Might buy a Yanmar and need help

[ninefinger]

LMTC, did not know that about Fredricks, nice to know, I have one of his tractors. Had a problem with it and have never had been treated better or had the problem fixed quicker on anything I have ever owned. With the level of dealer support as well as the vendor I bought from I just do not see the need to spend the extra bucks for a new unit. If I outgrow the one I have I will be back to the same route I got this one. I have learned a lot from you and other dealers and some of the regular guys that freely offer information and I thank one and all.

 

[ritchieb]

Gee this sounds sorta like some of the choices I had to make starting about four years ago! I knew I wanted a Kubota or a John Deere, then the prices said no possibility. What really offended me more-so was the lack of help and knowledge from the dealers in my area. I searched several dealerships for each within 100 miles of me and all were the same. I did stumble upon a dealer in Nelsonville, OH who was selling some of LMTC's Yanmars. Never heard of them so I dug in the net and wow sure looked nice, sounded nice, good parts support, price good, and tough 4wd models for my hills. Wayne at LMTC came out on top of all I had researched so I contacted him in Jan. of 2007 and by Mar. 2007 I was the owner of a 1610D and it and LMTC has proven their quality and service to me after all this time. Better customer service, better prices, better parts support. It took me two years to make the choice but I would buy another Yanmar today from Wayne. Wish he would have had the YM 2500 back then! Sounds like you need to look hard at the 2500 as it seems to fill all your needs as you describe. Bottom line a Yanmar WILL make you happy and the above dealer went a long way out of his way to help me with many questions unlike the Deere and Kubota dealers did around this area.

 

[kenmac]

LMTC, did not know that about Fredricks, nice to know,

That's where my tractor came from. He is about an HR. away from me.Or on the web @ http://fredricksequipment.com/

 

[mark777]

There is a gent who asked for my help in locating a 20-25 HP tractor to gently grade his gravel drive and bush hog 9 acres a few times a year. His original question was "Is there a reliable tractor, under $5K anywhere out there?"

After a few hours calling, contacting and looking at every dealer I'm familiar with, this was my response to him:

"XXXX,

IMHO this is absolutely the best deal I've seen in a very long time...but only if you're interested in a solid grey market machine, that's well supported, and from a dealer who's reputation is regarded among the highest in this country.

Yanmar, YM2000 - 2WD, 24HP (20 PTO HP), 4 New Tires, ROPS and seat belts, 6 months warranty parts and labor = $4499.

Here's something else to consider: "Current Specials" include $300. off any 4WD and $500 off any 2WD tractor in his current inventory. There's also a 5' grader blade for only $150. with any tractor purchase. Attached is a picture of the YM2000 located at Little Miami Trading Company - Compact Tractors.

OK, this looks like a shameless plug for LMTC but in truth, it is NOT. I couldn't risk helping someone without extensively searching, and finding a bargain like the above tractor. Cheaper tractors? Yep. Tractors with all the UTDA safety features and a 6 month warranty? Nope.

 

[chriswheeler]

If I was in the market for another tractor, I would think about hp needed for your cultivator and add at least 30% - 50%. You might just want to run a cultivator today, and in the future want to run something else that needs a little more. These grays are cheap enough to begin with that a little extra hp purchased more than likely would come in handy in the future. Might look at the 2500,2610,3000 and the 3110 is a real nice tractor for the money. You are getting something else besides just hp, you are getting a machine with enough weight that you can transfer some of the hp to the ground = traction. Just a thought. also the 4wd issue. I have both, and it's great when you need the extra traction. The little bit spent to get 4wd is more than worth it. If you operate any machine at 100% of its ability for long you will find it to need many more repairs than one operating at 70%. These gray markets are used to start with. Thinking long term often gets you a tractor that lasts much longer and doesn't need upgradeing. Good luck,
Chris

 

[sixdogs]

If I was in the market for another tractor, I would think about hp needed for your cultivator and add at least 30% - 50%. You might just want to run a cultivator today, and in the future want to run something else that needs a little more. These grays are cheap enough to begin with that a little extra hp purchased more than likely would come in handy in the future. Might look at the 2500,2610,3000 and the 3110 is a real nice tractor for the money. You are getting something else besides just hp, you are getting a machine with enough weight that you can transfer some of the hp to the ground = traction. Just a thought. also the 4wd issue. I have both, and it's great when you need the extra traction. The little bit spent to get 4wd is more than worth it. If you operate any machine at 100% of its ability for long you will find it to need many more repairs than one operating at 70%. These gray markets are used to start with. Thinking long term often gets you a tractor that lasts much longer and doesn't need upgradeing. Good luck,
Chris

Chris--thank you.
Most of the cultivator tractors are used to sidedress N and just minimally disturb the soil and 25HP in 2WD is plenty. I have 4WD tractors but the spacing of the tires is often a problem and I want to add much taller tires for crop clearance without dealing with front axle gear ratios. 2WD will be fine.
I plant on a 30" center so the rear tires have to be narrow and center at 30".

 

[2manyrocks]

I have had a 226D since the early 1990's and have had very few problems. However, if I were buying another tractor today, I would look harder at dealer support and parts availability.