M915 opinions wanted

[Madfarmersson]

Hey people of the SS,
I am looking at a M915 semi tractor for a farm truck,
we may stretch the frame and put a dump box on it or we
might just leave it a tractor. Any way, I would like to know your opinion
of the M915? What do you think of the Cummins NTC400 engine and Allison auto transmission in a military tractor? Is there any thing we need to know about the M915 before we look at it? The truck is a 1983 AM General

Thanks,
Madfarmersson.

 

[wreckerman893]

I have owned three M915's and will be buying one or more in the next few weeks.

I sold my last one to a guy that bought my first one (through a third party).

He owns a seed farm and thinks they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. He pulls hopper bottom trailers and occasionally a dry box.

The 400 is a great engine and I have had zero trouble from the Allisons in any of mine.

The big drawback is the rough ride that can be helped by installing air ride seats.

Lack of air conditioning is a factor if you do a lot of driving in the heat......the two trips I made to Nebraska kicked my butt because of the heat.

Lack of a tilt hood is a PITA also......you have to stand on your head to work on things like the starter or alternator. I have found that taking off the front tires and inner fender panels makes access a lot easier.

The early M915's had the CAT transmission and were geared a lot higher than the ones with the Allison. You can run 60-65 in them but they will suck the bottom out of the fuel tank.

Fuel milage is not too hot either but considering the truck has the aerodynamics of a concrete block it's not too bad.....beats the crap out of the fuel milage in a HEMMT.

For what they are selling for they are hard to beat......buy one and try it....I don't think you will be dissapointed.

 

[M813A1]

You might conside looking into a M917 if you want a dump truck it is the same chassis , motor and trans conbination as the M915 !! And it has the tag axle already on it if you get on the hwy to help with your loaded weight .

 

[LanceRobson]

You might conside looking into a M917 if you want a dump truck it is the same chassis , motor and trans conbination as the M915 !! And it has the tag axle already on it if you get on the hwy to help with your loaded weight .

Except that M917s cost 4-6 times as much as M915s or M915A1s.....

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

I have two M915A1's and Love them! I would'nt even Mind a third one (in 3 Color Camo).
The local Indian Reservation has 10 of them and they pull belly dumps and 3 axle lowboys hauling equipment around with them. I like the road speed, the power and the Jake brake, also the sliding 5th wheel helps too. Bobtailing on rough road can jiggle your kidneys abit! LoL. The only thing better would be Air ride (atleast air ride seat), a tilt hood, and factory a/c.
But I can live with what I've got.

First two pics are my trucks, 3rd is one of the reservations trucks, 4th is an M917 dump, the res has one similar to it.

 

[Madfarmersson]

Thanks for the info guys, and thanks for posting the photos O.L.C.I.
I have always liked big trucks and if there Green that is even better.
Can any one give me a rough idea on what one under 100,000 MI, is worth?
Can any one give me a rough idea on the MPG on a M915?

Thanks,
Madfarmersson.

 

[NDT]

They sell on Gov Liq for around $4K. I get 7 mpg at 55 mph and an easy right foot.

 

[wreckerman893]

My last one (bought at Redstone in AL) cost me around $4200.00 after GL fee and tax.

You would be hard pressed to find a good take out Cummins 400 for that.

 

[lankyevilme]

I get about 5.5 MPG hauling grain in a hopper bottom loaded 1 way.

 

[reb87]

If you read thru some of my old posts you will find extensive information on using these trucks and others for farming. I bought two m915a1 trucks last year for around 2200 each with around 30k miles. Make sure you get a m915a1 and not a m915.

 

[Madfarmersson]

I do not know much about the M915's, The M915a1 has a stronger motor right?

Reb87 I see your M919 looks great by your Gleaner, I think a M915 should look
good by our Gleaner too.

Madfarmersson.

 

[wreckerman893]

The M915 had the CAT semi-automatic transmission......it was geared higher and allowed a cruising speed of around 65-70. This made for a little better fuel milage if you cruised at around 60. The CAT's can be a challenge to find parts or a mechanic for.

It had a non-sliding 5th wheel which limited it's ability to pull some trailers.

The engine in both trucks was the 400 Cummins.....no real diff except for the pump settings.

The Allisons were swapped in when the trucks went through a depot level rebuild.

The M915A4's had the Detriot 60 Series engines in them along with a Freightliner cab and air ride seats. They also had an electronic gear selector which I am not fond of since electronics can fail easier than a cable shifter.

The A4's are selling for what I consider crazy prices.......some sold out west a few weeks ago for an average of 15K.

 

[reb87]

M915 has the cat air shift 16 speed semi auto trans and big cam 1 cummins. M915a1 has big cam 3 and allison 5 speed auto. The engines are rated 400hp each. The air shift cat trans is very prone to problems and a somewhat difficult to drive(constant shifting by you while driving) The allison is awesome just put it in 5th(auto) and let it shift up and down, drink coffee and eat lunch while driving if you need to.

 

[reb87]

Wreckerman, those 915a4 trucks had cummins and 4 speed trans plus air ride and air conditioning. 2320 - Trucks & Truck Tractors, Wheeled at Government Liquidation I think they were a good deal but too rich for my needs.

 

[wreckerman893]

Wreckerman, those 915a4 trucks had cummins and 4 speed trans plus air ride and air conditioning. 2320 - Trucks & Truck Tractors, Wheeled at Government Liquidation I think they were a good deal but too rich for my needs

Yep.....you could have bought a pretty decent civy truck for what they sold for.

 

[reb87]

I dont think you could touch a truck with those features and that low miles for that kind of money. Its really hard to compare because there arent many civilian trucks with miles like that...

 

[Castle Bravo]

The M915A4's had the Detriot 60 Series engines in them along with a Freightliner cab and air ride seats. They also had an electronic gear selector which I am not fond of since electronics can fail easier than a cable shifter.

M915A4s have the Cummins NTC-400 in them. The A2s and A3s have the Detroit. A4s are A1s turned into A3s, as it were.

 

[Hooty481]

the m915's had big cam II engines and most of the m915a1's had big cam II but some of them have had the big cam III from what i have read and seen.

 

[quickfarms]

The Alison is easy to drive

 

[NEIOWA]

You want an angle on an M915 series. Go see your local Fire Dept. FD can get at no cost from their state forester (as least in st..ates that aren't fools). Thru the FFP they get the truck including title. Have 2 years to convert to fire truck (paint and whatever else they determine is needed). After 2 years they own it clear and can sell it. Perhaps to the guy who helped them located, transport and convert it at a really cheap price. Moving water is the big need in rural FD. That could be using a DOD surplus 5000gal tank trailer (thru FFP). Lots of M915 M915A1 M915A4 coming thru the surplus system. Auction at $10k sounds a bit high to me.