Buying Advice banging my head against the wall between ls xj2025 or yanmar 324 or 424

ETaylor · Jun 13, 2019

Good morning
looking into buying this weekend. sa 324 or ls2025 has anybody had issues with the back hoe on the sa 324 looks like it attaches to 3 point hitch and not the frame on the ls
does this weekend the back hoe or places stresses on the middle of the frame
looking to get fel,bh,mower theres a good deal for the ls with trailer
5ac 2.5 ac grass 600 ft gravel drive way rest trees ant help would be greatly appreciated.

LS Tractor Owner · Jun 13, 2019

All are good tractors. I had also compared these 3 tractors when was shopping. If you go with Yanmar, definitely step up to the 424. They are basically the same tractor except the 424 has the bigger tires / ground clearance. That will help with some situations.

Look carefully at the actual 'build' / construction differences between the LS and Yanmar. If my memory is correct, a lot of things on the LS seem to be built heavier (loader arms / mounts, BH mounts, frame thickness, etc..) you are correct as the for the BH mount. They are different, but the Yanmar does have a subframe type mount, it is not 'just a 3 point mount'. The LS has a "removeable" subframe that comes off with the BH. Watch some videos, it removes very easily. Not sure about the Yanmar.

Look at the LS mt125 while you're there, great little tractor, strong workhorse! It might be an option (not trying to confuse you any further).

Overall, I think the LS dealer support is larger, more standard options on the LS, and the LS appears to be more 'refined', the Yanmar being more 'no frills'.

Both brands are great tractors, you need to sit on them, feel if they "fit" you (there is definitely a difference in "feel"), make sure your comfortable with the controls.

Good luck making your decision , keep us posted!

shooterdon · Jun 13, 2019

And also evaluate the dealer. Having a warranty is nice but you are still dependent on the dealer to get things right if something goes wrong.

I was fortunate that my local LS dealer was not only the best value but seemed more on the ball than the JD and Kubota dealers near me. I also looked hard at Rural King, and they offer good value; but lack of dealer support (200+ miles away) squashed them in my case.