More models to avoid

[bmaverick]

All the above links are bad now. What is the story on these Yanmar F395 tractors? Have an opportunity to purchase one with 1700miles, but want to know what I am getting into.

There is a joint venture or agreement with Yanmar and Kukje that began back in the 1960s. Today, Kukje is part of the TYM company. Thus, RK tractors are made from all 3 of these companies components.

In the 1960s and onwards, Kukje supplies Ag parts to Yanmar. Some time in the 1980s or 90s, Kukje was making their own tractors. They knew Yanmar engine reliability and with another agreement, Kukje started making Yanmar engines as 'legal' clones for Kukje machines.

These Kukje machines with clone Yanmar engines were sold new in the Korean market. Now used and exported much like the gray market machines do today. However, with a twist. Kukje did export these machines to other countries too. Places like Brazil have full manuals in Portuguese. Australia have them in British English, etc.

The quest is, where to get parts. hmmm. If the engines are clones, would a OE Yanmar part mate up and function just the same? That is a big guess.

That F395 with 1700 hours is still young. On my YM2610, I just rolled 1810 hours. Whether a 'legal' clone engine made by Yanmar engineering blueprints or a true Yanmar made in Japan, I would suppose both would be reliable.

As Aaron posted back in 2005, still use caution. Ask around about parts suppliers and a parts network for the machine. Then make the offer you feel is respectable based on that input.

Note, that even some of the Japan US domestic import machines no longer have parts support as they are 40+ years old (Satoh, Mitsubishi, Kubota, Isekie, Hinomoto, Shabarua, etc). HOWEVER, the Yanmar YM series is far different. The YM series is like a Ford 8N. Parts are still available and flowing in the supply chain GLOBALLY. All of the EU, Eastern EU, Australia, South America & North America have 10s of thousands of these YM series machines. And there are John Deere siblings of them too. Yanmar invented the 4WD tractors as a 1st in the industry. Next they did the same with the PowerShift. It caught John Deere's attention enough to work side-by-side with them.

 

[claya]

There is a joint venture or agreement with Yanmar and Kukje that began back in the 1960s. Today, Kukje is part of the TYM company. Thus, RK tractors are made from all 3 of these companies components.

In the 1960s and onwards, Kukje supplies Ag parts to Yanmar. Some time in the 1980s or 90s, Kukje was making their own tractors. They knew Yanmar engine reliability and with another agreement, Kukje started making Yanmar engines as 'legal' clones for Kukje machines.

These Kukje machines with clone Yanmar engines were sold new in the Korean market. Now used and exported much like the gray market machines do today. However, with a twist. Kukje did export these machines to other countries too. Places like Brazil have full manuals in Portuguese. Australia have them in British English, etc.

The quest is, where to get parts. hmmm. If the engines are clones, would a OE Yanmar part mate up and function just the same? That is a big guess.

That F395 with 1700 hours is still young. On my YM2610, I just rolled 1810 hours. Whether a 'legal' clone engine made by Yanmar engineering blueprints or a true Yanmar made in Japan, I would suppose both would be reliable.

As Aaron posted back in 2005, still use caution. Ask around about parts suppliers and a parts network for the machine. Then make the offer you feel is respectable based on that input.

Note, that even some of the Japan US domestic import machines no longer have parts support as they are 40+ years old (Satoh, Mitsubishi, Kubota, Isekie, Hinomoto, Shabarua, etc). HOWEVER, the Yanmar YM series is far different. The YM series is like a Ford 8N. Parts are still available and flowing in the supply chain GLOBALLY. All of the EU, Eastern EU, Australia, South America & North America have 10s of thousands of these YM series machines. And there are John Deere siblings of them too. Yanmar invented the 4WD tractors as a 1st in the industry. Next they did the same with the PowerShift. It caught John Deere's attention enough to work side-by-side with them.

Thanks.

We have a 19HP Iseki 4WD that is a grey market model, and have been dealing with part issues. The Kukje/Yanmar F395 is in pretty good shape, other than a bad Hydraulic pump. I expect we could find Yanmar parts, but the rest of the tractor is a concern. Price is reasonable, but the seller is not. We are also looking at a Kubota L345 with a blown head gasket, but it looks like the safer bet, since there are a ton of L345's out there, I expect the parts situation is mo better? The extra 5hp would be nice on the Yanmar, but not sure the risk is worth it. I would like this to be the last tractor I buy... (wishfull, I know)

 

[bmaverick]

Thanks.

We have a 19HP Iseki 4WD that is a grey market model, and have been dealing with part issues. The Kukje/Yanmar F395 is in pretty good shape, other than a bad Hydraulic pump. I expect we could find Yanmar parts, but the rest of the tractor is a concern. Price is reasonable, but the seller is not. We are also looking at a Kubota L345 with a blown head gasket, but it looks like the safer bet, since there are a ton of L345's out there, I expect the parts situation is mo better? The extra 5hp would be nice on the Yanmar, but not sure the risk is worth it. I would like this to be the last tractor I buy... (wishfull, I know)

Is the Iseki working OK for now? IF you wait, would something better show up? I know there are sooooo many people looking. On our Yanmar Tractors Owners Group, we have a Listserv solely for searching for CList Yanmars. When people spot them, they can hit reply to the posting and notify the group. The Listserv is different than a forum to a degree. A person can get weekly summary, daily or monthly. Or they can subscribe to just the topics they want. The CList topic is highly monitored for good finds. YM Series, John Deere 50/70/90 Series compacts, Cub Cadets, and other Yanmar mace machines.

Between Kubotas and Mitsubishis, why is it that they have so many blown head gaskets? It rates up there with the most prone problems.

 

[claya]

Is the Iseki working OK for now? IF you wait, would something better show up? I know there are sooooo many people looking. On our Yanmar Tractors Owners Group, we have a Listserv solely for searching for CList Yanmars. When people spot them, they can hit reply to the posting and notify the group. The Listserv is different than a forum to a degree. A person can get weekly summary, daily or monthly. Or they can subscribe to just the topics they want. The CList topic is highly monitored for good finds. YM Series, John Deere 50/70/90 Series compacts, Cub Cadets, and other Yanmar mace machines.

Between Kubotas and Mitsubishis, why is it that they have so many blown head gaskets? It rates up there with the most prone problems.

Iseki 19HP is just too small for some of the stuff we need. The 4WD transfer gear will fail, if you use the loader too aggressively. On the later versions, they beefed the transmission up to handle the loads. Finding parts for the model we have is very challenging.

Really like to upgrade to a more common tractor with more HP. Hence the Kubota. Ya, 1500 hrs with a blown gasket seems pretty low.

 

[California]

My impression mostly from reading here is Aaron's Models To Avoid is just as accurate today as it was in 2005. Newbie owners of his Avoid models show up here, and no one has answers for them.

As Maverick said the YM series Yanmars are still in use worldwide like 8N's and parts are no harder to find than for an 8N or VW Bug. Personally, I wouldn't go beyond that little world.

Well unless I had a business reason to jump up another $20k and buy a current Yanmar.