What do you like about your YANMAR?

[kbarrett]

Excuse the question, but I'm relatively new to compact tractors and I'm really just trying to come up to speed on the various makes and models.

I've noted a high-degree of enthusiasm for this particular make. There seems to be something special about YANMAR and I'd like to know what you found it to be.

 

[hosejockey2002]

It is quiet, easy to use, good on fuel, reliable, cheap to buy, but the kicker was this huge online community that collectively knows everything there is to know about Yanmar tractors, both U.S. and grey market. If something goes wrong with it, if I can't figure it out, I know the other guys in this forum will, and the dealers will be able to get the parts to help me fix the problem, not that I've had any problems.

 

[Ym1401King]

I have a 1401 if you couldnt tell, and there isnt anything that I don't like about my Yanmar. I love the hp and torque that my little 1401 has. Its something that I plan on having for quite a while. I wax and polish mine and it stays in a nice little warm shed, so as not to get too cold when its cold outside. It is fuel efficient and despite what some other people say there is a tremendous support network in parts and tech help here. There isnt a part that you cant get.

Aric /w3tcompact/icons/king.gif

 

[roger_scotty]

I don't think our Yanmars have made it to the status of being a "classic design" yet, but they all seem to share an esteem based on unusually durable construction and some unique technical features. Machines make it to classic status for different reasons. I notice that all of the classics seem to go through a period of where they have lasted so much longer than other things in their group that they are reasonably priced or even cheap for a while. Then if the parts support stays strong the machine begins to be popular again. Conversations turn to things like trimwork and original paint colors....And suddenly that machine is on its way to becoming special. Maybe the Yanmars will make it. They seem to have met all the requirements

 

[kayssupply]

Well said Roger. I hadn't thought of it that way. I have compared our club to how people feel and talk about their Harleys. And if they are'nt a " Classic" what is.
I have been " finding good homes" for Yanmars for 3 years now. My wife says to slow down when I am on the phone with a " Future Parent " of one of my Yanmars. She says it sounds like I am giving them the hard sell, car salesmen treatment. I have to tell the other person I am sorry, I just am so sold on them I can't help being over positive when describing their virtues.

 

[normde2001]

What's not to like? They are a chance for a guy on a limited budget, with a little mechanical ability and ingenuity, to own a tractor as good or better than most others for half or 1/3 the price. You just can't beat this rig for $3,400.
Norm

 

[TexasTractors]

My experience with Yanmars is they are very well built and dependable. The models built for sale in Japan (grey market as they are called), seem to have quite sturdy paint jobs and usually show only surface rust after years of working in a very harsh environment.
Yanmar manitains a parts warehouse in Illinois and contray to thier public statments does support the grey's, as evidenced from parts ordered that have grey market parts numbers on them!
Yanmar also is integrated into construction, earth moving equipment, building domestic branded tractors, as well as marine grade powerplants for sail boats and off shore cruisers. If you live in a coastal community there is probably a certified Yanmar parts dealer in your yellow pages. They would not have clue about tractors but if you had a part number they could get it for you.
Also finding someone to work on a yanmar, if needed, is not really a problem. Any tractor repair house can and does work on them. Especially since Yanmar has been producing powerplants for JD for many years and for many JD models including farm tractors. Once you get them past the idea of it being grey market, it comes down to the same ole stuff they are already working on (in general).
Also, there are many fine dealers available on this board that are ready to ship any needed parts to your door.
Finally, If you shop for a Yanmar, try to find a dealer that believes in Yanmar and imports some of the better tractors that are offered for sale in Japan. That makes a difference in how much repair is needed when they get here.

Anyway my .02

 

[ket]

thats easy I needed a compact tractor and not willing to pau out 10,000+ for a kobota when my yanny will do just the same at a more affordable price.. of course I like my harley's better but thats a different issue all together

 

[roger_scotty]

Frankly I like brand new tractors and am always glad to see people buying new JDs or NH, or Kubota, or Massey..or any others. It is good for the industry and good for my hobby.

As far as the new tractors having any more, better, or different features, it is disappointing to see that other than hydrostatic drive, the 2002 US models really don't have much that the 1982 Yanmars didn't have...and even there it is hard to pick between the new hydrostat and Yanmar's time-proven powershift transmission.

Also, one would hope that the new compact tractors would be more reliable than the 20 year old Yanmars. After all, the new purchasers really ought to be getting something tangible for all that money. But from reading through the messages that I see on these and other forums it seems that the new compacts have about as many "teething" problems as our older ones have "wear" problems.

Like Norm and Ket said. The Yanmar does make sense from a financial angle, too.

 

[gws]

I was looking for a compact tractor. Cant say I had to have one, but wanted one. I have a 5acre plot that the tractor would help out with. A couple of pasture to bush hog. Some garden work, some Llama pile clean up. All could be done with a garden tractor, a little muscle and a hire out of the bush hog work.

I could never justify a new (even a BX) tractor so I looked used. I search for about a year trying to find a compact that was going to fit my needs. I wanted a FEL so that and tractor size ruled out all the older tractors. Compacts were expensive and by the time I hadded hydraulics and FEL i was back into the BX cost class. I had looked at yanmars before but was concerned about support and parts. After I did some research on the internet and found a number of fourms (yahoo, jplan, etc) I felt they were an option. I found a number of out of state dealers but wanted to play with one first. I finally found in state seller, just a few miles from my home. He had some nice clean tractors, They ran good, looked good. I ended up with a YM1810 with a tiller. The seller added a qt1846 FEL to it, I picked up a 4ft bush hog and carry all.

The price for everything was still several thousand dollars less than a base BX or 4100. Price was a BIG part of my choice. Had I planned on putting more hours on the tractor or used it in a commerical venture then I might have opted for a Kubota or JD, but for my needs it fits the need and wallet.