The Green Industry's Resource Center

precision8m · #41 03-01-2013, 07:01 AM

I guess a lot of it comes down to what you are pulling. I have a hemi and it pulls a couple mowers just fine, but it struggled to pull 6k up hilly roads (can't blame it). I pulled twice that up the same road with my diesel. Then I got into spraying. I put a 100 gal sprayer in the back of my 1500 and when I filled it up, the rear end was almost on the ground. The diesel doesn't even notice the full sprayer and a trailer full of mowers and tools.

I don't just cut grass, I do lots of landscaping so I have to pull a decent bit of weight sometimes. I won't own any more gassers for a while because of this. The hemi is a good engine but it wasn't made for what I need to do. Add all of the other factors in, but pretty much any hauling calls for a diesel.

kawakx125 · #42 03-03-2013, 08:56 PM

hands down fuel economy while towing is where a diesel shines. most of these new half ton motors have the power stuffed way up in the rpm range too. my half ton handled most of what i need just fine, but i only got about 11mpg even pulling a 10' mowing trailer with gate. my cummins still gets 16mpg pulling the same thing

JDGlandscape · #43 03-03-2013, 11:19 PM

^^^ that is a very good point, the hp and tq numbers for a gas engine might not seem like they are that much lower, but they are at really high RPMs so you have to rev the crap out of the engine to get them. whereas with a diesel they are under the 2k range, so you get better mpgs and you get more power at the normal driving condition. I know with my 5.4 I have to rev up to 4-5k to get going from a stop and accelerate while driving

CircleC · #44 03-04-2013, 12:45 AM

05 F250 V10 with 257k on the ticker....no major issues. Will probably be doing the stearing linkage sometime soon. Seams a little loose. I get 8.5 towing mow trailer, 7x16 (walkbehind and walker mower). Get about 9 around town. I think last summer on vacation weekend i got 12 on the freeway.

I have been considering a diesel, but i think for just pulling mow trailer and dump trailer once in a while a v10 gasser is just fine. I will prob sell the 05 soon and get a newer truck, but it runs like a champ, why get rid of it!
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zackvbra · #45 03-04-2013, 02:04 PM

I was spending about $350-400 a month in gas in my old chevrolet. Got this diesel and I'm spending $250-300. $1200 less a year, even though the price of diesel is more. You can't really argue with that, that it costs less in fuel overall. Just imagine if diesel cost less than gasoline like it was 10 years or so ago.

The added cost of a diesel engine can be $1000-$2000, if you buy used.

The cost of an oil change in a gasser is around $30. Oil change in a diesel is $75. You can go like 6 or 7k miles, or 6 months on diesel oil. You can go 3k miles, or 3 months, on gas oil. Per year to change the oil in a gasser is about $120, depending how much you drive. Per year oil in a diesel is $150, depending how much you drive.

That only takes about $600 out of your fuel savings, the oil and the added cost of a diesel, and within two years, the added cost of a diesel engine will be paid off. and you can run a diesel SOO much longer than a gasser.

(Keep in mind these are NOT exact numbers, you can never know exactly how much each individual truck is going to cost you, these are just my calculations for my truck)

The only major thing, cost wise, that can set you back is a fuel pump replacement, or anything related to the fuel system, or a turbo replacement. And you can avoid burning a turbo out with a turbo cool down timer. And injector work is pretty costly, also.

Plain and simple, if you tow anything more than once a week, and you plan to keep it for a long time, you need a diesel.

Green-Man · #46 03-04-2013, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zackvbra

I was spending about $350-400 a month in gas in my old chevrolet. Got this diesel and I'm spending $250-300. $1200 less a year, even though the price of diesel is more. You can't really argue with that, that it costs less in fuel overall. Just imagine if diesel cost less than gasoline like it was 10 years or so ago.

The added cost of a diesel engine can be $1000-$2000, if you buy used.

The cost of an oil change in a gasser is around $30. Oil change in a diesel is $75. You can go like 6 or 7k miles, or 6 months on diesel oil. You can go 3k miles, or 3 months, on gas oil. Per year to change the oil in a gasser is about $120, depending how much you drive. Per year oil in a diesel is $150, depending how much you drive.

That only takes about $600 out of your fuel savings, the oil and the added cost of a diesel, and within two years, the added cost of a diesel engine will be paid off. and you can run a diesel SOO much longer than a gasser.

(Keep in mind these are NOT exact numbers, you can never know exactly how much each individual truck is going to cost you, these are just my calculations for my truck)

The only major thing, cost wise, that can set you back is a fuel pump replacement, or anything related to the fuel system, or a turbo replacement. And you can avoid burning a turbo out with a turbo cool down timer. And injector work is pretty costly, also.

Plain and simple, if you tow anything more than once a week, and you plan to keep it for a long time, you need a diesel.

Perfect!!
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clydebusa · #47 03-04-2013, 02:19 PM

I wish all would buy diesel. And if your in Tulsa please do!

KnK · #48 03-07-2013, 08:10 AM

like to see 1/2 ton diesel lawn truck , 25 mpg

Dually00-00 · #49 03-07-2013, 07:56 PM

My silverado 6.0 gasser will run with any of my diesel trucks,and almost the same mpg towing 12000 lbs. That 6.0 chevy gasser is one running sob as someone put it in this thread, I couldn't have said it any better. Don't really know if the diesel was worth it or not but it works and does its job.

JDGlandscape · #50 03-08-2013, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dually00-00

My silverado 6.0 gasser will run with any of my diesel trucks,and almost the same mpg towing 12000 lbs. That 6.0 chevy gasser is one running sob as someone put it in this thread, I couldn't have said it any better. Don't really know if the diesel was worth it or not but it works and does its job.

That does not match up to my findings at allll. I wonder if your diesels are running properly or maybe old diesel engines? I used a 6.0 for a couple weeks multiple times and it got TERRIBLE gas mileage.
Like miserable. And ive personally used 3 of them. I got 7.5-8 mpgs towing 6.5k with it. Thats worse than i get with the diesel towing 13,000 pounds

While the 6.0 did tow very very well for a gas engine, it still doesnt compare to a diesel...
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