Whats the story on Yanmar and John Deere ?

[Jimmy Joe]

I was at a Deere dealership a few months ago, salesman told me Deere owns 51% of Yanmar.

 

[Rock knocker]

From what I can find on the web, that salesman was doing what salesmen do, talk non sense.

 

[California]

I was at a Deere dealership a few months ago, salesman told me Deere owns 51% of Yanmar.

Total BS. Yanmar is a Japanese firm privately owned by an individual. Their principal line of business is ship diesel engines, huge down to fishing boat size. Their tractor business is a sideline, a personal interest of the owner. In the past their tractor engines were their well-proven, reliable, long-life boat engines with radiator cooling added etc.

Yanmar-Japan set up a branch to sell tractors in the US about the same time as Honda (cars), Toyota, Kubota, etc arrived over here. Around late 70's they contracted to build the under-50 hp models for Deere, using Yanmar parts but most models unique for Deere. Deere 750-850-950-1050 etc. (There are a couple of Yanmar/Deere twins where the Deere is manual transmission and the Japan-market twin is Powershift).

I'll throw in here a bit of Urban Legend that's probably unprovable: I like to think my 70's designed Yanmar YM240 was the specific model that Deere examined and then decided they couldn't exceed the quality, so it would be simpler to just contract Yanmar to build for Deere.

80's, Yanmar abandoned selling here under their own name, continued building the contract Deeres.

Recently (2005???) Yanmar is no longer a principal supplier of whole tractors to Deere but continues to be an engine supplier.

More recently - Yanmar re-entered the US market, first re-labelled as Cub and sold through their dealers, then in the last couple of years marketed as Yanmar.

I think they continue to sell engines to Deere and to a large number of specialty builders - forklifts etc.

So Deere doesn't own Yanmar.

 

[RoyJackson]

The Deere 4x20 series, which had Deere Powertech engines since first being manufactured in 2004-2005, now have Yanmar engines for the 2015 model year. From what I understand, the Powertech engines couldn't meet tier 4 emission requirements.
I also have been told (by a Deere salesman) that the Yanmar engines don't produce as much torque as the Powertech engines. I'll wager the Yanmar engines start a lot easier in cold weather though.

 

[tman1020]

I don't know for sure but I thought the John Deere 2 family tractors were built by Yanmar.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

From what I can find on the web, that salesman was doing what salesmen do, talk non sense.

I didn't think that sounded right given the path Deere and Yanmar took in the past. The tractor I looked at had a Yanmar that is what brought the question up.

 

[Gator6x4]

I own four of the Yanmar engines. Good engines and as Roy said they do start good in cold weather, especially with Shell Rotella-T synthetic 5-40.

 

[jerrybob]

I've got a Yanmar 186D built in the mid 1980's. She's a workhorse.......great machine. Easy to start.......easy to repair. There are thousands of Yanmar tractors's all over the world......lots of boats with Yanmar engines and lots of green tractors with Yanmar's as well. Don't be shy about a Yanmar!

 

[jeff9366]

Current Deere subcompact tractors have Yanmar engines and drive trains.

Some parts are exported from Deere/USA to Deere assembly plant in Mexico.

Majority of chassis parts are manufactured by Deere/Mexico.

Assembly is in Mexico.

Shipment north by rail.


(My Ford Fusion {gas} car is pretty much the same story.)

 

[swines]

Their tractor business is a sideline, a personal interest of the owner.

Yamaoka Hatsudoki Kosakusho was started in 1912 by Magokichi Yamaoka. Their first product was a gasoline engine. They started producing agricultural kerosene motors in 1920. In 1921, the brand name "YANMAR" was adopted for the products of the Yamaoka Hatsudoki Kosakusho company. Also in 1921, they coupled an engine with a rice huller, Yanmar started selling a powered rice huller. This the first powered rice huller in Japan.

Yanmar started producing marine kerosene motors in 1925.

Magokichi Yamaoka died in 1962 - so the idea that agricultural products are a hobby of the owner is totally false. Yanmar has produced agricultural equipment since its founding and today produces a line of agricultural equipment that includes: tractors, combines, rice transplanters, and tillers.

The Yanmar divisions are: agricultural, marine pleasure, marine commercial, cogeneration / air conditioning, generators, construction, and industrial engines / power products.

According to the Japanese Credit Rating Agency (JCR):

Earnings of agricultural machinery and energy systems are growing. Of these, agricultural machinery, the largest business sector in terms of sales...

Seems to me that Yanmar is a diversified business who's products are based on diesel motors, and that the agricultural division is hardly a "sideline"...