Yanmar IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE

professor · May 12, 2005

I know that this has been discussed but I just have to vent. Last night when I was thumbing through a farm magazine enjoying the photos of new tractors which I can't afford and on page 12 was a full page warning paid for by Yanmar America. I naturally read it since I own a little 1401. I was horrified to learn how dangerous this machine is. For example:
No ROPS Gosh I really need this since I mow four acres with low hanging fruit tree branches. I wonder if JD, NH or Case will put full page ads concerning their no ROPS older tractors that their dealers sell every day.
NO Over-running clutch I bought one of these for approx. $40 so I guess I am safe here. I wish my friend had seen this before he ran his JD 40 up a sappling while bushhoging.
Some have no starter switch Safe here since my came equipped.
Throttle operates backward from most US built tractors This one really scares me.
Grey markets have mutiple PTO speeds. Heck I thought this was a plus or at least it was when my folks sold Olivers in the 60's.
Operators manuals and decals are in Japanese. I have a manual that is translated into English. I asked a couple of my friends that had bought used tractors at dealers about their manuals. You guessed it, What manual?
I am so worried that I couldn't sleep last night and probably won't tonight since I bought my tractor without THE CONCENT OF THE OWNER OF THE TRADEMARK. I guess I will have to ditch the tractor before I get a call from the Japanese Secret Police. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

no

cwarrix · May 12, 2005

Thanks for sharing professor, but now I too cannot sleep.

captain71c · May 13, 2005

I guess the Ford 8n, Ford 8oo, Massey 135, Case 540 that I have operated are all unsafe. What did we all do before the safety rules came to pass. I know, we used common sense. What a concept! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

rbeitz · May 13, 2005

Yanmar sure is going all out to scare people off from buying these grey market tractors. Really makes you wonder why.

Normmm · May 13, 2005

Law suite. Search Google for yanmar Alabama and probably other states. We all know that anything bad that happens to us is someone else's fault we should be able to punish the offender so "IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN". We need someone to protect us from ourselves. I have been operating tractors since I was 8. I have never wrecked one but I do remember an allis Chalmers b with a 5 foot bushhog( the real McCoy 1200 lbs seems like) That huge flywheel really gave that little tractor some more power. You really hat to think what you were going to do when you came to the end of the feels or approach an obstacle. I do not know if there were such a thing as an add-on overrun clutch in 1963 but we did not have one. I was only 16 at the time but I knew that thing was dangerous. Just like the sickle mower, bush-n-bog disk,250 gallon pto driven sprayer. Also any other farm equipment that you can buy, use or think of.

Not to worry someone else is responsible for what I do with the sharp pocket knife I carry. Yes the right lawyer and jury helped by the right newspaper will prove it. Is there a sticker saying that there is a danger of being cut by the thing that is supposed to cut like the one on my rotary cutter.

Jagmandave · May 13, 2005

Well, we've all been thru this many times on this forum. The opinion also was raised that this in someway has to do with their returning to the US market, getting in a pre-emptive foundation against any lawsuits when they return here. I think there may be some substance to this idea (their coming back to this market) but while I understand their need to protect themselves finacially from lawsuits over these issues, I think condemming and abandoning such a loyal group of tractor owners and future buyers is a mistake...........

Ozarker · May 15, 2005

All this could be solved for future generations if we could just get a hunting season on lawyers....................

Jagmandave · May 15, 2005

Well, as my son is an attorney, I'll have to respectfully disagree. I also would point out that there are lots of different types of lawyers, just as there are different types in all other industries. You can't just lump them into one big pile and condemn them all, much as that's popular to do these days.......
I know how hard he worked and how much sacrifice it took finacially to achieve his position, and I feel he provides a service, just like many others. I'm not calling for an end to the jokes, I laugh at them too, but killing anyone is rarely the answer............
I'll climb down off my soapbox now........... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

86turbodsl · May 15, 2005

You have two problems here.

1. You have a system where the lawyer(s) get paid as a percentage of the settlement, regardless of whether it makes
sense.
2. You have a lack of accountability on the part of most citizens in the USA. Stuff just happens sometimes.

One of these really needs to be changed. I'm willing to bet the latter isn't going to be it.

Ozarker · May 16, 2005

If you opened a hunting season on Lawyers there wouldn't be any Lawyers to hunt.

I heard another good solution the other day. One that would probably work and is actually something that could be done. Just tax contingency fees at a 90% rate.