Just looking at purchasing a forestry truck and have seen some Sterling trucks with Mercedes engines here and there and they are a good looking truck. Whats the deal with them and having them serviced and getting parts for them. I dont know much about them.
Sterling Mercedes forestry truck
- Thread starter tjcezar
- Start date
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Mowingman
ArboristSite Guru
You do not want one of those. Mercedes engines are good, but parts can be hard to get anyplace other than at a Mercedes engine dealer. Parts and repairs are usually pretty expensive, compared to costs on other brand diesel engines.
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
If there is a Sterling dealer around, parts aren't an issue. You can't go to the Mercedes car dealer for parts though... at least not here.
Sticking with the main engine brands is a better idea IMO if you plan on keeping the truck for many years.. Cummins, CAT, Detroit, etc.
Sticking with the main engine brands is a better idea IMO if you plan on keeping the truck for many years.. Cummins, CAT, Detroit, etc.
Mowingman
ArboristSite Guru
There are no Sterling dealers. Freightliner shut down the Sterling truck division about 4 years ago.
Sterling is actually the old Ford L series. Daimler (who owns Freightliner, western star and of course Mercedes) bought it from Ford and then shut it down in '08 or 9. Freightliner dealers and some of the old Ford heavy truck dealers carry new parts. They are decent trucks but some trim pieces are getting hard to find (nla from the dealer). Plenty in bone yards.
The Mercedes engines are good engines. Germans don't make junk. Daimler Benz owns Freightliner so any Freightliner dealer can provide parts and service for those motors. They own Detroit too btw. That said the market doesn't like them. Guys get spooked by the star on the valve cover. All diesel truck engines are very expensive to work on. Bought any cat parts lately?
The Mercedes engines are good engines. Germans don't make junk. Daimler Benz owns Freightliner so any Freightliner dealer can provide parts and service for those motors. They own Detroit too btw. That said the market doesn't like them. Guys get spooked by the star on the valve cover. All diesel truck engines are very expensive to work on. Bought any cat parts lately?
Firemech86
ArboristSite Lurker
The Mercedes engines are good motors when they run, but there are very few mechanics in the US with any real experience on them, parts are avaliable but usually have to be shipped in since no one really stocks the parts in house.
I have worked on a couple of them, and would recommend sticking to a cummin or detroit engine. Cat is getting a little out of hand for replacement parts for the over the road engines.
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I have worked on a couple of them, and would recommend sticking to a cummin or detroit engine. Cat is getting a little out of hand for replacement parts for the over the road engines.
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