of my business. I did not say I was on the highway all day, did I? On the rare occasion I have driven it on long hauls, it has delivered 18-20MPG, comparable to any Ford diesel. I never said diesels made less power. I've driven both, the guy wanted opinions, I'm sharing mine. Oh yeah, last I checked, a 7.3 held 12 litres of oil, my math says that's twice as much as my gas motor, nevermind the more expensive air filters, fuel filters etc. And FYI, between my businesses, I have two, I put on about 40,000 miles yearly, about 15,000 with the van and 25,000 with my Screw. I think I'm qualified to share a valid opinion. It costs me $100.00/wk to run the van, and the only problems I've had with it are the coils, and that's with 120,000 miles on it. And like I said about my counterpart, her diesel costs at least $50.00 more a week to fuel, plus her rusted out oil pan@100,000 miles really added to her ownership costs. Locomotives, yeah, I know about them. Ever see how much soot and crud they spew? Use to be two stroke diesels in them, I think they've gone to four stroke now. Big trucks? My brother owns 9. Of course diesels are more suited to those applications, nobody would argue that, but as far as cost of ownership goes, diesels are not necessarily all that advantageous. Remember, diesels from even twenty years ago were total junk. The old Chev 350 conversion comes to mind, even the Ford 6.9 wasn't exactly a powerhouse. Volkswagen Rabbit diesels smoked and rattled and made your eyes water everytime one drove by. Granted, they've cleaned them up a lot, but blow a turbo or injector pump and you are talking big dollars. I could replace the motor in my van for 5-6k, a diesel is double that. If it's prestige you want and gottahaveitness, get the PSD.

 

Your getting 20 mpg with a V-10????




We are talking mpg here, not $ in fuel a week. How the hell am I suppose to compare your $100 a week in fuel to any thing.

I cant compare your "counterparts $50 more a week" when you dont give us her miles travels or gallons burned ?



Im not saying you arent allowed to have an opinion, Im just saying I have serious doubts about your math.

Give us some real numbers so we can compare.

 

It's got 3.55's. When I bought it, I drove it home 100 miles. Filled up when I left, gassed up again when I got home, cost me $11.00, and that's when gas was about $2.50 cdn. I took it on a 260 mile trip to Grande Prairie last year, empty going up, loaded coming back. Cost me $100.00 to go 520 miles and gas was $3.00plus/gal, so it averaged about 18mpg on that trip. Remember though, our gallons are imperial, so they are a wee bit bigger than yours. Still, in American, it probably would've been about 16mpg.
Rusty pan has everything to do with it being a diesel. Ford screwed up on those motors with the paint application that allows moisture to build between the paint and the pan. As far as mpg goes, I get about 9-10 around town, going hard, way harder than most folks drive their vehicles. I have to because of the time schedule I'm on. She drives just as far as I do. Do the math!

 

It has to do with the paint application, Not the fact that its a diesel.


Im talking U.S gallons. Im only interested in how many gallons you put in your tank, Not how much it cost estimated.