Can a Tiny Truck Outwork a BIG Truck??
Andre and David take our new 1997 Honda Acty kei truck to Happy Yak Ranch to see how good it can be as a work truck, compared to a HUGE Ford F-350!
I'm a city boy. Never spent any time on a farm. So when talk turns to the "usefulness" of pickup trucks, I have a problem.
But KARMA! Here's a farmer to talk about them...
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There are tons of statistics showing that big pickups are bad in many ways... and the reaction is always "Yes but farm!!"
"I'm a city boy. Never spent any time on a farm."
Yeah, it's pretty obvious. Most people who actually use pickup trucks to carry useful loads don't use these monster trucks that are too big and heavy with the crew cab and short bed. They are more apt to have the older long bed style like the one below.
I had the Ford F250 turbo diesel with what was called at that time a ''super cab'' which was actually an extra 18 inches and the bed was 6 1/2 feet. I hauled a 36 ft 5th wheel and hauled just about anything in the bed.
Loved that truck it was a 1996 and I finally sold it in 2018
was it the 7.3 Kavika ?
yes it was the 7.3 turbo diesel, iggy.
great powerful engine. I used to have one, but it ate transmissions'
I had over 200,000 miles and never had a problem with the tranny, iggy.
I took it to Gale Banks Engineering which does Ford's diesel testing and had the engine tune up and it went from 210HP to 310HP and torque from 500 lb to 625 lbs also had the tranny adjusted a bit as well. Where it was allowed I'd pull my 5th wheel and an 18 ft boat behind that and still take the Grapevine outside of LA at 60mph with no problem.
Thanks for the confirmation
Yep, agree, that 350 Ford is too much for just hauling light stuff, but the small truck that would be about all it is useful for.
I have a Quad Cab 1500 Dodge with an 8' bed and the farm has a Crew Cab 2500 with a 6' bed, I can actually haul more with the 1500 and trailer than the 2500 can with the same trailer. The 2500 with trailer I can haul 144 80# bales of hay, but the 1500 I can haul 160 80# bales because I can stuff the extra bales in the bed of the truck around the front of the gooseneck of the trailer and the extra weight helps the lighter 1500 with braking. I can't see that small pickup even coming close to matching that, a trailer that heavy would push that thing all over the road.
“I can't see that small pickup even coming close to matching that, a trailer that heavy would push that thing all over the road.”
I think it could move that much hay, but it would take multiple trips to do it, which more than negates the better fuel efficiency.
Having choices is great. People have different needs. Saying that one or the other vehicle is “bad” is just ignorant and dogmatic.
Looks like a cabover riding lawnmower..
... and is more useful than the F350...
“.. and is more useful than the F350..”
Lol, that’s a totally stupid statement.
I think that is a matter of opinion.
I checked on some of these mini trucks when they first started getting some attention 20 years ago , it seems japan has some pretty strict smog regs , and after a certain amount of miles or engine run time , they get rid of the ones that can no longer pass their emission standards and regs
, i wont say they wont fit a niche use on a farm or ranch it would make a good irrigation or fence line truck on an established and maintained surface , but they wont replace a standard 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck, it just doesnt have the towing ability required as well as a few other things ranchers and farmers look for .
20 years ago i saw them advertised for anywhere from $1000 to $1500 used not including shipping , but they were imported from japan to japanese specs , so that would entail doing some more spending to bring the vehicle up to US safety specs and regulations , the guy in the video quoted about $5 k , that seems about right .
One problem cropping up recently i have been reading about , is some states are NOT allowing these vehicles to be titled or registered for on road use , reasons of their own of course , so on that i would say buyer beware ,
i think watching the video would also point to more negatives , these particular vehicles have , for me , that would be cab space and ground clearance off a hardened roadway .
most ranchers and farmers already have side by sides , and ATVs for where this would likely be used, and those are made in the US for the most part ( thats a big selling point for many of them ) , but as i said , i could see a use for it if it were to never have to be registered and used on a public roadway.
That's what the farmer said.
Kei cars (and trucks) are specific to the Japanese market. They're made for smaller people. I almost certainly couldn't get behind the wheel.
My point in seeding this is not to recommend kei trucks, but to suggest that "gargantuan" is too big.
I had a 1979 Toyota SR-5 PU with a camper top for weekend when I lived in Monterey CA. Sweet ride.
Thats ok , but i always remember thats strictly one persons opinion , whats right for one can and usually is entirely different for another , its like preferring redheads to brunettes to blondes , everyone has different tastes and needs/ desires , and are free to choose as they see fit .
some like them short and sporty , some like them long and lean and stripped down , and some like the total package .
It is cute and probably would be fun to drive
Most of us who need/want a truck don’t need or want a 3/4 ton or above truck. We buy half ton trucks, which will smoke that overgrown golf cart.
Comparing that hay bale hauler to a one ton truck is a disingenuous comparison at best.
2020 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel …… love my truck and she gets used. No need to rent a big package store truck ….. ever …..