[jwasbury]

Thanks for inputs thus far.

I understand that plowing is tough on the vehicle, but in my case I know that the plowing duties I will ask of the truck are pretty mild. I have considered (as suggested) looking at trucks that are not plow equipped, and to my surprise, it doesn't appear to be much of a premium (if any).

Have also looked at other machines (tractors or ATVs) that can do double duty as property maintenance and snow removal tools. What I see is that the tractors with PTOs, once accessorized with snowblowers, end up costing nearly the same as a plow truck. I may end up farming out the lawn care to a landscaper anyway, so I have to think about how much $ I want to lay out on a tractor.

Appreciate the advice on solid front axle and opinions on GM IFS. If I am focusing on Ford products, any particular engine/trans options to seek out or avoid? While I like diesels, I don't think its worth the premium for my application anyhow.

Re: Dodge Cummins...on cars.com, there is only one 3/4 Dodge for sale within 100mi radius of my home. Either they didn't sell many around here, or no one wants to sell theirs.