rockyridgefarm
Elite Member
The lovely Mrs Rocky and I finally made it by the Red Tractor Store yesterday! We checked over the YT235 and YT347. Then we test drove both. It was a blast!
We do have some limited experience on other machinery; the bulk of ours is on our Deere 4310 which we are looking to replace. It is fitted with Ag tires, and I can say the Industrials behaved quite differently.
It was pretty evident that the Deere fits right between the two Yanmars in size. The 2 series looked a bit smaller and the 3 a bit bigger than we are accustomed.
The initial reaction when we sat on them is that they are quite hot! Ok, who chose black seats? She let me try both first! It was 102 and there was no shade. But, it really wasn't too bad (or the seared flesh was deadened to the pain). It is ok, as I have a seat cover on my yellow one and will do the same with a new one. After buying one replacement seat, I like covers!
We drove the 347 first. I have to say that I want it to fit. The setup is SO nice. The Loader controls, included remotes, and full information instrument cluster really stand out. I see a grapple in my future. This is the machine to handle it. Not to mention, A host of other jobs like handling round bales, and pulling a nice size brush cutter.
The reverser selector was in easy reach and operated quite well. The accelerator pedal felt really nice. While, this is the area that is most foreign to our workflow; I now see that it is really an improvement over the two pedals. Even after 14 years, they still aren't the perfect solution when the brain tells you that pushing down more creates more power (it doesn't).
Then we tried the 235. Well! It fit like a glove (that's a good thing) and felt far more powerful than its smaller size suggested. It really seemed stronger than the 4310 - which is strange considering they have the same base engine but the newer is Tier IV. I tried stalling it in a gravel pile and couldn't. But later, realized that may be more do do with the R4's than anything else.
Initially, I have to say that both are fantastic. It is evident that the 235 is capable of handling a belly mower and is ideally suited to a large estate, mowing, drive maintenance, snow removal.
The 347 is a whole other animal. Too big for real yard mowing; it is much netter suited for heavier work, logging, grappling, loading, pasture mowing, and road making. The size is really well suited to those tasks - a smaller machine would be prone to self destruction. Worse still, is the potential for operator injury. Our place is very interesting terrain (get it - rocky ridge farm?). It is far too easy to get into a situation that pushes beyond the limits of safety.
One thing that was a truly pleasant surprise for her was the heat shields in front of the operator station. That small touch would make pasture mowing much more enjoyable.
By the way, we only briefly looked at the cab versions. Very, very nice! But, we are NOT considering that. We really like the open station. But, even with our heavy timber, the 235C looked like it could actually work. Still, it isn't for us. Mrs and I like to be out side when we are outside. And getting in and out of AC isn't a safe way to work in Oklahoma. Finally, one of us is legally blind and does far better in open (not that he gets it away from her much!)
I hope we can swing the YT347!
I like the mix of tech and grunt. The Yanmar axles and transmission are sure to compliment their legendary Diesel. I prefer the 4TNV over a turbo'd 3TNV.
We do have some limited experience on other machinery; the bulk of ours is on our Deere 4310 which we are looking to replace. It is fitted with Ag tires, and I can say the Industrials behaved quite differently.
It was pretty evident that the Deere fits right between the two Yanmars in size. The 2 series looked a bit smaller and the 3 a bit bigger than we are accustomed.
The initial reaction when we sat on them is that they are quite hot! Ok, who chose black seats? She let me try both first! It was 102 and there was no shade. But, it really wasn't too bad (or the seared flesh was deadened to the pain). It is ok, as I have a seat cover on my yellow one and will do the same with a new one. After buying one replacement seat, I like covers!
We drove the 347 first. I have to say that I want it to fit. The setup is SO nice. The Loader controls, included remotes, and full information instrument cluster really stand out. I see a grapple in my future. This is the machine to handle it. Not to mention, A host of other jobs like handling round bales, and pulling a nice size brush cutter.
The reverser selector was in easy reach and operated quite well. The accelerator pedal felt really nice. While, this is the area that is most foreign to our workflow; I now see that it is really an improvement over the two pedals. Even after 14 years, they still aren't the perfect solution when the brain tells you that pushing down more creates more power (it doesn't).
Then we tried the 235. Well! It fit like a glove (that's a good thing) and felt far more powerful than its smaller size suggested. It really seemed stronger than the 4310 - which is strange considering they have the same base engine but the newer is Tier IV. I tried stalling it in a gravel pile and couldn't. But later, realized that may be more do do with the R4's than anything else.
Initially, I have to say that both are fantastic. It is evident that the 235 is capable of handling a belly mower and is ideally suited to a large estate, mowing, drive maintenance, snow removal.
The 347 is a whole other animal. Too big for real yard mowing; it is much netter suited for heavier work, logging, grappling, loading, pasture mowing, and road making. The size is really well suited to those tasks - a smaller machine would be prone to self destruction. Worse still, is the potential for operator injury. Our place is very interesting terrain (get it - rocky ridge farm?). It is far too easy to get into a situation that pushes beyond the limits of safety.
One thing that was a truly pleasant surprise for her was the heat shields in front of the operator station. That small touch would make pasture mowing much more enjoyable.
By the way, we only briefly looked at the cab versions. Very, very nice! But, we are NOT considering that. We really like the open station. But, even with our heavy timber, the 235C looked like it could actually work. Still, it isn't for us. Mrs and I like to be out side when we are outside. And getting in and out of AC isn't a safe way to work in Oklahoma. Finally, one of us is legally blind and does far better in open (not that he gets it away from her much!)
I hope we can swing the YT347!
I like the mix of tech and grunt. The Yanmar axles and transmission are sure to compliment their legendary Diesel. I prefer the 4TNV over a turbo'd 3TNV.
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