Yanmar Super Expensive?

Tractorable · Apr 9, 2017

Geosankie, you know the rules. We need pics of that new YT235. That's a bad lookin beastie!

Blue14 · Apr 9, 2017

GregP27 said:
Regarding when they got here and their performace, it doesn't matter. Look at the participation in here versus Kubota, Deere, and other big player forums. When I SEE a tractor dealer, it is almost never Yanmar.

I'd think of Yanmar if I wanted a deisel engine for a Marine application, even a turbo, but their inroad into tractors is NOT impressive, at least to me. In my mind, that equates to not many dealers.

Let's see 2 in eastern WA. None in Montana, Wyoming, or New Mexico. None in Nevada, none in Iowa. None in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. None on North Dakota. None in Arkansas.

Biggest inroads seem to be east coast. That does not impress me with dealer support. Might BE a great tractor and, given their reputation in the Marine engine world, I am automatically prejudiced toward a good opinion of their engines. But their tractors will have to be a great deal for me to even consider them as an option.

Opinions vary. I THINK they're a good tractor. But try finding one when you look for a tractor dealer in a LOT of places. Good luck. So, I'd need a VERY good price to go Yanmar, if only from perceived lack of dealer support and unknown parts availability as well as warranty reputation ... in the tractor world. In the Marine engine world, they're solid, but I don't see a prop on the back of a Yanmar tractor and I doubt the Marine dealers (numerous) will support one.

Not saying they aren't deserving of top ranking at all.

Rather, I'm saying, "I don't KNOW, and therefore need a reason to even LOOK at them. That reason would be a good price break over the established brands and, of course, a dealer with inventory somewhere near, who has been there awhile and is likely to survive."

I'm currently in the L.A. area. Never SEEN a Yanmar tractor here. Thinking of up around Spokane or Idaho. I have never seen one there, either, though there ARE a couple of dealers around. Lived in Tennessee. 2 dealers now, none when I was there, years ago.

So, you all get the point. If YOU pay a premium price for a Yanmar, that's dandy and OK. I'd need a good reason and don't see it. That said, I have nothing bad to say about a Yanmar, mostly because I've never seen one in person. The ONLY one I see is on a YouTube channel (Wrangerstar) and seems solid enough, but the difficulties HE had in just getting hydraulic couplings made me laugh. If you are in the compact tractor market as a vendor, use local standard hardware and couplings! Preferably, ones WE can get locally. Apparently, that wasn't the case in Oregon, for Cody. He DID get them, but it took several trips, including people who said thety knew, and they had it in stock! Wrong ...

So, price and implement deals would be the carrots. And they aren't, as far as I can tell.

Hope all you Yanmar owners out there get great service and little trouble. I'd even expect the little trouble part. But I don't want one until I can see it working in person and see it continuing to get dealer support.

The US market is NOT easy for newcomers when there are established players already.

I was on Yanmar Tractor website and did a dealers search within 100 miles of my zip code and 17 dealership sites showed up oh and by the way I live in south central Penna. So when you said their were no dealers in the entire state of Penna, where are you getting your information?

rustyshakelford · Apr 9, 2017

At that price point why didn't you consider any Deere tractors?

Brett

GregP27 · Apr 10, 2017

Hi Blue 14.

Used the Yanmar dealership map, on a Yanmar website I found for tractor dealers. No, I don't know which one as I never memorize URLs. If it isn't easy to find, I don't need it. The map was a slight bit unclear, but shows quite a few on the east coast, dropping well off as you go west.

Once again, I do NOT have a bad opinion of Yanmar, and am inclined to like them (Japanese and also made by the King of Marine deisels, Yanmar). But I also won't pay top dollar for a an apparently relatively scarce tractor. That usually doesn't mean bad IN service; it usually DOES mean a bit of time and hassle when parts and sevice are needed, especially if they're a long way off from wherever you are.

IF the tractors are similar to Yanmar Marine deisels, then they're good units (at least the engines!). I am assuming that is the case until and unless proven otherwise. So far, it hasn't been, and I'm not really looking for it to be so. But I WOULD rather have a dealer within 15 - 20 miles than within 150 or more. If an operator can have luck, it can be good or bad. With my luck, if the dealer is close, I'll have little trouble. If the dealer is far away, I'd get a lemon! It sort of works out that way.

C'est la vie ... hope all your Yanmars are as good and solid as I expect then to be. But they DO need to break into the top-tier market somehow. Pricing them above the best of the established brands isn't the way, at least in the U.S. market ... normally. To make a change to a newer, unproven brand (in a lot of places, anyway) , most U.S. people need a deal. Nothing else intended.

Cheers to you.

Tractorable · Apr 12, 2017

I don't see that Yanmar is pricing their tractors above the established brands. However, as it's been said multiple times in this thread, Yanmar really needs to work on their marketing. They have new tractors available in dealers right now but they don't have a "build and price" option on their website. This would alleviate all this conjecture about the price of new Yanmar's. So I'm going to send a message to Yanmar Corporate:

HEY YANMAR! YOU HAVE GOOD LOOKING QUALITY TRACTORS THAT MANY PEOPLE WANT TO BUY, BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO GET PRICING ON THEM TO COMPARE WITH OTHER BRANDS BECAUSE YOU DONT HAVE A BUILD AND PRICE OPTION ON YOUR WEBSITE. PLEASE FIX THAT ASAP!

For what it's worth, the prices quoted to me from dealers is as follows: $25K for a YT235 ROPS; $32k for a YT347 ROPS; $35k for a YT347 ROPS; and $37K for a YT359 ROPS; all with loaders, and the 347/359 come with the new iHMT.

So yes, pricing is not consistent across the map. Generally, with Kubota you can expect real world pricing to be 10% off the MSRP quoted on their website. The same may be true for JD. Either way, Yanmar needs to put their cards on the table if they want to play.

Tractorable · Apr 13, 2017

I just spec'd out a Kubota L4760 ROPS with loader and two rear remotes to compare it to the two quotes I got above on the YT347. This is an apples to apples comparison because the Yanmar has the same bells and whistles as the Grand L except that it puts out more power to the PTO and has a higher loader lift capacity.

MSRP on the L4760 came to $40K so factoring in their average 10% discount that comes to about $36K. The Yanmar is coming in at between $32-35K for a tractor with similar or even better specs.

Blue14 · Apr 13, 2017

I got a quote on a Yanmar YT347C Cab with loader from a dealer with his normal discount off MSRP of $39,799 before any incentives or taxes,I also got a quote from a dealer for a Kubota Grand L 4760 Cab with loader with his normal discount off MSRP of $41,950 before taxes or any incentives with the Yanmar $2,151 dollars cheaper and the Yanmar YT347C comes with a set of rear remotes standard where as it is an option on the Kubota and as (Tractorable) quoted above the Yanmar has better lift capacity. My opinion is the new Yanmar YT series are a cut above in quality and workmanship,I have been a long time Kubota owner of 3 new Kubotas presently owning a B2650 Rops and I am very seriously considering the purchase of a YT347C Cab after test driving one this past Monday.

Tractorable · Apr 13, 2017

That is so awesome Blue14. If you do end up getting the YT347C you will have to make a YouTube video and give us all the details since Yanmar and dealerships haven't put much out there on these tractors. That YT347C is one good looking machine.

Some things I'd like to know is A) how the real-world pricing stacks up to the competitors, B) how the iHMT compares to a HST and shuttle shift, C) how serviceable is the tractor and iHMT, D) what features come standard, and E) how the loader and 3pt specs compare to the competitors.

I think what Yanmar is doing here is really pretty good. Building on their stellar reputation in the marine and construction industries, they develop an innovative new tractor with high quality fit and finish at a price point just below their target competitors. Nice

azeller22 · Apr 21, 2017

Just called a Yanmar dealer by Springfield to get a quote on some parts for the SA424, they told me they aren't carrying the Yanmars anymore but will still be selling the parts for a couple months. Sounded like they just couldn't move the Yanmars on their lot so they stopped carrying them. Kinda sad! Since their engines are awesome!