eBay/Craigslist ebay item

[thegreatrandini]

I still say the hr meter means nothing on a tweenty or thiry year old tractor from as far away as Japan.. I did not think that condition could not be evauluated but the hr meter? Who cares? I just want to know how many hrs I put on so I know when to do Maint. etc..... My tractor has a 3 digit meter!!!!!

 

[thegreatrandini]

Now I have to answer you like I would my ex wife... "I acknowledge what you say but I don't necessarily agree with you!"

 

[htiek126]

Mark,

Sorry about the confusion, but at least you reminded me to update my profile. I sold my Hino N209 and I am now setting up an Iseki TA270F G-DX. I really liked my Hino minus the likely event that I would need (difficult to find) parts since I was using it for loader and backhoe work. The Iseki is awesome - built heavy, shuttle shift on the left side of the steering column (great for FEL work), auto PTO shut off when you raise the implement, tilt steering, hydraulically engage PTO, etc. I would not trade it for any Yanmar built prior to 1990... However, I am also setting up a Yanmar YM1510D with turfs, front blade, and a belly mower. Yanmar also makes great tractors and the powershift is too convenient for grass cutting...

 

[htiek126]

Bob,

I have lived in Southern Maryland for almost 35 years, but it is starting to get a little crowded and there are a lot less farms now. My Iseki (not the Land Hope 180 that looked like my signature) TA270F is great, I just can not wait to get my loader and backhoe mounted to put it to work (while I play!).

All I know about the recons is what I have read online. Perhaps one of these days when I am over your way, I can check out some of your tractors?

 

[YanmarFever]

I think I will sit this one out, I dont have the energy
plus everyone knows where we stand on this issue.
3 recon dealers have gone out of business around here.
Ernie
Ernies imports

 

[loaderbob]

Tractors4u,
Sorry... The reference to used was "not painted nice/looks used". I did not mean to imply that recons are brand new.

They not are not associtated with any manufacturer that I know about. When I use the term factory I use it to distinguish it from a small machine shop. At my favorite machine shop they do everything from tractor engines to hot rods. The work is very varied. In the recon tractor factory it is my understanding that they have teams that just do Yanmars over and over again so they are intimate with them. They also do a large volume of the same models, like the YM2000. They did build a new modern plant last year that looks like a large manufacturing/assembly plant but I have not seen it yet personally. I hope to got Vietnam next year and see it for myself, I have to say Vietnam it is not in my wifes top twenty list of places she wants me to take her. If I do I will take pictures and share the experience.

By the way thanks for your input in some of the other threads.
Best regards,
Bob

 

[bruce1966us]

brent,
Maybe? we should give Bob a second look. Seems like he is trying to do the right thing. However, Bob you have stated today that you plan on going to Vietnam to inspect the quality. I have been there and think you will be surprised. I wish you the best.

 

[YanmarFever]

Bob I must say that you really know how to hold your own.
I could use a salesman such as you around here (no kidding)
Good luck to you /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Ernie
Ernies imports

 

[EFC]

Bob, Bruce is right. Go to Vietnam then go to Japan then come back and let us know if you still believe what you believe now.
I have been to Vietnam twice. As far as I am aware of there are 8 factories with 5 more in the works.
Vietnam absolutely pieces together tractors. In fact I very rarely saw a complete tractor sitting in the lot for recon. Heck, they were piecing together engines. Not using new parts just going through piles till they found a piston that would fit. The engine parts were laying on a dirty floor and they made no attempt to clean them. I watched a guy hone 3 cylinders to different sizes and then put in 3 different sized pistons. Then he spray painted the head gasket and used RTV to put it back on. It was the same at each one I went to.

I go to Japan about once a month in fact I am in Japan right now. I let the people here read your comments and they were in total disbelief. Vietnam buyers are always walking around picking the cheapest broken down garbage they can find. I see them do it. I watched a container get loaded today headed to Vietnam. The buyer didn’t want any upper decking because it costs to much. So they stacked the tractors right on the hoods of the ones below. Not that it really mattered five were burned in a building fire. I asked the buyer what they would do with them he said replace some parts and repaint like new. I took pictures of the tractors they were buying this week if you would like to see. They do not buy b or c grade that I have ever seen. They buy D grade at best and they don’t care if they run or not.

I am glad you are proud of your product and you seem sincere so go to Vietnam snoop a little, they will only show you what they want you to see. So be persistent. Then let us know what you think

Buck

 

[loaderbob]

Ernie,
Thanks... I am not really a sales guy, just a guy who really likes my hobby of 4wd tractors, digging out giant stumps, and the smell of tractor fluid. The best part of the job is I get to go dig holes in the yard and my wife approves(also means I don't have to plant another acre of grass to finish mow). I have seen your posts and appreciate you input!

Best Regards,
Bob

 

[loaderbob]

Buck,
Thanks for your input. You are obvisously ahead of me with 2 trips to Vietnam already. Go ahead and shoot me the photos. My e-mail is bob@sctractor.com. Thanks again for you input and advice. I have been to Japan but it was a while ago on Navy business. I have never been to the tractor yards. I have only heard that you have to know who you are dealing with or you will get burned. I heard that there are some unreputable agents, not unlike anywhere else. If I get go next year you can bet I will snoop around.

Thanks again,
Bob

 

[elarson]

Wow, leave it to vietnam recons to light up this discussion board. I am a newbie to the grey market tractors, and I don't know that I would have even looked had it not been for the insane demand and resulting prices for compact diesels around here. Each time I found a classified ad, the machine was either sold, worked to death, or priced not too far off from new to make it worthwhile. I have so far had a good experience, knock on wood, and if there is one thing for certain it is that I owe lot of gratitude for the contributors here. Could it be that about half of the problem with the recons is the perspective the customer has, and the other half might be the unscrupulous dealer (and I believe them to be the minority) who drops junk on anyone who will take the bait?
When I went looking for a grey, even though the sales pitch was "reconditioned", my perspective was that it was USED. I went on that basis, and the new paint job and other supposed work was just nice extras. Had I purchased a tractor from a private party in a classified ad, there would be no recourse, no warranty, just "Hey, it's yours now, good luck". One dealer I visited had units which looked like they had a wad of bondo stuck in the dents and painted over it. The fasteners looked like they had come from a dozen different places. Dribbles of rubbery stuff squeezed from between machined surfaces, and the hour meters were zeroed. (For some reason I found the zeroed meter to be especially offensive)
Another dealer, from which I purchased my tractor (which I'm sure is a Vietnamese recon), had units which were clean, and I could not find any evidence that the cases or engine had been opened up. Rubber parts were indeed new, not just painted. I thought that I would just listen to the compression a moment, and the thing lit on the first compression squeeze! A bit of black from the stack for a second or two, and then a pretty exhaust. The dealer offered a 30 day warranty on the engine and drivetrain. I've tried to wring it out in that 30 day period, and so far, not a single glitch. No leaks, no broken parts, just a fender bolt that needed tightening.

I think the biggest question is how does a prospective buyer reliably tell the difference between a solid tractor and a hack job ? I believe that the buyer should be free from misrepresented machinery, but maybe we also expect too much based on the new paint job.

 

[LMTC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I think the biggest question is how does a prospective buyer reliably tell the difference between a solid tractor and a hack job ? )</font>
Two basic defenses--1. the buyer is a mechanic with some familiarity with what these units SHOULD sound/run like, and 2. buy from a reputable dealer who will provide references. There is no certainty of not having a problem even with the best of dealers....what a buyer should look for, IMO, is a dealer with a solid history of few problems and a history of fair resolution of those few problems. We have built our business trying to always be this option.

 

[cfoxmd]

Like anything you buy--buy from a business that has been around awhile. A business operating under the same name for at least 10 years has a history. Check with the better business bureau for complaints. If there are other dealers around ask them what they think of the dealer in question--you may get no information from this question, slanted information, or good information, but it is still worthwhile to ask. Ask for references. Ask if they have ever taken a tractor back (yes is probably a good answer).

Look in the back of the shop. Do they do repairs or do they change fluids, and get the tractor ready for sale? Do they take in tractors for repair of just repair the needy ones prior to sale?

Buying off of ebay is risky for a large used mechanical item. I buy electronics all the time off ebay--they either work or don't work.

I am not against cheap labor. Lots of stuff is made in China these days. Once again, not the high quality manufactured goods. It will take 20 years for the Chinese to develop a reputation for high quality goods. Think about Japan 40 years ago--"Japanese" meant junk. Now made in Japan is a symbol of quality. Will vietnam become the next japan?--who knows. Can you make a quality tractor out of used parts? Maybe--with a good machine shop, attention to detail, and some new parts.