Satoh Beaver

[lens12]

The Fords are prone to cracked heads . Parts availability is not as good as the Satoh when it comes to heads & cranks.

 

[lens12]

I don't consider hp to be a factor to determine if it is a compact tractor or lawn mower. I define a compact tractor as a machine that has live hydraulics, a lift cylinder, most cases a diesel , water cooled engine that is built for longevity(not a throw away like many lawn mowers), is driven by a mechanical or fluid drive(not belts). & usually engine ,transmission, & rear end are all part of the frame (not an engine, transmission, & rearend bolted to a steel frame). The compact tractor is a shrunk down version of a farm tractor. There are 25 hp lawn mowers that can't do the work of a 15hp compact or last any where near as long. Since I've farmed all my life, I questioned what they could do when I first got involved with compact tractors . I'm a firm believer in them now

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...I feel the Beaver is much too underpowered to be classified as a </font color=blue>usable <font color=blue> tractor versus a lawn mower with a 3-pt hitch attached...</font color=blue>

I left out one word... usable...

I agree... horsepower rating has nothing to do with "classification"... it's only the "usability" of this particular unit I question... short of maybe mowing a lawn, trailering a small garden cart... the extremely small horsepower severely limits its usefulness as a sub-compact tractor...

Let me ask you a question... Is this Beaver an equal of a Kubota BX1800 series...? Do you this is in the same class as a BX because it happens to "meet certain tractor criteria"...?( 3-pt hitch, hydraulics, cast iron assemblies, 540 rpm PTO...etc.) /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Lens12...

This is actually a reply to you... not myself... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=mitsubishi&Number=121247&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=5000&Old=12hour&Main=54991>A small sub-compact tractor versus lawn mower...</A>

 

[lens12]

I'd say it is an equal class wise. Of course it doesn't have the features of the BX. It is 20-25 years old. I have a s370 parts tractor, so I'm familiar with the size. Ir is compareable to a Yanmar 1300. They are 15hp, but the people that have them really work them. I know of a tree farm that has a 4' rotary mower on one that has 4800 hours without an overhaul. No garden tractor would last that long. I have one customer that has a loader with a 4' box blade & pulls a 6' finish mower & swears by it. (I don't recommend it). A deck builder bought one just to run a post hole digger. The horsepower is very useable. I use one to run an 8" x 60' auger to load semis. It is just as fast as using a large tractor. They can do anything the larger ones do, they are just slower. One defining factory I didn't mention is that usually the compacts have a standard pto & 3 point. Generally the garden/lawn tractor has model specific attachments. I find most people think they need 25-30 hp to do anything. Most people are thinking down the lines of a gas engine possibly using a hydo drive. I'd put a 15 hp diesel gear drive up against a 20-25 hp gas with hydro any day. My most popular tractors that fit the needs of the customer are 15- 24 hp.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a S370D with a FEL. I payed $4,500 for it. Its got 990 hours on it. I have used mine to to do landscaping aroung my home. I had 110 cubic yards of fill hauled in last year. I move that and did some additional soil removal. The tractor worked great. It is a little unstable with a full bucket.

 

[dadzilla]

The picture of the Beaver with snowplow that you posted is my tractor. Where did you get the picture????

 

[Darfish82]

Hello everyone I'm new here, last year my Father finally got himself a tractor a Satoh Beaver Mdl # S373D. We've managed to fix it up pretty well (the tractor sat abandoned a number of years out in the elements) but if I could find a manual it would be a GREAT. If you can help please PM me as I don't have alot of time to search this board.

Also my father mentioned yesterday that he would really like to build a backhoe attachment to the tractor, is that even possible? And if so how did they go about getting parts and building it? His B-day actually falls within a week of Father's day and I think it would make a GREAT present if I could get ahold of that type of information...or possibly just build it for him and surprise him with it!

Once again REALLY new here and I've been scouting around for several months looking for a manual before luckily stumbling across this site so any and all information you could send my way I would be VERY greatful for...this tractor has become something of a father/son project

Thank you again for all of your help
Darfish82

 

[diyDave]

I've got a Beaver II 4x4 that is one tough little animal. Bought it at an auction for $1800, it wouldn't start due to cold weather and bad battery cable. After it was knocked down to me, I twisted the cable a couple of times, preheated it and started it up, right behind the auctioneer as he was selling the next row of tractors man was he pi**ed off! About that backwards PTO- did you know that if you turn all the paddles on a fertilizer spreader backwards, and bolt them in thataway the fertilizer doesn't know that its coming out backwards. Similarly, a rototiller with all the teeth bolted on backwards don't know it either! If everybody goes out the in door, the system still works!

 

[mit]

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