Should I buy a TOYOTA TUNDRA?

[ETturfman]

I'm looking to upgrade to a bigger truck and I love Toyota -always have- but I was wondering if the Tundra 4x4 V8 is big and powerful enough to pull about 3500-4000K lbs. of lawn servicing merchandise. It's a 1/2 ton so I'm thinking it would not be a problem but I'd appreciate any input you all have on this. Also, are any of you familiar with the Toyota Tacoma? It's a step down, but if it will pull what I need it too then maybe I can save a little money.

Thanks,

ETturfman

[HOMER]

They show them pulling boats up long hills on the commercials. I think it should be plenty strong enough to pull the weight your talking about. If you get the Tacoma I.ll give you a bedliner, I found it at one of my accounts with a sign on it that said FREE........I snagged it!

[EarthTech Landscapes]

You might want to consider a 3/4 ton truck. i have always used 3/4 ton and plus trucks. They have always held up better in everyday use and pulling of any wieght.

[Paradise Yard Service]

My sister loves her Tundra but dont pull nothing with it! I think its an awesome truck. Good V-8. Not sure if fit your needs and maybe something like GMC HD with Allison tranny would be all one would need.

I would take either of the two and put to good use.

Aloha,

Kevin

[1stclasslawns]

I checked into them and the tundra is like a heavy half or the light 3/4 tons they are selling now. It has the heaviest 12 ton towing rating of all pick up mfgrs.
I just need more room up front for what I am going to be doing.
Jim

[John DiMartino]

Natural lawn-Toyota advetises its top of line powertrain against the base engine and small V-8's the american 1500 's have,with a 5.3 V8,and 4.10 gears,the chevy Silverado 1500 has a 14000GCVWR,it weighs 4500-5000 lbs-its tow rating is 9000 lbs-I thought the tundra's was in the 7K range-I could be wrong-but the tundra is too short to tow 7K safley in my opinion anyway.Do not think for a minute that the tundra is anywhere near a 3/4 ton american truck-the dealer told my neighbor that,he bought one-and loads it with firewood-he is wishing he never sold his 2500 chevy-the toy is a toy next to it.He can only put 1/2 the wood in it,and the bumper is only a few inches off the ground.He likes it better empty,but its not worth much as a work truck.I would think if your only towing 3-4K,and never plan to use the bed for anything heavy-the toy would do fine-but if your future plans are to upgrade or get an enclosed trailer-buy a real 3/4 ton truck-they are the best,small enough to drive everyday,HD enough to do 99% of what most guys need to do.

[Edited by John DiMartino on 03-11-2001 at 02:18 PM]

[1stclasslawns]

It has the best as they stated on their advertisements for base line trucks. I think as far as 12 tons go they would be ok. But you gotta watch out for this thing they are calling a light 34 ton they only have a 7200lb gvw.

My 87 heavy half has a 7700lb gvw with a 305 ci.
I myself need a crew cab and prefer a 1 ton.

I have had gcvw of 18000 on my old p/u but it was a load and breaking was a risk. You can gear most engins to pull a load but the breaking is what worries me.

[dmk395]

Go to the search button, I put out a thread a while back on the snowplowing forum regarding the tundra.

[guntruck]

I love foreign when it comes to motors and reliability. But when it comes to being a heavy duty series truck they cant compare to american standards. A freind has a toyota tundra and if you give it a good look over one day even sitting next to a half ton american i think you'll see the diferences plain as day , i did!!

[Cutter1]

I have a toyota t100. I think Toyota makes the best trucks out there. It has 100k on it and the only thing I have put into it is brakes and tires. I have yet to have to change the clutch either. I don't think they are made for big loads just like everyone else says. I put a 12ft trailer on it and load it with grass and it still pulls fine. Its only a 4 cylinder too!! I put air shocks on it, too keep it off the ground. IFor big trailers and big loads, a 3/4 ton or bigger is necessary. I have a 16 ft trailer and wouldn't even bother putting it on my toyota, that trailer stays on my 3/4 ton. Toyota's are pretty pricy and for that money I would get a 3/4 ton.

[marten]

I own a Tundra and I can tell you that I love it. My tag along camper weighs 5000 lbs. and I don't have any problem pulling it. The manufacturer says it will pull 7000 lbs but I wouldn't. Don't try to compare it to the 2500 chevys , they are two different trucks. If you want a large load carrying, stiff riding truck then by all means go with the bigger truck. But if you [like me ] use your truck for personal use also then buy the tundra. No truck out there is as quiet , rides nicer , or is more comfortable. I say buy the "TOY" .

[Cutter1]

If you plan on expanding your business into a bigger trailer more equipment, etc....Go with the bigger truck. The truck is too make you money, not to be comfy to drive around, if you want something comfortable, buy a car to drive around in.

[bdemir]

Cutter hit it right on the nose. If you want comfort dont drive a truck. Drive a v8 car. No truck is comfortable and the 3/4 ton will work for bigger and heavier hailing. I would try to stay with toyota if you are not going to get into huge payloads of towing. The toyota can handle a lot. I have a tacoma and once and only once i pulled a 16ft trailer with two dixies and a 36" walkbehind and this is with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder motor. The tranny was burining when i put my hand on the floor. I would never do it again. The truck still runs like a beast and will outpull anything in its class. I would try to stick with a Tundra. Its an all around tough truck and you will never match the reliability. The interiour is awaesome the resale is highest and they last forever. What more can you ask for. If they come out with a 3/4 ton i will be the first to buy.




Bedros

[DaveinVa]

After having owned Chevy's and Ford's - I made the switch over to Toyota - and I wouldn't trade my Tundra for any man's money. It has plenty of power - great towing capacity for what we need and I make trips from Virginia to New York at least once a month - and don't feel like I just got off a buckboard when I arrive. For my money - there's none like the reliability of a Toyota. If I say anything negative I guess it would be the fact that there are limits to it's towing capacity - if I were going to be hauling heavy equipment - but then if that were the case - I'd be looking at a larger unit with a diesel motor anyway.
Dave

[Twotoros]

It would be my first choice. My work truck is an 86 toyota flatbed(10x6.5) with a four banger and even that will haul alot. I also own a 93 landcruiser which is built like a tank with plenty of power with its straight 210hp six. Toyota is great company and I would get a lexas when I buy a car. I would love to buy U.S. made cars but they have a ways to go still in reliability. U.S. trucks are not to bad though but that tundra is sweet.

[Scraper]

The Tundra will work for what you want to do, but would it not make more sense to go to a F-250 or F-350 stakebody? If you are going to use this as a personal vehicle as well I guess not, but if strictly for work why not go bigger? I have a '96 T-100 that I have been using for the past 6 years and it has held up just fine (other than the head gasket recall). My sis-in-law just got the Tundra and she loves it, but I think I would opt for a stakebody as opposed to the Tundra. I will say the Tundras are a nice truck though not as practical.

[Greenkeepers]

Just like everyone else said the toy is an excellent truck if you're not using it for heavy duty work. I had a 93 pickup (before tacoma) and absolutely loved it. Now that I'm heavy into the business it is only full size pickups Dodge 1/2 and 3/4 tons.... I'm looking to buy another truck though for personal/business and I think that it's going to be a toy. You cant beat them, actually you can beat the hell out of them and they keep coming back for more. They run like a tank!!

Just my .02

[bob]

I'd stick to a domestic 3/4 ton truck. If I ever saw that ceramic elf on the road, I'd run him over!

[RNH]

BUY AMERICAN MADE.


Ron Helsel
RNH Property Service

[AB Lawn Care]

Buy it!!!!!!!Toyota makes the best trucks.And their resale value is great!!!

Just do it!!!!!

[cat320]

Buy a real truck like chevy ,ford or dodge much bigger than toyota.

[bdemir]

bob, toyota wins everyrace against the big three in the baja races. in the small calss to the big truck class.



Bedros

[bob]

Bedros, Sure I'll get a Toyota, when I want to race the Baja. I just think in our business a larger truck would be more suitable. Also I'm entitled to a GM discount that I'd be foolish not to take advantage of.

[DaveinVa]

Just food for thought.........the Tundra is just as American made as the big 3 are........don't think so? - check yours closely and you'll find bookoo parts are manufactured and imported - with assembly here in the US. If I'm not mistaken my Tundra was done at the plant in Indiana.....last time I checked - that was in the US.
Dave

[morturf]

I am not trying to start something here. But I am gonna throw my 2 cents in. I looked at the Tundra and was impressed if all I was gonna do was haul me and the wife and a smaller trailer. But the extended cab is a joke, my 5'2" wife could not sit in the back comfortably. Another thing about these truck is do not drop anything in the backend, it will go thru the floor. One thing the japanese have not figured out yet is that we abuse the backends of our trucks. I have owned many Honda cars, I love Japanese cars, but the pickups are the pits. I just would not want one for that reason.

[DaveinVa]

Well.........we'll just have to agree to disagree on this I suppose. Sold an 86 Toyota pickup of mine that had over 300,000 miles on it - only thing I did to it was change the oil and oh yea - had to replace the starter back at 185,000 miles - used it for everything under the sun from hauling mulch, dirt, gravel, u name it. No - it wasn't the ride of my lincoln towncar - but it was the best utilitarian vehicle I have ever owned - and the new owner - yea - it's still going strong - loves it - and he's a real Chevy man. I was embarassed to ask $2000 when I sold it but he stroked the check without even flinching - he saw for himself what a good vehicle it was during the whole time I owned it - or maybe it was cause my Toy jump started his Chevy more than one time.
Dave

[OBRYANMAINT]

no you should not

[eslawns]

Some guy here uses a Nissan to pull a 7x16 trailer with 4 WB Toros in it. He can't go on the interstate, but it gets around town all day. When I first started, I used a Ranger 4 cyl. I think if you like the Toyota, and don't need or expect to need a heavier duty truck, go for it.

I looked at the Tundras, but I think they're too pricey. Ditto on the Dodge. Ford, Chevy or GMC for me. BTW, I think the Toyotas and Nissans don't seem to me to hold up very well cosmeticly. I know that is secondary to reliablility, but have had no such issues with American made trucks. Personal preference.

[CT18fireman]

I have run both Toyotas and bigger American trucks. One thing to remember is that in the rest of the world, especially South America and Africa ect., Toyotas rule, They use them for everything from hauling cargo to people through some of the worse roads (trails) one could imagine. The trucks seem to hold up well. I have pulled very heavy loads with them and no I could not out accelerate a Camaro but I got much better mileage. PIck the truck that will work for you now. You can sell it or downgrade it to a back-up later if you grow. American trucks ARE NOT as reliable as Toyotas.

[bdemir]

Bob,

I f they win everytime then there must be a performance difference ther dont you agree. They are better not only in baja but all around. They are better trucks than any american truck and the races are just one aspect of it and if you need it for off raod then you have on eof the best with toyota.




Bedros