My New Yanmar 221

[jakesgreenbuilding]

Greetings again Jakes green building,

Your opinion just didn't seem right to not have an appropriate audience . . . so I thought I'd pass it on to Harvey for his perspective. That way what you're telling them and what you're telling us agree

Thanks! If you look at google reviews it looks like others have had the same experience lately. My last run in for parts was good. Actually got Harvey! Break down this time was my fault. Caught a stump in a pine plantation.

I have since stopped using the mid mount mower due to poor mow quality (lots of scalping) and poor quality. Always loosing parts. Bought a different mower. I added a 60" brush mower and 48" tiller to the tractor. Now I have a use for it but it mostly sits in the shed. Good tractor, poor Mid Mount mower. If I knew I was only getting a tractor I would have bought a larger model. Bought the Yanmar 221 so I could fit in tighter places mowing.

 

[micman32]

I moved the deck wheels to the next higher position. This seems to help with the scalping.

 

[AxleHub]

I moved the deck wheels to the next higher position. This seems to help with the scalping.

Exactly correct . . If the rollers and wheels are properly set for height, you can't scalp a lawn with a mmm deck unless the ground is heavily washboarded and even then it would be minimal scalping. In addition . . An uneven cut is an indication the blades or blade shafts are bent or not balanced properly . . . Or . . The deck is not leveled properly front to back or left to right or both.

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

My wife is ready for a new large garden tractor. We looked at a Yanmar 221 and are giving it some thought.

Use would be finish mowing 5 acres and some small garden/landscaping chores and maintenance.

We also know of an 80 hour Yanmar sc2400 available.

Any opinions on the capabilities of these two machines. Is the 221 a decontented version of the sc2400?

Do the additional features of the sc2400 make it more of a real tractor as opposed to the 221 being more of a large garden tractor?

The 221 does not have a two speed hydro. A concern? Also, no differential lock.

 

[scoutcub]

The 221 does have a few differences from the sc2400......
It has the side by side pedal design versus the treadle pedal of the sc......and it has the Yanmar quick hitch whereas the sc does not.
The bigger differences in my opinion is the lack of the 2 ranges, and the diff lock. If you're using this as more of a tractor to dig, or load/move material, I would consider it a very important attribute. Coupled with the shift on the fly of the sc, it makes the decision easy.....for me.
I must say I am biased as I own the sc2400...lol.
Good luck shopping!

 

[scoutcub]

Forgot to add the 221 has 21.5 hp versus the 24 for the sc.
And, given your uses, you might very well get by with the 221.
Perhaps look the both over, drive them extensively, use the loader, and see which one both of you like better.

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

What does "shift on the fly" mean with regard to the c2400 please?

 

[scoutcub]

Shift on the fly is the ability to shift from lo range to hi range or hi to lo while moving.......instead of having to stop the tractor to shift ranges. It is a highly valued asset when shuttling material.

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

Looks like the sa221 loader lift capacity is less than the sc2400 also.

Why would Yanmar decontent this sa221 so much?

 

[scoutcub]

$$$$.
The 221 is the lowest cost machine in Yanmars new lineup.....221, 324, and 424.

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

I understand they need to be price competitive, however, I think the greater value may come when you step-up to a sa324?

Nevertheless, the best value might be the 80 hour sc2400 I have found. One concern, it has a model 45 front snowblower which from reading here is not considered robust -- in fact it is weak!

 

[scoutcub]

Yes the 324 and 424 are better equipped tractors, but costs also go up.

The sb45 is not a bad blower, it was originally designed to fit the older cub super garden tractors, then modified to fit the cub 3000 series, then modified to fit the 5000 series cub and sc series.
It is not a stout blower, but for light/regular use it works well.
The other option is the sb52 blower which is a commercial HD unit, but cost 4k new......ouch.

I use a front blade with power angle for snow removal, it works great.

Depending on price, an 80 hour sc2400 would be a great tractor to have for years to come. Assuming it has a loader?

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

It has a loader.

Asking $13,000.

What do you think?

 

[scoutcub]

Hmmm......so loader tractor front hitch driveshaft and blower for 13k?
Price is fair maybe a tad bit high, I would shoot for 11-12k. Blower option was around 2500 new, probably adds around 1k to the value. The nice thing with that hitch is you can pick up a blade that will fit in the hitch, I know where you can find them on eBay.
Comparatively, I am selling a sc2450 tractor loader backhoe with 78 hours for 15k, and I'm including a front hitch and blade.

 

[AxleHub]

The SC2400 or sc2450 models I would consider superior to the 221. The 221 is the tarmac new model and is tier 4 rated. Meanwhile the sc2400 series was discontinued after 2013 and started in 2006. However there are numerous things about the sc2400 series which were considered advanced features.

Like the kubota bx series the sc2400 featured forward direction engine cooling (great feature). Also like the kubota, it had differential lock which the newer 221 does not. 24 HP engine offered great power and unlike kubota it offered twin pump capability and twin hydraulics so the front end loader could be much better operated at lower rpms with good response. And that 24 HP yanmar engine is considerably more capable than a 21.5 HP yamar engine . . Especially when you consider 2 operating gear ranges instead of 1 like the 221 has.

Then there is the 3 point hitch and more desirable position control on the sc2400 while the 221 has the more standard cheaper option of 1/4 inching.

Now why did Yanmar alter so many things on the newer model 221 that were proven and advanced benefits on the sc2400. Simple. . instead of design engineering that Yanmar does so well on the past sc2400 series and the new 324 and 424 . . Yanmar did significant customer and prospect surveys on what features should be added and not needed. And then they did the engineering. The problem is . . . prospects don't know and surveys ask a series of questions not a combination of options. If you have hills like I do . . . do you really want to have only 1 gear to choose from?

So the 221 has side by side pedals (a popular idea and a good one imo) . And it has a nice red color. And the significant surveys were done and prioritized on getting the price of the 221 attractive.

Now the 324 and 424 are nice units but bigger in size and bigger in tires. In 2015 when I was making final decisions. . A new kubota bx 2670, a new sc2400, and a new Massey gc1700 series were my final choices. I chose the gc1715 Massey because I wanted the power, the wide selection of mower deck choices, and side by side pedals with many of the other features of the sc2400. I also liked the pricing, insurance option, design fit and feel and warranty of the Massey.