Thoughts on the 2022-2023 winter

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 8:50 am

Have several basswood trees in my side yard. I’m considering cutting them down.

I’ve heard Sycamore can drink 400 gallons of water a day. I don’t know if that is true, but I know this:

I cut a Sycamore once in Summer and as soon as the chain hit the bark there was a stream of water came spewing out of it bigger than my thumb and it ran and ran, and ran some more. I must have let it run for 10 minutes before I decided to just finish cutting it down.

warminmn · Post by **warminmn** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 8:54 am

I like basswood. Ive dug roots in basswood forests without needing a shovel as the ground was so soft from their large leaves rotting that I could just stick my hand in the ground. Tall, pretty tree's. Mostly logged off here, the large stands of them. I have 3 of the small leaved versions in my yard. Ive never burned any.

Ive had grape vines do the water shooting Hoyt. Its neat to watch. No sycamore tree's here.

kodadog · Post by **kodadog** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 9:30 am

Basswood is great kindling for getting a fire roaring off of hot coals being so light.
I like the trees as they usually grow straight.

Sycamore is actually tapable as some like to make syrup from it.

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 12:14 pm

kodadog wrote: ↑
Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 9:30 am
Basswood is great kindling for getting a fire roaring off of hot coals being so light.
I like the trees as they usually grow straight.

Sycamore is actually tapable as some like to make syrup from it.

Never heard of being able to tap Sycamore.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 1:34 pm

Beautiful day to get the last of the $170 a ton coal

they were out of rice.

Jr's truck got 20.6 mpg!!!

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 3:04 pm

Yep…my dad has an 2014 eco boost V-6 4x4 and it gets 23mpg HWY.

I can remember watching the gas gauge fall while doing 60mph in the old 1969 IH 4x4.

Got about 6mpg empty. Man I wish I still had Dad’s old wood hauler.

In the 2014 F-150 with trailer/boat, gear, about 3 tons worth … plenty of horse power to spare. If you need to pass it still has plenty of engine to spare even with the load.

We were V-8 people…and still are, but the little eco-v-6 has really surprised us and pleased us. Plenty of torque and at low rpm…and the “boost” on the high end. No way I’d order a 351 equivalent unless it too was eco boost…then you’d really have some power.

The 2014 eco-boost v-6 has 365HP and 420ft-lb of torque and the 2022 has 400HP and 500ft-lb of torque.

I’m hearing Dodge/Ram is debuting an “inline 6” called the “Hurricane”.

Standard version 420hp w/468ft-lb of torque.

Hi output version 510hp and 500ft-lb of torque. 183 cu.in., 3.0L.

Should give the eco-boost a run for it’s money. I love a straight 6. Lots of potential for even more HP with some tinkering and aftermarket parts.

k-2 · Post by **k-2** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 4:15 pm

Hoytman wrote: ↑
Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 3:04 pm
The 2014 eco-boost v-6 has 365HP and 420ft-lb of torque and the 2022 has 400HP and 500ft-lb of torque.
Should give the eco-boost a run for it’s money. I love a straight 6. Lots of potential for even more HP with some tinkering and aftermarket parts.

The GM and Ford EV trucks should give them all a run for the money. Ford F150 with 563HP and the GM with a 500ish HP and an over 660 HP model coming out next year. Im spinning tires with my GMC V-6 with a puny 285HP pulling out. I can just imagine what 600HP feel like.

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 4:19 pm

They can keep their EV’s…any brand and all models.

Impressive? Yes. Just not for me.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 6:05 pm

this is the base engine, 3.7 v6. 302 hp iirc the tow haul mode was great! engine braking on the 10% grades!
my 89 f-250 has a 302 and a zf5 and 4.10 gears. it gets 5mpg lol

warminmn · Post by **warminmn** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 6:21 pm

Hold onto that ZF5 tranny. Get rid of the gears though, lol The old trannies are kinda drying up now and thats a good one.

lincolnmania · Post by **lincolnmania** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 6:27 pm

warminmn wrote: ↑
Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 6:21 pm
Hold onto that ZF5 tranny. Get rid of the gears though, lol The old trannies are kinda drying up now and thats a good one.

yea i know. paid 400 for this one in 2017 and they are over 1000 now for a small block zf5. this one grinds into third gear unless you take your time shifting. it's way better than the m5od that was in the truck when I got it tho.
paid 850 for the f-250 in 2013. used my cigarette money that i had been saving after i quit lol.

kodadog · Post by **kodadog** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 9:30 pm

Hoytman wrote: ↑
Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 12:14 pm
Never heard of being able to tap Sycamore.

Yeah. There are several non traditional trees that are tapable. Some very distinct flavors. Many birch, alder, even basswood is, and shagbark hickory bark can be boiled for a syrup.

Bagodonuts · Post by **Bagodonuts** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 9:51 pm

My 2020 F-150 is about 700 lbs. lighter than my old one because it's aluminum. 5.0 V8, no turbo,10 speed auto. 400hp. It hovers around 20 mpg if I behave. 700 lbs doesn't seem like much but it hauls a lot more coal! My father was a Ford dealer, that's all I drive. My dealer now was Lincoln/Merc. when we had Ford, now he's Ford. I hang out there a lot and what's going on now with trucks would make dad spin in his grave! My buddy the sales mgr. there told me today he had specked out a new 150 XLT for himself. $70,000 IF HE CAN GET IT!! My daughter waited over 670 days for her new Bronco! Strange days when a Ford dealer can't get F-150s to sell!!

kodadog · Post by **kodadog** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 10:30 pm

I pull my 4500 lb tractor on a 2350 lb equipment trailer and 500 +/- lbs tools in bed all around with my 2020 Ram 1500 Crew Big Horn Off Road 5.7 with 3.92 gears. electric locking axle and 10 speed transmission. Pulls with ease through the hills here. Avg about 15-16mpg. Avg about 50mph. 70k for any of these 1/2 ton trucks is ridiculous. I bought mine during the so called pandemic (Oct 2020)for 39k. I'd love for them to make truck without the stupid touch screens which is why insurance for vehicles are higher. The bigger and more interactive the screen the more insurance premium. Knobs to control heater/ac and radio. Don't even have to look at them to adjust. Just my preference.
Trucks used to cost a fraction of average annual blue collar salary. Now they cost a whole annual salary or more. Out of whack. Wranglers and Broncos are just overly NUTS!! They can't even haul anything really.

I do like the idea of turbo'd inline 4 cyl and 6 cyl engines. Much more torque than V's. Finally following Cummins basic design with gas engines. But of course they won't ever be a Cummins diesel in torque, I miss my old 12 valve simplicity. Engine was great. Rest of truck sucked.

Hoytman · Post by **Hoytman** » Sat. Jul. 30, 2022 11:26 pm

In-lines are nothing new and have been around longer than Cummins. Just sayin’…