# 6.0L-What should I be getting for fuel mileage



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Our 6.0L runs great and is bone stock. It plows as well as one of our salt trucks with a 2 yard v box. Just from my rough figures yesterday, after plowing very wet heavy snow all day then again over night it ran/plowed for about 15 hours straight and for 4 of those hours it had 2 tons of salt on it. I put 225ish miles on it and went through a little more than half a topped off tank (roughly 20 gallons). I believe it has a 38 gallon fuel tank and it was topped off right before we started plowing. So by my rough calculations thats 11.25mpg is that about right? I know I need to be detailed about how much fuel and exact miles I put on and will next time.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

My cummins gets mileage based upon a lot of different things..

Summer with my "summer tires" 19-21 MPG

Winter with my "mudder tires" 15-18MPG

Winter plowing with my "mudders" 10-12


Lots of factors... 

air pressure in tires, ballast weight, lead foot, Etc.

large piles with heavy wet snow, vs light fluffy stuff that blows off the front of the plow.. 

11-12 MPG on an average isn't bad for plowing .....as I've read a lot of Ford diesels are in the 9mpg range when loaded.


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

My 07 F350 DRW with DuraTracs, wideout and about 1,000 pounds in the bed runs about 11-13 plowing. I was surprised it does so well. As an aside, mine is a 38 gallon tank, and I "think" they all are.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Most are happy to burn any fuel in a 6.0


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

The top half of the tank is generally much bigger then the bottom half. Trying to figure out milage without having exact numbers is kinda pointless to me.


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## jimbo64 (Oct 20, 2011)

JD Dave;1898798 said:


> The top half of the tank is generally much bigger then the bottom half. Trying to figure out milage without having exact numbers is kinda pointless to me.


Exactly....and trying to estimate fuel burned by looking at the fuel gauge is pointless as well.


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## Mike NY (Feb 2, 2009)

I have never seen double digits, no matter what. Plowing 5.5-7 mpg. Empty maybe 7-8.5 mpg. '07 F-450


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

when plowing i do not do mpg, i do gallons per hour. and i average 1 gallon per hour in the diesels, and around 2.5 gallons per hour in the gas trucks. that is the main reason for having diesels in the plow trucks, much less fuel use and a lot more power.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

tjctransport;1898890 said:


> when plowing i do not do mpg, i do gallons per hour. and i average 1 gallon per hour in the diesels, and around 2.5 gallons per hour in the gas trucks. that is the main reason for having diesels in the plow trucks, much less fuel use and a lot more power.


I'm just going to cap this before someone else derails the thread into a gas v diesel debate.

1. You'll run out of traction before you run out of power.

2. Diesel doesn't pay itself off unless you're pulling everyday big loads.

3. Diesel is very expensive to maintain compared to gas.

I'm sure someone else will say it. But here goes the derailment. Thumbs Up


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

beanz27;1898934 said:


> I'm just going to cap this before someone else derails the thread into a gas v diesel debate.
> 
> 1. You'll run out of traction before you run out of power.
> 
> ...


diesels are not for everyone. 
and gas engines are not for everyone. 
it is all i a matter of what you need. 
for some gas is where it is at.
for others diesel is where it is at. 
there is no one is better than the other.

i have both. sometimes i use the gas powered trucks, other times i use the diesels.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

tjctransport;1899024 said:


> diesels are not for everyone.
> and gas engines are not for everyone.
> it is all i a matter of what you need.
> for some gas is where it is at.
> ...


I've got both. Being a diesel tech I prefer diesel. Oil changes cost $100 more on my diesels. If your keeping a truck 300k get diesel, if you want it get it. New diesels don't pencil out....sorry just a fact unless your pulling over 10k daily. There is a reason ups has gas trucks now.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

And why do you think a diesel truck handles a bigger plow? I've got the same blades on a gas and diesel truck, neither has any issues


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## jimbo64 (Oct 20, 2011)

Brian Young;1898532 said:


> Our 6.0L runs great and is bone stock. It plows as well as one of our salt trucks with a 2 yard v box. Just from my rough figures yesterday, after plowing very wet heavy snow all day then again over night it ran/plowed for about 15 hours straight and for 4 of those hours it had 2 tons of salt on it. I put 225ish miles on it and went through a little more than half a topped off tank (roughly 20 gallons). I believe it has a 38 gallon fuel tank and it was topped off right before we started plowing. So by my rough calculations thats 11.25mpg is that about right? I know I need to be detailed about how much fuel and exact miles I put on and will next time.


You have to remember it's a work truck. Are you using more fuel than usual ? I generally compare how much fuel I burn per storm , comparing similar storms to fuel used, and if I were to notice a change then I would worry.


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

tjctransport;1899024 said:


> diesels are not for everyone.
> and gas engines are not for everyone.
> it is all i a matter of what you need.
> for some gas is where it is at.
> ...


Sorry, I've gotta disagree with you for the most part. Don't get me wrong, I've got a diesel and love it, but when doing the math, they just don't pay for themselves as much as they used to. Right now I'm paying over a dollar more for diesel fuel. And you can actually put a BIGGER plow on a comparable gas vehicle and still stay within plow manufacturer's specs. And you'll see attached what I just paid for a trans flush and fuel filter(s) changed. Granted, these are dealership prices, but I paid about 90.00 for a trans flush on my hemi at the same dealership, so it's an apples to apples comparison. I just paid 1,400.00 to the dealership yesterday for routine "maintenance".


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## oldmankent (Mar 2, 2001)

Yeah, but they change your license plate frames for free if needed.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

oil fuel filter is around $36
trans service is around $75. 
i do my own work. it is crazy to pay the dealer 3 times what it would cost to do it myself.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

tjctransport;1899057 said:


> oil fuel filter is around $36
> trans service is around $75.
> i do my own work. it is crazy to pay the dealer 3 times what it would cost to do it myself.


Risk what filters your using, mine are $56 for oil and fuel


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

Meant idk not risk. Damn smartphones.


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## jimbo64 (Oct 20, 2011)

beanz27;1899585 said:


> Meant idk not risk. Damn smartphones.


I'm a firm believer in not buying a phone smarter than me. My flip phone does everything I want or need it to do. ussmileyflag


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## jimbo64 (Oct 20, 2011)

jimbo64;1899666 said:


> I'm a firm believer in not buying a phone smarter than me. My flip phone does everything I want or need it to do. ussmileyflag


oops tymusic lol


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

jimbo64;1899666 said:


> I'm a firm believer in not buying a phone smarter than me. My flip phone does everything I want or need it to do. ussmileyflag


same here.. i have smart phone.

all it does is make and take calls, *NOTHING ELSE*


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

beanz27;1899126 said:


> Risk what filters your using, mine are $56 for oil and fuel


i pay $36 for motorcraft fuel filters. 
oil is changes every 10,000 miles, fuel filter every 20,000 miles on the diesels. 
gas engines oil ever 5,000 gas filter every 40,000 miles
trans service on both engines is every 30,000 miles.


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## durafish (Sep 6, 2011)

tjctransport;1899702 said:


> i pay $36 for motorcraft fuel filters.
> oil is changes every 10,000 miles, fuel filter every 20,000 miles on the diesels.
> gas engines oil ever 5,000 gas filter every 40,000 miles
> trans service on both engines is every 30,000 miles.


Guess changing the oil and filters every 3-5k miles keeps it looking like new. Fuel filter 15k.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

durafish;1899740 said:


> Guess changing the oil and filters every 3-5k miles keeps it looking like new. Fuel filter 15k.


blackstone recommends i keep the gas engines at a 5,000 mile scheduled. i go by what they say.
these are 36 year old engines with over 180,000 miles on each of them. 
the 04 F-350 with the 5.4 only has 13,000 miles on it. if they say to go longer when i send the oil sample in after it's first oil change in my ownership, i will go with what they say for that engine too.


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## durafish (Sep 6, 2011)

tjctransport;1899870 said:


> blackstone recommends i keep the gas engines at a 5,000 mile scheduled. i go by what they say.


I'm talking about my diesels. Not arguing just saying what I do.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

durafish;1899872 said:


> I'm talking about my diesels. Not arguing just saying what I do.


oh ok. i used to change the oil in my 88 every 3000, then went to 5000 after it had 200,000 on it after the first blackstone report. they slowly upped the change time to 10,000. i now have a little over 494,000 miles on that one.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Derailed!!!!:crying:




...........


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