I currently drive a very tidy 1999 Actros, she’s only a 430 but she’s rated for 62 tonne, so good brakes, pulls alright, drives lovely downside is that its a daycab, just about enough room for a map behind the seat.
Actros is in the workshop at the moment being touched up so I’ve had an FM Volvo, not sure what year, I think about the same, if not 2000 / 2001, 420, drives very smooth, has plenty of kick in it, and good to have a good engine brake too, nice to have the bit of space there with the bunk, no mattress in this one, must have got lost along the way somewhere
I do mostly local work (within 100kms) and once or twice a week ill do a 300 kms trip
Am now thinking of asking for the Volvo full time instead of Actros.
I’m not asking you all to tell me what I should do, but just wondering for the sake of it what you all would prefer generally?
I came from an fm to an actros. No comparison, the fm’s ok but as dafmad says they are a tonka toy . Dreadfull gears,mudgaurd tops blowin off and a foot of glass wont wind into the door. This really ■■■■■■ me off.
Mercs arent for everyone, you need patience but in the end youre on to a winner.
However theres nothin like a bit o strange just make sure you’re not stuck with the spare(fm)
ps. just curious whats wrong with the actros?
pps. if the mercs 430 and the volvos 420 which pulls better?
i find the volvos got more grunt due to the fully manual box, but if you were to set the two of them off with the same load (24 tonne on the trailer) from the bottom of the same hill the actros might get up it first, but the older EPS box just doesnt seem to fully harness the power anyway and the engine brake is absolutely useless on it.
im still thinking about it hehe, actros has armrests too which is nice, but the lack of space to even put the seat back when im sitting around at DCs is annoying whereas the volvo seat will go right back due to the bunk.
the actros really is a bit of a cruiser where the volvo feels more like a truck, but still not ridiculously noisy like some of the kenworths and fords ive taken out recently (the aussies love the noisy ones)
I get £36600 pa for driving this little beauty !
So what if its only got two steps into the cab . It has 440 horses, the most i pull is about 22 ton all up!
I absolutelely love it , i have raised the bed by 11 " it is a great drive !!
All hail for the Volvo i shift !!!
coffeeholic has even given me his old wheel trims !! ( no charge )!!!
jimboy124:
I get £36600 pa for driving this little beauty !
So what if its only got two steps into the cab . It has 440 horses, the most i pull is about 22 ton all up!
I absolutelely love it , i have raised the bed by 11 " it is a great drive !!
All hail for the Volvo i shift !!!
coffeeholic has even given me his old wheel trims !! ( no charge )!!!
if i had proper choice id be driving a 143 or an R series, but my options are limited!
Have just been talking to one of the planners on facebook and he reckons the volvo is going back to brisbane anyway, so i think ill have to keep the merc!
Well as I don’t like U Boats it would have to be the Volvo Tonka toy as they are the only two choices.
. Dreadfull gears,mudgaurd tops blowin off and a foot of glass wont wind into the door. This really ■■■■■■ me off.
