Buying Advice Did anyone import their own gray tractor?

[selkie]

You will not be allowed to import a kubota grey tractor here. It will be stopped at customs, if it even gets shipped at all.

Yikes, you're right. Just did some reading on that. Quite the abuse of the US court system and ends any interest I would have in Kubota, gray or otherwise. Any other tractor manufacturers that did that, or just Kubota?

The yanmars are the best supported tractors. Fredricks has imported so many, he actually has parts made for the popular models that he sells.

If you are willing to pay the shipping, deal with customs, and fees, and have a contact in Japan that will get it all together for one tractor. By all means go for it. I doubt you are going to save any money though

Good to know about the parts. I have nothing against Fredericks, they look like beautiful tractors, they're just out of my league price-wise.

 

[selkie]

There has to be a more cost effective alternative right here. Have you looked at other models beside the 1050 and 1070s? Do you need that size machine? If you looked at 900 and 700 machines, your choices will open up quite a bit and some will still be somewhat budget friendly.

I mean, at one point I considered a 4020. It seems crazy to me that 4020's cost around the same as 1050's, but I guess it's like when I bought a used guitar amp many years ago and ended up with a big one because I couldn't afford a little one. It cost less to get the big one, supply and demand I suppose. Everyone wanted a little practice amp.

Yeah, I considered the 850 and 950. I want to run a loader, and I feel like even a 1050 is kinda pushing it with a loader.

But cost effective is a big thing for me. I don't have my heart set on importing a tractor, I just want something robust. Diesel for fuel economy, and the terrain here means it needs to be 4x4 and have some weight to it. The fields themselves are not hilly but they are connected by hills.

 

[California]

Are you familiar with Searchtempest? Put in a brand name, dollar limit, distance limit, and it will list what's on Craigslist in all the cities within that distance. Driving a half day to get the model you want is easier than going to Japan for it.

 

[slckeys]

Not sure what your budget is, and not sure if this is what you're even looking for, but thought I'd toss this out as I saw it earlier today...

John Deere 43 compact tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[BrokenTrack]

We pulled a Gray Market Kubota excavator by way of Canada, and did really good financially. This was a few years ago, so maybe that way around is no longer open, but it might be worth checking into.

 

[selkie]

Not sure what your budget is, and not sure if this is what you're even looking for, but thought I'd toss this out as I saw it earlier today...

John Deere 43 compact tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Nice tractor, but out of my price range, and probably too new ( = too high-tech) for me. I mean, that's more than even the low-hours 1050's with loaders. I realize it's also much newer, which for some folks would be a huge selling point.

 

[selkie]

Are you familiar with Searchtempest? Put in a brand name, dollar limit, distance limit, and it will list what's on Craigslist in all the cities within that distance. Driving a half day to get the model you want is easier than going to Japan for it.

Searchtempest! Thanks for reminding me. I'll check that one every so often.

 

[kenmac]

I had a Yanmar 3110D with loader.. about the same as a 1050 JD without turbo. It never lacked enough power. The 3110 is a strong tractor

it's only lacking in weight