Posted by jdemaris on March 27, 2008 at 06:17:44 from (67.142.130.24):
In Reply to: Why buy a diesel? posted by dej(jed) on March 27, 2008 at 04:57:01:
Total economy is based on purchase price, upkeep, etc. So, a new vehicle for $30K, $40K, $50K or more, with finance charges (for most people), extra insurance, etc. cannot be econical for private-use regardless of fuel used. Just the sales-tax on a new rig would get me several good used trucks.
Right now, with diesel costing a dollar more than reg gas - it's a toss-up. With a light truck driven empty most of time - many gas rigs are cheaper to drive. But, a heavier truck actually getting used like a truck? That's questionable.
My wife and I have over 40 diesel cars and trucks. I pick and choose which get put onto the road for summer, winter, etc. Obvisously not a "prestige" thing since the newest one is a 1994. I have never paid more then $3200 for a vehicle in my life. Up until the last few years, older diesel rigs sold dirt cheap since many people were afraid of them. I have bought many for less than $100 and some were given for free. Since few people know how to work on them, very often all it takes is an injection pump to go bad, the mechanic wants to send the pump out somewhere for repair and high $$s, and owner scraps the vehicle.
For cars - our two 1981 diesel Chevettes can both get 45-50 MPG on the highway and 35 MPG around town. Our two 1991 Volkswgen Jettas do a little better. My wife drives 50 miles a day on steep, dirt, mountain back roads and the Jetta averages 38 MPG on those trips. The best small gas car we've owned gets 22 MPG on the same trip. That gives a lot of lee-way for price disparities between gas and diesel.
With trucks? I've been thinking about changing over to gas if the price difference gets any worse. However - I would never buy new. If someone is looking to be economical - no new truck makes any sense to me. We have three remote properties that we drive too - always with a truck - sometimes with a camper on it - sometimes loaded with materials - and sometimes pulling a trailer. One property is 1000 miles away, another 180 miles, and the other 120 miles. My best fuel-mileage truck is a 92 Dodge W250 4WD extended-cab with a Cummins 5.9. Gets 22 MPG normally, and 18 MPG loaded with stuff and a slide-on camper on the back. Now, with gas being cheaper than diesel, a 3/4 ton 4WD extra-cab gas-truck needs to be capable of getting better than 14 MPG to drive as cheap. From any reports I've heard or read - there are none out there. I'm not talking about driving an empty truck down a flat highway - I'm talking somewhat loaded down on northeastern hilly roads and highways. I have a friend with a new Chevy - 6 liter gas, ex-cab, 4WD, 3/4 ton. With a camper on the back he gets around 13 MPG on highway trips.
Here are a few other examples - unverified but seem to be reasonble.
This guy kept good records of MPG's using the same trailers, and driving empty. It seems the Chevy with the 5.7 gasser did pretty well against the 6.5 diesel but . . . the diesel truck is a heavier rig with ex-cab and 4WD.
1989 R3500 with a gas 4 bbl 454, 4-6/6-8 mpg 1988 K3500 Ext cab gas TBI 454 6-8/8-11 1996 K3500 crew cab diesel 6.5TD, 10-14/14-18 2000 C2500 reg cab gas 5.7, 11-13/ 13-15
An 89 Ford with 460C.I.EFI came back from an 1140 mile round trip to N. Mex. Pulled a 36' Jayco 5th wheel trailer which scales at 11,000 LB. Avg. Fuel mileage was 6.5 to 8 MPG.
Hauling a Western Wilderness 11" cab-over with all the stuff in it with a 2,700 - 3,000#. Used to haul it on a '77 Chevy 3/4T, 454. At best it got 9 MPG on the flat running approx. 60mph. Pulling grades or fighting wind the MPG could easily drop to 5mph. Hauling the same camper on a '02 GMC 3500, Duramax, Allison 5 speed, DRW, ext. cab, I get 10.5-11 MPG running the speed limit (maybe 5 over). That is up grades and/or fighting head-winds.
Dodge D2500 with the V-10. Pulled a 27' Salem 5RVabout 3000 miles at 70 MPH and averaged 7.5 MPG. It had a 3.54 rear. Then traded for a D 2500 with the 5.9 Cumins and pulling the same 5RV on a 6112 mile trip and average milage was 13.8 at 70 MPH. Both trucks were 3.54 rear, both were Quad cab, both were 4X4.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - A Farmall Story - by Ed Meadors. The year was 1978. Our young family had recently moved to rural Chesapeake, Virginia to a plot of land which would finally allow us to realize our dreams of a huge garden, critters and more lawn and pasture than we would ever use! We needed a TRACTOR; not a riding mower or tractor wannabe, but a real TRACTOR. The answer to our needs materialized in the form of a '44 Farmall A, complete with cultivators, discs, single plow, a 5ft.Woods belly mower and one, mounted spare 9.00x24 rear wheel.
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
