Best 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck

[Laner7]

Been looking into a new truck here recently. I am in no rush to buy anything just trying to find something I would really like.
It needs to be 3/4 ton or 1 ton. I can’t decide if I need another diesel or go gas. I haul cattle every so often and some other trailers around the ranch as well as a 50hp tractor. I do not haul everyday, maybe 3 to 5 times a month.. so didn’t know if I could get by with gas if y’all have any experience with that. I trade my trucks in every 4is/5 years..
I am a Ford guy and have tested some of the new fords & I am impressed with the newer models, but open to other makes.. Ram has had my eye since I’ve seen better deals on them, but never driven one (I will test drive one soon). Drove my buddies 2020 Chevy diesel the other day and it was okay, but I felt like the ford felt better.
Any of y’all have the big 3? Looking for advice on each. Reliability is a must have and that’s one of the reasons why I’ve thought about going gas so I don’t have to deal with def anymore, but don’t want to be undertrucked either.

[drwilliams]

I had a 2017 3/4 ton 6.2 Ford. I pulled a 70hp Kubota on a 20' gooseneck more times than I cared to count and a 5 bale hay king. The truck would flat out pull anything I had. Owned 3 diesel trucks before that and was more than pleased with the power the 6.2 had. I would also pull a 20' cattle trailer full of calves to the sale barn a couple times a year.

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[Chew]

I have the same truck. Been very happy with it.

[Laner7]

Did y’all’s ever feel underpowered?

[BBRU]

I love my diesel, but the 7.3 gas f-250 is suppose to be a beast

[CWaller30]

I had a 2018 Ford F-250 with the 6.2 and it was gutless to me. Traded it in with only 16k miles. Thought I was going to like it after test driving it, but once it was hooked up to something remotely heavy, it was gutless and I’m a Ford guy. Got into a 2020 f350 with the 7.3 motor and it’s a different story. I love it.

[RDL]

Diesels are nice but if you don’t pull on a daily basis they can cost more then they’re worth with maintenance, emission troubles and the initial purchase price. If your a Ford guy I’d sure look into the new 7.3l gas, also Chevy has a new 6.6l gas engine.


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[jmeghunts]

One year ago I test drove a 2019 F250 diesel then got out and drove a 2018 Ram 2500 diesel. Bought the Ram and have been very happy. That Ford has power but felt like it was holding something back. The Ram felt more smooth and felt like it had more power even though it actually has less HP. This is my second Cummins, the first was the 5.9. Also, and this may not mean much to some, but I notice that most of those guys pulling hot shot loads are buying the Ram and making them last. Both would make you a great truck. I tried switching to the gas 3/4 ton truck so I bought an F250 with a 6.? engine. That thing was awful compared to the diesel trucks.

[WItoTX]

I have 167,000 on the clock on my 2012 F250 diesel. Still pulls hard (We have a 9000 lb camper), transmission is strong, and is about the most comfortable vehicle I've ever owned.

I have had GM's that get squeaky inside after 30,000 miles, and I've still not heard a lot of good about interiors holding up on Dodge. I currently have a hellcat, so while it's not a truck, the interior is incredibly nice and I am cautiously optimistic on the interior holding up.

[dphillips62]

Just bought a 2020 ram 3500 HO. A few years ago I got talked into going back to gas I hated it Chev with a 6.0 gas that thing couldn't get out of it's own way. the Ram has enough power to snatch the paint off any of my trailers. I'm averaging about 17 MPG no trailer at around 78 mph in the ram and 12mpg with a load. Only have around 5 K miles on it so far but I'm loving the truck.

[bloodstick]

If you decide to go with a Ford Diesel, get the highway gears if you don’t haul alot. That will help with tour fuel mileage. I drive a 2017 F250 FX4 with 4WD and 373 highway gears. I get right at 20 mpg highway and 14-15 city. Pulling anything it always sits around 14 mpg.


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[Quackerbox]

Listening.

At the moment can't justify the diesel and they aren't as fun as they once were.

Will be pulling a 25' camper 2 or 3 times a year and a 21' boat about the same

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[Buck hunter332]

Have a 2012 6.7 Ford with 170k on it been an amazing truck

[mudbone]

I love my Diesel 6.7 but it will be my last Diesel if I have to put up with the DEF CRAP. The DEF pump and all related items are nothing but junk and a huge money pit. It is not if it screws you but when and it will.

[deerplanter]

I have been looking myself and the diesels are an extra $10,000 on average with more maintenance costs so it's hard to justify one only on fuel mileage. You sound like we would have about the same amount of use so it would be just what you want not so much of what is needed. As for the brand I've ridden in my buddies f250 enough to know I don't care for the ride and the front end wobble is something I don't want to deal with but that is just me. I'm more of a GM guy but the Ram's have gotten my eye lately. The brand is a personal choice as they will all perform good and they all have their flaws.

[aggie2000tx]

I have a 2020 6.4 Hemi Dodge 2500 4x4 and I pull a 4 horse living quarters trailer with it just about every weekend somewhere. It pulls the trailer just fine. I went back and forth with going to a diesel. My previous truck was an f250 with the 6.2 gas engine.

The overall ride in the Dodge is a whole lot better than my F250


I don’t understand when people say these bigger gas rigs have no power. Everyone I have owned pulled any trailer I backed up to and I spend more time dragging a trailer than most

Good luck on your search. I have had Dodge work trucks for the past 10 years and never had issue with the interior

[rvd]

Originally Posted by Quackerbox

Listening.

At the moment can't justify the diesel and they aren't as fun as they once were.

Will be pulling a 25' camper 2 or 3 times a year and a 21' boat about the same

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I sure hope you get to pull your boat more than 2-3 times a year

[Quackerbox]

Originally Posted by rvd

I sure hope you get to pull your boat more than 2-3 times a year

It lives at the lake now. I could launch it with the ranger if I wanted.

Maybe I should have said long hauls to POC,matty and rock port

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[EarleyBird]

I have a '16 Dodge 3/4 ton w/ 6.4L HEMI

Very pleased.

[rvd]

Originally Posted by Quackerbox

It lives at the lake now. I could launch it with the ranger if I wanted.

Maybe I should have said long hauls to POC,matty and rock port

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Gotcha, that’s much better. I was concerned for a moment, was thinking we might need to have a priority talk

[rvd]

Op I think they’re all pretty good right now. I’m still a diesel guy and really like the f250 I’m driving now but the 2015 duramax was good too.

[JonW]

Don’t discount resale value with the diesel after 5 years. The gas will depreciate a bunch more I bet.

I hear good things about the 10-speed transmissions on the Fords. Everyone I know is claiming 20+ mpg on the highway.


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[Quackerbox]

Originally Posted by rvd

Gotcha, that’s much better. I was concerned for a moment, was thinking we might need to have a priority talk

Haha.

My priorities are much better in my mind. If I could that job part in sync I'd be muey better.

It's jan 22 and I've only fished once this year. I'm usually 3 or 4 trips in by now. Low lake levels have my early white bass spots unaccessible

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[hoythunter02]

Cummins...period.

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[BW96]

I just bought a 2021 ram 2500 6.7 Cummins. Only have about 700 miles on it. But I really like it so far. It rides good, shifts smooth. Time will tell the story though. Ram is the only truck that seems affordable to me anymore. Mine is a tradesmen with the chrome package, bigger screen, carpet, and cloth seats. I'm glad I went diesel vs gas. I started the gas engine and it was just as loud or louder than the diesel. Plus resale is better on the diesels.

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[captainsling]

Had a 2012 Ram 2500 6.7 and couldn’t keep it out of the shop. Bought a 2019 F250 6.7 and absolutely love it. It pulls my travel trailer like it isn’t even back there.
I absolutely loved the Ram, but it was not reliable.
I think they all make great trucks. Some just have more problems.
Resale value is huge too. My Ram was traded in after 4 years and I got $9k less than I paid for it. Probably could have gotten more selling to an individual.

[Mudslinger]

2020 F350 C/C FX4 with the new 7.3 gas and 3.73 gears. It is a beast, has way more power than you will ever need, will pull anything you want and will flat out fly on the highway. You can hit 90+ very easily passing someone!

[BrianL]

You get 80-90% of the cost of a diesel engine back when you sell.

Gas are getting better but nowhere near a diesel yet, but haven't driven the 7.3 gas Ford yet.

Gas will cost you nearly 2x the fuel when pulling.

Diesels are crazy expensive to work on.

While maintenance is slightly higher per service, you service at 10K miles instead of 5-7.5K for gas. And gas engines now hold more oil, so that amount difference, especially with synthetic oil, is getting pretty close.

If going new and you trade before or around 100k miles I would go diesel, if you want to keep one 150-200K miles I would go gas due to repair cost.

[Pintail45]

Since reliability is a must have, that rules out modern emissions diesels. And the strongest gasser is the new 7.3 Ford.

[Rubi513]

If you’re going to get rid of it in 4-5 years, I would go diesel. Night and day difference when towing.

[JeffK]

The gas will do just fine for what you are doing.

[powderburner]

I just spent the last year looking and asking and praying.

I was in your same boat.

I ended up with F250 Diesel. Bought it in December and have wondered why I never went this way before. Pulling is awesome. Ride is awesome.
The only negative I have found is the payment. I hate payments but other wise.

Love it.

[Arrowthreat]

Don't buy a gas. Resale value and fuel mileage is terrible. Stick with Ford or dodge. Dodge is cheaper, and generally gets better MPG. Ford has much more power and better resale value. Overall, the new fords are better trucks.

I wouldn't touch a 19-20 ram Cummins. They switched to CP4 and have had nothing but problems. It's so bad, that they actually admitted it was a mistake and are going back to a CP3 in 2021.

If you buy a Dodge, get the high output with the Aisin transmission.

Honestly, if you need a diesel, you probably need a 1 ton. 3/4 ton guys always end up putting air bags on the rear. The new 3/4 springs in all trucks are too soft.

[Laner7]

Have y’all had much trouble with the Def in the first 80k miles? That’s about the time I trade them in. The added cost for maintenance as far as oil changes and things of such isn’t a big deal for me. I just don’t want to be stranded and having to deal with a def issue. My last diesel was used & deleted it right off the back & has been great, but I’m not deleting this one due to warranty. The def is my biggest hold up. I’ve heard good things about the 7.3, but comparing stats online it really doesn’t have that much more than the 6.2 or at least from what I’ve seen.
Ram is a serious consideration just don’t know much about them and need to drive it.

[GA Bowhunter]

Cummins or nothing for me.

You will get your money(or most of it) back on resale of a diesel.

Those saying the new gas burners have a lot of power, they have less than half the torque of the new diesels.

You pull with torque.

[EHenry1217]

I just got a 2019 3/4 ton diesel Ram. its my first diesel to own and i plan to never go back to gas. it has fantastic torque power for steep hills and fuel miles to make an even comparison to gas truck that diesel is better. highway i get 21-23 mpg unloaded. 13-16 mpg loaded. same goes with Chevy. a buddy of mine has a Chevy diesel and they are pretty close on performance besides Chevy is faster off the line. just depends on what you want the interior to look and feel like.

[dclifton]

I have yet to see a gas anything hold a candle to a diesel. Now if your just occasianally pulling a boat and light stuff in the 3-10K range. Then it may be ok.

But I pull 10-20K regularly and there is NO comparison.

[Javelin]

I have a 2020 megacab 6.4 hemi on 35 inch tires. Everyday driving I average 13.5 to 14 mpg. Pulling my tractor (8K lbs or so) I get between 8 and 10 mpg. Has plenty of power and fantastic interior. Came out of a 2018 cummins dually which got 15.5 mpg unloaded and about 11 pulling. Gas is the way to go unless you pull over about 12K lbs often and more than a few hundred miles.

[Rubi513]

Originally Posted by Laner7

Have y’all had much trouble with the Def in the first 80k miles? That’s about the time I trade them in. The added cost for maintenance as far as oil changes and things of such isn’t a big deal for me. I just don’t want to be stranded and having to deal with a def issue. My last diesel was used & deleted it right off the back & has been great, but I’m not deleting this one due to warranty. The def is my biggest hold up. I’ve heard good things about the 7.3, but comparing stats online it really doesn’t have that much more than the 6.2 or at least from what I’ve seen.
Ram is a serious consideration just don’t know much about them and need to drive it.

I am on 83k in a 16 Powerstroke with all the emissions intact. I haven't had one issue out of the truck.

[slayr]

I had a 2019 F250 diesel and with black ice and some dumb luck I totaled it. Just picked up a 2021 F250 diesel. I looked at all three both times and still ended up with the Ford. Chevy’s back seat room was horrible and I hated the huge hole in the console. Dodge just didn’t impress me, can’t really point to any one thing.

I don’t tow a lot, just recreational towing of boat and bringing stuff to and from the lease such as vehicles, loads of corn, etc. I will say the diesel, while more out of the box, will hold their value much better than the gas engine.

[BETTERLUCKYTHANGOOD]

I bought the 2020 F250 4x4 7.3 gasser with 3.55 gears. I got out of my 2004 chevy 3500 diesel 4x4. My camper isn't a big camper and I'm not hauling animals anymore, my boat is not big so I triple tow with camper and boat. The 7.3 has a lot of power and is comfortable to drive...all this from a CHEVY GUY!! I'm very happy with my choice, the only thing I might change later is the gears, I will probably change them out to 3.73, couldn't find the truck on the lot anywhere with 3.73 when I needed to get this one. Mileage now with 6600 miles on the truck is 15.7-16.3 unloaded (hand calculated) and 10.3-11.1 towing.

[WyoBull]

I drive a 2017 Ford F350 CCSB 4x4 with the 6.2 gas. Extremely happy with it.

I chuckle a little at the gas/diesel comparisons. Its apples to oranges so very hard to compare the two.

Probably the biggest factor for me in going with the gas engine was the up front cost differential and then just the peace of mind in driving a vehicle with a highly reliable engine.

The towing experience is completely different between the two but each one is very capable, just different.

I doubt I will ever own another diesel.


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[mzurovec]

Not much help but curious on others experience. I've got a '20 Chevy 2500 Duramax with 17,000 miles. It's a heck of a grocery getter and has some get up and go. The only heavy thing I've hauled was an 8200 lb bumper pull travel trailer and it did as you'd expect having over 900ftlbs of torque (which I believe to be the lowest of the new big three's offerings).

*I drove 4 different Fords with the 6.2 in it when working in the field. Not a bad motor, but the diesel can do a lot more, if you feel it's worth the cost.*

[alec73065]

I have never owned a diesel but recently bought a 2020 Chevy 2500 HD with the 6.6 gas engine. I am getting about 14 MPG pulling our 41 ' , 11000 LB fifth wheel and it has plenty of power for that . I have always owned chevy's and the only one I have not liked was the 2019 1500 Silverado that I traded in. It was a dog for power , it had issues pulling a 26' bumper pull camper. My only complaint about my new truck is the seats are uncomfortable , I cut up a mattress topper and put that under my seat covers and it fixed the comfort issue.

[blfx4]

I work in a shop that has ford, gm, and ram, both with gas and diesels in the 3/4-1 ton class of trucks. I have driven them all and really feel they will all do what you need them to do. Personally, I am partial to Ford and purchased a 2020 f250 with the 6.2 and it is great for what I do. After driving them all I can agree the diesel are by far more fun to drive and are flat out hot rods nowadays. That all comes at a price, they all have regen issues. Our trucks idle a lot and they all have issues related to regen. From an unbiased standpoint Cummins is the least problematic followed by ford and gm with a close tie. As far as warranty work Ford and Cummins really try to help you out more on the warranty side. As far as what we have done with gm everything is somehow due to the lack of maintenance or excessive idle time. They really don’t seem to want to help with the warranty side of things, maybe due to the dealers we work with, who knows. As far as the gas vs diesel debate, the gas engines have the power of diesels 20 yrs ago. Back then everyone got done whatever they had to. Just something to keep in mind even though they don’t burn the tires like the diesels do, they are still pretty practical. Just my opinion and experience with the different makes, buy what you like, they are all too expensive anyway.

[Mudslinger]

Ford only offered the 7.3 gas in the F250 with 3.55 or 4.30 gearing. That is the reason I went with the F350, I wanted the 3.73 gears.

[lovetohunt]

I’m still driving my 2004 Ram 2500 diesel and have thought about a new truck but my dodge keeps on running great with no issues. Hard to justify buying a new one when my old one is running great.

[bowhuntertex]

the 6.7 diesel motor in the Fords is a beast. and when the Def goes out just have it deleted. I have a 2012 with 260k on it and the only major issue I have had is when the DEF went out at a 150K. Deleted it and never looked back.

[Fordnandez]

My advice would get the truck that you like best or can find the best deal on. I think these days they are all pretty close to eachother in performance.

What I think you should do for sure is get a 1 ton. It would be pretty hard to hit the payload capacity on a 1 ton but it is hit pretty easy on a 3/4.

[Fordnandez]

Originally Posted by lovetohunt

I’m still driving my 2004 Ram 2500 diesel and have thought about a new truck but my dodge keeps on running great with no issues. Hard to justify buying a new one when my old one is running great.

I am in the same boat with my 08 F250. My problem is the truck I want has a MSRP above $80k and that just aint going to happen anytime soon.