Mack Vs. Peterbilt

Oh boy. Where to start, where to start?

From personal experience, I love Peterbilts. The way they ride, the way they look, the way they're built. My opinion is that the Peterbilt 379 was the last of the classic trucks -- all metal, all nice and boxy. Perhaps not the most efficient way to build a truck, but the newer, aerodynamic, emissions-encumbered fiberglass trucks just aren't the same.

As for Macks being more "hand-built"....citation needed. That claim just doesn't seem plausible. Ditto for life span, and as for resale value, rightly or wrongly, Peterbilts are pricier. Call it a red oval tax, if you want, but a quick look at truckpaper.com is all it takes to figure that out.

As for "built in the USA", I suppose I don't tend to fall for blind patriotism because I'm not American (born and raised in Norway). But would you buy an inferior product out of patriotism?

If an American factory built a piece of junk and a Chinese factory built a fantastic truck, I know which one I'd buy. Of course, it often tends to be the other way around, but when I'm spending money (on anything), what matters to me isn't where it was built. What matters to me is getting the best product I can get within my budget.

For that matter, "domestic" and "foreign" have gotten kind of mixed up. Up until the end of 2009, I drove a Lincoln MKZ that was built in Mexico. Great car, never gave me any problems. But if I'd wanted a "domestic" car, I guess I should've bought...what, a Toyota?

Bottom line, I want the best product I can get for my dollars. If a foreign competitor can do a better job than a domestic company, they're who will win my business. If you wish to subsidize American businesses out of a sense of patriotism, there's nothing wrong with that, but be careful not to fall into the trap of automatically assuming that "American" = "better".

That said, my Peterbilt was built in Tennessee, and my opinion is that it puts any competitor, American or otherwise, to shame.

Hope that didn't step on too many toes.

 

i ma peterbilt guy

 

Wow...........way to poke a dead 2 year old thread

 

pff....peterbilt guys....

 

Know the difference between a Peterbilt and a porcupine?


The porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

Sorry. Had to be done.

That being said, I'm a KW guy, myself.

Oh, and I think the last hand-built trucks were Marmons, IIRC. They ceased production in 1997.

 

Buy a Peterbilt,,mack has a steel cab and they rust out , more old pete's on the road than old macks, Pete will have a higher resale value (first choice for used truck buyers) An Petes are also hand built in the US. Macks are over priced and Mack is owned by Renault in france. I have owed 2 Mack dump trucks and 5 pete tractors,, Pete's are by far a better truck and a better value..Few mack engines make it to a million miles,, BTW 40 years ago I sold Macks,,after owning 2 Macks would never buy one again after my good experience with Peterbilts

 

The OP was a 22 yr old student, but I still might buy a Superliner if the price was right.

 

I'm a Mack man but....like the looks of a 379....but NOTHING beats an RW613 with an E9, camel back top loaders and mack 18 speed.....

 

Renault has not owned Mack in a very long time. there is alot of Macks over 30 years old doing construction work since they day they was built don't see alot of 35 yr old pete and kw in log woods and in quarries. and yeah what that guy said nothing tops a super dog

 

Macks were work horses when they had Bulldog engines, transmissions, and rears. The bull gear rear end design with the peanut gears in the front diff coupled with camelback suspension was the real deal. Now the engines have volvo right on the side, the trans and rears have eaton or rockwell right on the side. Whats so special about them now? Just like everything else sounds like to me