Which truck is the best? I'm looking to buy one, I want one with the bed lift dump. For some reason I want to get a Honda . I don't really know much about these trucks.
Jon, I don't think you will go wrong with any make of mini truck. They all have similar features. I do not have experience with a Honda, but we all know that Honda makes quality equipment. One difference with the Honda and Subaru trucks is they are rear engine. The Suzuki, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi are front or mid engine (the engine is under the seat). With a rear engine you will have more weight over the rear axle. But, from what I understand, they are harder to lift for larger tires. Dump beds are not as common as conventional beds. There are a few guys building hydraulic dump beds for these trucks. One guy that I have talked to has a company named Diamondback Manufacturing. You can find him on the internet, he has a website. He gets about 1500.00 for a dump bed, which is in line with what dump beds are generally worth. Hope this helps, James www.gominitrucks.com
Thanks James! I didn't know that, I thought all the engines were in the same place. I really want to get something with a dump, so I might have to look into one of the others then, also there is one I saw that had a lift bed or something, it did both dump and scissor up, that would be awesome. Thanks again , I'm a newbie at these trucks.
Honda and dumps Hello Jon, Just as James mentioned ...they are all about the same with major difference being the engine location. It's kinda like the ford vs chevy debate. You really can't go wrong with any of the makes. They are all powerful, light weight, and go places you would never think they would go. We have a 94' Mitsubishi minicab with PTO driven dump bed coming in our July load. It should be a nice little truck. Let us know if you need info on anything else, Thanks, Colin www.EastTexasMiniTrucks.com
Which truck is the best? This is the second most asked question in the history of mini trucks. After long debate I have realized there is no right answer, no "best Truck" to crown as king of mini's. I deal direct out of Japan and I know a few other big truck dealers who all disagree with me when I say Honda is the best. We have sold nearly 300 trucks and I have had the pleasure of getting some Honda's. They have all been imaculate. I love them. But I have go with what my customers want and the customer, the most important person of all, seems to prefer Mitsubishi, Daihatsu and/or Suzuki. However, the way I respond to this question after explaining how wonderful all the non Honda brands are, I simply say that if Japan called and said "no more trucks, but we will send you one last truck!" "We will send anything you want, brand new, it will be the last one ever" I would tell them to send me a Honda.
Yes the "what truck is best?" question is asked a lot. There is no one answer. It depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a dump bed then you don't want a Honda. I have imported many trucks. I have 38 on my lot right now. I have never seen a Honda with a dump. The Honda is not a popular as some of the other brands for several reasons. If the Honda had the same transmision as the Subaru then it would be the best truck out there. The high point of the honda is the quality of the truck and the engine. The Honda engine is bullet proof. But they are not as popular for several other reasons. 1) They don't have a hi/lo transfer case. 2) They are full time 4wd. 3) They are harder to lift. We don't make a lift kit for the Honda right now. They are harder to do and are not as popular. That doesn't put them high on the priority list. On a higher not for Honda I did just recieve one with an ultra low forward and reverse gear. It is a great truck.
Honda Info We get in a few of the Honda Attack model, the Attack has the UL 4wd foward and reverse. It is awesome. As for lifting them we can do it no problem. When you go from the regular Honda w/o the UL 4wd to the Attack you loose the 5th gear which is needed if you plan on going over 55 mph. If ordering from Japan tell them you only want the Attack. I want to know about diff lock, some buyers get so hung up on the Low 4wd and the diff lock button and axle lock button. I know the cutomers needs come first but I cannot really tell a difference. Do all mini trucks at least have the limited slip or something similar? Chris
Leg Room Tall guys need to look at 1999 or newer models. In about 99 they extended the nose of the truck about 8 inches and it makes a world of a difference. I have one just came in Its a Mitsubishi. Other than that you may want an extra cab or a deck van. Check my inventory at www.ATVtruck.com Chris
"if you plan on going over 55 mph." So how fast can this trucks go? Do some of them go faster than others?
I guess most guys have just about every angle covered here on these mini-trucks except maybe the grey areas on actual kms on these trucks, the best truck and the year thing ( why are most of these trucks in the early 90s, right?) As an exporter based in japan ( pls see www.mdjapanminitrucks.com ) I deal with these questions on almost a daily basis and my best answers which most guys seem to understand are.. 1. Actual kms on the cars- 70% of the time or of the trucks yes but you do get trucks that have been played with.. you can easily tell this by taking a close look at the spedometer .. if the digits are not aligned properly.. hey some-one has been messin with that baby.. also in Japan these trucks have to be serviced regularly.. do check on the engine, door panel or some-where within the truck and you may find a service sticker with the last mileage when the car was check.. uh ha.. On the other 70% hey guys these things are used by farmers mostly here in Japan who do account for about 70% of users hence you get them rusted sometimes.. the mileage is true to its color..the farmer has no interest in fixing the kms anyways.. its us the sellers that have dirty fingers.. trust your supplier in Japan and you are in good hands. 2.The "Best Truck" thingy.. hmm.. it just depends what you wanna do with these trucks. If you are into hunting and will take it off-road mostly and need it lifted( thought reading through the forum I now understand lifting back engine-trucks is no matata) then up until this new information I have been saying to my people go for Hijet (looks cool, runs smooth and comes in dump, extra cab and double cab!) next Mazda Scrum.. yes its actually the same thing as a Suzuki but a little better, Suzuki follows.. these babies are nice when fresh from the mint but with years they start running rough and reving high all the time.. but the plus is the most dumps are made by Suzuki.. no extra cabs or double cabs here too.. and Oh by the way Mazda has dumps but same as Suzuki no extra cabs or double. As for smooth riding, power, speed, comfort and best tech mini-truck Suabaru is definitely ontop! honda is right there too but my best bet is on Sambar..! this thing has some serious Simba! to it.. I bet you if you try it you will never go Suzuki, hi-jet.. etc again! I dare you... 3. Why are most trucks in the late 90s? Simple. In Japan anything less that 10 years pays less in road worthy taxes which are huge here and run into thousands sometimes.. the older the truck the more we have to pay! well its a long story but factor in Kyoto, global warming, emissions this and that plus simple economics.. in Japan consumer spending is stimulated by penalising those who dont want to upgrade often and pump more money into the economy by buying new and keeping the work-force working..this goes for anything in Japan! Its cheaper to buy a new tv than having the old one repaired,, so you get my drift. After 10 yrs these trucks are unaffordable for the owners any-more who are forced to get rid of them and buy new.. mostly its got nothing to do with condition. Again there are percentages here... Chris www.mdjapanminitrucks.com
Best trucks? Funny, here on Vancouver Island I see more Suzukis and Hondas than anything else! I wonder if it's who's bringing them in? Chris - I went to your website and there's mention of setting up in Toronto. Is that still happening? I'm desperately trying to find a Canadian supplier of consumable parts for my Acty. Thanks
Newer trucks I can tell you that the 99+ Suzuki cabs are not much bigger then the old but Mitsubishi is defiantly a very nice cab for taller people. As far as the others I have not had any of the newer one's in to test them out yet.
Another reason is PRICE. The newer truck costs more and most us buyers are looking for the best price. Since these are for off-road use only, most buyers are not willing to pay the extra money for a newer truck when the older low mileage one will work fine. Now the exception is for taller buyers, many will need to purchase 99+ trucks for the greater leg room.
Sorry, gonna do a hi-jack here. What type of kit or you lifting them with, and how high? I'm looking for a mild 1.5-2 inch lift kit for my Honda Attack. Please let me know what you are using. Thanks
And, the Attack! model is Diff-Lock. That is what the Attack! button is for on the dash. 2" lifts are no problem even for street use. There are several companies making them. The last ones we got were from Southern Express 3 and were fine. Recently we got some from Buckeye but havent tried em in a Honda yet. I would not got higher than 2". and I think 1.75" ish would be nearly ideal. PS. There are no problems lifting any Honda 2".... Attack, SDX or otherwise, and they are not any harder to do than a Suzuki or Daihatsu. (up to 1993 anyhow, as is Canucks can't have anything newer than 15 yrs old. ) Subaru lifts I have seen to date are unacceptable though. Especially for street use. Messes up way too much of the geometry, and will not pass certification in the Great White North. Might be OK off road where you arent on pavement all the time. Otherwise on the street tires get eaten very quickly.
honda dump truck Hi Jon I import honda actys pick up vans from japan to the uk . have a look at web site www.actvan.net kind regards tony swann
