advice on hauling truck

[farmpower]

I'm shopping for a new(used) truck to haul cattle and hogs for the farm. Right now we have a 97 2WD, 5spd with 7.3 and 4.10 gearing. It is a high mileage truck that pulls exceptionally well but the 2WD and age has me looking at:

99 F250 4WD, reg cab, 5 spd 7.3 geared 4.10, with 97k miles for $13k. The truck has been well cared for.

01 F250 4WD, sup cab, 7.3 geared 3.73 w/ exhaust brake, with 6 spd and 87k miles for $16k

We farm several hundred acres in the steep mountains and the 2WD falls short wit hthe heavy motor in the front. Otherwise I am amazed at how well the truck pulls and how little it cost me.

My heavy loads will be 12,000-14,000 lbs but those are less than ten a year. The tows are 140 miles round trip with one 5 mile steep grade. Otherwise it is just 6-8,000 lb loads and driving around the farm.

I guess my biggest questions are:

1) Are the 01 models any better than the 99?

2) Would the 3.73 be a better choice for fuel economy, given the relatively little amount we tow heavy loads? 350 days a year it's just for getting around the farm.

3) How does the super cab affect visability backing up or towing in general?

Thanks all, there are more trucks out there, but these are ones currently for sale that most closely meet my needs -- I think.

Thanks for any help-

[SmokeyWren]

99 F250 4WD, reg cab, 5 spd 7.3 geared 4.10, ...

No such thing from the factory. All '99 F-250 PSDs had either a 4-speed automagic tranny or a 6-speed ZF manual. The ZF is marked low, plus 1,2,3,4,+5th is OD. So if you glance quickly at the shifter knob, you might see the 1,2,3,4,5 and miss the granny low, so you'd maybe think it was a 5-speed.

Also, all '99 F-250 PSDs had a 3.73 rear axle ratio. If that one has a 4.10, somebody changed it after if left the factory.

The 3.73 should handle a 12k trailer just fine. But with a 14k trailer you'll be overloaded a bunch and might wish you had the 4.10.

Are the 01 models any better than the 99?

Care and condition count for a lot more than whether it was produced 7 or 9 years ago. Or if it's an "early" '99, it could be over 10 years old by now.

But with equal care and condition, it depends on month of production. If the '01 was produced before December 2000, then it probably has the 235 HP tune. But if it was produced after Thanskgiving, then it probably has the 275 HP tune. With 235 ponies, the '01 doesn't have a catalytic converter. But with 275 horses, it has a cat.

For the '99, those puppies were produced from January 1998 thru June, 1999. Generally, the ones produced in CY 1998 have a cat, and the ones produced in CY 1999 we call '99.5 and they don't have a cat.

[Dualie]

honestly I would go with the 01. I never heard anyone say they wish they would have bought a regular cab.

if you can live with the hand shaker vs the auto Trans then that's definitely more truck for the buck. Plus the the low hole you can really crawl along in low range 4 wheel drive.

Really makes getting rolling on the hills loaded no big thing.

[MarkEkberg]

Don't the 01's have powder rods? If you start adding fuel don't they head south?

[88beast]

id go with the 01 its a large cab for more ppl if a cow gets loose or whatever you can rush over there quick

and its got a 6 spd which i wish i had in my 88

also it sonlds like the 99 guy either extensivly modded it or is lieing to get more money off it so id also steer away because if he did the work on his own then you get his bad workmanship if you buy it

[farmpower]

Smoky Wren-

I got the year model wrong, it is a '97. I'm going to ride up there now and look at the truck and buy a load of hay while I'm at it.

Sorry for the bad info, but your response is good info while I keep looking.

I appreciate all the responses and hope to get more based on year model revision-

[DonWarkentin]

I'd negotiate the price, especially if you decide to go with the '97. With the price of diesel as high as it is, most people are paying considerable under NADA or Kelly Blue Book prices.

NADA on the '97 is around $12,000 for clean retail price. Used Car Value - Ford F250 PICKUP-3/4 Ton-V8; W25 7.5L V8 Heavy Duty XL

NADA on the "01 is around $20,000 for clean retail price. Used Car Value - Ford F250 Super Duty Pickup-3/4 Ton-V8 Crew Cab XL (4WD)

[Steve250]

I've backed up both regular cab 350 and supercab 250 to trailers and it's not to much more difficult... unless you take the tailgate off of the reg cab then you can't much more than super anyway. I'd say go with the super.