Hi guys I have an 03 F150 King Ranch with a few mods. I'm interested in buying a Programmer to get some extra power most of the time and get some extra mpg's for my commute. I've seen that edge evolution has very good reviews but I've also heard of a few others that people like. Should I go with an edge? and is it worth the money?

 

Edge or SCT are the two best tuners for the F series.

Budget wise, look at the Edge EvoHT for your basic handheld model or the SCT X4 7015 model.

 

I like my sct x4 a lot. I purchased mine through MorePowerTuning.

 

I got my x3 right when the x4s came out so I got a pretty good discount on it with 3 free custom tunes from MPT. I'm gonna be honest with you don't expect a new tune to give your truck 30 more horsepower or make it gain 3 or 4 mpg it's just not gonna happen. I got a 1 mpg gain, maybe 1.5. For daily driving you are barely gonna be able to tell the difference on a 87 octane tune. You will notice quicker and firmer shifts but that's about it. At WOT the shifts points are pretty dam near perfect. The tune will make your truck hold its gear longer when going up Hills which is a good thing. But really for daily driving (unless your daily driving consist of going to wide open throttle allows the time) your not gonna notice a difference unless you are really focusing on one thing trying to see if it feels different, and even then it's gonna be minimal. I also have a 93 street tune, and I can somewhat feel a difference with normal driving. Mostly just shift points and firmness as well as the Rev matching when it down shifts. It does feel like it may have a little more power but it's nothing huge. I just run my 87 tune normally tho because I can't afford the 93. My main reason for tuning tho was to disable my PATS so I could more easily install my remote start, correct the speedo for tire size, and to turn off rear o2s because I have a cat delete. Also IMO edge and all the other companies arnt worth it. If you are gonna by a programmer you should get an SCT, that's what most tuning companies use to load there tunes. Also MPT is a great company with awesome customer service I highly recommend them. I think they are on this forum somewhere too.

 

Totally agree with this.
You will never get any MPG gains to justify the cost of the tuner and tunes (my MPG did not change at all with my 87 octane "performance" tune). Many lose MPG because they like the "new" feeling and a heavier foot.
If you get a 89/91/93 octane tune, you have the extra expense of the gas that negates any MPG increase (again, if you even have any).

I have an x3 and a 87 performance /street shift from MPT. As said, the shifting is the biggest difference, even at normal driving it shifts better. I got a decent deal on my x3 ($250 for the tuner and 1 tune). Can't say for sure if it was worth it or not. I don't regret it, but would not do it again if given the chance. It is nice to know if I change tire sizes I can adjust the speedo for that, plus it does work on newer model Fords, so in the future I can use it if I get a newer truck (these tuners do a lot more for power on newer models).

 

I tune my own vehicle, I'me actually liking my economy tune.. So far its working great..

 

Yep I feel the same way about mine. If I didn't have 285s or the cat delete I wouldn't do it again. There just isnt enough gains on a pretty much stock 2v to justify a tuner. But like you said if we were talking about newer trucks then Yeah it's definitely worth it.

 

How many MPGs did you gain

 

Currently with 33's and 3.73's with a locked front diff I'm averaging 16.2 average. If I didnt have the A4WD front diff w/ truetrac or a stall converter I'm sure it would be higher on the interstate. But I get the same on the interstate and in town.. But its a very lazy setup and its just for economy.

 

That's not bad at all I need to learn how to do my own tuning