Favorite big truck? Tractor related

[bigboreG]

Was hauling a Deere 4940 sprayer yesterday, and even in the strong west wind, the 2007 379 long hood Pete just sets down and pulls. 550 Cat, 13 spd, 70" standup. Has been a very good truck, just turned 500K. Drove alot of different brands and models, I will have to say Peterbilt makes a darn good truck in my opinion.
 

[Hay_Man]

I found Petes to be somewhat cramped for space in the cab. I like the roominess in the IH Prostar Plus I push nowadays. Plenty of power, quiet, and nimble for a big truck.
 

[DeltaRed]

Dont know if this counts,but my favorite medium duty is Chevy.67 to late 70s or so.C50,C60...Here's a pic of 'Blue'My good old '68 C50 whom I've owned since 1979.

 

[Hay_Man]

Did you get the engine figgered out on it? I remember 366 cid in those. Big block, big bore with short stroke crank. Cammed for low end torque. Liked those engines. When you said it had a small block in it, I figgered someone switched out the original.
 

[chess.]

Toss up. IH Prostar gets award for cab -sleeper ..Very good trucks.Peterbilt for dealer servise. Both Peterilt -- Kenworth -- Ih trouble free other than alternator on ocassion however was kind of embarsing to have to stop at Kenworth-Peterbilt garage to servise Ih on weekends as Ih werent open.
 

[John730D]

I've driven Petes KW and IH. Give me an IH anyday. More room in cab, and quietest of them all. Basically they are all the same mechanically. The big difference is in the cab. And that just happens to be where I spend most of my time.
 

[Hay_Man]

Yep, I guess I'm lucky to have an IH dealer that will go the extra mile for me when I'm in a bind. They have been really good but then this is the 4th truck from them for me.......
 

[caterpillar guy]

I like my Pete's Have had 2 of them over 18 years both with over a million miles on. Yes they are not the wide open spaces in the cab but compared to a Freightliner They sure stand up better. I have drove about every brand of truck on the market in the class 8 and always wind up back at Pete. I have owned a Mack, Volvo,and 2 Pete's. The Mack spent more time in the hospital than on the road and the Volvo was a pain to work on since everything was crammed together and built like a car. I will give consideration to the Volvo being on the better side of worn out when I got it. Didn't pay much for it and parted it out when I was done with it.
 

[willie in mn]

Drove IH, Mack, Pete, Ford, & last 9 years before retiring, Volvo. Liked the Volvo best, quiet, roomy, good insulation for winter comfort, good handling, esp in tight spaces.
Some comparances- sight line over hood to ground, Volvo could see ground at 12 feet from bumper, Pete couldn't see ground less than 75 feet over long hood. Inside space, with seat belt on, reach out with right hand, Volvo just touch shotgun seat, Pete could touch window. Sound level, Volvo quiet as most cars, even pulling western mountains with 80k under me, or going down, barely hear Jake.
This is getting long, there are other features I liked, but this is personal opinion, others may have different likings.
Willie
 

[fixerupper]

There's too many variables to declare one certain truck as being the 'best'. Any truck that gets good mileage and doesn't break down all the time is good in my opinion. It depends if you are an owner who pays the bills or a just a driver. Or a long hauler or short hauler. An owner who wants to progress in business will look more at overhead expenses and less at a cushy cab. One mile per gallon can add up to $10,000-12,000 per year or more so does he want a smaller engine and better fuel mileage for a short hauler or 550 HP and lower fuel mileage for a long hauler? Yeah, I know, someone will tell me the huge horsepower engine doesn't work as hard so it gets better mileage.

The best truck for me is a pre-emissions truck with a Detroit or a N14 Cummins. The mileage is better and there's no EGR to act up. Cat engines run slow and easy and are good for torque but the mileage isn't as good, they don't live as long, and parts are $$$$$. Just my humble opinion. Jim
 

[showcrop]

I Had an International 5900i triaxle dump for two years. C-15 set at 475, Hendrix rears, 18 speed, full lockers. I got 6.5 mpg, nice roomy quiet cab. One time, I was hauling in line with a few others and heard some others whining about this awful big bad hill. I was pulling it dropping only a half a gear. I had very few problems, I think the worst was an ABS sensor. I think it had about 60,000 when I got it and still under a hundred when I sold it. The dealer always bent over backwards for me. Two big cab Petes, sorry I don't know numbers, that I drove halfway across the country for a friend were noisey and got only 7mpg bobtailing.
 

[old]

Well since you said favorite this one is it. 1963 Diamond-T 990 220 Cummins with a fuller road ranger 10 speed. Not fast but sure would pull. Wish I had the $$ to fix the engine and get it back on the road. Blew #2 piston/sleeve out of it as in a cracked sleeve. Not been able to find the parts to fix it for a price I can afford to spend

 

[ericlb]

too many to pick just 1, i liked the A model narrow nose kw i owned it had a big cam 400 cummings in it but the A model cab was somewhat cramped as was the 359 pete i had later, but for sheer good looks and long running life those are hard to beat, single at that time i put huge anounts of cash in both trucks , chromed everything i could get loose from them, i want another one of either, my B model kw had much more room in the cab, but the hood was only half as thick at the one on the A model and constant paint crazing was annoying as all get out, after the first bill the new wife wouldnt let me near a chrome shop for the b model lol , the 379 pete i currently drive is nice and roomy although the cab seems drafty in the winter, compared to the kw's and the 359, both the later 2 were cat powered, cummins and cat make good motors but like mentioned cat stuff is high dollar to buy and the cat jake brakes dont have near the holding power that they did on the cummins motors
 

[DeltaRed]

No,not yet...The new 350 is fitting quite nicely.
 

[Lazy WP]

I too have driven about every make and model. My favorite, is still a 96 379 unibilt Pete. Put in an aftermarket seat, and move it back about 6 inches. I hated the Binders. Always hurt my knees, but then again they were day cabs.
More ponies is always good, as long as you aren't paying the fuel bill.