# 2002 chevy or ford



## robmtl (Dec 16, 2001)

I am in the market to purchase a new 2002 truck for landscaping and snowremoval will be putting an 8 foot plow and dump box on it. i have narrowed it down to the chevy hd3500, or the ford f550.
can you guys give me your opinions thanks.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

I like the Fords, but I plowed with a new Chevy the other day and it was real nice. A 550 is a lot more truck then a 3500 though

8ft plow is way to small for a 550 and maybe for a 3500 as well. I would think 9ft straight blade minimum.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

It sounds to me like you want the Chevy,but need the Fords payload,if thats the case (gulp)buy the Ford,I would only becasue the 1 ton dumps can not carry enough weight leaglly to maek them worth paying 40K for.The 550 can carry twice the weight for not a lot more money.For hauling brush,plowing,(no V box),and light towing the 3500 Chevy would be my choice.


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## BATTLIN_BLAZES (Sep 23, 2001)

another vote for the ford!!!!!!!!


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

I would go with the ford and I'm a chevy guy.Gm 's pricing for there trucks is getting way too high plus the quality is just not there.Not ford is any better.But like John said the 550 will carry more than the chevy at about the same price plus you will have a solid front axel and not the ifs in the chevy so putting the heavy plow set up will be not problem.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

No no no. Don't mention the ifs in Chevy's. They do not affect plowing capability as I am sure Dino will tell you.

Still the 550 is overall a bigger and better truck for heavy work.

GeoffD will tell you as he told me to look at the 650 though. He showed me prices that were not much higher then one tons


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## cat320 (Aug 25, 2000)

What I ment to say is that it's harder to increase the front end weight wise with springs verses playing with the tortion bar in the chevy's .much easier to add a helper spring.


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## MTCK (Feb 13, 2000)

What about the new 3500 HD and medium duty trucks? Shouldn't these be coming out pretty soon?


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

They arent out now,as for the F650,is isnt a bad idea,if you will bne working the 550 to near its max,but if you need 4wd,or more versitility,the 550 cant be beat,small enough to fit where a 1 ton goes,but big enough to carry a good amount of material.


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## steveair (Feb 24, 2000)

hello,

as someone before said, kind of a a apple to oranges idea. The 550 is just in a whole other category as the 3500hd. 

one thing to remember with the bigger fords though is that with that extra capacity comes extra maintenance.

For instance, believe the 450's and 550's have 17 inch wheels.......much pricier than 16's. 

Also, all those little maint. items cost a little more for the bigger fords.....plus some of the work is a little more difficult. My friend says it takes 3 hours just to change a tire on the back of his 450.....something to do with the duallies getting stuck to each other. 

steve


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

Hey wait a darn minute.
Chevy makes the following 2500 HD and then the 3500. There is not a 3500 HD. 
Gm is still making the carry over old body style HD 3500 with the 15K gvw. However that being said, and I hate to even suggest this, get the 550. Like has been said the 550 and current 3500 are apples and oranges. The old HD 3500 cary over is just that, a carry over. That will stop production sometime this summer as the new 4500 series trucks hit the streets. However if you need to buy now, the power stroke is much better than the 6.5 available in the HD 3500. I think the rubber is 19.5, not 17" 
If you can wait till spring, then the new GM's will be cats meow, as long as you like being a new product tester.
If you need 4x4, you will have to wait till next year for the GM's
As a side note the new E-550 cut away chassis look nice, I wonder if 4x4 will be an option on them. Alot shorter turn radious then a c&c
Dino


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## BOSS Adam (Jun 13, 2001)

another vote for the F-550 4x4 powerstroke


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## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

> *the power stroke is much better than the 6.5 available in the HD 3500*


The 6.*6* Duramax in the 3500 delivers more horsepower than diesel engines from Ford and Dodge...so why is the power stroke better?


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## MTCK (Feb 13, 2000)

Because the HD 3500 is a carryover truck, looks like the 88-98 trucks, and has the old 6.FIVE turbo diesel in it for the diesel option, not the duramax.


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## John DiMartino (Jan 22, 2000)

Orayn,at this time how can anyone say the Duramax is better?It hasnt been out nearly long enough,to tell,the powerstroke,while no match for the Cummins as far as durabilty,is still time proven.The Duramax looks great as of now,but its way to early to tell how this engine will hold up in the long haul,right now durability is hands down Cummins,PSD ,and Dmax,for power (stock)reverse that order.For all out power Cummins at this time can deliver the most.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

I would always be wary of buying the first model of a truck. I commend those who do. I recently drove a duramax and it was a very nice truck. It has not been tested yet though. I doubt that it will be a lemon but I would wait to see if there are any kinks to work out. 

It is still apples to oranges. The 550 is still more truck then the 3500. So it all comes down to what you are going to use it for.


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

The duramax vs PS vs Cummins debate is all mute in this case.
The HD 3500 has the old 6.5 diesel or 7.4 big block. Although I didnt mention in my privious post that I would get at least a 9' plow for either truck.
Also, you may find a dealer willing to give a very good price on the HD3500, if that is so, then it might be worth it. Its not that its a bad truck, its just the PS and 4x4 with the ford is a lot better.
As for the duramax, I think that it is a proven product. Of all the units sold last year 0 were returned for major component failure, and that includes injection systems.
The engine has been in production now for two years, and in prototype testing since 98. If a weak point is there it would have been found.
I question you ford owners, when the new 6.0 is released, will you be gun shy at all?, or just figure, hey INTL has done their homework and it will be a good engine. 
If you are looking for a 12K gvw truck and under I think GM has the best all around platform out right now( albeit very pricey), however above that gvw and ford still is really the only game in town. I hope the Gen 2 series trucks (4500-6500 series) will be all they are meant to be.
Dino


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

Dino I also stated a 9ft minimum either truck I think both could handle it fine. A 550 could run the bigger Fisher MC plows though depending on what will be plowed.

I do not keep up on all GM service issues. Except for a few friends I know most run Fords. I am very impressed with the Duramax and the new Chevy although i only used it for a very short time. Seems like a quality truck and that GM has a good work/personal truck. However a 3500HD is not a Duramax.

I think anyone has to be a little gun shy when they depend on their trucks for work. I do not own a Ford SD. My 350s are both pre-98. I am just now looking at the SDs. They have been out for a few years now and are a proven truck. Further GM,as you have stated does not have a heavy truck in a 4wd that can compete with the 550. If GM's new trucks are as good as people expect then the SDs will have a lot of competition.

Use of the truck here is critical in making the right decision.


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## GeoffD (Dec 21, 1999)

IMO,

Comparing the F 550 to the New GM HD line (12K GVW and up). Is comparing apples to oranges.

From the pictures of the new GM line, that I have sean. It looks like the GMs truck will be built on a true medium duty frame set up. 

The way I see it, is the F 550 is an F 350 on steriods. It's called a medium duty truck, but because it is not as wide, and isn't constructed totaly like a true medium duty truck, i don't view it as a medium duty. And as many of you know I am a Ford guy, and even I will voice my feelings.

The F 550 fills a nitch marker. Someone who wants a compact truck, with 4X4 and high GVWs. It works verry well to fill that void.

GM's new truck looks like an F 650 to me, that has had its growth stunted (lowever GVWs then the F 650). GM built it like a true medium truck all the way around. The down fall is it is wider and not as compact as the F 550. The cost of a 4X4 will probably cost a lot more on the GM, then the Ford F 550. 

IMO

GM is going after a different market, a medium duty truck, just like the bigger ones, with a lighter GVW. Freightliner makes the Fl 50 i believe, the FL 50 is what GMs new HD 3500 will be competing with. I think GM will build a good truck in that market. 

Ford has a different market, a small compact medium duty truck. Better suited for plowing smaller lots. 

Geoff


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## plowking35 (Dec 21, 1999)

While the new truck is bigger than the 550's in terms of the platform it will be built on, it has a tighter turning radious than the 550. In fact it is only about 18" wider than a Geo/ Chevy Tracker.
And since they will have models in the same GVW range as the 450/550, I think that is the market GM really wants to hit with the 16-19gvw trucks.
I agree that pricing will be higher with the new GM's over the fords
Dino


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## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

> at this time how can anyone say the Duramax is better?


How can you say it's not better?


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## mdb landscaping (Sep 29, 2000)

chevy all the way. that duramax is a workhorse.


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