Ranch Hand Sport replacement bumper

[clikrf8]

I think we have been on a mission lately to help the US economy. iPad mini, iPod, MacBook Pro and a Ranch Hand Sport replacement bumper. Ouch. At least the Ranch Hand is made in the USA.

We have been wanting to get something more solid for the front end. It seems like people like to play chicken with big trucks (ours seems big to me) by making last minute left hand turns or passing on blind curves. Also, we travel in open range country where the deer and the antelope and elk and cows play. And, in northern Utah all the Simplot trucks sported them plus the big potash hauling trucks had BIG front grill guards (nothing would stop those).

It took me a few weeks but did narrow it down to Ranch Hand and where to buy it. The factory is 4+ weeks behind so it looks like mid-April delivery date. Hubby has a pulley system in the big shop and the neighbor is always willing to lend us his Kubota to do the heavy lifting. It will be delivered by truck on a pallet. It is winch ready but that may come later. I am hoping we won't need one right away. It looks big and solid and Ranch hands supposedly outsell the others.

Now, we will be armed against idiot drivers who think you can just slam on the brakes so they can get somewhere a few minutes early. We have extra heavy duty brakes (just had new ones replaced on the front-new for the rear maybe this fall says our mechanic). Glad that doesn't happen very often as it was $400 or $600.

We are ready.

[deltabravo]

Reddog1 wrote:
deltabravo, check your Private Messages

Wayne
Moderator

ok

[deltabravo]

I'm referring to the actual brand Ranch Hand. Some of the ones I have seen are rusty.

bobcouch said
You are either using "Ranch Hand" as a generic term for a type of welded steel bumper or you are simply wrong. Real Ranch Hand brand bumpers have a thick, heavy powder coat finish that will outlast the paint on any vehicle they're mounted on.

And no, I'm not wrong about seeing Ranch Hand (the brand) bumpers having rust on them. What make you think I am making this up? You didn't see the bumpers in Washington having rust on them, I DID.

[flht_db]

They are beast bumper. I had the Buckstop on my F250, will probably put on the 350 also. Used a motorcycle lift to put it on. Worked out real well, also used it when I took the bumper off to pull the winch when I traded the truck.

[bobcouch]

Deltabravo said -

I've seen plenty of Ranch hand bumpers on trucks in WA, and they tend to get rusty due to a poor paint job and the salt and decier that's used on the road.

You are either using "Ranch Hand" as a generic term for a type of welded steel bumper or you are simply wrong. Real Ranch Hand brand bumpers have a thick, heavy powder coat finish that will outlast the paint on any vehicle they're mounted on.
After my wife's truck was hit by another vehicle - She was stopped at an intersection and the other driver cut the corner too sharp, peeling a 4 foot by 4 inch strip off the side of her car - I was able to buff the blue paint off our bumper leaving no visible damage.
The other driver told the investigating officer "It's her fault. I never would have hit her if she didn't have that big ass bumper on the front of her truck."

[Reddog1]

deltabravo, check your Private Messages

Wayne
Moderator

[deltabravo]

One thing about those big heavy steel bumpers is that if you hot something, the bumper won't absorb any impact, instead, it will transfer the energy to something else. Case in point: A friend of mine had a Ranch Hand bumper. Something got in the way of his truck and the frame of the truck folded up. The truck was nearly totaled by the insurance company due to the expense of replacing the frame.

I've seen plenty of Ranch hand bumpers on trucks in WA, and they tend to get rusty due to a poor paint job and the salt and decier that's used on the road.

[bka0721]

Not sure where you are planning on installing the Hi-Jack, as the front grill of your Ford is going to take up room, as the bumper wraps around the front. You will see what I mean, when you get your bumper. The Ranch Hand comes with a good Powder Coat on it and I would hesitate grinding it down to weld on it. Personally, i would just drill contact points, as i did to install mine on my rear bumper, so as not to compromise the Powder Coating. If you do weld, do it before you install to protect your electrical system of your truck.

I removed the extruded screen over the OEM Aux lights, to maximise the candlepower of these lights. Chances of them are minimal, compared to the amount of time I would be using them. Which has been a lot.

b

[clikrf8]

No photo yet as we don't have it. A Google image search should give you an idea. It is big and heavy. We will sell our Ford bumper. I am not sure what to charge but it will put a small dent (lol) in the purchase price of the Ranch Hand. It does sound easy to install, just a bit unwieldy. Hubby is a fix-it type of guy and knows his way around tools. Thanks for input on on the shocks. I heard that the extra weight smooths out the ride on washboards?

We pan on a winch eventually. We are looking into extra lights. Hubby wants to attach the new hiJack jack to the front too. He has a welder and can weld. We are not sure where else to put it.

It is just a self-defense ploy. Maybe those idiots will stop when they see 200 extra pounds up front. I wonder if our insurance rates will go down some. Our truck is actually cheaper to insure for liability than the Honda Accord we traded.

[bka0721]

Congrats!

I have had mine for 5 years now and it has and continues to serve me well. I installed mine with two floor jacks and sold my OEM front bumper. Of course my OEM bumper had less than 200 miles on it when I sold it. (To a body shop, as they anticipated winter coming work). I also installed a 16.5 Warn winch, as well as a couple of KC Daylighter II and a Yakima Bike Rack I had modified, then installed into the manufacturer installed front receiver hitch. Relocating the Ford Aux lights were a snap. Having the Ford Dash Aux switches were easy to add the Aux KC Lights.

One thing you should look into are the front shocks, on your F250. The additional weight might exceed their capabilities. I believe Ranch Hand Recommends a swap, as well.

As for my front bumper, 1 Mule Deer and 2 Pheasants down.

b

[Desertboy]

I am looking for something to go on the front of my freightliner, But I'm not sure how it will work being as the hood opens out to the front. Im thinking about a big snow plow blade that sets at an angle so the perpetrators just ricochet off in to the bar ditch oops! But back to your Question, Ranch Hand makes a very good bumper, I want one myself.

[jimh406]

Congrats, but where is the pic. 🙂