2001 F350 Powerstroke Turbo Diesel

[Redbull]

Anything I should know before purchasing this truck. I plan on adding a dump insert and pulling a 16" brush bandit chipper. By the way, I'm only paying $5500 for this truck and it has 92,000 miles. There's nothing wrong with it, I'm just getting a heck of a deal.

 

[Newfie]

Don't waste the money on the insert. Pull the bed off and install a platform dump. Much more useful for the money. JMHO.

 

[Stumper]

I will concur with Mike. I think you will be more satisfied with either a commercially made forestry body, or a custom box. The inserts are interesting but lacking. Congratulations on the truck!

 

[Koa Man]

A 2001 PSD should be pretty good. Ford has had a lot of problems with the 03 PSD, the first year they went to the 6.0 PSD. Problems were mainly due to the fact that Ford did not listen to International and decided to use their own PCM and other electronics for the fueling to get more than 300hp. The 04s are much better and the 05s have most of the bugs out. A flatbed dump would be far better but cost a lot more money, probably 3 times the cost of the insert. A custom chipper box with tool boxes will run at least $8K installed.

 

[Davidsinatree]

Redbull,
Is your truck single or dual rear wheel, standard cab or crew cab, stick or auto, 4wd?

I bought new a 2000 F350 single rear wheel ext-cab 2wd long bed 6-speed stick and I LOVE it. The ex-cab has much room for gear when you flip the small seats up. I have done many performance upgrades also. I get 18 mpg in town and 23 to 24 highway and towing 13,000 lb trailer it drops to 9 to 13mpg depending on conditions..... the 7.3 is a great motor. Have had very good luck with mine.......hope you do also.

 

[Redbull]

I guess I forgot to mention that the dump insert holds 2.4 yards material standard and with the chip box add-on it holds 8 yards. I'm not thrilled about taking the body off this truck let alone spendng an extra 4grand to do it. I can get this insert with the chip box installed for 4500. Oh, and Dave, it is a dually, automatic, no 4x4, and is a true four door (crew cab??). My dad buys a new truck every two years for his business and just upgraded to an '05 King Ranch F350 dually 4x4 with every option available. He figured this was his last truck before he retires so he'd spoil himself. I've been using an F150 and was overtaxing it alot. I'm very blessed that my father is not hurting for money and offered to sell me his '01 F350 for whatever I could get out of my F150 which is a '96 4x4, about 5000-5500. Thanks for the input guys.

 

[bottlefed89]

Hey redbull, I've been seeing your posts lately, where are you at in K.C.?? I am in Lee's Summit. Do you work for yourself?? Sounds like a smokin deal on the truck. I've had 4 or 5 powerstroke f350's, I like the 7.3's a lot more than the 6.0's. The thing with inserts is that they eat up a lot of your gvwr in the unit itself. I'd think you;d still be alright with the dually, but still something to think about. WHere are you buying this unit?? Tell me it's not knapheide....

 

[Redbull]

bottlefed, I'm off I-35 and Antioch Rd. in the Northland. Yeah I work for myself part time. I'm a technician for Toshiba full-time. I'm waiting until my daughter gets in to school (4yrs) before I go full time.It will give me a chance to work out the kinks of starting a business while still getting a paycheck and benefits every week. Anyway, back to the truck, I found a company called Del Hydraulics that sells an insert with a chip box. I like this particular set up because the chip box actually bolts to the top of the dump insert and can be removed fairly easily if I need to haul mulch, gravel, dirt, or whatever. I do some landscaping and lawn care as well as tree care( I enjoy all things green ). Here's the link to the insert www.littletipster.com
It would be about $4500 installed.

 

[bottlefed89]

Does anyone know a rough average weight of a yard of chips?? I think the F350 could handle a pretty decent amount, I see 150's with a full home-made box every now and then... I put 6-8,000#'s of blocks on my 95 f350 and pull a bobcat somewhat frequently. In my 2000 F350 I get a load of firewood about 2' over the bed rails, and then pull a trailer full as well, I bet the trailer is 10k +, I'd say being that you aren't full time it should work for you. That said, if you do want to step up, I have a 84-85 GMC that is basically an old ryder truck. Has about 120k on it, and a non-dumping box, but you could add a used dump box, I'd make you a sweet deal, it's taking up my parking lot...Just some thoughts, but aside from the cost of the insert, I'd think you'd be ahead money wise to start with the truck that was practically given to you.
greg

 

[Newfie]

Does anyone know a rough average weight of a yard of chips??

Roughly 550 lbs give or take species and greenery.

 

[Redbull]

I completely understand what you all are saying about the weight issue, but keep in mind that I am a part time operation for at least the next four years. I also don't have any capital to put into equipment thats only going to get used on the weekends. On really big jobs, I have a guy with a claw truck that charges $300 for a full load. Keep the comments coming though, everyone has helped me look at this from all aspects, and I appreciate that. Like bottlefed said though, this truck was practically given to me. (Thank the Lord)

 

[P_woozel]

Does anyone know a rough average weight of a yard of chips?? I think the F350 could handle a pretty decent amount, I see 150's with a full home-made box every now and then... I put 6-8,000#'s of blocks on my 95 f350 and pull a bobcat somewhat frequently. In my 2000 F350 I get a load of firewood about 2' over the bed rails, and then pull a trailer full as well, I bet the trailer is 10k +, I'd say being that you aren't full time it should work for you. That said, if you do want to step up, I have a 84-85 GMC that is basically an old ryder truck. Has about 120k on it, and a non-dumping box, but you could add a used dump box, I'd make you a sweet deal, it's taking up my parking lot...Just some thoughts, but aside from the cost of the insert, I'd think you'd be ahead money wise to start with the truck that was practically given to you.
greg

4ton of load on a 1-ton seems a tad overweght, I may be confused about what a one ton will haul, but 15000 gvw seems extreme.

 

[Koa Man]

I once hauled 13,800 lbs of roofing material with my '96 Dodge Ram 3500. It didn't seem that heavy when I was driving it. I was shocked when I went on the scale at the landfill and the gross weight was 22,200 lbs. My truck weighs only 7800 lbs. with no gear in it. With my gear, tools and self and a full tank of diesel, it weighs 8400 lbs. I am normally hauling about 4000 lbs of chips with a full load. My auto trans and Cummins engine have been modified quite a bit.

 

[Davidsinatree]

Just food for thought.....here is a pic of my F350 single rear wheel with a load of very wet bradford pear chips & some logs. You will notice the truck is just starting to sqaut down alittle from stock hight, and it has at least 4 yards on it. I have no problem filling this thing full to overflowing with chips. The truck drives and stops just fine and does not feel overloaded at all, but my side boards as you can see do not extend the full legnth of the bed and that make a difference in not being able to overload it. It takes me about 30 min to unload this sized load with a pitch fork. Its not as bad as it looks.
Also payload copacity is different from GVWR.

 

[Koa Man]

Boy, that's some harsh looking working conditions. I would be at home eating some hot corn chowder.

 

[bottlefed89]

My only real point was don't give up on what was given to you. If like most of us, you don't have the money to buy the ideal truck, you can make waht you have work just fine. I ultimately want another international with a flatbed dump, but I'll work with what I have until I find the right one...

 

[Davidsinatree]

We got a real heavy wet snow the night before and there was much damage to bradford pears. It was good for buisness!!!! I kept thinking at any time my chipper was going to clog up, but it never did it just kept spitten out chips & snow. I was soaking wet.

 

[Redbull]

Sorry GICON, one of the stipulations of getting the truck for that price was that I could not sell it. If I did, dad got the difference. Can't blame you for asking though

 

[Stumper]

P_Woozel, The hauling capacity of a "one ton?" trucks are astounding. My local firewood guy Has a pair of extended frame one tons with dumps. The bed on his "better" truck is 8 feet wide 12 feet long and 5 feet high. He has been known to put 4 cords of green hardwood on that truck! He did add overloads beyond the factory springs and uses premium tires but.... You get the idea. Is that beyond what should be put on that truck? Yes. Does he have any trouble handling a more "normal" load of 3 cords/12,000 pounds of dry wood? -No.

 

[bottlefed89]

Hardman - don't you love those bradford pears?? I can't believe we even have any left around here. Seems like every time it snows or gets windy they're all ripped apart. It snowed here the day before thanksgiving, I plowed for about 14 hours, slept, and then went on bradford pear duty on thanksgiving. I hate those weakling, but I guess they make me some $$, so I shouldn't complain.