Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy?

   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #1  

gregfender

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
406
Location
Marion, NC
Tractor
Kubota L2501 HST
Looking into buying a small dump truck for farm use. Something under CDL for hauling stone, brush, mulch, etc. Anyone bought one and thought "how did I ever manage without it?". Or was it "what the he!! was I thinking...this is a money pit!".

Just wanting to hear some pros and cons other than the ones already swirling in my head.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #2  
I would look for an F350 size with a dumping flatbed with sides. Not some big old thing that is hard to use for anything else.

Bruce
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #3  
A friend of mine and myself have bought 2 single axle dump trucks in the past 5 years to use at our leased land. Both under CDL with a 25k GVW ... A ford F700 with a 360 gas engine was our first purchase and most recently a ford L7000 with a 3208 Cat diesel.

The F700 was $4000... the L7000 was a whopping $1500 steal I stumbled upon.. We will sell the gas burner and keep the diesel because it burns about 1/3 the fuel as the gas burner does.
Its ugly but runs and operates great.... We have used them a ton hauling fill dirt and gravel for road work. Dont know how we got along without them before. You will probably find a lot more for sale with gas engines. Hold out for a diesel if you can.

10K hydraulic dump trailers are also a option if ya have a Dually .... they are under $3800 new and will haul about the same as a small dumptruck.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #4  
Don't figure using it for hauling stone from a quarry. I found around here that you'll be paying retail price at the quarry. The regular contractors get stone at a wholesale price. Even with hauling, the contractors can beat the quarry's retail price.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #5  
We also bought a dump truck, got it reasonable, to to haul driveway rock and such. It is an 84 GMC 7000 with locking tandem axles and the turbo Detroit- Allison combo. Going to license under the farm truck deal.. only hauled horse manure on the property to fertilize fields
Going to get the first load of rock should be an experiance... the ratings are kind of funny , GM rated it for 43,000 the city that had it licensed and loaded her to at least 61,000lbs.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #6  
Regarding getting quarry stone, I sold my dump truck after I built my last building. Figured out how much more it cost me to haul the several hundred tons of stone myself compared to having it delivered was enough for me. Plus all the driving time I wasted.

Bought a PJ dumptrailer for odds and ends uses but much cheaper to have quarry stone delivered than go get it myself. Mulch, trash and such stuff so far is a different story.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I am thinking a budget of $5K or less. If I can get an old beater with good mechanics, even better. Not exactly buying it as a show piece. I figure if I keep it in good running shape, I can probably sell it for close to what I pay for it (if I go really cheap) when I get the property back in shape.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #8  
I am thinking a budget of $5K or less. If I can get an old beater with good mechanics, even better. Not exactly buying it as a show piece. I figure if I keep it in good running shape, I can probably sell it for close to what I pay for it (if I go really cheap) when I get the property back in shape.

My first one was a beater 96 F350 with a blown tranny and 75k on a 7.3 that ran well. I paid 2500.00 for it and another 4,000 to get it road worthy. After that it always needed something, prolly 2-500 per month. I sold it for 6000.00 and bought a new V10 F350 dump in 09.. It is almost paid for now and I will keep that till it is dead
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #9  
Your not crazy. I'm looking to do the same thing. I'm figuring a nice dump trailer might be the ticket though. I don't feeling keeping up with the maintenance on a a beater dump truck. Still not out of the question.
 
   / Thinking about buying a small dump truck...am I crazy? #10  
My neighbor will haul me a 15T load of stone on my driveway spread for $100 plus the cost of the stone...
I can't justify the cost of a truck to haul stone for that...
Around here in the Lake Norman area stone is going up in price twice a year like asphalt...
They used to give discounts to grading companies and truckers but do not any more...
My neighbor has been in the trucking and asphalt business for over 30 years and they changed that policy years ago...
I guess it is local...
When I calculate the cost of insurance, taxes, and upkeep the economics for me do not add up...
Your situation may be different...
 
 
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