Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/699963
EquipmentWorld.com | July 2016 81 and locks – were all conveniently located and within reasonable reach for the driver. "The ergonomics are very simi- lar to Super Duty," Koester adds. "You're just riding higher." The air conditioning was cold on a cool June afternoon and the truck is standard with Ford's SYNC system, which offers hands-free calling, AppLink and Bluetooth capabilities. If creature comforts are important, you'll find plenty in the new F-650. The chrome snout brings a little bling to a truck otherwise designed to be battered around a construc- tion site, but the white 22.5 steel wheels bring you crashing back to the reality that this really is a work truck. Egress in and out of the truck is surprisingly easy thanks to stra- tegically located grab handles and side steps. The front axle, a 8,500-pound Dana D-850F, features 8,500-pound parabolic taperleafs while the rear gets a 17,500-pound Dana S17-140 (6.50 ratio) on 19,000-pound multi- leafs. Longer leaf springs versus prior generation models give the F-650 a smoother ride, almost like you're driving your pickup – if your pickup was huge and had a GVWR of upwards of 33,000 pounds. OK, so it doesn't ride or handle ex- actly like a pickup, but it does drive more like one than you otherwise might expect. Steering was tight for a truck of its size. Maneuverability, thanks in part to the massive windshield and the visibility it provides, was incredible. Navigating some of Michigan's rural roads in a truck with a 194-inch wheelbase loaded with 5 cubic yards of top soil was surprisingly easy and comfortable and posed little chal- lenge to the rear springs. Ride and handling actually improved signifi- cantly with a dump full of dirt. Delivering the dirt and backing the truck down a tight driveway – while simultaneously trying to avoid trees and a barn – was hardly a challenge. The oversized side mirrors provided great perspective and a wide view of the obstacles at the rear. Controls to the hydraulic Rugby 10-foot dump body were conve- niently located on the driver's side, and with the press of a button the top soil was unloaded in less than a minute. Maybe 120 seconds later (at most) the bed was empty, lowered, locked in place, and I was ready to get back on the road. Ford has spent a lot of time and money re-inventing the company's trucks over the last few years and really hit a homerun by aligning their Ohio-built F-650 with other, more consumer-friendly F-Series models. Getting employees safely and more comfortably to the jobsite will pay dividends in both improved efficiency and lower turn- over rates.