Cummins, Duramax or Powerstroke

I currently own a 3/4 ton Silverado with the Duramax that I drove off the lot new 8 years ago. It is coming up on 325k and I am thinking in the next 6 to 12 months about replacing it new.

Things have changed quite a bit with the oil burners since I bought that truck and even though it has been good to me I am not convinced that Duramax is the way to go these days.

I am thinking about a 3500 SRW as the extra payload will be useful and I don't want to bother with DRW.

A particular question I have is does anyone have feedback on the new Aisin tranny that Dodge is now using? The Allison on my Duramax has been very good to me and I have always been scared of the Dodge trannies. Any other feedback would also be appreciated.

My brother who is a tech and I were talking the other day about what I should get for my next truck as well. We both agreed that the prefect diesel would be a Cummins backed by an Allison trans in a Ford Chassis with a Chevy LTZ interior. Since that is not going to happen, I will say this.....Unless your truck is giving you a bunch of problems then I would keep what you have. The new diesels have more and more emissions junk on them and the first thing most people do is spend money to get the stuff deleted. Since the Duramax is typically a 300-400K motor if it has been worked hard, I would spend the money on an overhaul rather than buy a new 60-70K truck.

I can tell you if you chop the emissions junk and run a programmer on it and don't do any mods to the trany it will croak on you shortyly!

I think if you leave it stock, or just chop the emissions junk and leave it at stock performance you will be fine. I have never been a fan of the D-max, think a cummins pulls a lot better. Dad has a dmax and the cooling fan is off and on at the drop of a hat... pizzes me off when Im driving/riding in it and it plays HELL on the fuel mileage while towing during the summer.

The new Ford 6.7 is pretty sweet. I am still on my 7.3 but when it dies, I will be looking at them.

I lovey dura max with a Allison trans

My 6.7 powerstroke impresses me everyday.

I have a deleted 6.7 powerstroke and it is awesome. Pulling power is great and without the emissions junk milage is up 20% on average.

^

I think the aisin is going to prove to be every bit as good as the Allison and we all know cummins is better than the Isuzu.

Got a relative that just put a new aisin or however you spell it in with less than 90k miles on it... its not a pull truck or anything either. Its pulled 10k maybe once and a 5-6k tt 2-3 times. Only other towing he does is a boat and it aint a big one.

This would be awesome. I'll 4th the 6.7 PS. Mine hauls everything - including a$$ when it needs to. Iget 15-16 mpg city 19-20 hwy empty. Best vehicle I've ever owned.

With the HP and torque ratings of all the new light duty diesels, dodge should of went to one of the big rig companies and bought a proven solution. .. let hope the bugs aren't bad enough to ruin its rep before it's even proven. After all its still a revamped 2007 dodge tranny

I have an 08 3/4 chevy HD, 08 3/4 F250 6.4, and 08 1ton mega cab cummins.... all of them pull good.. the dodge being a one ton dull wheel stabilizes a load better but I don't see much difference in either the 6.4 or the cummins... the Ford by far... and I mean a long shot... is the better truck overall but that airbraking system dodge has makes that truck a dream to tow with... its just not an everyday truck though... it rides like a brick with wheels.. and stuff fades, falls off, etc. Been impressed with how the chevy engine pulls these tractors... its keeping it on the road with a good load on it is the problem.

Nav, is your cummins a manual or auto?

Auto. All three are.. wish standard was still as available as it use to be. Even dodge is pushing it out other than commercial vehicles now...

I ordered mine with the manual, but they did have a very select few on the lot.

My buddy has the same 08 in 4wd and manual shift.. he had to drive 300miles to the only dealer that had one.

Hope these new mechanics out of tech school know how to work on manual trucks... very scary thought to see how many actually do in ten years

He loves it though.

Stick with Chevy.
I've seen those Allison trans take a beating and still work.
I've seen a powerstroke blow up the turbo and sent it through the cylinders.
My buddy has a 06 6.6 duramax straight piped with EFI live tune.
Thing pulls

My 05 Duramax has been programmed for 95% of its life. Never had an issue with the transmission or the engine for that matter and I drive it like a 16 year old kid.

You mention your dad's cooling fan problem and that the cummins pulls much better, but you didn't even mention the years. Why would that info even be relevant to the current model the OP would be looking at? The GM HD was totally revamped for 2011 so any experiences previous to that year don't even make sense. BTW there has never been a given year model where the cummins has significantly out pulled the duramax. Sure if you compare a 2010 cummins to a 2005 duramax but you have to compare the same year model to make any sense of it. Actually most years the duramax out pulls the cummins in head to head testing. Despite the advertised hp/tq numbers even the current duramax that has been unchanged since 2011 will easily match the very latest cummins which has just been recently upgraded. Anyway not trying to be a prick, my point is if someone is asking about a new truck purchase you have to compare current model to current model, not experiences with previous models that are no longer applicable.

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2014-ultimate-one-ton-hd-challenge.html

I was referring to the transmission on the dodge, not the Allison.

I was comparing similar year models on the trucks. Far as I have read the overheating thing is something that plagued individual trucks not all of them, they didn't know what caused it and I didn't hear that it was ever fixed. Again never had a failure with the '04 as to overheating, but it sucks to have the cooling fan continually running. The other one in the family is an '05 and it has never had any of those issues. Not calling the d-max a piece, just saying I wouldn't buy one.

Good read, thanks for posting that.

Interesting that the big torque #'s that Dodge and Ford are posting don't really seem to give them an edge over the Duramax. Results are pretty much a wash and as such I'll probably stick with the devil I know as the Duramax/Allison has been good to me so far.

This would be awesome. I'll 4th the 6.7 PS. Mine hauls everything - including a$$ when it needs to. Iget 15-16 mpg city 19-20 hwy empty. Best vehicle I've ever owned.





This^^^^^^

I'm a tundra guy but work out of a '13 F250.... Crazy good to the point of personally purchasing one., In the near future.

I can't speak for the duramax, because I have no experience with them, but I hate the new fords I've known 2 people have problems with the 2012s and less than 30,000 miles within a year of getting them. One the exhaust sensor kept shutting down the truck when there wasn't any problem and the other had all kinds of electrical one was the king ranch f250 the other I'm not exactly sure what trim but it was a f250. The 2011 cummins on the other hand runs great,runs fast, and will pull anything you can connect it to and more and everybody I know with the cummins of any age loves them.

Dad took his '04 in yesterday to have the coolant and thermostats changed its got 187k miles on it and is officially 10 years old, supposed to change the coolant every 5 years. He asked about the over heating and the tech said he would look it over. Said between the intercooler radiator and a/c condenser was almost solid filled with junk and leaves. Most of it was the seeds off of knot head/tangle head grass from our property in South Tx. Hopefully this will relieve the cooling issues.

I have had all 3 and I love my duramax my ford gave me nothing but hell and the dodge was a good truck it love to eat trans we put of them in it and sold it. I will buy Chevys from now on

First ya start by saying im a toyota guy, then say you like the fords??? Man, you've got horrible taste. chevy all the way

I've got a 1991.5 D250 5.9L get 16mpg towing. My wife hates the truck... Won't even ride in it. It's a cherry with 135K. I bought a 14 Tundra 5.7 SR5 TSS 4x4 and it gets 6.8 towing.

I'll stick with my 1st gen

My wife drives the toyota

I wouldn't trade my 2011 cummins for anything, unless it was a different color. black is too hot and shows deer lease road pin striping too easily lol

It's a helluva truck, but I've got a lot of extra goodies in it too

08' Cummins 4 x 4 with an automatic. Isn't that the Aisin?

Routine maintenance, 95,000 miles, trailer hooked up to it all the time, Edge delete kit and tuner, been in the shop zero times. First Cummins was a 2001 with a 5 speed same story, sold it with 175,000 on it and it had no problems. So I've owned two Cummins, put 270,000 between two trucks and have nothing but good to say about them. I am not in the market for another one either. Chevy still not putting in a solid front axle? boo!

I second the motion of a Ford chassis, and body, Cummins and an Allison. And I want my four wheel drive shifter back in the floor board dang it!

I ve got a 9.7 liter but looking to upgrade to a 14.7 twin turbo.

2 mpg city, 3 highway

Usa usa usa!

Very true, I have a 12 with 22,000 miles on it and it left me on the road Sept. 28th, it was a temp sensor on the DPF (they have a total of 4 temp sensors on the DPF) it will message you to safely pull over and thats it. The sensors were on nation wide back order when mine went out luckily the dealership got a shipment in the next day. Sad thing is I have a H&S delete kit sitting in my shop that I was going to install after warranty expired but I can't accept the truck shutting down because of a faulty exhaust temp sensor so I'll be installing it shortly.

Cummins makes dodge what it is don't expect a good truck just one with a great engine and towing system.

Iv always liked Ford the best, own all three right now except for the chevy is a Vortec which is the only way id have it, but even though Cummins are great engines it dosnt make up for a not so great overall truck. If your going to just be towing don't pass up a dodge if you find a good deal but the new Fords tow like a hass also and make a well put together truck. just wish they had the pressure braking system like dodge.

NAVASOT, I have a 12 Ford lariat that left me high and dry on the side of the rd had to leave in a tow truck. I still like my Ford but I have an after taste in my mouth from the last incident.

So your 1 had an issue... there is no perfect vehicle and im sure you can look up plenty of problems with any brand with how many trucks are sold each year... if there was a perfect one then there wouldn't be 3 major brands of diesels that put up that much competition between each other.

Sensors are just going to be a part of real world problems now adays with as much technology going into the new emissions engines... last time I had a sensor throw a code to the engine computer I pulled over and unplugged the battery for a few minutes then plugged it back up and it reset the system. If its definitely out then it will pop back up again.

Got one of each maker. Dodge 5.9. chevy 6.5 and ford 7.3 so I ain't got a problem with none really. All around 200,000 miles. Had the service done on the wifes car last week at ford dealership and guy in there going ballistic. Guy had a new king ranch diesel and it left him on the side of the road for the third time. Talked to him and he was smoking. 8000 miles. I guess you get a bad one every now and then. His Must be a lemon.
Ps,
there was 2 more new ones with cabs off in service bays.

What did he say happened?

Emissions problems and went to limp modes every time. Recomputed every time. Last time they hauled it in. Just quit. Nice looking 1 ton 4x4 single wheel truck. He had it tricked out on the outside. Bumpers , winch the whole nine yards. Said it has and never will see the dirt. Go figure. One of the guys standing there talking to us had a 7.3 turbo getting serviced. He told him they ought to put a bike in the bed as standard equipment for the trip back to town after it breaks down. He didn't laugh!

Did it have all stock on it as far as the engine? or didn't get into that? Lol did you have a hard time not laughing when he said it will never see dirt

Brand new. No aftermarket. Stock, including the tires. Said one mo time and hiring a lawyer to make them take it back. Good Luck Buckwheat!

right

After paying $58,000 smackers and then walking to town a few times, and no resolve, just might drive it though the front showroom window. I Do have a good attorney.

2010 6.7 Cummins, auto 4x4 with 150K deleted everything, pulling a float with a tractor on it.. I can pass pulling up hill hauling 15K
The only issue I've ever had is that it likes to eat the rear u-joint..

Every truck I've owned had at least one issue, its a eye opener when one with low mileage leaves you on the road just because a sensor went bad, OBAMA emission system is the main cause. Like I said I'll be gutting the emissions out of mine for that reason because the warranty is a joke anyway. I have the H&S tuner which I'll be leaving on the stock mode to be on the safe side power is not the issue its reliability.

In my opinion any of those engines are great. The only problem I have with diesels is the new systems they are constatly trying to add to these vehicles for emissions. The only major problems I see with the Durmax is the exhaust emissions system causing problems. There are very few issues with the actual engine and the Allison transmission has been proven to be a great combo with the Dmax.

Dad's d-max is the same way. I put the third rear u-joint in it this weekend. The other two were replaced by the factory. Dad got tired of $300 dollar ujoints so I stuck one in it this weekend. Cost was $18... time will tell.

Maybe if you run the programmer on a lower HP setting you might have less issues with the U joints or you may have slightly twisted the yolks on the drive shaft.

The d-max is bone stock. I think what kills his u-joins is all the driving in sand, its 2wd and gets to hopping REAL BAD in loose sand, sometimes makes you think the whole back end of the truck is gonna come off.

maybe add some weight in the bed

It sure does help, but once the pallet of feed/water tote is empty then what you gonna do? If the old man would have bought a 4x4 he would be golden, but he insisted he had no need for one.

Zero problems out of my 2011 6.7 F350 thus far. Coming up on 200,000 miles and going strong. It's got an EGR/DPF delete, slight tune, intake, exhaust and injection kit done one it. Runs like a scalded dog!!