Do You Like CAT, Cummins Or Other?

What's your favorite Class 7/8 diesel engine?

I like Cummins because of their smooth idle and quietness.

I drove and worked on Cummins-equipped trucks in in the Army as a mechanic. M900-series 5-ton 6x6 by AM General.

Inline-6 855 cu. in. I was impressed by this fine engine.

A masterpiece in machinery. An inline-six, not a V-8, is a TRUE truck truck diesel power plant.

Later on, in 2005, I sat in a new Ford Class 5 truck with a CAT six and it vibrated like a paint mixer.

Then, the following year, I drove a late-model 22-foot Penske moving truck by International and that was pretty smooth.

Sitting in the CAT-equipped idling medium-duty Ford made me think CAT motors were crude for truck use.

I have never sat in, driven or ridden in any Class 7/8 truck in all my 53 years.

What's your favorite Class 7/8 diesel engine?

I like Cummins because of their smooth idle and quietness.

I drove and worked on Cummins-equipped trucks in in the Army as a mechanic. M900-series 5-ton 6x6 by AM General.

Inline-6 855 cu. in. I was impressed by this fine engine.

A masterpiece in machinery. An inline-six, not a V-8, is a TRUE truck truck diesel power plant.

Later on, in 2005, I sat in a new Ford Class 5 truck with a CAT six and it vibrated like a paint mixer.

Then, the following year, I drove a late-model 22-foot Penske moving truck by International and that was pretty smooth.

Sitting in the CAT-equipped idling medium-duty Ford made me think CAT motors were crude for truck use.

I have never sat in, driven or ridden in any Class 7/8 truck in all my 53 years.

P)S- The International moving truck from Penske was diesel powered, of course. A straight-six.

I am going to guess that you have never pulled a heavy load or your opinion of CAT would be different. Each has their own characteristics and niche they do better than the other. Detroit is fuel economy. CAT is pulling power. Cummins falls somewhere in the middle.

Now with that said, I have made some changes to mine puts it right up there on power and on top for fuel.

I am going to guess that you have never pulled a heavy load or your opinion of CAT would be different. Each has their own characteristics and niche they do better than the other. Detroit is fuel economy. CAT is pulling power. Cummins falls somewhere in the middle.

Now with that said, I have made some changes to mine puts it right up there on power and on top for fuel.

Of course, if one is going to be in a truck cab for countless hours as a living, one might also consider the "comfort" factor of the engine too, sir.

Perhaps, the CAT motors don't vibrate so much in Class 7/8 rigs. I don't know since I have never been in any Class 7/8 truck before. I just remember that CAT in a new medium-duty Ford I test-drove one year shook quite badly at idle. Could have been inferior Ford motor mounts too.

I have driven Dodge pickups with 5.9 turbo Cummins: smooth as a baby's rump. I have driven an Army 5-ton with 855 Cummins: still, smooth as a baby's rump. Distinctively quiet inside the cab too.

I have always had the impression that Cummins diesel engines were well-engineered, refined and well-balanced.

Looking back at history, Cummins is the first American diesel originally designed specifically for truck use. CAT has its origins in tractor/construction equipment use.

I've never had a truck with a CAT or Cummins engine, only Detroit and Paccar, so I have no strong opinion. The Paccar did seem to pull up hills better than the Detroits I've had.

But for pulling power, the biggest, baddest diesels I ever saw were twin V-16s in an ocean-going tug than ran loads from Seattle to Hawaii. I didn't sail on that boat, but I got in there while working on one of the maritime cases I helped with as a litigation paralegal. Those engines were bigger than my tractor.

Cummins diesel engines were well-engineered, refined and well-balanced.

Looking back at history, Cummins is the first American diesel originally designed specifically for truck use.

Oscar, it's still pretty obvious to me that you're not going to become a truck driver.

But... I do think you'd be an excellent sales rep for Cummins Diesel engines. You've got just enough BS on something that you don't have a clue about that I think some of these purchasing would be like putty in your hands.

Go for it!

The tug engines were CAT, of course.

I wouldn't even go that far OS. The Cummins he's referring to and the only one he has any experience with is the N14 ( our military still uses it). It's a great motor and one of my personal favorites but the reality is that with current emissions laws etc, the vast majority of newer truckers will never experience one. Most will never get behind the wheel of a truck with a 6NZ or 3406 Cat either, let alone a C16 to find out just what kind of brutal torque and horsepower they're capable of.

A better poll would have been, ISX, Volvo D13, DD15 or Paccar.

Cat all the way, I have driven an old freightliner cab over with a cat I don't know what kind but talk about a truck and power, it had no problem going way to fast with a 10k fuel tank on the back. Are air craft tugs also had cats in them a 50k tug we moved planes as large as 747 up hill at the airport slowly but it did the job. I have driven a few trucks with S60. But not yet a n14 with I could thought. But ya so far an old cat.

I think all the new motors are poor quality, between the low gear ratio and the low torque there just is a lack of power.