Ranger vs. Tacoma

I'm looking to buy a good used pickup in the $6,000-$8,000 range...I've always like the Ranger, but all I ever hear about is how reliable Toyotas are, but they are so expensive...If I'm planning on doing all the repairs I can myself anyway, is it worth it to spend an extra $2,000-$4,000 to get a comparable Toyota?

I'm looking to buy a good used pickup in the $6,000-$8,000 range...I've always like the Ranger, but all I ever hear about is how reliable Toyotas are, but they are so expensive...If I'm planning on doing all the repairs I can myself anyway, is it worth it to spend an extra $2,000-$4,000 to get a comparable Toyota?
this is strictly a biased view,but i think the ranger is a better truck.i've had 4 of them(2 i drove and 2 i fixed and sold) the one i have now is a '94 w/147k on it. it replaced an '88 w/250k on it. one of the ones i sold had a certified 563k on the original engine and trans. i think the toyota is an okay truck but over the years they've overcomplicated them and made them too hard to maintain for the average backyard mechanic.

I agree, the Toys are a little too light duty also (everything in general)...
When you decide to buy, look around for a while... I did, and I got a 1999 Ranger 4x4 with a 3 liter (v6) from a dealer for only $6,100...with a warranty...and it only had 70,000mi on it !!!!!!
But yes, the ranger is a more user-friendly truck