F250 diesel and F150 Raptor comparison (by owners of both)?

[DaveInMn]

Question for those with F-250, what tire pressure do you run?

Had a newer F-250 rental over the weekend and the rears were at 80psi. Without a load in the rear the ride was god awful. Think a Humvee would of had less shit rattling than this truck.

.
2001 F250 w/7.3/Michelin LTX tires:
Front: 65 psi
Rear: 55-75 psi (depending on rear load/towing weight)
.

 

[wifisherman]

I currently have a 22 f-250 and a 22 raptor
they are so different it’s hard to compare them
I use the raptor in AZ for SAR work it is great in the desert and around town I can find parking spaces and it fits in my garage the 250 not so much for either Parkin or garage. I pull trailers and boat in Montana with the 250 and it works great for that the raptor doesn’t like trailers . They both are great for what they are made for you just have to figure out what you want to do with each one
they both drive great and ride good

 

[tractorman]

You understand there is no real difference between a F350 and an F250 right.

Up until 2017 there was all but 0 difference. In 2017 the F350 got a stronger rear axle assembly. But when ordering a F250 as an option you can get that same stronger rear axle. I Believe it comes with the Max towing option.

You can equip a F250 exactly the same as a F350 except for the F350 badges and if you need dual rear wheel then it has to be F350.

Prior to the 1999 model year there were differences. But after they are 99.9% the same until 2017 then you had to option up a couple things on the F250 to get F350 without the badges.

why do both exist you might ask.

5% nostalgia (name plates been around forever)
95% taxes, some state like Shit-fornia tax F350, chevy/ram 3500 as commercial vehicle no matter who owns them! Ford actually said this about 5 years ago.

My wife has an uncle who has a Ram 3500 in Commi-fornia, he has a large 5th wheel trailer. When he registers it his taxes are around $5000 for the year. It is classified as a commercial vehicle by the state, even though it is privately owned. He appealed to the state and they told him " no private person need a vehicle that big, you must be using it for business "

Had he bought a 2500, no problem.

What is funny/weird around here is 99% of the Ford's are F350 while 99% of the Chevy/GMC/Ram are 2500.

Some of your California info is inaccurate, but I can see where it came from. In California, all pickups are commercial, even a little Ford Ranger owned by a grandma. If it can't be classified as an RV, it's commercial. You are right about that. However, the real distinction comes from the GVWR. If 11,500 or more, you are not a pickup by definition, and you have to declare max GCW you plan to run, place weight stickers visible, and technically you have to pull into any open scale. And the weight fees are higher than for a "pickup". You can spend close to $1000/year on a new F350 if 11,500 or over. They really don't want you in the scales as they exclude pickups, but by the letter of the law, you must pull in. Fortunately, you can order an F350 SRW with various GVWRs, and the smart choice is to stay under 11,500.

I have a 2021 F250 diesel Tremor, and you are certainly correct that the only difference between it and an F350 is in labeling. Same truck. I tow with it exclusively delivering compact tractors. A typical load is around 10k lbs, and you hardly know a trailer is behind you. I also have a 2019 Raptor and occasionally tow a 5000 lb boat to the river or nearby lake. The Raptor does ok for this light-duty task.

As for a daily driver, 100% I use the Raptor. The F250 is awesome, but unloaded the ride is stiff. It has to be to be such a monster hauling heavy loads. As far as power, both have more than most people can use.

 

[LittleLebowski]

All I need is for my Raptor to tow a SxS. I'll borrow an F350 if I need to tow anything else.

 

[tractorman]

All I need is for my Raptor to tow a SxS. I'll borrow an F350 if I need to tow anything else.

That'll be no problem at all.

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

Some of your California info is inaccurate, but I can see where it came from. In California, all pickups are commercial, even a little Ford Ranger owned by a grandma. If it can't be classified as an RV, it's commercial. You are right about that. However, the real distinction comes from the GVWR. If 11,500 or more, you are not a pickup by definition, and you have to declare max GCW you plan to run, place weight stickers visible, and technically you have to pull into any open scale. And the weight fees are higher than for a "pickup". You can spend close to $1000/year on a new F350 if 11,500 or over. They really don't want you in the scales as they exclude pickups, but by the letter of the law, you must pull in. Fortunately, you can order an F350 SRW with various GVWRs, and the smart choice is to stay under 11,500.

I have a 2021 F250 diesel Tremor, and you are certainly correct that the only difference between it and an F350 is in labeling. Same truck. I tow with it exclusively delivering compact tractors. A typical load is around 10k lbs, and you hardly know a trailer is behind you. I also have a 2019 Raptor and occasionally tow a 5000 lb boat to the river or nearby lake. The Raptor does ok for this light-duty task.

As for a daily driver, 100% I use the Raptor. The F250 is awesome, but unloaded the ride is stiff. It has to be to be such a monster hauling heavy loads. As far as power, both have more than most people can use.

Thanks for the clarification. I don't live in California (thank god) so mostly hear-say.

 

[wifisherman]

The raptor will tow a side by side easy with no problems

 

[Raceanything]

I have both and like many have said they are different tools for different jobs. One is a truck for truck sake (camper, towing, work) you need it for jobs the raptor won't do. The other is a toy with a truck bed, it's nicer to drive around, park and take to Baja but it doesn't do all the jobs you need to do. Similarly I need Jeeps to do certain things the trucks won't do if I get a Gladiator it has a bed but doesn't replace one of the trucks.

 

[BoatzNHoes]

There is absolutely nothing that will make the daily driving experience a good one when unweighted in a F250/350. Literally a wagon wheel with leather. Shocks go a long way in terms of "softening the blow," however having solid axles and how these beasts were setup to be towing monsters will still have those 3/4-1Ton natural ride characteristics. You could looks towards the springs with perhaps a reduction in spring rate, but again these were meant to tow and that would defeat the reason to buy one; to tow.

 

[tractorman]

I have both and like many have said they are different tools for different jobs. One is a truck for truck sake (camper, towing, work) you need it for jobs the raptor won't do. The other is a toy with a truck bed, it's nicer to drive around, park and take to Baja but it doesn't do all the jobs you need to do. Similarly I need Jeeps to do certain things the trucks won't do if I get a Gladiator it has a bed but doesn't replace one of the trucks.

Sounds like we have the same disease. I am very fortunate to own an F250 Tremor (towing), a Raptor (daily driver, forest trails, haul the boat), and a Jeep Rubicon (more serious off-roading). You can't make an F250 drive like a Raptor, and you surely can't make a Raptor tow like a Superduty. Having said that, I can understand the desire to try to make the perfect truck for all applications.