2005-07 vs 2008+ F350?

[ME83]

I am looking for a used F350 SRW V10 Auto for towing my 14k dump trailer, plowing snow, and other truck duties around the farm. I work a normal job during the week which is only 9 miles from home and I don't tow that often, so hense the V10. I am looking at a 2005 as the oldest due to the upgarde to the torque shift tranny and 3 valve heads. I also know the Super Duty's cabin and suspension were also updated in 2008. I plan to keep the truck a long time and put only 7-8k miles a year on it. For a year or two I will be driving it to work everyday until I get a car, then the truck will only see 2-3k miles a year. So, is it worth going to a 2008 over a 2005-07? The 2008s cost about $3-5k more with similar milage.

 

[wallace]

Did they 08 have the V10 option?

 

[ME83]

Did the 08 have the V10 option?

Yes it did, Ford got rid of the V10 for the 2011 model year. Replaced the 5.4 V8 and V10 with the new 6.2L V8.

 

[Diamondpilot]

You are on the right track. My uncle has had 2 Ford V-10's. The first was a early 2000's F-250 and his current is a 2005 F-350 SRW. Both Extended Cab and Short Beds. The 05's and later had the coil over front suspension which gave them a extra 18deg of steering. His 05 just turned 50,000 miles with not one single issue. He has 4.30 gears and pushes snow with a V plow. Its a Hauss. It averages 10 to 12 MPG and will still get about 8 pulling his 25,000# boat. We did upgrade the hitch to a 2.5" unit after I broke the one on my 04 Ford Diesel.

Its a great truck. I have never personally had a V-10 but I currently have a 04 F-250 Diesel and a 06 F-350 SRW Diesel and have had great service out of them.

Chris

 

[dstig1]

V10s are very hard to find used, and of course that is the only option to find one anymore. First off, I hope you want a Crew Cab Short Bed, because that is probably 70-75% of the production run, best I can tell. I think V10s were probably less than 10% and maybe even less than 5% of production (my own WAG). If you want a diesel CC SB you will have plenty to choose from, but you are in the same type situation I was. I don't drive it a ton, so I wanted to stay away from the diesel as people seem to say modern diesels have "issues" when they sit around too much - more so than gas engines. Since I really wanted an Ext Cab LB, I took the first decent gas engine I could find in that configuration (pretty rare combo), and mine was the V8. It's no diesel or V10 for sure, but it gets the job done just fine for me. It might work for you too, depending on what your needs are. Something to keep in mind, and at least look into/try out if the right vehicle pops up. Never read a bad word about the V10s other than they suck gas. One of the best kept secrets out there in 3/4-1 ton trucks, it seems.

Only common issues to watch for are the early 05's had a transmission issue (mine was one, and was repaired under warranty by the PO) where the case can crack due to a design issue with one of the internal retaining rings. They changed the design pretty early on when they caught it. The other one is the sticking plugs in the V8&10. They also did a design change on that at some point, but I'm not sure when. Maybe 06 or 07. So if you can find an 07 or 08, you should avoid the only real known issues for sure.

Good luck. It took me close to 6 mos to find one that fit my needs in this area (near Minneapolis St Paul Metro)

 

[bdeboer]

Don't know how far away you are looking, but saw this one in south eastern ohio near Marietta.

2005 Ford XLT 350

 

[ME83]

Actually, I am looking for a Crew cab short bed, which does help. I seem to always be carrying tools, people, or golf clubs with me, so I prefer the extra room inside. I have a 14k 16' dump trailer so anything long I would just take the trailer. I have driven a few trucks with the V8 5.4L, they just seemed way to underpowered to pull anything over 10k lbs. With my tractor in my trailer the weight is almost 14k lbs, and it doesn't take much in stone or dirt for the trailer to be at its weight limit.
I knew of the spark plug spitting problem that was fixed with the 3 valve heads, but I didn't know about the stuck plugs which looks like it was fixed in 07. It looks like there are a few tools out there that make the stuck plug removal go easier, so that doen't look like a deal breaker.
Some of the reviews I read said the suspension was revised in 08 and they rode smoother, but I wonder how smooth a F350 can really be. Has anyone riden in both that can tell a difference? Are the cabins much better in 08?

 

[Diamondpilot]

We just went thought he stuck plug thing on my BIL's F-150. It cost $80 per plug to get them out and replaced at the Ford Dealer. We did the ones that were not stuck to save a few bucks but either way it would be about $600 worst case. His truck has 108,000 miles, a 2006 F-150 4x4, and its the first dime he has spent on it other than one set of front brakes, one set of tires, air filters and oil changes.

The plugs would not concern me either since there is a fix. I agree though, skip the 5.4 in a F-250 or larger.

Chris

 

[dstig1]

I tow about 8k with my tractor on the trailer, and the V8 handles it just fine. But if you are looking to tow 14k, then you probably want to stick with the V10 as it may be beyond the V8 rating. But man the V10s are hard to find... You will find 40-50 diesels to 1 V10 (and 3-4 V8s). A lot will depend on how much patience you have and how far you are willing to go to pick one up. Local markets do vary, and maybe they are more common where you are...

 

[ME83]

When I do a 200 mile radius search on autotrader it usually comes up with about a dozen trucks, 8 or so are crew cabs and the rest are supercabs (extended cabs). I must be lucky in my area since V10s aren't that hard to find.