Farm Truck people, need your advice and opinions please!

[rebelcowboysnb]

Would also help to know what you plan to hall with these trucks, how much weight an how far at a time?

 

[baltimoreharps]

Quote:
Hauling at least 100 plus bales of hay at a time or several round bales, at least 2 horses and more than two cows, sometimes goats and the tractor at times with 5 people in the cab at all times. We're planning on getting a good long horse trailer at least 16' and when we can a utility trailer for hauling hay and other farm stuff.
Can't afford that horse trailer yet but am planning ahead.We;ll get bywith a 1 horse or a cattle trailer for now. We have the farm now and aren't just talking about it, we're doing it.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Ok knowing that, as much as I like my chevys you need a one ton dully diesel to keep control of that kind of weight. 100 square bales weigh between 3 an 5 tons. Add the weight of the traitor an you are at or above the 5 ton the law allows for a one ton.

 

[baltimoreharps]

Quote:
Sigh.

Thanks, reb.
Dang I wanted a cowgirl truck as a trade off for my Mustang.

As long as it passes inspection tomorrow, I guess I have the dually.

No offense to you at all! I sold my baby just yesterday and am having a hard time that I have to be practical once again for everyone. Being practical stinks sometimes.

 

[Baymule]

Sorry you had to sell your Mustang baby. I vote on the Ford diesel. It's an 89 so it should have the.. um.. 7.3 engine? If so, that is the best one before the "new and improved" 6.0's. We have F250 diesel with the 6.0 and really like it.

 

[andalusn]

I drive daily (to work) my "big girl truck". A Ford F250 w/ 4 x 4, ext cab, short bed. LOVE the V10. The transmission is so smooth. Hauls my trailer like its not even there. That being said, break it down to what are you going to be doing the most of? I have horses, sheep and the chickens. The hardest the truck has worked recently is hauling bags of grain. You usually only haul full loads of hay in the summer for a day or two. Truck bed size is what it is and can only stack so many bales. If hooking up a trailer (horse) short trips a half ton is fine. I would take out the 5th wheel, forget a dully setup and really think what you need. A full size truck is a full size truck. What is the condition of the specific one you are looking at and forget the name on the side. As you can see truck loyalty knows no bounds as far as make goes. They are all good.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

We have two pickups on our farm, a '94 Ford F250 and a '08 Ford F250 Diesel. We use them to pull grain wagons, our gooseneck trailers, and haul seed and other items to and from our fields. We are diehard Ford fans to the chagrin of our Brother In Law who is the Sales Manager at a local Chevrolet dealer.

One note, there is no way you're getting 100 bales of hay on the back of any pickup truck.

Jim

 

[Dunkopf]

Too bad you sold the Mustang. You wouldn't be able to get out in the winter though anyway. Take it a step at a time. Get the most reliable one now. If you can only afford a 2000.00 truck right now, you won't be getting any trailers for a while. A trailer that will haul 100 bales is going to set you back at least 1200 for an old beat up one. Same with a horse trailer 1500.00 minimum if you don't want a rusted out piece of junk. Colorado is not the most expensive place to live, but it sure ain't the cheapest. I don't know if you have had horses before but they are a money pit. If you're a good trainer and know what to look for they can do you good. Nobody wants an untrained horse unless it's a really nice horse and is cheap. They'll pay a lot for good blood lines too. By the way a tractor that can do anything besides pick up manure will set you back 6000.00 for an old one as in 25 to 30 years old. I would love to have one. Hard to justify though. Good thing is they keep their value pretty well. If you need to sell it you can get close to what you paid.

Good luck. That Hum Hum could be the front hubs going out. Been there done that.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

A half ton will pull 5 tons of trailer. Ive done it many times because I had to. What it cant do is control it. Its not fun. You should never go past 5 thousand pounds behind a half ton truck out on the highway. 3/4s ton can control about 7 or 8 thousand pounds of trailer. Anything more an you need a one ton an those extra 2 tires.

Trust me from experience it only takes one time having a trailer jackknife your truck going down the highway to teach you that the money you save having a smaller truck is not worth it, even if you only hall one heavy load a year.

 

[theoldchick]

The hubby and I use the snot out of our farm trucks. They work for a living. Not being made out of money we buy them wrecked, swap out body repair for transmission work, and put them to work doing what trucks are supposed to do-haul. We haul round and square bales. Haul our tractors, baler, and that thing that fluffs the hay-whose the name I can't think of since I have been up since 4 am-into some pretty nasty areas.

This is what we learned.

A heavy duty ford will faint on the job. Just pass out and not move. The only good Ford truck I've ever had was an 82 gas dually. I used that to haul my horse all over the Southeast. Purchased from a junk yard, the hubby rebuilt the motor and transmission, and the truck was retired several years later when a tornado used it as a dart board. Loved that truck until the gas prices went sky high.

Chevy had heart to try but just couldn't get the job done for us hard working farm folk. Transmissions are kinda weak. Needed some tweaking to do real farm work.

We currently have a fleet of recycled diesel Dodge duallys and dang if those 6 wheels get out there and get dirty. Man oh man they will do the job. Purchased wrecked, the duallys needed some body work, and the hubby buffed up the transmissions and rear ends just because he wanted to get his hands greasy. All are four wheel drive and automatics and have air conditioning. Some have working radios and all have cracked dashes. We do have a sissy Dodge that is not a 4-wheel drive or a dually. Can't do much heavy hauling with that truck. Sits in the yard most of the time.

My personal preferences for a working farm truck is it must have 4-wheel drive and be a short bed. Not really fond of the quad cabs. For some reason I like hauling a heavy load on a short bed goose neck. Feels more secure to me. Easier for me to maneuver in those tight spaces. Don't know why. Maybe it because I'm a blonde female with short legs.