Well, Does that mean that I can or cannot list my Fredricks tractor on E Bay ?
... A tractor that did cost an importer $4000 was suddenly $5500, or even more. Add a loader to a $5500 20 year old Yanmar, do a service and fix everything, add a ROPS, perhaps replace some tires and there is not much margin for the dealer to sell this for under $9k. Enter a new Mahindra/LS or whatever with a good warranty, good parts availability and power-steering, R4 tires, ROPS, and so on for $11-12k ish (at the time, a little higher now) for the 20-24HP units, and it was a perfect storm that I think made the grey markets not really such a good deal. Save $3k, get a 20 year old tractor, often without PS and with rice tires? And financing isn't always so attractive either on greys. There are of course examples where the greys are a good deal. I am just generalizing.
The dollar-yen exchange is a little better now and Fredericks may be able to buy in large enough volume that he can make these a good deal. I wish him well.
As of today, comparing a YM2610 with a FEL listed by Fredricks is $11,694 to an LS G3033 at $36,899 is 1/3rd the cost. The Fredricks has a 1-yr warranty too. LS has 3-yr warranty. These two CUT tractors are very close in functions and Hp.
Yanmar Ym2610d, 4wd, Loader, 31hp, Decatur AL - 110840060 - EquipmentTraderOnline.com
http://lstractorusa.com/compact-tractors/g-series/g3033
A co-worker got the LS pricing from a local dealer in Nashville.
kcflhrc had a quote of $16,300 for one with a FEL in Jan 2014: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...sons/300302-ls-g3033-ls-g3038-comparison.htmlThere is no way a 3033 LS is $36k. They are less than half that amount. Let's say $17k for a good shopper, just guessing. Compare that to $11,694 on the Yanmar for a more fair comparison. Then consider that a new tractor generally offers a longer warranty and lower rate financing and your choice of R4 tires and we have narrowed the gap further. And the LS (or Mahindra, or Kioti or whatever) will have features like dual hydraulic pumps, built in over riding clutch, a network of dealers and so on. Once you calculate all of this, it's a pretty small gap between the Yanmar and a new tractor.
kcflhrc had a quote of $16,300 for one with a FEL in Jan 2014: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...sons/300302-ls-g3033-ls-g3038-comparison.html
Aaron Z
I'll ask him again on his quoted price.
Even at that lower price, The Fredricks Yanmar is still $4,600 in favor.
Yep, $4600 less for a 34 year old tractor. A great deal to some folks, a poor one to others. Depends on your perspective.