Hi all, just wondering what your thoughts are on good pulling tractor units? I’ve driven most things, probably like most people on here, and never really had a preference. Now I’m on tankers I usually travel to deliveries at my max train weight, 44t, and the 11 plate volvo fm 460 I drive now pulls really well, I’m not talking about big engined lorrys, just normal ones, any favorites out there? (I always travel back to base empty too, from all corners of the uk which is still a novelty)
Not on a level of your V8s and other 500bhp plus units but I always thought that the V6 in the second-generation Actros was a good puller for its rated output. If you took the revs up to about 1500rpm (which the rev counter would encourage you to do by lighting up that section) it pulled well and sounded quite good too.
On the other hand I once drove a Foden with a 450bhp Cat in it and it was dreadful. Perhaps there was something wrong with it but a 440bhp Actros would have left it for dead.
Drove a 124 470 before and that pulled like the proverbial train. But I’ve always been impressed with the pulling power of the 450 Stralis. It goes well when you consider it only has a 10.3l engine under the cab.
I used to drive an ERF EC14 with the 14 litre ■■■■■■■ in, which only had 340bhp, but after it had been tweaked by a ■■■■■■■ service centre, it pulled well for it’s output.
Had better engines in the past, namely ■■■■■■■■ venerable 14 litre jobbies which i’d give me eye teeth for again.
But out of the modern stuff i reckon DAF’s 460 takes some beating…BUT only if its got a gearbox, and not blighted with satans version of AS-Chronic auto hell lurking behind the engine…i miss mine, full whack 44 ton and it would romp away effortlessly…driven auto versions and they’re just as dead as anything else handicapped by that box.
I bought a brand new MAN 8 wheeler 32.322 in 1994, it had the 5 cylinder engine and 13 speed box, that thing pulled like I a train! Getting paid per ton in Ireland in the 90’s it was carry as much as you could so always grossed around 45 ton Never gave any trouble either, I think they were the last of the good MAN trucks, ran newer ones after that but they were never much good. …
Hi! I had a Daf 95 480 from 2005,I was doing Sweden-Norway and it pull like a train up the mountin roads and kept the big V8 scania and the volvo fh16 well behind
And good on fuel to!
Reg Danne from Sweden. And marry christmas to you al!
Took a lo ride Volvo 520 to Italy a couple of years back, and coming home up Mont Blanc at 40t she was just epic. Never driven a truck that pulled so well. Just seemed to dig in and find a bit extra every time.
As for modest power, a 380 ■■■■■■■ ERF I had for a while was pretty good.
I had a Iveco not sure what model but this is showing my age, it was the 1 they made with the black slatted grill in the side window ? not sure if anyone remembers them , but took a container of manhole covers to a place in wales once , and it went ok gross weight 42 tons
