Looked at a new Yanmar YT235 this afternoon.....

[treedawg]

I have an old Yanmar YM2000 that I dearly love so I was happy when a local dealer recently started carrying the new models.

This afternoon I checked out a YT235.

I found the looks quite odd especially the headlights. The controls seemed awkward.

I was also surprised to learn it was priced about $4000.00 higher than a similarly equipped Kubota.

Too be fair I did not test drive the unit.

How does Yanmar hope to gain ground in the US with very few dealers, an unproven parts supply chain and a premium price for a brand that many are unfamiliar with..??

I'm no marketing guru but I have owned a retail business for many years and Yanmar's strategy seems odd to say the least.

td

 

[Tractorable]

Nice that you have a classic Yanmar.

Respectfully, I shall counter a few of your points. I personally think the new YT series are the best looking tractors currently on the market. I love the bright red paint, and the front grill and headlights gives them a good looking distinct personality.

Unproven parts supply chain you say? Given that Yanmar is a 100 year old Japanese company, the largest supplier of small marine diesels in the world, supplier of John Deere engines under 50hp, builder of construction equipment, engine supplier for the smaller LS tractors, and supplier for engines for generators....I don't see a problem with getting parts. Plus, they've been building tractors for 50 years at least.

The YT235 is a nice unit, nicer than the standard L series Kubotas and has better performance specs. But the YT347/359 are what really shine with their new highly efficient iHMT transmission, standard two rear remotes, and superb instrumentation. Yanmar is also one of the few companies that build the entire tractor instead of outsourcing some components.

I think they're beautiful and innovative machines.

 

[treedawg]

The parts supply chain is questionable/weak with very few stateside dealers compared to Deere and Kubota. I only use Deere and Kubota becuase they are likely Yanmar's closest competition.

While researching the new Yanmars I found several instances where there was a long wait for parts that weren't in-stock at a local dealer and this seemed especially true on the west coast. Maybe this situation will improve as Yanmar's dealer network expends.

What if Yanmar fails to gain market share and pulls out of the US market? I hope that doesn't happen but I've seen several imported tractors come and go over the years.

The headlights/frontend remind me of something from the movie Transformers. The looks did nothing for me but that's a matter of opinion.

That said, I wish they were priced more competitively to put pressure on Deere and Kubota pricing.

td

 

[Timbercreekfarm]

Nice that you have a classic Yanmar.

Respectfully, I shall counter a few of your points. I personally think the new YT series are the best looking tractors currently on the market. I love the bright red paint, and the front grill and headlights gives them a good looking distinct personality.

Unproven parts supply chain you say? Given that Yanmar is a 100 year old Japanese company, the largest supplier of small marine diesels in the world, supplier of John Deere engines under 50hp, builder of construction equipment, engine supplier for the smaller LS tractors, and supplier for engines for generators....I don't see a problem with getting parts. Plus, they've been building tractors for 50 years at least.

The YT235 is a nice unit, nicer than the standard L series Kubotas and has better performance specs. But the YT347/359 are what really shine with their new highly efficient iHMT transmission, standard two rear remotes, and superb instrumentation. Yanmar is also one of the few companies that build the entire tractor instead of outsourcing some components.

I think they're beautiful and innovative machines.

First of all I completely agree. I recently bought a YT359, I compared pricing to Kubota and found Yanmar to be cheaper only because they come fully loaded. When you price a Kubota or a Deere you have to add a ton of optional equipment, the only options to add to the Yanmar are a radio and the third function hydraulics . A comparable Kubota ended up more than Yanmar, I did not bother pricing a green one.

 

[Tractorable]

Timber creek: did you post pics of your new YT359 yet?

It's interesting how so many on this forum have no worries buying LS, TYM, Branson, Kioti, Shibaura, and Mahindra tractors, yet if you research Yanmar you'll find that they've been around longer than any of them. They have a very broad global base distributing Diesel engines and parts for many different industries including marine diesels, construction equipment, and agricultural equipment.

Yanmar has produced 15 million Diesel engines with at least a million currently in North America. And Yanmar's compact Diesel engines were so good that Deere contracted with them supply all their under 50hp engines. Sure, they don't have as many tractor dealers as Kubota or Deere, but neither do the other makes. It takes time.

I just don't see getting parts for their new tractors as being an issue given their broad distribution network that's already established.

Here in Virginia I have two Yanmar dealers within 20 miles of me.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Personally, I feel that Yanmar is at the top of the list when considering that effect of emissions requirements. Down the line, we may see some of the OEM's have significant issues around those.

as an aside, My friend wanted to buy a Kubota, and dragged me along for the fun of shopping. He wanted a nicely equipped 'deluxe' machine. Every dealer that we approached almost refused to quote him one. They all tried to talk him into a base machine. (This had nothing whatsoever to do with his ability to pay for the tractor.) He ended up with another color.

 

[Oldoak]

The headlights/frontend remind me of something from the movie Transformers. The looks did nothing for me but that's a matter of opinion.

Funny how Yanmar looks came up. That is the only thing that I do not care for about a Yanmar tractor. But coming from Japan, I can understand their styling. Reminds me of their dragon symbols.

I put a new tractor on the back burner for this year, however when the time comes it will be between a Kubota and a Yanmar for sure.

 

[Tractorable]

I think the new Yanmar looks like a preying mantis. I can see it looking like a transformer too, especially when some one photoshopped a helmet on top of it. But I don't mind my tractor looking like a robot, kinda cool actually.

The Kubota's look like a squinty-eyed angry clown.

 

[greif]

They make them look like it want to pounce on the competition

 

[holtza]

New to the forum, I just bought a brand new yt235 and love it but have only had it for two weeks. Looked at all the other brands and they are all priced within about 2000.00 of each other.