7.3 vs 6.7 Beating a dead horse

Unfortunately in MT a few months ago was the first time in about 15 years that diesel was cheaper than gas. Prices do really go up with winter blend here as well. In the mountains 16 with trailer would be awesome but have not been able to achieve that even in the new 6.7 10speed combo. My buddies 2020 6.7L CCLB can’t squeeze much more than 14 with a 16 ft tiler jet boat. I on the other hand with the same boat I can’t seem to squeeze much more than 10 with the 7.3L so definitely not great. The hills seem to really hurt fuel economy gas or diesel.
I went on a trip to Colorado with enclosed trailer and my buddy followed me in his brand new 2020 F150 with the V-8 engine ( not an eco poop). His trailer was half the size of mine. I had to constantly pull over with him so he could refill his tank. Oddly enough ( I though he had a 20 gallon tank) His tank was almost same size as mine. I had to wait for him all the time going up the mountain grade. I did not notice the elevation and the diesel just torn up the steep mountain grades.


The MPG goes down when they "blend" the diesel fuel but oddly enough here in SE Wisconsin, in the summer we get a "special cocktail" for ozone action prevention and they add something or more ethanol into the gas and the mileage goes down in the warmer season( summer). I trailer more in the warmer months and almost not at all in the cooler months so it works for me. Summer blend diesel costs less ( than winter blend) and yields more MPG while gasoline costs more in the summer ( due the EPA bull shit and our wimpy governor mr yes man) and MPG drops on the gas vehicles. I can drive about 40 minutes to the next county and purchase non ethanol fuel for my gas vehicles but its only the 91 octane premium and the greedy station owners charge a 25 Cents more for premium non ethanol than the local stations. Example if premium is $2.45 with ethanol by me and I go next county over the non ethanol would be $2.69 ( todays price) While $1.99 for gas and $2.09 for diesel right now. Last week gas was $1.69 and diesel was $1.89 so not sure what is going on. I figured since it just started getting cold the diesel has more additives and #1 blend to prevent gelling. Not sure why gas went up.

I will agree or admit, that I hate all the emission bull shit on todays Diesel engines. Kind of reminds me of the smog equipment from the mid 1980s. The technology got better and they made cars more reliable. I figure that will happen to diesels to at some point.


sorry long rant...... if I did not need to pull heavy things, I would sell my V-8 Raptor and run a F250 Tremor 7.3 ( only have one truck then )
 
What I find surprising is how many people buy a diesel super duty and dont tow or haul much of anything. Almost seems like more are towing/hauling with the 7.3 or 6.2, that may just be recreationally or how it seems on the internet as people with work trucks prob dont get on enthusiast sites all that much. Anyway, people can spend their money on a truck as they see fit, good thing we are still in a free country, I think...

It would be interesting to see the 2020 sales numbers on the 7.3, 6.2, and 6.7 for non-fleet, most dealerships I talked to found it hard to keep the 7.3 in stock, may just be because it is new though. Also the supply chain is all messed up so may be awhile before we know the true demand on the engines, which will really tell how popular they are...you can definitely tell the 7.3 is gaining alot of ground vs the old 6.2
 
Unfortunately in MT a few months ago was the first time in about 15 years that diesel was cheaper than gas. Prices do really go up with winter blend here as well. In the mountains 16 with trailer would be awesome but have not been able to achieve that even in the new 6.7 10speed combo. My buddies 2020 6.7L CCLB can’t squeeze much more than 14 with a 16 ft tiler jet boat. I on the other hand with the same boat I can’t seem to squeeze much more than 10 with the 7.3L so definitely not great. The hills seem to really hurt fuel economy gas or diesel.
I sure miss my 8.1L, But the 7.3 makes me smile when I get my foot into it.
 
There's a stigma I think concerning diesel trucks, since there's more torque and more perceived power it's a more manly truck. This is my interpretation but lots of younger dudes buy those and never even go off pavement, let alone pull a trailer. That's their prerogative but yeah it's I think a perception thing for some.

Others perhaps are just addicted to the torque. As you said @thevol I don't tow as I have nothing to tow, let alone haul much. The Tremor for me is a 3rd vehicle and only now am I using it to commute as my focus is out due to messed up wheel. Once I get that fixed the Tremor will be sitting until needed again. Been a reliable and cool 3rd vehicle that is able to many things a car can't.

It's a personal choice that you gotta live with. The younger guys buying the diesels will enjoy a much larger truck payment and all the things that go with it.
 
What I find surprising is how many people buy a diesel super duty and dont tow or haul much of anything. Almost seems like more are towing/hauling with the 7.3 or 6.2, that may just be recreationally or how it seems on the internet as people with work trucks prob dont get on enthusiast sites all that much. Anyway, people can spend their money on a truck as they see fit, good thing we are still in a free country, I think...

It would be interesting to see the 2020 sales numbers on the 7.3, 6.2, and 6.7 for non-fleet, most dealerships I talked to found it hard to keep the 7.3 in stock, may just be because it is new though. Also the supply chain is all messed up so may be awhile before we know the true demand on the engines, which will really tell how popular they are...you can definitely tell the 7.3 is gaining alot of ground vs the old 6.2
Our fleet manager will not buy diesel light duty trucks due too the high idle hours that we do. our trucks run about 16-18 hours a day.
 
It was a no brainer for me The 7.3-liter gasoline V8 is officially rated at 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel V8, meanwhile, produces a whopping 475 hpand 1,050 lb-ft of torque.
 
Our fleet manager will not buy diesel light duty trucks due too the high idle hours that we do. our trucks run about 16-18 hours a day.
Same where I work, they are even looking at getting a few 550s with the 7.3L that won’t be used to tow.
 
Threads fretting about MPG are always fun on a forum dedicated to an 8000 pound, 22 foot long, 7 foot tall, heavy duty pickup. Later I think I'm going to run over to the Weight Watchers forum (is there such a thing?), and get in a headed argument about the best value combo to buy at McDonald's.

I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's.

I need a one ton for a slide in camper, and for a more stable towing platform towing an inline sled trailer in the winter. You're needs are probably different. If I wanted to tow an 18K pound fifth wheel regularly, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because it's an HD truck with a lift, single rear wheels, and fairly large, squirmy AT tires. If I wanted to hyper-mile and log my MPG's down to the nearest one-hundreth of a gallon, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because derpy duh.

The 7.3 Tremor I'm getting ready to order (today maybe even) will get nearly the exact same MPG as the 1/2 ton with a leveling kit and 35's it is replacing. A truck I owned both when gas was $1.50/gal, and when it was $4.00/gal. Remarkably I lived, and oddly enough I didn't think about spending $75K or $80K on a diesel truck so I could save $150/mo at the pump. Strange, I know.

I used to be a project estimator/manager for a really big commercial contractor. Projects up into the nine figures. Care to take a guess how many of the dozens upon dozens of worked hard HD field trucks were diesels? Did you guess zero? Correct. Why? Math, unscheduled maintenance downtime, and when something significant needed to be moved they used TRUCK trucks. It was rational business decision, just like me buying the 7.3.
 
Last edited:
Threads fretting about MPG are always fun on a forum dedicated to an 8000 pound, 22 foot long, 7 foot tall, heavy duty pickup. Later I think I'm going to run over to the Weight Watchers forum (is there such a thing?), and get in a headed argument about the best value combo to buy at McDonald's.

I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's.

I need a one ton for a slide in camper, and for a more stable towing platform towing an inline sled trailer in the winter. You're needs are probably different. If I wanted to tow an 18K pound fifth wheel regularly, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because it's an HD truck with a lift, single rear wheels, and fairly large, squirmy AT tires. If I wanted to hyper-mile and log my MPG's down to the nearest one-hundreth of a gallon, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because derpy duh.

The 7.3 Tremor I'm getting ready to order (today maybe even) will get nearly the exact same MPG as the 1/2 ton with a leveling kit and 35's it is replacing. A truck I owned both when gas was $1.50/gal, and when it was $4.00/gal. Remarkably I lived, and oddly enough I didn't think about spending $75K or $80K on a diesel truck so I could save $150/mo at the pump. Strange, I know.

I used to be a project estimator/manager for a really big commercial contractor. Projects up into the nine figures. Care to take a guess how many of the dozens upon dozens of worked hard HD field trucks were diesels? Did you guess zero? Correct. Why? Math, unscheduled maintenance downtime, and when something significant needed to be moved they used TRUCK trucks. It was rational business decision, just like me buying the 7.3.
Please sir move along with your rational thinking. You did forget one thing 1050 TORQUE !!!!!!

? just having some fun. Enjoy your truck, the 7.3 is nice.
 
Threads fretting about MPG are always fun on a forum dedicated to an 8000 pound, 22 foot long, 7 foot tall, heavy duty pickup. Later I think I'm going to run over to the Weight Watchers forum (is there such a thing?), and get in a headed argument about the best value combo to buy at McDonald's.

I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's.

I need a one ton for a slide in camper, and for a more stable towing platform towing an inline sled trailer in the winter. You're needs are probably different. If I wanted to tow an 18K pound fifth wheel regularly, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because it's an HD truck with a lift, single rear wheels, and fairly large, squirmy AT tires. If I wanted to hyper-mile and log my MPG's down to the nearest one-hundreth of a gallon, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because derpy duh.

The 7.3 Tremor I'm getting ready to order (today maybe even) will get nearly the exact same MPG as the 1/2 ton with a leveling kit and 35's it is replacing. A truck I owned both when gas was $1.50/gal, and when it was $4.00/gal. Remarkably I lived, and oddly enough I didn't think about spending $75K or $80K on a diesel truck so I could save $150/mo at the pump. Strange, I know.

I used to be a project estimator/manager for a really big commercial contractor. Projects up into the nine figures. Care to take a guess how many of the dozens upon dozens of worked hard HD field trucks were diesels? Did you guess zero? Correct. Why? Math, unscheduled maintenance downtime, and when something significant needed to be moved they used TRUCK trucks. It was rational business decision, just like me buying the 7.3.

I liked your post because you are a funny guy with a dry sense of humor... :cool:

I went back and forth on which engine, but decided to order the diesel for my towing needs. The extra $8K was not a big deal for me and I know I would have regretted the gasser when towing my TT through the mountains on my way to Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore next summer. I know I will never make my money back in gas savings, but I hope the resale value will be high enough to make it almost a wash when it comes time to sell. I drive a 93 octane Raptor now, so diesel fuel will be cheaper for me either way. Only time will tell if the maintenance aspects become an issue, but I will buy an ESP warranty if I keep the truck longer than three years.
 
Our fleet manager will not buy diesel light duty trucks due too the high idle hours that we do. our trucks run about 16-18 hours a day.
Smart! its bad for all the emissions. Thats why I kept my Raptor for short trips. Once the Tremor came in we installed a lift kit and bigger wheels/tires on the Raptor.
The Tremor is more of my personal work truck and trailer hauler only reason why I have the 6.7 ( I don't let it sit and idle and avoid short trips with it) other wise 7.3 would be cool beans until Uncle Joe screws the pouch and causes fuel to soar.
 
I don’t need 475hp and 1000+ ft lbs but, I knew it was going to bug me if I didn’t have it. And 19 MPG mixed driving. If money is not an issue go Diesel, also trade in value, so when the 750hp 2000 ft LBS with a 4” factory lift on 37” model comes out next year we can all talk about what to do Lol
 
Threads fretting about MPG are always fun on a forum dedicated to an 8000 pound, 22 foot long, 7 foot tall, heavy duty pickup. Later I think I'm going to run over to the Weight Watchers forum (is there such a thing?), and get in a headed argument about the best value combo to buy at McDonald's.

I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's.

I need a one ton for a slide in camper, and for a more stable towing platform towing an inline sled trailer in the winter. You're needs are probably different. If I wanted to tow an 18K pound fifth wheel regularly, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because it's an HD truck with a lift, single rear wheels, and fairly large, squirmy AT tires. If I wanted to hyper-mile and log my MPG's down to the nearest one-hundreth of a gallon, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because derpy duh.

The 7.3 Tremor I'm getting ready to order (today maybe even) will get nearly the exact same MPG as the 1/2 ton with a leveling kit and 35's it is replacing. A truck I owned both when gas was $1.50/gal, and when it was $4.00/gal. Remarkably I lived, and oddly enough I didn't think about spending $75K or $80K on a diesel truck so I could save $150/mo at the pump. Strange, I know.

I used to be a project estimator/manager for a really big commercial contractor. Projects up into the nine figures. Care to take a guess how many of the dozens upon dozens of worked hard HD field trucks were diesels? Did you guess zero? Correct. Why? Math, unscheduled maintenance downtime, and when something significant needed to be moved they used TRUCK trucks. It was rational business decision, just like me buying the 7.3.

Replace electrolytes with "1050 ft/lbs Torque!!"

Hahaha




Excellent post and poignant, unlike a lot of mine.
 
Smart! its bad for all the emissions. Thats why I kept my Raptor for short trips. Once the Tremor came in we installed a lift kit and bigger wheels/tires on the Raptor.
The Tremor is more of my personal work truck and trailer hauler only reason why I have the 6.7 ( I don't let it sit and idle and avoid short trips with it) other wise 7.3 would be cool beans until Uncle Joe screws the pouch and causes fuel to soar.
All fuel prices will go up, I was just in California and all fuel was over $3. Back home in Texas $1.80 for 85 and diesel $2.20, if I remember correctly. Point is not just gas will go up but diesel as well, it’s all already “high” in some states. Hopefully Costco can keep it “cheaper” if uncle Joe does in fact raise prices.
 
All fuel prices will go up, I was just in California and all fuel was over $3. Back home in Texas $1.80 for 85 and diesel $2.20, if I remember correctly. Point is not just gas will go up but diesel as well, it’s all already “high” in some states. Hopefully Costco can keep it “cheaper” if uncle Joe does in fact raise prices.

Biden will raise gas prices indirectly because of irrational green policy nonesense, and then blame "big oil" for the increase. No if, but when.

Diesel will still be more expensive though, so... ?
 
Smart! its bad for all the emissions. Thats why I kept my Raptor for short trips. Once the Tremor came in we installed a lift kit and bigger wheels/tires on the Raptor.
The Tremor is more of my personal work truck and trailer hauler only reason why I have the 6.7 ( I don't let it sit and idle and avoid short trips with it) other wise 7.3 would be cool beans until Uncle Joe screws the pouch and causes fuel to soar.
Yeah, we had a large fleet of ecopoops, They died a quick death from idling.
 
Threads fretting about MPG are always fun on a forum dedicated to an 8000 pound, 22 foot long, 7 foot tall, heavy duty pickup. Later I think I'm going to run over to the Weight Watchers forum (is there such a thing?), and get in a headed argument about the best value combo to buy at McDonald's.

I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's.

I need a one ton for a slide in camper, and for a more stable towing platform towing an inline sled trailer in the winter. You're needs are probably different. If I wanted to tow an 18K pound fifth wheel regularly, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because it's an HD truck with a lift, single rear wheels, and fairly large, squirmy AT tires. If I wanted to hyper-mile and log my MPG's down to the nearest one-hundreth of a gallon, I wouldn't buy a Tremor in the first place because derpy duh.

The 7.3 Tremor I'm getting ready to order (today maybe even) will get nearly the exact same MPG as the 1/2 ton with a leveling kit and 35's it is replacing. A truck I owned both when gas was $1.50/gal, and when it was $4.00/gal. Remarkably I lived, and oddly enough I didn't think about spending $75K or $80K on a diesel truck so I could save $150/mo at the pump. Strange, I know.

I used to be a project estimator/manager for a really big commercial contractor. Projects up into the nine figures. Care to take a guess how many of the dozens upon dozens of worked hard HD field trucks were diesels? Did you guess zero? Correct. Why? Math, unscheduled maintenance downtime, and when something significant needed to be moved they used TRUCK trucks. It was rational business decision, just like me buying the 7.3.
You sir, managed to make the German laugh. And let me tell you this. We don't smile, laugh or grin easily. Can i refer to my favorite section here:
"I mean let's be brutally honest here; for 99% of buyers, justifying a 6.7 diesel over a 7.3 gas because of fuel economy concerns is falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland levels of WTF hilariousness. Like all the LOL's. Long cat levels of LOL's."

Teach me, master.
 
Everyone says that the 6.7 is better for fuel economy than the 7.3 but I haven't found that to be true. In my 6.7 I only get about 3 mpg on 87 octane. It improves to about 8 mpg on 91 but that get's expensive over time. I think I might trade mine in for a ridgeline or I'll go broke by Christmas
 
I am curious about these post on Diesels, how about a poll of diesel owners : like first time owner ? , or how long has one owned one .
 
I had a pre-emissions 05 F250 with the 6.0 PS. Great truck. Decent power. Crap economy (10 city, 13 highway) but it was lifted on 35s. 3.55 I think rear end ratio. Motor was solid. 280k miles before I sold it to my brother who runs it as a daily driver. It's got over 300k on the clock now. He's done some power upgrades so it's more powerful now. I ran it stock except for some "bulletproofing" work. It was an old school diesel with all the valvetrain clatter and smoke people love. My wife and kids hated it. They hated the cabin noise and diesel smell. This 6.7 is amazing. Way more power, more efficient, quieter, cleaner, no smoke, no smell. DEF stuff doesn't concern me.
 

Latest Discussions

Back
Top