Buying Advice Looking for a good price

[woodcarver11]

I'm looking to buy my first compact yanmar and I noticed Stormer tractors out of North Carolina has exactly what I want. Is anyone familiar with this company? The 90 day warrnaty seems pretty short compared to many others.

 

[rmully]

Last year when i was looking for a good used tractor I went to Stormers. Nice guy BUT they are VN tractors so it is a pig in a poke as to what you get.

 

[woodcarver11]

Thats to bad,I thought I had found the right one but I guess I'll keep looking,I don't want buy something I have to work on right away.

 

[Smoody]

just because it is a vn doesn't mean you will have to work on it after you buy it, could be a reliable machine for many years. but know the risks before you make the purchase, searching this forum about vn recons will better prepare you in your decision.

 

[Car Doc]

Hey welcome to the Yanmar forum woodcarver!

 

[rmully]

Thats to bad,I thought I had found the right one but I guess I'll keep looking,I don't want buy something I have to work on right away.

There are many good honest dealers on this forum, check into what they have and what shipping would cost you. I bought a tractor in WI and it cost me $600 to ship it to me in NC. The year I have had it I have had no problems. When I got it I changed all the fluids, filters. Starts right up even in the 25 deg weather. Good luck with your search and see if the guys here could help you find what your are looking for. FYI there is a guy in Concord NC that sells VN tractors so i would not shop there either.

 

[Old Hillbilly]

..... FYI there is a guy in Concord NC that sells VN tractors so i would not shop there either.

This is my first post here so I realize I have zero credibility with you folks, but I could not let mention of the "guy in Concord" as somehow being a dealer to avoid just because he sells VN tractors go unanswered since I have dealt with him personally. Last week I purchased an FX32D Yanmar from him after seeing his advertisements on Craigs List. I talked with him by phone several times over several weeks asking questions about the tractor, as well as going to try it out in person.

One of the first questions I asked him was "is it a VN tractor" to which he replied yes without hesitation. I then asked him what the reconditioning process included. He went over the standard list of things that were "suppose to be replaced" then told me since he was not present when it was reconditioned, he could not vouch for what was or was not replaced but was only repeating what he was told by the distributor. He did tell me that once he gets these tractors in he personally goes over them in his shop, replaces all the fluids and oil, including filters to make sure everything is fresh and filled to the correct capacity. He also greases them along with the loader. He then takes each tractor out on his farm and puts it through its paces to make sure everything is working properly.

Does this insure I got a good tractor....no, it does not. But it does tell me he is trying his best to be up front and provide a good machine to his customers...at least in my opinion. I talked to him about the bad reputation the VN tractors have and asked him about how the ones he is selling had performed so far. He said he has sold them for a few years now and so far his customers have had no problems other than the minor glitch here and there, mentioning a leaking fuel shut off and one failed alternator specifically.

I have no idea how many tractors he has sold since going in business but I do know he had probably a dozen in inventory at his place in Concord. I asked who he bought them from and he told me the wholesalers he dealt with saying that over the years he had learned that some of the VN importers are better than others as far as the quality of their product and he had learned which ones to deal with. Don't ask me specifically who he buys from as I cannot remember. I do remember him saying that he gets parts from Hoye if he finds something on one of his tractors that needs replacing before he sells it...and that they are good people to deal with.

One thing he did say that I found interesting is that he told me specifically to not put any trust in the hours showing on the hour meter because the rebuilders always set them back. He said he wished they would leave them alone so they would show the actual hours on the tractor.

Did I get a good tractor? Time will tell and I sure hope so but since I have used it maybe 2 hours I have know way of knowing. It may break tomorrow. If it does, I'll fix it. I just hope it will serve me as well as my John Deere 650 built by Yanmar has since I bought it new in the early 1980's....but if not, as I said, I will fix it. All I know is that the "guy in Concord" seems like a straight up fellow and a man that went the extra mile to answer all my questions and see that I was satisfied with what I received.

I hope this information is received in the vein it was offered...not as an endorsement or condemnation of this or any other dealer or the condemnation or promotion of a VN tractor, but simply one man's experience dealing with this fellow....who droved for almost 3 hours to deliver this tractor to me in a snow storm. Just thought I would pass this along for what it is worth. Good luck in your search.

 

[woodcarver11]

Thank you all for the replies,I live in middle of the country and when I do purchase a tractor I most likely won't be able to travel the dealer to inspect it. I will spend some time with you all before I make any decisions . Maybe I can figure out the good and the less than good dealers. I really don't mind doing some minor repairs but I would hate to buy something that would require some major work.

 

[rmully]

Hill Billy ...I never want to step on anyones toes and the fellow in Concord is a very nice upfront person.... the problem of VN tractors lies with me. Any used tractor is a gamble but I would just rather purchase a tractor that I knew a little move about the history. Welcome to TBN

 

[Old Hillbilly]

Thanks for the welcome rmully. I realize VN tractors can be a crap shoot (as are all used tractors...even the ones you know the history of to a certain degree as you pointed out) but for me, it was a calculated risk I was willing to take based on the price. Others may not want to take that risk. I think I got a lot of tractor for a good price...one that gives me a little leeway should something break. Like I said, if it breaks, I will fix it. I have restored old equipment for years and owned and operated a local power equipment company for many years so I am use to fixing stuff. I hope I don't have to though...time will tell. I just wanted to let folks know that the guy in Concord was very up front with me and seems like a stand up fellow. He is welcome in my home anytime. I have lurked here on the forum for several years and never had anything constructive to offer until now and just thought I would offer my experiences with the guy in Concord in case others were considering buying from him. Thanks again for the welcome.