Reconditioned Japanese Tractors

[Randy Rooster]

Im wondering if any one here has any experience buying one of these and what they think about them. There are a couple of web sites I fond that are out of Texas which sell Mahindra, Yanmar, Mitsubishi, and one made by kubota but called by another name. They are mostly compact tractors, some up to about 38 hp, but I think one of the larger ones would be about right for my needs. I currently own a Belarus that is rated at 28 hp- its the AS 250. I want to upgrade but not break the bank, but on the other hand want to get away from all the Cheap Tractor headaches Ive lived with for the last 8 years.

[clsmith15]

I personally don't have experience with them but I have a neighbor who has had one for several years now and has been happy with it. I'm not sure which brand.

[Rowdy]

I have a grey market yanmar 1500D that has been a lifesaver. It is tiny, but powerful. However, there are things you need to consider before diving in on a grey market tractor. Tractorbynet would be a good start. They have a discussion board much like this one... mostly yuppies, but they know their tractors.

[pigeonracer2k]

I run a Mahindra tactor which I bought new 18 months ago. The only problem I have suffered is the shuttle cable snapped. I thought the design was not that good so made a new stronger linkage and now its fine.Mine is 41HP, 4 wheel drive and has been used hard for those 18 months. For the price I am pleased with its performance and reliability.
2 small complaints, no tool box and no cigarette lighter/outlet.

[CGUARDSMAN]

I thought Mahindra was made in India???

[PonderosaQ]

My husband has a Yanmar. He did a lot of research on the tractor, availability of parts etc before buying it and has been very pleased with it.
PQ

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Around here the only people with Jap stuff is the yuppie types....5 acres and 3 horses! No one who really works with their equipment uses imports. Don't know if that's due to poor quality or prejudice! Seems to me it's better to stick with tractors that have been around a long time, and so have not only parts available but many tractors in junkyards for salvage.

All our stuff is used, US made, and is 30 + years old without major problems....show me an import that will still be running well in 30 years!

[Randy Rooster]

Dont want to fight, but Kubota has an excellent reputation about anywhere from what Ive been told. I even saw an old John deere farmer driving a new one this past summer making hay.

[buffalocreek]

Beware of those "reconditioned" utility tractors. Some of them come out of Vietnam, I've read, and they just basically fix the obvious broken things, clean them up and slap a new coat of paint on them and ship them back to the US. Yanmar, by the way, makes John Deere tractors now.

[Rowdy]

Originally Posted by RosewoodfarmVA

Around here the only people with Jap stuff is the yuppie types....5 acres and 3 horses! No one who really works with their equipment uses imports. Don't know if that's due to poor quality or prejudice! Seems to me it's better to stick with tractors that have been around a long time, and so have not only parts available but many tractors in junkyards for salvage.

Actually, most of the tractors Randy listed are used 10-30 years in Japan before they are shipped over here. My Yanmar was made between 1975-1978. Grey Market import tractors are used in Japan for quite awhile, then cleaned up and shipped all over the world. Some are better than others.
On the _most_ part they are solid, sturdy tractors that to me compare more to the older US tractors than the newer ones. Often they have 4x4, which is hard to find on older US tractors in the same price range.

They do tend to be smaller tractors though, and that does limit their usefulness for larger operations. However, I have seen and worked for several dirt work companies that have used the tiny machines to get into tight areas. I have put 50 hours on one of these grey market tractors in a week more than once, and while I was uncomfortable due to the tiny seat, the tractor did everything I asked of it. However, I think the butts of Japanese farmers are smaller than mine!

All our stuff is used, US made, and is 30 + years old without major problems....show me an import that will still be running well in 30 years!

Here is my little yanmar in front of a D6M. The Yanmar is somewhere between 29 and 32 years old, and gets used almost daily


Big Texan on Tiny Tractor... Actually, I was building up and leveling the subgrade on my driveway before adding gravel.


For awhile I was making money shredding and doing small dirt jobs with the pictured tractor.

[Rowdy]

Originally Posted by buffalocreek

Beware of those "reconditioned" utility tractors. Some of them come out of Vietnam, I've read, and they just basically fix the obvious broken things, clean them up and slap a new coat of paint on them and ship them back to the US. Yanmar, by the way, makes John Deere tractors now.

Yes, some of the Yanmars, and other grey market tractors are routed through Vietnam, and there have been some major problems. The key is to either find a dealer who will stand behind his stuff, or go other the tractor with a fine tooth comb (just like one should anyway) before buying.

Yanmar is actually just making the engines for some of the JD tractors (under 40HP) such as the 790 and 990 tractors. I am looking to upgrade some something slightly bigger and keep the yanmar for mowing, but a new 790 runs about $15,000 while my little Yanmar cost me $3000, and it has just about paid for itself with the mowing jobs I did last summer. I've heard that Deere is going to stop making the 90 series tractors... which is sad. They are tough little machines that remind me of the older tractors than the new ones.

[Batt]

Originally Posted by RosewoodfarmVA

All our stuff is used, US made, and is 30 + years old without major problems....show me an import that will still be running well in 30 years!

How about my 1977 Yanmar 2500. Parts are a phone call away, and I get the right part, not some teeny bopper who finds something that looks like it on the computer. While my little tractor won't run the big round baler, it does a fine job of running the mower and rake. As well as a brush hog, disc, single bottom plow, 3 point hay bale spike and front loader hay spike, blade for the gravel road and fence post drill. It is true that you need to be aware of the Vietnamese rebuilds. But a good one will do a lot of work for you. BTW, I've been told that is is the same engine as a John Deere model 860. Indeed Yanmar built quite a few of the engines for the smaller John Deeres for many years.
Oh,yeah, the 4 foot, 3 point mounted garden tiller...That is a time saver.

[vtfarma]

We bought a used Mitsubishi Stallion about 10 years ago. We have had to replace the battery once and a battery terminal because it got snapped - our fault and a headlight and a bracket for the bucket hydraulics, It is a full size tractor - don't remember the hp but it does everything we ask of it and then some. We use it to feed out round bales, it plows the garden with our 3 bottom plows, tills with a 5 foot rototiller, has a huge brushhog on it that we use in our business. It is by far the best tractor that we have had. We researched the availability of parts and reliability before we bought and have had no trouble. Yes we had a 1945 Farmall before this one. Sure it had issues - it was made in the usa which was the big plus but we bought the best tractor money could buy and the mitsubishi was the one with the best price. We have not regretted this purchase at all. It starts in the winter here in VT all the time which compared to the old farmall that had the transmission that would freeze at 10 degrees and would start only if you built a wood fire under it for 4 days (or parked it in the living room so it was warm all the time)

Laurie

[sidepasser]

Another vote for Yanmar, mine has been used hard and was quite a deal and can be used with attachments. No problem getting parts either, I buy direct from the company I bought my tractor from. The tractor came with a warranty as well.

love my little tractor and added hydraulics this year. I can say that it has NEVER broke down in the 4 years I have had it. The starter went bad, and I had a replacement the next day after ordering it.

If they came in large sizes, I would buy another. Oh and the really cool thing is the whole setup cost me much less overall. I have 5500 invested in tractor, trailer, bushhog, finish mower, and a drag used for dragging the driveway or smoothing ground. I have added other things like a tiller, potatoe plow, haypoint, and boom pole.

Got mine in Alabama from a guy who has imported these for years and he completely refurbishes them. Nice guy and is easy to work with.

[Jim S.]

I am going to tell you that these are not the same quality nor are they the same ruggedness as the name brands. For example, the Kubota gray-market machine you refer to was just in my friend's shop because the tranny gave out. The mainshaft gear on that tranny is completely different and much smaller than the Kubotas use, and it took 3 weeks to order it.

[hunter63]

Originally Posted by CGUARDSMAN

I thought Mahindra was made in India???

Yes it is, and they are new and in this area sold by the JD dealer as 60% of the parts are supposed to be interchangeable.

I bought a 30HP 4 wheeled hydrostatic drive in 2005 and had no trouble with it except for a fuse problem, which the dealer guy actually drove out to my place (about 1 hr) and fixed it on the spot. Warranty.

[ninny]

Yo, Rowdy, from one Texan to another Texan, you need a bigger tractor. (little humor here)


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[Rowdy]

Originally Posted by ninny

Yo, Rowdy, from one Texan to another Texan, you need a bigger tractor. (little humor here)


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lol, yeah, i know, but my tiny tractor matches my tiny wallet! :baby04: Luckily, I have a second job that allows me to sometiems borrow a dozer, dump truck, blade or track loader depending on if they are busy or not.

[neolady]

One thing to watch for on the grey market rebuilds is where they have come from. They usually do not have the safety features that tractors built for the North American market past and present have. Many of those rebuilds have also been in a lot of water - i.e. rice paddies. Beware rusted parts.

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Sorry for the confusion....I meant to say "show me a NEW import tractor that'll be in good running condition in 30 years." I'm sure that older imports are better made than the new ones! Same as in the US. All I can say is that the newer imports that Ive seen seem to be more plastic and cheap parts, just like more new cars are getting to be. Tractors with plastic/fiberglass hoods and wheel fenders and cabs just don't seem "farm-worthy" to me! Even if I could afford a NEW name brand tractor, I would still get a used one. Even JD and NH are going to plastic and cheaper parts. I've seen almost new tractors with less than 1000 hours in the shop for hydrostatic tranny replacement, major engine probs, etc. I'd rather have a well kept older US made tractor than any new US made one, because even here in the US plastic is taking over and many of the components are outsourced.

Another problem though....even if it's well made, where do you find the parts for a 20 year old import? Mail order? I can get most any parts for US equipment at any of the local farm equip. places, usually off the storage shelf, and at reasonable prices (OK, so JD is a little high). Are there really that many places around that service/stock parts for imports?