I have owned two Rangers and I really can't say anything bad about them.
If you want a really durable, cheap to own, basic work truck, I would look at any 2.3L I4, 2.5L I4, or 3.0L V6 Ranger with the M5OD manual. You can't really top any of those engines or that transmission for reliability. The OHV 4.0L is pretty reliable too, though newer SOHC 4.0Ls have been known for timing chain noise and in a few cases overheating. 4.0Ls are also gas hogs.
As for transmissions, the M5OD manual is the best. Ford began using it in 1987, but there were other manuals in the lineup until 1991 or 1992. Any 1993 or newer truck with a manual will definitely have the M5OD. There are two small issues with the M5OD. The slave cylinder is located inside of the housing, so the whole transmission has to be dropped to replace it. Also, there are three rubber plugs on the shift rail that leak. Replacing them is easy and can be done without unbolting or moving anything. Aside from that, they are really good transmissions.
With automatics, 1995-current trucks are the best. The A4LD auto used before then was not very tough, but the 4R and 5R transmissions that replaced it are pretty good. The whole lineup got 5-speed autos in 2001, though 4.0L trucks had used a five speed auto since 1997. With regular maintenance, these are good transmissions. The one in my Explorer had 158,000 original miles on it when I got rid of it. It had never been rebuilt and it still shifted great. The truck did some towing too. The Explorer used the same 4R55E as 1995-1996 4.0L Rangers. All of the Ranger automatics are varients of each other, BTW. They started out as the C3 auto in 1974.
1983-1997 trucks use a Twin I Beam or Twin Traction Beam (4WD) front suspension. These suspensions are very strong, but they can be a challenge to align properly. They need to go to a good alignment shop if you want it done right. 1998-current trucks use a SLA fully independent front suspension. So far it has proven to be pretty durable, but if you want a REALLY strong front, go with the Twin I Beam.
There are no year models of Ranger to avoid. They have always been pretty tough. In your situation, I'd look for a 1995-current Ranger. They are more comfortable than the older models and come with more standard features. ABS has been used on Rangers since 1986, but on many trucks it is just for the rear brakes. 4 wheel ABS was available for a while, but it was not standard until 2001 or so. A driver's air bag was standard in 1995, but the passenger side air bag was an option until 1997. All 1997 and newer Rangers have dual air bags. 1998 and newer ones are pretty safe and consistently get four and five star crash test ratings.
My current Ranger has not done much work, but my 2001 Ranger did. It was a very basic 2.5L XL model. The only options were A/C and the heavy payload package. I had it loaded down with close to 1500 lbs. of QuikCrete once and it did just fine. It was my first truck too, so I gave it no mercy. Nothing ever went wrong with it. I had it until 93,000 miles and only the tailgate handle broke ($5 repair). My friend who works at a dealer looked the truck up on Ford's warranty database and the truck had never once had warranty work done. I got it just 12,000 miles after the warranty was up, so that probably means that the truck went 6 years and 93,000 miles with no repairs except a $5 tailgate handle. I sold that truck because of how bare bones it was. It was an awesome truck, but kind of "commercial grade" for a daily driver. My current Ranger has been great as well, but I don't beat the snot out of it like I did the old one.
PS - check out my post in the link a few posts back. I know I left some things out. I have been around these trucks a while, lol.
