Buying Advice Yanmar Ex3200 verse kubota B3350, L3200 or?

[Tucksonione]

I have been researching tractors to purchase and continue to be directed to TBN and have found the posts very helpful so I thought I would join and see what you all had to tell me.

I have a 2 acre property, which I bought 6 months ago, but only really need a tractor for projects like heavy duty landscape renovation, tree pruning/clearing, maintenance, etc. no mowing or anything too hard core, unfortunately.

I have borrowed a mini-excavator a few times and a Kubota b7800, which have been helpful. Now that I have cleared some trees I don't think I need a backhoe enough to support buying one.

Therefore I am considering buying a Yanmar EX3200, L4100 (far more tractor than I could probably justify) or Kubota L3200 or B3350 with FEL and probably a rake and PTO driven Chipper.

Based on price, and frankly appearance, I like the Yanmar a little better but I am concerned about resale and service. The local dealer (very Small) says they will provide the service needed but they have no service technicians on site or even a building for performing service in. Yanmar presence in AZ seems pretty thin. I suspect I could find a technician for service I need to pay for but am concerned about warranty service, etc. Kubota dealer and service is very plentiful but as far as I can calculate I'm probably looking at $3-5,000 difference between the comparable Yanmar verse Kubota.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[mike69440]

If you want a largish small CUT then the B3350 is about the sweetest one out there. If your going to clean out barns, etc, smaller is better. B3350 specs very similar to the larger smallish mid size cuts, the EX3200 and L3200.
The EX3200 loader seems like it does not have as great of lift capacity, but its curl and breakout are in line with the others, so not to worry.
L3200 is rather basic tractor.
Yanmar dealer sound scary.
L4100/L4600 puts a real loader on the tractor.

 

[tman1020]

Yanmar and Kubota arguably make some of the best diesel engines there are. I personally have always been a Yanmar fan but Unless things have changed the Yanmar loaders have been some of the lower rated ones in there segments. John Deere uses Yanmar engines in a lot of their smaller size tractors and probably similar pricing to the Kubota. Also the new T YM's are supposed to be using Yanmar engines as well.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Yanmar and Kubota arguably make some of the best diesel engines there are. I personally have always been a Yanmar fan but Unless things have changed the Yanmar loaders have been some of the lower rated ones in there segments. John Deere uses Yanmar engines in a lot of their smaller size tractors and probably similar pricing to the Kubota. Also the new T YM's are supposed to be using Yanmar engines as well.

I went through the gambit you are dealing with, drove, thought about, went back etc and finally went with my heart and got the Yanmar. I had been Kubota fan and always planned on it being Kubota some day but when time came and I tried the Yanmar I could not let it go. The power reverser is fantastic and the tractor is nice in every way. Mine is the Lx and I have forgotten what some of the Ex differences were.

My engine has been perfect, direct injection turbo, not one quality problem on the whole tractor except a minor engine idle speed problem created when dealer added dual hydraulics to rear. They moved the foot throttle cable and did not get is perfect but one phone call and we had that fixed. I did post on the Yanmar site. My loader performs really well, strong lifter, high reach and responsive hydraulics. Can lift and curl simultaneously, and you can get to be a real hot dog with the thing. My loader is the CL600.

My dealer is in Alabama but the tractor is in Ky where I have a property. Parts are a phone call away, so is technical advice the same but I place no value on dealer doing warranty work. If they send me the parts I do the work. That does not work with some but I have always bought stuff with the idea that the parts and pieces are all mine and I do with them as I see fit. My life does not depend on the dealer, just parts availability. There fore the Yanmar has been swell for me. The dance wit dealers after the purchase just results in them getting more of your money and wasting a lot of your time, and often you wind up unhappy. Not saying that is the way it should be for everyone but I personally have never used a dealer for anything other than the place where I bought the tractor and took care of those first few things that I think I might get out of them on the warranty.

That being said, the Alabama dealer is a long time gray market, now Yanmar dealer and he has several folks with all kinds of knowledge about these machines. I have felt that is a shame that I don't support him more but the tractor two states away does not lend itself to that.

Make the decision the way you feel comfortable playing it.

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To the forum. As you can see I have the L3200DT and it has done everything I have asked it to. I have 12 acres of hilly terrain with a lot of trees I had to clear and a couple acres of garden I put in. It is hard to get stuck as I have buried it up to the exhaust and was still able to get it out.

 

[paulfun9]

I like the yammar. Looking at the spec sheets I would be looking at the LX4100 Everyone's needs are different but when I think Heavy landscape I think dirt being moved and for me that means weight and power.

 

[Tucksonione]

Thanks for the input. If the service isn't an issue I would go that way. I have seen offers on Yanmar LX4100 units for the cost of 24 and 26 horse power Kubotas. Thanks for your input.

 

[Tucksonione]

The L3200 was the unit I intended to purchase before I came across the Yanmar. I believe the L3200 is a model prior to the new emissions equipment required. I have heard the emissions equipment is not a disadvantage to performance but it does add significantly to the price of the new models with emissions?

 

[diesel466]

I owned a ex3200 and liked the design, But when I had a problem, it turned into a nightmare. The dealer was a lawn and garden shop and when it came to working on the engine they had no one to work on a diesel. After two months of screwing around and taking it to a different dealer it got "fixed" So unless you have a good dealer with diesel techs, I would not buy a Yanmar.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . .

Based on price, and frankly appearance, I like the Yanmar a little better but I am concerned about resale and service. The local dealer (very Small) says they will provide the service needed but they have no service technicians on site or even a building for performing service in. Yanmar presence in AZ seems pretty thin. I suspect I could find a technician for service I need to pay for but am concerned about warranty service, etc. Kubota dealer and service is very plentiful but as far as I can calculate I'm probably looking at $3-5,000 difference between the comparable Yanmar verse Kubota.

. . . .

I think you answered your own question. The $3,000 - $5,000 savings won't mean much if your Yanmar is busted and you can't get it fixed.

There's no way I would consider buying a Yanmar (or any other brand) if getting warranty service was sketchy. Even though most tractors are well built these days, things can and do go wrong sometimes. Having a warranty is useless if there's no competent shop to perform the service.