When you need to haul loads or pull trailers on a regular basis, you need a big truck.
And it’s not just the size of the truck that matters, but the size of the engine too. The 2019 Ford F-250 may not look a lot bigger than its very popular cousin, the F-150 but it’s made specifically for that group of people who tow and haul. And it does the job well.
We recently got to drive this beast for a week and learned to appreciate the extra power afforded by this 3/4-ton, 4-wheel drive truck.
See Our Just the Facts post for the Ford F-250 Super Duty here.
What You Get in the 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty: Power to Tow All the Things
With a starting price of $58,605 the Ford F-250 pickup comes in a variety of trim levels, but the ultimate beauty is the King Ranch, which comes in at around $77,860, depending on which extras you select. While this may seem a little steep for a daily driver, it’s usually seen as an investment by the owners who need the extra strength this truck boasts.
Let’s start with the engine. A 6.7L power stroke diesel V8 engine delivers 450 horsepower and 935lb of torque. That’s a lot of pulling and hauling power.
The 6-speed automatic transmission is properly geared to handle the demands of regular hauling and towing, so you get a smooth ride, no matter how much you’re pulling around.
Just how much can you tow? Well, that depends on how you tow. For a conventional tow package, you’ll be able to take on up to 21,000lb. The fifth-wheel option affords 27,500lb of towing capacity, while the gooseneck package lets you tow up to 35,000lb. This should be plenty for your horse trailer, boat, camper, hay trailer, or toy hauler!
Related: See what we thought of the F-250’s little sister, the Ford F-150!
How We Would Put the F-250 Super Duty to Work on the Farm
My awesome husband is always up for a challenge, taking my wild and crazy dreams and making them a reality on our small 4-acre farm. Sometimes it’s a chicken house. Some days it’s re-landscaping the front yard or hauling huge loads of straw or bark mulch. Of course hubby also has his own ideas for DIY projects… like building cinder block and 2×6 shelving in the garage. While we didn’t have any big plans for projects while we had the 2019 F-250, we’ve used the F-250 before for these kinds of projects and we’ve been very pleased with how it handles when it’s loaded down with a lot of weight. In fact, it seems to ride smoother with the extra weight in the back!
But farm and DIY projects aren’t the only things a truck has to do around here. We’d also need it to be a people-hauler. And the F-250 Super Duty is fully capable of that.
The Ford F-250 Super Duty Has Enough Room for Everyone
Just look at how small my kid’s huge booster seat looks in that back seat. The passenger space in the F-250 is massive. We put 6′ tall guys in the back seat, and even behind a 6′ tall driver, they had plenty of legroom. The front seats are spacious too. Even tho the center console is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen, there is no crowding of the driver or passenger. And the massaging bucket seats will sell you on the whole truck… so nice.
Related: For Women Who Trailer, the Ram Heavy Duty Trucks are Another Great Option!
Store All.The.Things in the Ford F-250
You also get a ton of storage space in this truck. From an oversized glove box to the huge center console, pockets in the doors and storage under the rear seats it feels like you’ll never run out of space for all your must-haves and then some. I think Ford’s center console and dash are one of my favorites. You don’t have a huge screen like some other brands, but the 8″ touch screen is plenty and it leaves room for all the manual knobs and buttons, which I appreciate in a work truck. It also means you have extra space in the console itself… put up to 4 large drinks in the front console alone. And the storage compartment will hold a very large handbag and a laptop. It might even hold a backpack… I didn’t try it, but now that I’m thinking back I wish I had!
Think Work-Truck = Less Technology? Think Again.
One of the things we love about the new trucks on the market is that they come fully loaded with all the same technology you’d find in a nice sedan or SUV. And just because a truck like the Super Duty is made for farm and ranch work doesn’t mean Ford has left any of it out.
The King Ranch appearance package we drove came with the 8″ touch screen equipped with Ford’s SYNC 3 technology system which means we enjoyed voice-activated commands, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple Car Play and Android Auto for seamless connection to your smartphone, great navigation tools, and SiriusXM radio.
This truck also has power telescoping mirrors, lane-keep alert, blind-spot monitoring and alerts, adaptive cruise and collision warning alerts, backup alarm, trailer reverse guidance (great for those of us who need a little help in the trailering department!) and 360-degree cameras allowing you to see all the way around the truck.
I guess it’s safe to say, this big ‘ole truck’s got some big guns 😉
