Yanmar F215D - 5000 hours

[dboso]

Hello

I'm looking to buy my first tractor.
I found a Yanmar 215D with loader that seems acceptable for my needs. My only concern is the 5000 hours on the tractor. Would it be a bad idea to buy such an old tractor with this hour count? How many hours can one expect from a subcompact Yanmar engine that is 30 years old?
The asking price is 4000$

Any input welcome

 

[rScotty]

Something is off. The price is too low. So you are right to be suspicious. However.....

It's not the hours, it's the condition. A diesel with 5000 hours is getting old - but that just means that the eventual total rebuild is closer than it was with half that many hours. It doesn't mean that it is going to suddenly stop working.

What I do with old machines is to see how they start from cold, and then use them for 30 minutes to an hour. Half the time loading the PTO and the other half traveling and using the FEL. That is long enough for everything to heat up and any heat related problems to show.

If it starts easy when cold and then runs for that long moving and doing work then it will probably do the same for years yet.

Any old diesel will start well when warm; the first notice that a diesel is getting old is that it doesn't start well cold - but it still may work OK once started. A spare battery or plugging in a block heater - or Yanmar's built in "thermostart system" - are all fair ways to get it going on a cold winter morning. Starting fluid (Ether) IS NOT!!

So try it. That's the only way to know. Frankly, for the price I'd be very cautious - but worth a look.
rScotty

 

[dboso]

Thank you for the reply, that was very helpful
Ther tractor is located too far away, so I cannot inspect before purchase.

They do offer 1 year warranty. But maybe it's too risky, considering the price.

 

[5030]

I'd pass.

 

[rScotty]

If it's too far to go to inspect then it is way too far for a warranty to do any good.

That model was not sold on this side of the world, so it is a grey-market. So it is a tractor that was traded in on another by the original user - probably a ricefield farmer in Asia. He didn't want to keep it...Then those trade-ins are bought in bulk and imported to the US in a shipping crate with a few dozen others all disassembled. Add the cheapest loader made in the USA because farmers in Asia don't use loaders like we do. And divide by the fact that the model is NOT one of the desirable old vintage Yanmars - it's newer and without the parts or support the vintage models have. And then there is the fact that even with all those strikes, the price is weirdly low...

Well, you can take it from there.... Save yourself some money. I admire that you are willing to buy a mechanical project, but I bet you can find one locally for $4K with a better chance of eventually having a user.

Or get a good old US model tractor with a decent 3pt hitch and put a back end loader on it.
You can find a good reliable older tractor for $4K. It will be heavy, take some searching, and probably have a lot of wear, and will NOT have a front loader.... and you will still be better off.

 

[Yander]

I think it sounds like too much money for a 5,000 hour 15hp tractor that age.

 

[hornett22]

I agree, I'd pass.

 

[dboso]

Thanks for all your input.
I'm probably an idiot, but I went ahead and pulled the trigger anyway

I'll be back later with an update

 

[RjCorazza]

Thanks for all your input.
I'm probably an idiot, but I went ahead and pulled the trigger anyway

I'll be back later with an update

Be sure to include pictures!
When I was shopping for my first tractor (used) I had no idea what a gray market machine was. By chance I ended up with a usa market Japanese tractor. I got a lot of use out of that machine.

I suspect you will need to find out what the USA market equivalent of that tractor is, and order parts accordingly. Unlikely a Yanmar dealer will work on it, which may not be a big deal if you're willing to wrench on it. Depending on the source, diesel engines can go between 8,000 - 15,000 hours between rebuilds. I personally wouldn't be overly concerned with 5,000 hours if the machine is currently running well.

 

[YanmarFever]

I've had 3 F215-d machines, one I kept for 6 yrs, its 23hp at the pto, I put a koyker 120 loader on it.
Many of the parts that fit the f- fx series like the F195 F235 F255 will work.
Heck for $3000 bucks its a steal, if its a power shift model, do not shift from forward to reverse while the tractor is moving, kinda hard on the tranny.
I have an FX235-D that will run circles around other machines, with the quick-turn lever flipped on.

Also, welcome aboard TBN, most everyone here is helpful.