New pull truck. Duramax or 6.0 gas

drewg

New User
Hello Men
I'm looking for a truck to haul my tractors to shows. I have a Farmall Cub, and a IH 666. My trailer is a 14k lb Flat Deck Gooseneck. Its a lighter weight trailer as I had it built to pull with a 1/2 ton. Its the perfect trailer for me and my occasional use. Anyway, I am looking at a 06 2500HD Duramax, and a 04 2500HD 6.0 gas. This truck will have to serve as my daily driver as well as my tow vehicle. I have came from owning several Dodges with the 12v and 24v Cummins engines. Although a am a big fan of the engine, i'm not of the Dodge truck. My towing consists of about 1200 miles a year. What do you guys recommend

06 Chevrolet 2500HD Duramax LBZ 4 door 4x4 200k on truck, 100k on engine $15,500

04 Chevrolet 2500HD 6.0 Gas 4 Door 4x4 177k on truck. 11,000
 
My first question would be why the Duramax has a replacement engine? The LBZ is nearly a bullet proof engine, and the one sought after for performance upgrades. So perhaps someone went a little too far and blew the original motor, what kind of condition does that leave the transmission or the rest of the drive train in?

Either truck will be great for occasional towing; can you justify the diesel? Maintenance will be slightly higher for the diesel and fuel costs will be higher, but the diesel will get mileage empty and loaded.

Personally for me, the diesel is worth it, hands down. I haul a few thousand miles a year anywhere from 1,000 to 15,000+ lbs. I have an '06 LBZ duramax and it just plays with the trailers. Engine grade braking and manual shifting are awesome features, especially in the mountains. I average 20 mpg with mine with no trailer...stock it was right around 16 mpg. My dad has the big block 8.1 and it pulls just as well as the Duramax, but get half the mpg or less.
 
After owning several diesels you need to make sure you use 1 enough to justify it. I now have a 3/4 ton 6.0. I regularly pull a 6000 lb skid loader, other farm machenry. I also buy 2-8-9 n fords and haul them 1 or 2 at a time to the scrap yards. The 6.0 does anything I need it to do.
 
For what you need the gas job would do fine. As I'm sure you know it'll operate differently when towing. You'll need to crank the rpms out of it on inclines but from what I'm told the 6.0 will last forever doing that.
The gas job will probably be less hassle for you.
 
I'll add that you can probably find a 6.0 with less miles for less cost. I was recently looking at one with 140,000 miles, 2005 model 4x4 extended cab automatic, for $5500 and no rust.
That's the biggest reason why I was about to get it. The cost of a comparable diesel truck was $5-$10k more.
 
I don't know where you got the idea that 2006 Duramaxs are almost bullet proof. That statement is the furthest thing from the truth
 
If I had the money to spend, I would be all over that Duramax. I am a diesel guy, they are just all around good engines, with outstanding pull power. Watch the fuel milage on them both too!! Keep in mind the 6.0's get 12-13 mpg, period. Most D-Max's get in the high teens.

What it comes down to is get what you WANT. Personally, I am a diesel guy! More than that, I am a Chevrolet / Duramax guy!! ;) I am saving up for my first Duramax now.... Will get on in a couple of months I hope, just got to find the right one!!! :)
 
Well, Both trucks sold. The search continues. I'll keep you guys updated as to what I get. Im really leaning more toward's the gas job for the simple fact of less expense.
 
For only 1200 miles per year I'd go with a 6.0 gas...I have several friends that tow with them and they get along fine with them...I recently went with a Ford 7.5 gas over a 7.3 Powerstroke and I do 3000-4000 miles per year.......No expensive injectors,injection pumps,glow plugs,turbos,fuel filters,batteries,etc plus diesel is always 50-60 cents per gallon higher..

But if you were doing 12,000 miles per year I'd go with a diesel..
 
Cummins makes a great engine. Too bad they waste some of them on Dodge trucks.
 
I will guarantee you will spend less dollars per mile with the 6.0 gasser, the diesel will be a ton cooler and you will be envied by the young men and the teenage boys will worship you for your homage to the god of black smoke, but the gasser will do what you want a lot cheaper. JBDyer
 
(quoted from post at 23:15:03 03/01/16) Cummins makes a great engine. Too bad they waste some of them on Dodge trucks.

The 2nd generation Dodge pickups had considerable issues with their front ends on 4wd models. In stock form the autos suck too. That's why I have a 2wd 5 speed.
Common rail trucks seemed like good rigs to me, from 2003-on. But I could be wrong.
 
With all the problems GM has I'd run away from any GM ! Heck they can't even figure out how to keep both headlights working !
 
Being a tractor guy and a maintenance freak, I would steer away from the Duramax. The oil sumps are or were made in a way that all the dirty oil cannot be drained out at the changes. Just seems like defeating the purpose. But to be fair - Ford spark plugs are hard to get out sometimes and the bodies rust off the Dodges. Oh how I wish the International's were still around.
 
I'm guessing he actually made it work harder than moving an empty truck down the road and overheated it.

2 at my old job blew up. Just over 100k on both. The crate motor in the first one to go just blew up, too. Maybe 30k on it.

The other one may have been from green antifreeze being added to that (~--):"/_! Dexcool when the head gaskets started leaking.
 
Have 2 3500 dodges. 96 w/Cummins, 2003 w/Hemi. Always liked Dodges, but both my trucks have recently developed the "Dodge Death Wobble". Dodge trucks 1995 = 2012 can have this problem. Everything I read says expensive fix. Dodge denys there is a problem. My not own a dodge much longer.
 
My 91 dodge cumminns got it. But was just toe-in. Plus a loose steering box. Nothing lasts forever!
 
Everything breaks at one point or another. And the death wobble was most common in 94-02 4x4 Rams. 2003-up it's not as much of a problem. 2wd trucks don't have the death wobble.
 
(quoted from post at 06:38:44 03/02/16)
(quoted from post at 23:15:03 03/01/16) Cummins makes a great engine. Too bad they waste some of them on Dodge trucks.

The 2nd generation Dodge pickups had considerable issues with their front ends on 4wd models. In stock form the autos suck too. That's why I have a 2wd 5 speed.
Common rail trucks seemed like good rigs to me, from 2003-on. But I could be wrong.

Most of those concerns were addressed with the 3rd gen. diesels. '041/2s and early '05s were about as good as ANY of the Big Three ever got FOR A [b:3618d01df6]TRUCK[/b:3618d01df6], not a grocery-getter for those with 'small man' syndrome. BUT we are 'preaching to the choir', here ...... the 'brand-blind' among us will never go against GM or Ford, no matter what! :shock:
 
I've been mostly a Ford guy for forty five years. Never had a problem with any of them. My last two vehicles have been Chevys, an Impala and a 1/2 ton Silverado. Both have been excellent vehicles. I would not hesitate to buy either GM or Ford. Owned a couple of Dodges years ago. Shame on Chrysler for the first one, shame on me for the second.
 
I ended up picking up a 2004 Silverado 2500hd gas 6.0 with 4L80E auto and 4.10 gears. Its not going to pull my trailer at 80mph up 5% grades but itll do fine. Plus the truck is built way stronger than my Dodge was. Bigger brakes that are all disk brakes. Stronger suspension and the frame looks twice as big. And it only has 66,000 miles.
 
Plus the 4L80E is a direct descendant of the TH400. Most of the transmission parts are the same and the design is heavily based on it. We all know how stout and reliable the TH400 was.
 
(quoted from post at 21:49:23 04/22/16) Want to comment on reliability?

As I just got the truck I couldn't really comment on that aspect. I can just tell you what I've been told. The 6.0 gas is bullet proof.
 

I love how the GM 6.0 beat out the Ram 6.4L by over 1 minute. The Ram's 6.4 has more on paper power, but the Silverado is a better engineered truck with gear ratios in the transmission that make more sense.
I wouldn't compare 1/2 tons to 3/4 tons in terms of pulling speed though. totally different rigs and the smaller trucks weigh over 1000 lbs less and the 2500's are meant to haul those loads every single day and not as much focus on pure speed.
 
Also, the Ram's 6.4 lost because it cant handle the high rpm's for more than a minute or so. After that the computer reduces its governed red line, where as the GM 6.0 can hold 4500rpms all day long.
That's probably the biggest reason right there.
 

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