F550?

[Hay Dude]

One thing to note on the newer diesels.
It seems only on Ram do they inject extra fuel for DPF regeneration through post-injection into the engine cylinders during the exhaust stroke. There have been some complaints about engine oil fuel dilution.

Yeah, well they can complain all they want, the 6.7L Cummins will outlast its’ competitors and it’s used in much larger trucks and Ag tractors.
I just ran 48,000lb loads of hay yesterday and today. More tomorrow. Not sure I’d want to do that with the other 2 brands.

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, well they can complain all they want, the 6.7L Cummins will outlast its’ competitors and it’s used in much larger trucks and Ag tractors.
I just ran 48,000lb loads of hay yesterday and today. More tomorrow. Not sure I’d want to do that with the other 2 brands.

I’d a lot rather hook a load like that behind my Volvo than the F-550. The Volvo has more than double the torque, double the transmission gears, considerably better service brakes more than 3 times the engine braking capacity.

 

[4570Man]

In PA, to get farm plates you have to show you are actively engaged in farming. Usually requires a tax return with a farm schedule.
Otherwise every redneck and their mother would take advantage of that

In TN they sell you whatever plates you want. Unless you’re stupid and put a business name on your truck there’s not much they could prove unless they catch you hauling into a commercial job.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d a lot rather hook a load like that behind my Volvo than the F-550. The Volvo has more than double the torque, double the transmission gears, considerably better service brakes more than 3 times the engine braking capacity.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I like the Ram for my operation. I can drive it home after a day of farming in total comfort and park it in my garage, or take it to the hardware store, or hunting, etc.
My Ram has delivered 400+ loads of hay like that with no issues.

Plus it gets 13-14MPG and it’s much cheaper to register, tag & repair.
But we both know that.

I have a CDL truck, I know all about them. I’ve been driving them since the early 90’s.

With all that said, I probably will be buying a dedicated tandem axle hay truck in the future. One thing a tandem hay truck can do that my Ram can’t is drive over lousy field terrain right to the hay stacks where it can be loaded, then driven out to the road.
I don’t like towing full loads of hay behind the Ram on real bad terrain. We will continue to use it for the easier loads/unloads out near the road and the tandem for really rough stuff.
Meanwhile, the Ram has been getting it done, trouble free for 6 years!

 

[Hay Dude]

In TN they sell you whatever plates you want. Unless you’re stupid and put a business name on your truck there’s not much they could prove unless they catch you hauling into a commercial job.

If they do that with farm plates, thats pretty dumb.
Who wants to have a DMV handing out farm plates to everyone who asks for them, even when they don’t farm?
It’s a slap in the face to farmers that are entitled to them because of their occupation

 

[4570Man]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
I like the Ram for my operation. I can drive it home after a day of farming in total comfort and park it in my garage, or take it to the hardware store, or hunting, etc.
My Ram has delivered 400+ loads of hay like that with no issues.

Plus it gets 13-14MPG and it’s much cheaper to register, tag & repair.
But we both know that.

I have a CDL truck, I know all about them. I’ve been driving them since the early 90’s.

With all that said, I probably will be buying a dedicated tandem axle hay truck in the future. One thing a tandem hay truck can do that my Ram can’t is drive over lousy field terrain right to the hay stacks where it can be loaded, then driven out to the road.
I don’t like towing full loads of hay behind the Ram on real bad terrain. We will continue to use it for the easier loads/unloads out near the road and the tandem for really rough stuff.
Meanwhile, the Ram has been getting it done, trouble free for 6 years!

My ram is a higher option truck than the F-550 or the Volvo but the Volvo has working AC, working radio, air seat and power windows. It’s nearly identical in comfort features to the F-550. My insurance on the Volvo is virtually identical to the other truck. It’s probably cheaper considering that truck is worth 1/4 as much. I only put 26k tags on the ram so that is cheaper but in TN the tag is exclusively weight based with no consideration for the truck type or value. Repairing any vehicle is expensive so I’m not convinced that part is true. The Volvo isn’t getting an out of frame rebuild. It’s not worth that.

 

[Hay Dude]

A road tractor & trailer would be of little use to me.
Too large and clumsy for my operation in tight, skinny driveways and bad fields.
When I pull into the hay yards, the tractor trailers have 24 bales. I have 16. Thats a LOT more truck to carry 8 more bales.

 

[4570Man]

A road tractor & trailer would be of little use to me.
Too large and clumsy for my operation in tight, skinny driveways and bad fields.
When I pull into the hay yards, the tractor trailers have 24 bales. I have 16. Thats a LOT more truck to carry 8 more bales.

The traction of the single axle tractor is the downside of the operation but a single axle daycab tractor will outmaneuver most pickups. And I’m not saying everyone needs a semi but with yellow freight going under and liquidating a bunch of trucks Volvo daycabs are cheap right now.

 

[Midniteoyl]

One thing to note on the newer diesels.
It seems only on Ram do they inject extra fuel for DPF regeneration through post-injection into the engine cylinders during the exhaust stroke. There have been some complaints about engine oil fuel dilution.

I believe this has changed for 2025 and up. They now use the 9th injector method.

 

[dodge man]

I believe this has changed for 2025 and up. They now use the 9th injector method.

Since Cummins are six cylinders I assume you mean seventh injector.