Paying cash for an older semi tractor vs. financing a new one

Glider Trucks Soon Banned?

 

Yes sir- After a year- The Seats Broken in- The Clear on the paint isnt so shiny-Tires are 30%/Brakes 30%
Wheels need polish-etc etc lol, Goes on and on- I never owned New- 3 362 petes-1 9300 harvester- 1 1995 ford-1 2001 ford

 

Same here 01 bought 11 yrs ago, Lol. Made more net cash with this Truck than both previous Trucks. Currently working on its third life, Lol. 2.2 mil miles. I’m keeping it as long as possible. Wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one just like it.

 

A little shy on torque. But still get the job done. 1650 vs 1850 Cat. Its a noticable difference Loaded. Eats into the famed fuel economy of 12.7s

 

You can find a good economical Old Truck as many have said. Even the parts and mechanical work needed is cheaper on the older 12.7 or n14. All the little things will keep you busy. Or cost a lot of labor hours, if paying a mechanic. Therefore if your willing to compromise at times and put up with the occasional broken door handle or window regulator, and fix it yourself while not working. You can benefit. But paying mechanics for simple stuff will break the bank and maybe cost more than a new pymt. Bear in mind, it’s easy to spend $20 k in a year on a $12 k Truck. Therefore get a Truck you’ll be happy with, instead of a cheaper starter Truck, with plans to upgrade in a year. Easy way to get stuck trying to get money out of it, or losing money on the upgrade. I look for a clean rust free frame, clean unbutchered wiring. Condition of interior is a very good indicater of maintenance, IMO. If a person doesn’t keep it in good condition,I doubt they’re keeping up on maintenance either. Everything else, like recent OH or other work, or lack there of should be reflected in price. I’d rather pay extra for a nice clean original Vehicle. Getting the Truck I like, is practical to Me, Nothings worse than spending money on a Truck that you don’t like.

 

I can run this truck for two years and probably sell it for close to what I paid for it. Can’t do that with a new truck. Also taking time off without payments is relaxing.

As for 12.7 Detroit, I avg lifetime maybe around 6.6mpg but I get 7.5mpg a lot on light loads on flat land. 80k lbs through Virginia I-81 is around 5.5mpg. Also rebuild kits are ridiculously cheap. In a few more years I can rebuild the engine, tranny, read ends, and repaint it for less than any used truck at Arrow and will be far more reliable.

 

That’s a nice Truck, what year?98,99? Hard to find those and 379s with Detroit’s. Everybody had to have a Cat. Seems Detroit has taken over the “Die hard “ category.

 

What is your guys opinion on Cat C15 vs Cat C15 ACERT? Have they fixed problems with ACERTs by now? Looking at a couple used trucks with those.

 

Imo there is only 2 choices. Either brand new, or pre egr. The 03 wave of emissions was the beginning of all the emissions problems. Now keep in mind a truck built in early 03 may have an 02 engine in it so if looking at an 03 truck you need to look at the engine data plate to see which it has. The other option is a used glider that had an 02 or older engine model.

For engine choice, again imo, there is only 2 choices. Ddec iv, or n14celect+. In the context of a working truck pulling mostly legal weights you can build either to be just as strong as any cat. And both are a lot cheaper to operate and repair than a cat. And they are both practically bullet proof, even a rookie driver that knows nothing about engines would have a hard time damaging one. A cat does have more potential power but costs a ridiculous amount to get to it and requires a really good driver that knows how to use that power without roasting the engine.

 

Good luck wth that. I've been looking for one for more than 5 years now. Everything i find is either ragged out junk or they think it's worth way more than it really is.