Yanmar F18D 4.70 star(s) (3)

Great Tractor for the Work I Do
Model Year: 0

Purchased this tractor because I wanted something a bit larger than a 1510D-size unit, but smaller than a "full sized" tractor. Came with a FEL and a 4' box scraper (5' would have been better) and has worked flawlessly for me. I do wish I had a better manual than I was able to pick up from Hoye, and wish the stickers/directions were in English, but I've managed to figure everything out. So far it's done everything I've asked of it and had performance to spare. 4x4 was mandatory due to the soft dirt/silt I work in and it's worked great. Now, if I could just find a 5' bush hog.

Pros: Price, performance.
Cons: Japanese labels on controls and such.

Great Little Workhorse Tractor
Model Year: 0

It was a little hard to find a good condition F18D, but well worth the search. I wanted something a bit bigger than, say, a 1510, but without going to a "full sized" tractor. The F18D fit the bill perfectly with a Koyker FEL and 4' box scraper in the back. Very glad I went with 4x4 (the "D" designation) as the tractor struggles in soft, talc-like dirt without 4 wheel drive---very easy to bury the rear wheels with the rice paddy tires on it. All-in-all, very happy with the purchase. Build quality is very good (minor nits), features are good, and I've had no significant mechanical issues yet.

Pros: Size, durability, features, power.
Cons: "Tippy" on hills (like most tractors this size), rice paddy tires.

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Smart Little Tractor
Model Year: 0

Decided to move up to a larger tractor as the Mitsubishi D1550FD was struggling a bit with pushing down tee tree and slashing. The Yanmar has five or so extra horses and a three range gear box. This means I can better control the engine revs to the task at hand. On receiving the tractor I got on with a backlog of slashing the bracken fern that has gone rampant on parts of the block. The previous owner ran cattle and they kept it knocked down. My sheep don't worry it too much and it has been spreading. I set the tractor in second gear, mid-range at around 2000rpm and the slasher in 2nd. It chugs along happily and I have time to respond if something unexpected comes up - which it does regularly. On my block generally stumps hidden in the bracken - unless your quick you have your nose in the air at a dangerous angle. I also run my sheep on the neighbors 100 acres and this is a challenge. Nothing much has been done there for over twenty years. Fences, sheets of roofing, old machinery and gates lay in wait like a booby trap as the bracken is as high as the tractor in many places. My neighbors have given me permission, finally, to spray the bracken to reduce the fire risk. I've been slowly spraying strips and clearing firebreaks.

Pros: Good gearing, slow revving, good visibility.
Cons: Narrow wheel spread makes it unstable on slopes. I've turned the wheels around to widen the stance a bit. With the slasher on this has made it more stable.