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Who said it doesn’t pay to drive a 1/2 ton diesel Ford.

womps
Explorer
Explorer
According to goodcarbadcar.com if you compare the 2018 F150 with the Powerstroke to the same truck with the 2.7 Ecoboost and you drive 20,000 miles a year you will pay for the added cost of the Diesel engine in 333 years! Who says it doesn’t pay?!!
38 REPLIES 38

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
mikeh449 wrote:
I had a 1984 chevy 1/2 ton with a diesel engine factory installed


Those early NA light duty diesels were pretty bulletproof, but I'd expect that out of something that weighs 400lbs and had the same hp as my riding mower!
6.5TDs were actually great light duty 1/2 ton diesels though, if GM hadn't employed the Midvale School for the Gifted engineering team to design all the peripheral equipment.
One look at a 5.9 Cummins or a 7.3 IHI of the same vintage made you wonder why GM didn't drug test their engineers.
But it was the first half ton that got decent fuel mileage and had enough power to tow or at least get up n go.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Hammerboy
Explorer
Explorer
Terryallan wrote:
73guna wrote:
While I agree most will probably never make up the price difference, there is nothing like towing with a diesel period.
I've towed with both and if financially able, I will always purchase a diesel when the time comes.


I get that with the larger diesels in the 2500s. But the diesel they are putting in the 150s have less HP, and torque than their gas counter parts. So you are in truth paying more for less.


This^^ It makes no sense to me to buy a 1/2 ton diesel, no sense at all.

Dan
2019 Chevy crew LTZ 2500 HD Duramax
2017 Wildcat 29rlx fifth wheel

ScottG
Nomad
Nomad
mkirsch wrote:
KD4UPL wrote:
Why does everybody always act like diesel 1/2 tons are something new? GM had diesel 1/2 ton trucks, Blazers, and Suburbans from about 1982 until about 1999 I think it was. They didn't sell that great then (maybe that's why nobody knows about them). Why does everyone want one now?


They didn't sell great because the 6.2 and 6.5 diesels were gutless, garbage engines.


Bingo.
I had a 82 6.2 - it was well into its second set of injectors and pump at 100K and mostly worn out by 150.
And OMG was it a pig.
I only bought back in the day because it was the cheapest way into a used 3/4T truck.

newman_fulltime
Explorer II
Explorer II
gbopp wrote:
I bet if you drove carefully, kept the tires properly inflated, etc, you could recover the cost of the diesel in 300 years rather than 333 years. :B


You would never know as yours woukd be buried in snow most of the year :B

mkirsch
Nomad II
Nomad II
KD4UPL wrote:
Why does everybody always act like diesel 1/2 tons are something new? GM had diesel 1/2 ton trucks, Blazers, and Suburbans from about 1982 until about 1999 I think it was. They didn't sell that great then (maybe that's why nobody knows about them). Why does everyone want one now?


They didn't sell great because the 6.2 and 6.5 diesels were gutless, garbage engines.

Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
Someone will show them the HOW2 DIY...Home.Made.DEF...


Click For Full-Size Image.


kerrlakeRoo wrote:
Wonder how many more decades they will have to add to that when somebody reminds them to fill the def tank?
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

kerrlakeRoo
Explorer
Explorer
Wonder how many more decades they will have to add to that when somebody reminds them to fill the def tank?

mikeh449
Explorer
Explorer
I had a 1984 chevy 1/2 ton with a diesel engine factory installed

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
It may sell like hot cakes on sale...because of the Fashion Statement Crowd are biting on the MPG and kinda sorta be on the King of the Hill crowd (high GVWR/GAWR)

Guess am the only one commenting that does NOT purchase vehicles for their resale value...just what it can do for me is all I want...and if it impresses or un-impresses others, that is their issue



KD4UPL wrote:
Why does everybody always act like diesel 1/2 tons are something new? GM had diesel 1/2 ton trucks, Blazers, and Suburbans from about 1982 until about 1999 I think it was. They didn't sell that great then (maybe that's why nobody knows about them). Why does everyone want one now?
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

KD4UPL
Explorer
Explorer
Why does everybody always act like diesel 1/2 tons are something new? GM had diesel 1/2 ton trucks, Blazers, and Suburbans from about 1982 until about 1999 I think it was. They didn't sell that great then (maybe that's why nobody knows about them). Why does everyone want one now?

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Sooo, I’m sure the point of that article was that they’re likely rated at about the same fuel mileage. And those little eco boosts are kick azz engines. Ford has a niche for sure with powerhouse small engines.

Like all the othe 1/2ton diesel posts, the collective truck world was asking for them for years and now that they’re here, a lot of people are not in love anymore.
Reason is, 10-15 years ago diesels were absolutely destroying gassers in the fuel mileage department, so small diesel, decent power and 2x the mileage was a dream.
But I’m seriously impressed with gas truck mileage on current vehicles.
I commute about 350mi/day a couple days a week. Over 1 mtn pass and I drive it like I stole it and my 2016 5.3 Silverado gets the same mileage as my 07 Cummins.
That wasn’t the case just a short few years ago.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

APT
Explorer
Explorer
Time and experience will tell if the half ton diesels end up being worth the upfront cost. You can apply the same math formulas to the 3/4 and 1-ton diesels yet people still buy them (>60%)!
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
2011 Suburban 2500 6.0L 3.73 pulling 2011 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R
2x 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Gray and Black Twins)

srt20
Explorer
Explorer
Funny how some people are always so concerned with how other people spend their own money......

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
But there are a few things people forget about diesels. They last much longer. They hold their resale value much better. That makes the extra cost up front smart money. My 2002 Ford is going up in value with the 7.3.

A mechanic worked on the front end awhile ago. He asked me "how many miles?" 160 k I said. "Still fresh" was his reply.

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
73guna wrote:
While I agree most will probably never make up the price difference, there is nothing like towing with a diesel period.
I've towed with both and if financially able, I will always purchase a diesel when the time comes.


I get that with the larger diesels in the 2500s. But the diesel they are putting in the 150s have less HP, and torque than their gas counter parts. So you are in truth paying more for less.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers