Yanmar Tractors

[rScotty]

Yanmar was selling tractors in the US back in the 1980s but withdrew from the US market for some years. I suspect they could have built a substantial dealer network in the US if they had stayed in the US market for the entire time instead of opting to supply engines for JD.

Perhaps they could have been more successful than Kubota if they had only stayed in the US market?

Maybe so. Back in the 1980s compact tractors were the new thing. There were 20 or 30 companies all trying for the same market.

When they came to the US, Yanmar already had a proven product and had used the same idea JD had popularized decades before of being priced higher but being simple machines built to very high quality and backed by service. Yanmar even cast their own steel & made their electrical parts. The whole tractor was made to last forever and be repaired by farmers. Plus the bevel gear 4wd front axle which only Yanmar had. They had a factory school with college type courses and lots of detailed factory literature. All that made them popular with people who knew machinery - but priced higher and at the same time not at all known to the new suburbanites.

Kubota entered the US at the same time with a decent average quality tractor priced lower and targeted rental shops as dealers. Very little backup, but inexpensive and people rented them & so became familiar with them. It was a brilliant plan, and worked very well for everyone.....except Yanmar....

Many people from that era - I'm one - think that Yanmar never did intend to leave the US market. And that they were very surprised when the US courts interpreted the agreement between Yanmar and JD as requiring that Yanmar shut down their US operation and not compete in the US for a period of time. 20/25 years I think it was.

That left the door wide open for Kubota and they have done wonderfully. But I miss the quality of service that Yanmar was building in the US, and sadly JD has gone away from it as well.

Yanmar's legacy today is a minimal presence in new tractors, but a huge world-wide group of older Yanmar owners happily using and rebuilding those old machines. Old Yanmars now have cult status and a good supply of spares. They are popular and you can even buy a completely rebuilt like new old Yanmar with a warranty!

When looking at Yanmar, it's hard to keep perspective because their tractors are a sideline. The company makes most of the large ship diesels in the world, lots of commercial industrial machinery, and their electronics division makes specialized radar. They are heavily involved in the Japanese "Factory Fishing fleets" that you hear about as well.

rScotty

 

[tradosaurus]

Neighbor bought a new 50hp Yanmar with a cab and every bell and whistle. Looks nice but not cheap at $50K. His best deal even with shipping came from OK. The nearest Yanmar dealer is 65 miles away. THere are two Kubota dealers within 20 miles so mine is orange.
Dealer support was an issue for TYM tractors as well.

That $50K isn't much cheaper than a Cabbed MX5400.

 

[Yander]

TT Tim can go to any dealer or sales rep that he choses, of course. He isn't beholden to any particular make - or at least he didn't use to be.

For the IHMT, Tim deliberately chose someone who didn't speak well and didn't understand the product.
I wonder why?
rScotty

Ha, I've seen enough of his videos, maybe 2, to know I won't be taking advice from him. He is a doit himself. About every guy on this site knows more than he does about tractors.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Maybe so. Back in the 1980s compact tractors were the new thing. There were 20 or 30 companies all trying for the same market.

When they came to the US, Yanmar already had a proven product and had used the same idea JD had popularized decades before of being priced higher but being simple machines built to very high quality and backed by service. Yanmar even cast their own steel & made their electrical parts. The whole tractor was made to last forever and be repaired by farmers. Plus the bevel gear 4wd front axle which only Yanmar had. They had a factory school with college type courses and lots of detailed factory literature. All that made them popular with people who knew machinery - but priced higher and at the same time not at all known to the new suburbanites.

Kubota entered the US at the same time with a decent average quality tractor priced lower and targeted rental shops as dealers. Very little backup, but inexpensive and people rented them & so became familiar with them. It was a brilliant plan, and worked very well for everyone.....except Yanmar....

Many people from that era - I'm one - think that Yanmar never did intend to leave the US market. And that they were very surprised when the US courts interpreted the agreement between Yanmar and JD as requiring that Yanmar shut down their US operation and not compete in the US for a period of time. 20/25 years I think it was.

That left the door wide open for Kubota and they have done wonderfully. But I miss the quality of service that Yanmar was building in the US, and sadly JD has gone away from it as well.

Yanmar's legacy today is a minimal presence in new tractors, but a huge world-wide group of older Yanmar owners happily using and rebuilding those old machines. Old Yanmars now have cult status and a good supply of spares. They are popular and you can even buy a completely rebuilt like new old Yanmar with a warranty!

When looking at Yanmar, it's hard to keep perspective because their tractors are a sideline. The company makes most of the large ship diesels in the world, lots of commercial industrial machinery, and their electronics division makes specialized radar. They are heavily involved in the Japanese "Factory Fishing fleets" that you hear about as well.

rScotty
View attachment 768440View attachment 768441

Scotty, this was an excellent post. I appreciate you giving the backstory to all this as it is not well known or documented. Your expertise really shines in posts like this.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Ha, I've seen enough of his videos, maybe 2, to know I won't be taking advice from him. He is a doit himself. About every guy on this site knows more than he does about tractors.

You can criticize him all you want but he's got over 200,000 subscribers, more than any other channel covering tractors so he must be doing something right.

 

[Torvy]

You can criticize him all you want but he's got over 200,000 subscribers, more than any other channel covering tractors so he must be doing something right.

I don't know one way or another, but volume and quality are not the same thing. Budweiser sells a lot of what they call beer. Those who know and appreciate beer can't stand the stuff.

I like Tim, OK. Seems like a nice guy and at least gives various brands a shake, even through green glasses. The Good Works guy is a shill and I won't intentionally watch a second of his garbage.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

The Good Works guy is a shill and I won't intentionally watch a second of his garbage.

Be careful not to discount him either. As a past used tractor salesman he has given a lot of value by sharing inside information about the secondary market for tractors and implements. He posted one video fairly recently discussing how different brands of tractors age over time and it was very insightful, not something you are going to hear from the every day tractor user.

 

[arrow]

Budweiser sells a lot of what they call beer. Those who know and appreciate beer can't stand the stuff.

Really. Rather sanctimonious to say "taste" is not of the beholder.
Budweiser is one of my favorites and much preferred over the rather hippster hoppy IPA's I haven't enjoyed.
So you're saying my taste buds aren't as "educated" as yours?
Damn...I told them not to quit school.

 

[Torvy]

Really. Rather sanctimonious to say "taste" is not of the beholder.
Budweiser is one of my favorites and much preferred over the rather hippster hoppy IPA's I haven't enjoyed.
So you're saying my taste buds aren't as "educated" as yours?
Damn...I told them not to quit school.

I am not shocked. Not a fan of IPA, but that St. Louis swill is awful. If you like American style beers, there are better choices. Like many brands in the US, marketing is better than the product.

I'm more of a Stout, Porter or Belgian Tripple fan. Never get too hung up on one brand, there are so many good ones.

 

[California]

When they came to the US, Yanmar already had a proven product and had used the same idea JD had popularized decades before of being priced higher but being simple machines built to very high quality and backed by service. Yanmar even cast their own steel & made their electrical parts. The whole tractor was made to last forever and be repaired by farmers.
....

Yanmar's legacy today is a minimal presence in new tractors, but a huge world-wide group of older Yanmar owners happily using and rebuilding those old machines. Old Yanmars now have cult status and a good supply of spares. They are popular and you can even buy a completely rebuilt like new old Yanmar with a warranty!

Scotty

Yup!

I haven't had to fix anything that wasn't owner abuse in near 20 years, on two Yanmars that were already over 20 years old when I bought each in badly neglected condition. A month of replacing battery, missing knob covers, bashed headlights, etc, nothing critical, all owner abuse, to put each in service and they've been dead reliable since. Got one dyno tested and it exceeded new spec. Neither uses oil. Don't know of any dealer familiar with them, and don't need one. As you said "The whole tractor was made to last forever and be repaired by farmers."