# Ford F-150



## Zim (Nov 27, 2000)

I'm thinking about buying a new truck and want to know if anyone has any experiance with it. Its a 90 Ford f-150 4X4 with a Ford 300 six cylinder. It will be used for mainly powwing a trailer and some light plowing. Anyone have any info on this. Thanks


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## hot_raud (Nov 17, 2003)

What kind of info are you looking for? How much weight will you be towwing? What kind of plow and how big/heavy is it? 

I have an 88 F150 with the 302 V8. The largest plow I dared put on is 7.5' For a larger plow, you'd best go for 3/4 or 1 ton. You may need to upgrade your alternator because the stock one only puts out about 60-65 amps and you may need more to run your plow pump, assuming it is an electric hydraulic. Some folks like to stiffen up the front end, especially on the 1/2 ton, to reduce the sag when the plow is raised.


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## sonnyny (Dec 10, 2003)

I used a 93' f150 302 v8 with a fischer 7.5' electric hydrolic this season. Do yourself a favor and find a 3/4 ton. I installed hd springs, shocks, and coil boosters and still had a lot of sag. This truck is not made to handle a plow unless you are getting one with dual springs on each side.


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## Zim (Nov 27, 2000)

It will mainly be used for pulling a 19' boat and limited plowing. I only plow a few times a year for my fathers company, and its only when there is a larger snow and they need some help to keep up. Mainly smaller comercial lots like banks. If I bought it I wouldn't go any larger than a 7.5' plow and like I said it would only get used a few times a year. Now I plow with an older chevy 1/2 ton and it does ok but its definatly on its way out. To many problems and no time to fix them all. What do you think, will it hold up?


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Zim _
> *and its only when there is a larger snow and they need some help to keep up. Mainly smaller comercial lots like banks. *


And there's the problem with using the lighter 1/2 ton Ford. You'll be using it during the worse of times so it will get even more abuse than it normally would for the amount of time it plows. Really, do yourself a favor like sonnyny and hot-raud said - get the 3/4 ton.


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

3/4 ton...1/2 tons are not to great,at leats not the new ones, and will not hold up well...I also don't like towing with anything less than a small v8.


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

My "newer" 1/2t does fine in the big storms, but thats just me sounds like alot of other people have had problems with 1/2 tons


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## elite1 (Dec 30, 2003)

My freind has a 6 cyl. which I have driven. - slow, no power, can't see how you could push any thing. As fare as the 1/2 ton, bad, it,s all bad- get a 3/4. Any person I know with one, spends alot on repairs, and spring upgrades. They don't have the weight to keep traction. I have to wonder how straight the frame is after a 1 or 2.

The newer 3/4 tons are more like 1.5 tons.


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## juggernaut (Jan 14, 2004)

Plenty of experience with those trucks (80 - 96 F series) they hold up pretty good to abuse, we beat the hell out of our 85 at work. That 300 is a great engine for plowing good low end torque better than most 8's and itll last ya forever and a day, heck if I had a choice between that engine and a 350 or 351 I'd think damn hard before giving up on that six popper. Towing is a different story it will tow anything but be prepared to slow to 45 mph on the highway on grades with a big load. Im so tired of people bad mouthing the 1/2 tons if ya got one use one. They'll hold up to some commercial just keep an eye on them as everyone has said before. Elite you must know a lot of careless drivers if theyre trucks are in the shop all the time.


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## 10 gauge (Jan 17, 2004)

half tons will work if you let them and dont abuse them but that gos for every kind of truck. i have a half ton and i admit its not a 3/4 ton but after the suspension mods i did its not far behind if not right at and so far there hasnt been a hurdle that i havent been able to make it over. it just takes a little common sense and take your time, when you get in a hurry thats when things get screwed up ! ive heard nothing but good about the 300 six . i used to have a 79 3/4 ton w/ a 300 and a 4 speed w/ granny low and let me tell ya that mother would pull a telephone pole out of the ground !! great reliable motor , not a rocket by far but for low end torque its great


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## juggernaut (Jan 14, 2004)

Despite what you guys think a 1/2 ton pickup is still a truck made to do work. Cripes the way you guys are talking you'd think he was trying to put blizard 8611 on a geo metro. Besides that a 3/4 ton does have a little thicker frame and somewhat heavier drive train but you still cant beat the **** out any truck and expect it to last. Hell I bet my 95 150 would outlast some of your 1 tons the way I hear some of you talk about driving. Sheesh.


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## Foxfire (Sep 25, 2003)

I had a 1980 bronco with a 300 6 cyclinder, one of the best motors I have ever owned. You talk about low-end torque. For any non-believers look it up in chiltons. That motor has more low-end torque than most V-8s.......!!!


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by elite1 _
> *My freind has a 6 cyl. which I have driven. - slow, no power, can't see how you could push any thing. As fare as the 1/2 ton, bad, it,s all bad- get a 3/4. Any person I know with one, spends alot on repairs, and spring upgrades. They don't have the weight to keep traction. I have to wonder how straight the frame is after a 1 or 2.
> 
> The newer 3/4 tons are more like 1.5 tons. *


l

Bull Shi*!!!!!!
Some are under powered but 1/2tons are in no way "all bad". My F-150 has never had one problem and i have pushed lots of snow with it! The way some people talk about 1/2 tons on this site you would think they are made to just drive to work and back Any 4X4 pick-up truck will push snow. I used my friends tacoma with a 6'9" fisher last year when he was on vacation during a storm. We got 10" out of that storm and the tacoma had no problem, and its only a 4 cyl!!!

People don't understand that 1/2 tons can and will plow very well! Sure if you do alot of commercial plowing or plow roads an f350 would be a good idea. But 1/2 tons do fine: 37 driveways, 3 small parking lots and at least 10 more drives in big storms is what mine does


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by elite1 _
> *My freind has a 6 cyl. which I have driven. - slow, no power, can't see how you could push any thing. As fare as the 1/2 ton, bad, it,s all bad- get a 3/4. Any person I know with one, spends alot on repairs, and spring upgrades. They don't have the weight to keep traction. I have to wonder how straight the frame is after a 1 or 2.
> 
> The newer 3/4 tons are more like 1.5 tons. *


Not true.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some people talk about 1/2 tons like there just made to drive to work and back I did NOT spend alot of money on upgrades and nothing has broke as a result of plowing yet. Timbrens and a bigger alternator did not cost much. You would make upgrades to a 3/4 or 1 ton if you wanted to plow as well. Don't get me wrong i would not use my F-150 to plow a mall parking lot but almost any 4X4 will plow. I currently plow 37 driveways 3 small parking lots and at least 10 more drives in big storms. I have plowed through over 2' of snow with no problems at all.


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## Ggg6 (Oct 14, 2003)

The engine will do the work, it is a great low end torque engine (more torque then a 302 of the same year). I would take it any day over a 302 for towing/pushing. I have a 89 4X4 300-6 5spd with a western 7.5' plow, gn hitch, 300k miles on it, I also have a 96 F250 PSD 4X4 . I would only recommend personal plowing use on a 1/2 ton. I do acknowledge that if you take it easy it will plow with the bigger trucks. But as you said you will be plowing commercially, and at times when the snow is heavy enough that the bigger trucks can't keep up, and where time is of the essence. And those conditions are not conducive to taking it easy on equipment. 19' boat is not real big, how heavy? Aluminum or fiberglass? 1/2 tons do have rather small brakes, just something to consider.


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## RamesesSnow23 (Jan 4, 2004)

as Ggg6 said the breaks on a 1/2 ton are something to consider if your towing something heavy. I know mine made me a little nervous when i was towing a trailer and going down a huge, steep grade hill. I was over compacity once (by a little) when i towed a trailer out to NY state and all i can say is you better not be coming down a steep hill in the right lane if people are merging on to the highway. I learned this the hard way when i realized that the breaks would not safely slow me down enough to let a big rig onto the highway and i had to swerve quickly into the passing lane. Good thing nobody was there otherwise i would have lost control of the trailer trying to slow down to let the truck in. 1/2 ton breaks are a concern i think the next time i have to move a heavy trailer, it will be with a bigger truck. However 19' boat should be fine.


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## The Boss (Oct 22, 2003)

Come on kids.


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## Buclz (Jul 20, 2004)

*F-150*

Well, I have a F150 with the FX4 package and I lifted the front end up with beefier "pork chops". This turns the torsion bars, if you didnt know. Anyway, My truck is getting a Western put on today. Cant wait to use it. Ill let you know when it snows how the truck worked out!!


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