Agreed on the Duramax.. Mine is a 2002 and it pulls like there is no trailer behind (I have little 2h BP trailers, but before my truck would have problems going up hills, this one does not).  Quiet and comfortable.

Jbsny

Flip a quarter, these are in my opinion the BEST engines put in light duty trucks.  They both have good and bad points, way more good than bad...

The 5.9 engine will get you better fuel mileage overall, but has alittle more noise than the Powerstroke.  A must fix for these engine to make them last is replacing the factory lift pump before it kills the injector pump.

The Powerstroke engine is a solid engine and alittle more expensive to work on when it comes to injectors or HPOP's.  A most for these is to have good batteries and a good charging system, the electronics on these use alot of power and people let the batteries get weak or calbe ends get dirty then the truck does not want to run right. 

The Ford does offer a better automatic tranny with the Powerstrokes than Dodge has with the 5.9's, the standards are both fine (if you like shifting) Dodge did have a problem with the 5th gear nut backing off and some had a griding going into 3rd gear problem.

So bottom line both would make good trucks and with a good maintance program will last a good while.  Keep all of the filters clean and up to date with oil changes.

What is the cost of replacing the factory lift pump on the 5.9 and what would you replace it with ?

The Ford has a factory chip, how much more fuel consumption than the 5.9 should one expect ?

At the risk of starting a war, I LOVE my 6.0 powerstroke. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Mines had 88k of trouble free miles. Father in law has an '03 7.3 and loves it. Uncle has a 5.9 cummins in his 07 Dodge and loves the motor, the truck just had ball joints put in at 50k. Both the 7.3's and 5.9's have a history of Auto tranny problems, but as long as you keep the service good, don't chip/program it insanely, and keep the trailer weight at a manageable level they will serve you fine.

Both trucks will inevitably have ball joint and Universal joint issues if you get a 4x4. Father-in law just had front end done in his f350 @ 100k and it didn't need it yet.

Everyone says that if cummins had been with ford instead of IH that would've been a great truck. I tend to agree. Both are great motors, I like fords styling and interior room better. I would go with the ford for my money.

Depending on what year model you are looking at....  The lift pump issues are mainly with the 98.5 to 2001 and most 2002 have the newer style electric lift pump in the tank.  The 98.5 to 01 if they have the original equipment pump it is mounted on the drivers side of the engine behind the injector pump.  Aftermarket replacement are electric units mounted in the tank and there will be a by-pass kit mounted on the engine.

Factory chip????  Not sure what you are talking about here.  The fuel mileage will vary but from what I have used as far as everyday drivingmost 3/4 Dodges avg. 18 to 20 range and same type Ford truck will get 15 to 17 range (unloaded) and loaded 15 to 17 on the Dodge and 12 to 15 on the Ford all depend on driving conditions and your driving habbits.  Both truck can have the mileage increased by adding aftermarket parts and free following exhaust systems.  The Ddoge will see better fuel mileage with minor upgrades than the Ford will.  What I mean by minor I am talking about just installed aftermarket air intake and exhuast system.  You do not have to spend biug money on the exhaust either, most muffler shops stock 4" mandrel bent replacement tailpipes and 4" straight pipe. (the shop I use charges me $150. to $200 depend what day it is).

You can get a ton of information from www.cumminsforum.com or www.powerstroke.org. these are sites just for these trucks.

Now to add more headache to this.  If you get lucky enough to find a Dodge with a 12V engine (1989 to 1998) these are all non electronic engines and very easy and cheap to work on and even better fuel mileage. 

I have a both.  My company truck is a 01 Ford 350 dually with an auto trans and the 7.3.  I use this truck in my hay business also.  It has been damned near "bullet proof".  Other than some rear end issues with bearings (Dana rearend); this truck now has 281,000 miles on it, and has never had any engine or transmission issues.  Replaced the alternator and batteries, normal fluids and servicing; and that's it.  I would get another one in a heartbeat; although the 7.3's are getting very scarce.

My 97 Dodge with the 5.9 has an automatic transmission also.  The truck only has 135,000 on it; but I have replaced the front axle components, transmission,  rear spring hangers, and the next thing I'm going to have to replace is the lift pump.  The engine is great; as we pull 15 round bale loads with it and horse and stock trailers; but it is "nickle/diming" me to death.  I'm presently looking to replace this truck with another 2000-2002 Ford 7.3 !!