Here’s another one of those “Just suppose” scenarios.
Your Uncle Ernie has passed away, childless and single. You are his sole heir. In his will, he has left you his well-established farm — 500 acres in western Montana, with grazing, a couple hundred head of cattle and a dozen horses. His only stipulation is that you may not sell it for ten years after his death.
So you visit the place, and find it in really good shape — good fences, barns, stables, corrals and what have you; it’s a going concern, and won’t need much other than good management to keep it going.
Unfortunately, for various reasons, you are not in a position to move there for the next few years, so you’ll have to find a manager. That’s all well and good, but your best prospect is a younger guy who in turn has only one condition: that you replace Uncle Ernie’s clapped-out pickup truck with something that will start and run without a full-time mechanic on hand. (Ernie did all the maintenance himself, but it’s actually almost a full-time job.) You scan the Used Truck ads, and reject all of them because they’re all pretty similar to the late Ernie’s. So it’s a new one, then.
Your truck choices are as follows (click on link for specs):
Ford F-350 XLT (6.8-liter V8)
RAM 3500HD (6.4-liter V8)
Chev Silverado 3500HD (6.6-liter V8)
And the ringer:
Toyota Tundra TRD Pro (3.4-liter V6 turbo hybrid)
Which one would you pick for your farm manager, and why? Be as technical and opinionated as you want.
And here’s some proper background music while you consider your choice.
Is this even a contest?
TOYOTA hands down. This isn’t even close.
1 – Chevy’s transmissions among other parts are absolute shit. Read online many stories of Chevy transmissions going out. Problems with engines. Stupid ass bullshit turn off some cylinders when engine is idling. These aren’t the Chevys of 20 years ago. These are pure shit.
2 – Fuck ford. Found On Road Dead. Fucking Old Retards Drive’m. Backwards Driver Return On Foot. Even shittier than Chevy. Fuck Ford. Ford as a company sucks too. I had some ford years ago. At one time I liked them but the company fucked me with a capital F. Trust be don’t ever give these clowns your money.
3 – Dodge? Can I laugh in your face? Stelantis cars are a pile of shit.
Toyota is not perfect. No vehicle is. And the first 2 years of the 3.4 twin turbo had some engines fail (3.4 twin turbo had some early issues according to online reports and didn’t seem as reliable as the old 4.7 and 5.7 V8). But Toyota gave those people new engines. Try getting that out of Ford Dodge or Chevy.
That being said 3 things are for sure
1 – if you have a problem Toyota will help your solve it. Good fucking luck with the Bow tie, the blue oval or the stelantis fools.
2 – your Toyota is very likely to run to 200,000 to 300,000 miles or more with some maintenance and a few minor to moderate repairs. The other 3 are going to need mega fucking repairs and still probably not make it to 200 or 300 thousand miles (Google
1 million mile Toyota. While that is a little extreme it’s possible with a Toyota. Not a fucking chance with the other brands).
3 – Resale value if you ever want or need to sell it
Ford Chevy and Dodge modern day are hot garbage. Around 2005 I would have said Chevy , I had a Chevy car then that was great. Silverado’s of that vintage were good.
Today. Toyota hands down all day every day. Not even dose
What you said, except I’m leery of turbos, and that TRD bed is only 5.5 feet vs. 6.5 and 8 for the others. I know nothing of ranching, but won’t there be a need for hauling longer stuff like lumber, fence rails and piping?
I wouldn’t want to have to haul a trailer everywhere.
You aren’t gonna be hauling shit trailer or not when the ford Chevy and dodge is at the mechanic or scrapped.
All cars quality sucks these days even Toyota. But the japs still have better shit than the domestic garbage.
Teetotaler:
I absolutely HATE the idea of teeny-tiny little engines with turbochargers. They’re basically overstressed to begin with, and then blowing them makes it even worse.
But you are right about the Toyota’s being the best quality. What I would do is step outside the list and find a used 2020 Tundra just like mine, with the 5.6L V-8. I’ve had it 5 years and so far (knocks wood) not a single problem. The only thing I had to do was put on different tires (the factory ones were garbage) and I’ve been driving it around NW Wyoming in every kind of weather. It’s not set up for off-roading, but we’ve poked around the wilder areas on two-track trails and the 4WD systems works fine. Plenty of power for towing, and I’ve hauled countless loads of crushed rock for landscaping; all that the weight does is improve the ride.
“I absolutely HATE the idea of teeny-tiny little engines with turbochargers. They’re basically overstressed to begin with, and then blowing them makes it even worse.”
That right there. There’s a reason everyone’s favorite work truck gas engine is a big, simple, under-stressed V8 (setting aside the big straight 6 for now). They work and don’t generally blow up. Small turbo engines don’t belong. I don’t care how much hp or torque you put in the ad, I ain’t buying the small super-boosted turbo engine in a work vehicle.
Diesels are a different story with the turbo, however. But since our host is limiting our choices to gas engines, big V8 for the win.
I’d let the new manager make the choice: he’s the one going to be driving it. Consider it a first test – of both of you.
If you were to transplant the farm to here in Scotland and I were taking immediate control, I’d go for a Toyota or Range Rover.
Kim,
By the way, the pic of the Toyota you posted on this post, it’s a second generation Toyota Tundra with a V8, which was from 2007 to 2021.
That is not a pic of the newer third generation Tundra which started production in 2022 and is currently still in production.
I’d take the RAM over the Tundra because that is exactly what my neighbor did last year.
He bought a brand new Tundra and bolted his 24′ travel trailer to it and went to Utah for a month (we’re in southern Indiana). He said the Tundra suffered terribly trying to pull that load on hills.
They came back and he traded the Tundra in for the RAM (non dually) and last fall did another long distance haul with the trailer with remarkable success.
His wife has a Tundra for casual driving and loves it.
I’ve driven her Tundra and like it a lot.
We went with Tundra several years ago. It’s a decent truck. Bench seat with 6 seat belts allows it to haul the entire family in one vehicle (many children – be fruitful and multiply). After 7 years it is still trouble free. Disciplined maintenance goes a long way to preventing catastrophe.
My only complaint is that the Toyota truck isn’t offered with a diesel powerplant. All of our ag equipment is diesel powered and we keep a fair amount of fuel on site. A Montana ranch would likely do the same. So fuel commonality becomes a concern.
Note to Toyota- please build a diesel Tundra and HiLux that is legal for the US market.
Related. We’ve owned Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Dodge, Honda, and Nissan over the decades. We keep coming back to Toyota for work trucks. Honda gets the nod for commuter cars used by teens and ladies.
F-350 but with the 7.4L in the XLT package. It is a solid drivetrain. I have had better luck with Fords. My second choice would be the Chevy. I will not own a Dodge again. And the Toy is just that. It is not a work truck. I bent two rear axles on the Tundra I had and the troublesome starter was under the intake manifold making a 9 hour job of replacing a starter.
First, the Toyota is more of a 1500 series while everything else is 3500 series, so not a real comparison. If you NEED a 3500 series, then you need a 3500 series and the Toyota is simply not a contender. So right off the bat this comparison isn’t fair.
Second, probably 90% of the people buying a 3500 series are going to buy diesel, so good luck even finding a gas engine 3500 series on a dealer lot. And for a work truck on a remote farm, diesel is probably the way to go.
That said, I’d probably go with a Ram since that’s what I drive now and that’s what I know about. Looking to move from 1500 to 2500 on next purchase. That’s if I make a next purchase, it may be that the current truck I have is my last truck, truth be told. In any event, the Ford with the 7.3 gas engine looks great, my brother has one and says it’s a beast. But the 6.4 hemi in the Ram has decent reviews and has been around for a while. Still undecided, but Ram has the slight lead right now.
Finally, Teetotaller, maybe go back to coffee, man. You’re a little wound up.
This right here. To quote Sesame Street – “Which of these things is not like the others?” If I were buying a half-ton class truck, the Toyota would be a strong contender. But in this group, it doesn’t even get a second glance.
Second point is also spot-on, in that on a remote farm you want a diesel. Period. Farm tractors run on diesel, you can legally run around the farm in your truck on diesel (and illegally on the roadway if you’re at the point where you don’t care). Diesel in a storage tank on site keeps a lot longer than gasoline, and with ‘a couple hundred head of cattle’ – you want to be able to tow a legit gooseneck trailer. Based on the pictures, I’d have to pick the dually, but that’s not what’s in the spec sheets at the link.
I’d pick the one with the least amount of value lost to depreciation in the next 5 years, which in the work truck class is probably the RAM. Buy the truck, manager drives it for 5 years, you sell it when you move to the property and buy whatever suits you, not him.
The first-take should be the Tundra, but it’s not that simple as far as I’m concerned. What is the most popular and/or most commonly used truck in the community near the ranch? Which dealer is known to offer the best pricing, best service, and fast turnaround times? Will the people you have to deal with regularly consider you a commie cuz you don’t drive an American truck? Can the ranch manager turn wrenches himself and what is he most familiar with? Maybe a well maintained square body Ford or Chevy from the 80s would perform better since it doesn’t have all that electronic BS.
My ideal work truck would be a Hilux, unquestionably. Landcruiser 79 series would also be more than acceptable, but they’re not available here, and even if you imported a good one from 2000 or before where are you going to find someone to service them. Ford Rangers don’t totally suck if you don’t need full size. The F-150 (non-electric) is also the most popular truck in the country for a reason. Ford ain’t good for much, but the F-150 and V8 Mustang are the two they get (mostly) right.
The Ford, hands down.
While the Toyota would be the obvious choice, it’s way too light duty.
I’ve loved my Toyotas. But I drive a Ford now. First, the parts are ubiquitous, and they are easy to get fixed. No doubt around all that farmland you’ll be able to find a Ford mechanic.
And, the Diesel is the smart move, since you’ll have a tank on the farm for tractors and such.
Better yet, buy them used from Auction. There are always corporate entities unloading work trucks. Instead of the new pretty Ford, buy two work trucks.
Many good real life points made above. I grew up as a young lad on working ranches. Sorry, can’t play this game. For that kind of money, much better options out there. And if your prospective new hire makes that kind of demand, he ain’t gettin’ hired.
The link below is a bit off topic, but might well fit under “Proper Kit”. I found it most informative.
https://sofmag.com/shotguns-vs-drones-a-clay-shooters-guide-to-defeating-enemy-swarms/
Ram Dually
Mr. manager will be towing all sorts of trailers and equipment and dual back wheels are more stable and better haulers. Don’t care about the manufacturer, I drive a 1990 F150 4WD. We used to haul hay , horses and a dead deer or two in the snow but not near as heavy loads as a cattle rancher does.
Tandem wheels = More better
The Ford. I married into a Ford family, and my son now works as an apprentice mechanic at a Ford dealership so we get A plan pricing. Also “Be True to Your School”, or at least a company that has been very good to my family.
Sadly, the Toyota isn’t enough truck for a big farm. You need something that can tow a heavy trailer through mud, and although the Toyota is a good off road machine, its’ towing capacity is just #11k. In comparison, the Ford can tow #18.7k, the Ram handles #15.5k, and the Silverado pulls #19k.
Quality and customer service for all the domestic models has taken a nosedive in recent years, but Ram appears to be leading the race to the bottom. Given that it doesn’t pull as much either, I’d count it out.
I personally have a 2006 Ford F350 diesel, with 175k miles on it and happily chugging along. Fuel economy sucks, but it actually is pretty easy to maintain. Even so, I’d give the nod to the Chevy if I was buying a new truck. The Silverado has that Allison transmission, and trannies are a weak point for Fords. I baby my truck when pulling heavy – the engine is quite capable of breaking the transmission under bad conditions. That’s less of a concern with the Chevy.
Winner by a nose + Silverado 3500HD
Dually would be required. Ford makes the best options for a work truck like you need. That being said I would usually be a Chevy guy. I wonder why you did not show some euro offerings. Volvo and Mercedes have trucks.