looking to buy a truck.. deciding between kenworth t600 and t800
 

Hello all, I'm on the market right now for possibly a T600 or maybe T800, just wanted to get an idea on what differences these two models have. As far as basic design goes, the shape looks somewhat similar, is the T600 more fuel efficient?

The T800 I'm looking at has 317,000 miles, C-15 motor and 62" sleeper, dealer asking 46,900 (it's a 2005).

The T600 has 330,000 miles, c-15 motor and 72" sleeper, dealer asking 54,000 and it is also a 2005.

On the surface to me the T800 seems like more of a deal than the T600, just wanted to get the opinion of some fellow truckers that may have had experience with either model.

Truck I'm replacing is a 2002 KW t2000 which was totalled after being hit by a drunk driver headon. Wound up being allright though, since insurance is paying me 29,000 for that truck which had 800,000 miles on it, can't really complain.


Any help appreciated, Thanks.

The difference is in the nose, and (I believe) how far the steer axle is set forward. I believe the T600 has a longer nose than the T800. I've driven both, and I personally prefer the T800.

I wouldn't buy anything with a Cat in it myself, though. I'm still predicting that the price of parts will shoot through the roof.

Personally I hate both trucks, T800s are very uncomfortable (for me) to drive for long periods of time (leg room issues). I ran team with a T600 for a while, only real complaint there was due to the size of the truck I felt cramped in overall space (I came out of a Columbia prior). Have you driven these trucks at all to be sure you would like them? Its a big change from the openness of a t2000

In these times you should be able to get a better deal. imo a det would get u beter mpg.

I always love how people complain about there not being much room in the KWs (other than the football helmet t2000) I have driver both, they are identical other than the t600 axle is a bit further out and the hood is different. I think a t800 looks better and it is more of a tough looking work truck I think. Anyays, I rather have a KW with NO room in it than a Freighshaker with all the room in the world, I prefer quality!

thanks for the replies guys.. MPG is not so much of an issue, the t2000 that i had before also had a c15-475 cat and fuel economy was good enough. nothing against detroit or cummins though everyone i know that has trucks w/ those engines are ready to bury them at 700k+ whereas that cat that i had was solid even at about 800k. know loads of people with columbia/centurys and those things are always in the shop.

i think i'm gonna go with the t800, i run regional so space is not much of an issue, again, thanks for the replies.

the c15 you currently own is totally different from the c15 in those trucks.

allan5oh, could you please elaborate, how is the c15 in that t2000 different from the t800 one? For better or worse? Thanks.

It's the model year, not the make and model of the truck, that makes the difference.

Starting in 2003 were the "EPA" engines. Cat went with ACERT. Your engine now has a single turbo, the ACERTS ha ve two turbos, called sequential turbos(some people mistakenly call it twin turbo).

Fuel mileage with these new engines is not as good as the old engines. Plus going from your aerodynamic t2000 to a less aerodynamic t600 and an even less aerodynamic t800 will hurt things.

It's very unfortunate that your truck is totaled, because now you're under the gun. Please take your time looking for trucks.

One thing I would recommend, and that could eliminate either or even both trucks, is a full ECM printout. This printout will have the lifetime fuel mileage on it(although it's not always 100% accurate) it will give you an idea.

allan5oh, could you please elaborate, how is the c15 in that t2000 different from the t800 one? For better or worse? Thanks.

I just looked at an 04 w900 with a c15, its a single turbo. And I also looked at an 05 and its a single turbo. So I dont think all of them after 2003 are twin turbos.

I have a friend who owns a T800. I have a T600. About the only noticeable difference is the hood. I believe that I get a little better fuel mileage on my T600 than he does on his T800. That may or may not have anything to do with the aerodynamics. It could have as much to do with gearing or the driver than anything else. The T600 was the first aerodynamic truck. I think it is more a matter of personal preference. I would go with which ever one that I could get the best deal.

Better look again.

thanks for the tips! got the dealer to get me an ECM printout so i can see what mpg that trucks been doing and then if i like what i see after that, the dealer gonna get me a dyno done. quite a contrast from back in 2004 when i bought the t2000, they weren't willing to do that stuff unless i paid for it. that t800 was run on southwest freight, with a name like that i'm hoping those guys ran only western states.

I just ran the name in Google, and came up with a Southwest Freight Inc, which has terminals in Texas and New Orleans.

I rather have a KW with NO room in it than a Freighshaker with all the room in the world, I prefer quality!





yeah. so would I. so would most. but quality usually cost more. & less quallity does not mean more break down. take cars, or even houses. most of us did not buy top quality, but I bet most of us have stories of great value &a good deal on both items. Well you know I'M a lil biased. lol. that comes from buying a ole walmart cabover for $15,000 10 years ago & still going strong. 1.1 mil. I think the main thing is take your time deciding. if you get that gut feeling of regret after you buy, then you probably should of waited.


my beleif is the folks responding here are honest. however.. we all know that we all will have different experience from our trucks. just like our first cars. i'll swear by my chevy cause it gave me years of minimum problems & when i bought a ford, had nothing but problems. you'll have others having just the opposite position. sice the holidays are near.. the big EMPHASIS is dont be in a hurry to buy. the thrill of a new truck wears off long before the payments do. wish you the best of luck.

that's what i thought at first too, but turns out it is actually this southwest.. www.swtrucking.com looks like they only have a terminal in watsonville, ca, but it also says that they bought out some company in phoenix so maybe they have one in az too. from the looks of things it doesn't look like a western states operation.

The 600, and 800 are the slope nose KWs right? 900, or W9 is the regular? (Like the one that Jerry Reed drove :p)

My 07 T600 I had while I drove for Melton was a single turbo C15. I pretripped it every morning, think I would have noticed an extra turbo hanging off the side.

That is correct, Jackrabbit. I love those Bandit movies.

Thanks, GMAN. I thought so. I recognize a W9 when I see one, but I'm not too familiar with the other KW models.

Yeah, every time I watch the Bandit movies, I see things that you dont see anymore. (full service truck stops, etc)

More heavy duty. Ford f150, f250. KW T600, T800. Different application

Watch Convoy again, but really look at the trucks. It's pretty cool seeing all those oldies in original shape.

The T600 has a narrow hood. It has a nickname of "anteater" for a reason. If you look at it head on it resembles an anteater. The T-800 is a little wider and has more of a flat look to the hood and it has a more squared look on the front. Both slope from the windshield somewhat. The W900 is very distinctive. Most have a flat front and long hood, although there are some that do not have the extended hood. Both have the same look other than the length of the hood. If I were to buy a W900 I would probably go for the extended hood. It won't likely make any difference in fuel mileage but looks better with the long hood.




There are a few of the full service truck stops around, but not many. Some of them would also park your truck for you after they fueled it. Ahhh, the good old days. :thumbsup:

When that movie was made those were not oldies to us. They were the trucks we were driving. :cool:

kanodogg, if you are serious about these trucks being they are 2005 model years, be VERY careful in checking over the C-15, as that as far as I was given to understand, was the first year with the 2 turbo's. They had MAJOR turbo issues & their fuel mileage just SUCKED! There was also an issue with the torque bolts that mounted the turbos... they tended to snap off. Be sure that the Cat recall on the torque bolts was completed. If it wasn't, be sure to have it done BEFORE you drive it off the lot.

My Pete has the C-15 with the 2 small turbos, but it is the 2006 model engine, it got the majority of the turbo problems sorted out...my high pressure blew to pieces cause some dim-bulb at the factory put in the wrong mounting plate...it lasted 30,000 miles before it blew. Anyway I now have over 400,000 miles on it & no further problems. If it does have the TWO turbo's you will find there are alot of things to get used to in it. For one the sound...it sounds like nothing I ever drove before, & I drove EVERY Cat out there since 1970. Also you will notice quite a change in your power bands, manifold pressure & exhaust temperature. Be VERY careful to ALWAYS give those turbos a chance to cool down properly, this will greatly extend the life of them, on hot days they can take up to 15 minutes to completely cool. Also be sure before you start the truck to leave the key on for several seconds BEFORE you start to turn it over, it has a much larger computer in it & can take up to 30 seconds to do a complete pre-start engine check, if you don't do this your gauges will not work properly. You can actually hear the "clicking" as the computer does it's "pre-flight" check. A Good rule of thumb is when the "check engine" light goes out it's ready to be started.

[QUOTE=wildkat;426145]kanodogg, if you are serious about these trucks being they are 2005 model years, be VERY careful in checking over the C-15, as that as far as I was given to understand, was the first year with the 2 turbo's. They had MAJOR turbo issues & their fuel mileage just SUCKED! There was also an issue with the torque bolts that mounted the turbos... they tended to snap off. Be sure that the Cat recall on the torque bolts was completed. If it wasn't, be sure to have it done BEFORE you drive it off the lot.
.[/QUOTE


thank you wildcat, this information combined with the low mpg is i see on the ecm report (5.3 lifetime) totally eliminates this truck for me. turbo on the t2000 that i have blew after like 700k and it was a nightmare getting that thing replaced (dealer did it wrong, and had to redo it 2 weeks later). Not only that, but it was a costly turbo replacement at about 5000 bucks. looking at a century right now with 283k and a detroit 430 engine, as much as i dislike the century/freightliners in general i can't help but think this might be a smarter buy due to mpg and cost of parts. thank you everyone for your posts

I"d also look for difference in specs: top gear ratio, axle ratio, tires. This will tell you how much your RPM will be at 60 MPH=Top Gear Ratio Times Axle Ratio Times Tire Revs per Mile. Choose a truck that is spec'd to run at its sweet spot at the cruising speed you intend to maintain. Every truck setup is different and this can help you save money in the long run.

Example: my truck has 0.73 top gear ratio, 512 revs/mi tires, 3.73 rears. So at 60 MPH I do 1394 RPM. Divide that by 60, multiply by 58. You get RPM at 58 MPH: 1,347. That's my cruising speed, believe it or not.

So, check the drivetrain specs.

Keep searching and avoid a Freightshaker. The quality is horrible in those trucks.

Most trucks are pretty much the same if you take away the skin. I was very brand conscious at one time. Now, I look for value and a good buy. I have never owned a Freightliner but have driven them. I have never been really enthusiastic about owning one however I do have a friend who does own one. He really likes it. In his case, it has more bells and whistles than most fleet trucks. He also has an 18 speed transmission and 500 hp N14 Cummins. It drives well.

The 550 cat is the only cat motor out with twin turbos. Acert does not mean it is twin turbo.

Uh, Rat, my 2005 KW T600 has a Cat 435 in it, and it has two turbos...:roll3:

GMAN, thanks.
I've always thought all the slopenose KWs were anteaters. :lol: