Need help deciding on an M-? truck

[Carlo]

Well to start with both the a2 and a3 can run hydraulics. There are provisions for a PTO on both trucks transmissions. The a2 is a bit faster especially when upgraded to 46" tires. The a3 comes standard with 43" tires. The a3 can also be upgraded to 46" tires but will still be slower than the a2. There is also a member here that manufactures a taller 5th gear o.d. kit for the a2. This is not available for the a3. The a3 has air assisted steering while the a2 has manual steering. However it can be upgraded to the air assist if you can find it. The same member who makes the o.d. kit for the a2 also has a hydraulic power steering upgrade kit. He goes by the handle M35-Tom. The cat is an expensive engine to repair and maintain but the multi fuel has its drawbacks also. Mainly that is a pretty anemic engine.

The 5 tons are much more powerful. They are indeed huge and in most cases require a cdl to drive. The m-35 series does not. I can't speak on the of road performance of the trucks side by side. Actually I have never driven a 5 ton. The m35 is decent off road. The main thing to keep in mind is these trucks are not a cj jeep. They are heavy and long. So they will go through some pretty rough terrain but if you do get stuck your going to need a bull dozer to get out. Your buddies f-150 won't cut it. This applies to the m35 and especially the 5 ton. The 5 ton is much heavier. Just something to keep in mind if you do off road it.

Well said!