Yanmar Tractors? Input please

If you get a tractor with a loader, your uses for it will grow exponentially.

__________________
"Luck is the residue of design" - Branch Rickey

Yeah because everyone around here will want to borrow it....I don't think so, lol. I've been here for 8 yrs now and we've just had the neighbor bushhog our pasture...other than that we haven't really needed one, but it would be nice not to have to borrow anymore.

__________________
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

Problem with buying a Yanmar, or really ANY "off" brand tractor can be parts down the road. Were I you, I would stick to New Holland, John Deere, and Kubota.....depending on which has the strongest dealership in your immediate area.

Don't get me wrong....my first tractor was a 22hp (3cyl) Yanmar I bought new in 1986 when Yanmar was still importing them under their own name to the US ( Prior to cutting a deal with John Deere )....it was a GREAT tractor.....stout, never used the heater to start....simply great....but the best tractor in the world is still a boat anchor if you need a part that keeps it from running. AND really avoid if this is a 'gray' market tractor....one not built for the US. Neighbor of mine bought a 'gray' Kubota....got a "great deal" until he when to buy tires for it, and found out the wheel size took a tire that NOBODY IN THE US had ! ....he could either buy them out of Japan ( and wait months for delivery, pay customs duty, etc ) OR buy new wheels that would take US tires.....suddenly, it wasn't such a 'deal'.

But as time went on, I was finding it harder to get parts, and the size was really too small to put much of a front loader on.....so in 1998, I sold it, and bought a New Holland 1925 (33hp) with a 7308 loader. That is about the minimum size tractor for a loader IMHO....below that, and the loaders are simply too small to be of any real use.

Will John Deere parts work on a Yanmar ? Yes...some will, but others won't. For example, I broke the lift arm on mine.....lift arm for a John Deere of similar model won't work.....they sized it larger for the JD. But some filters, and such will interchange....just don't count on being able to go the JD dealer and get parts.

Another thing.....4wh drive is like having 50% more tractor on a small tractor....you simply wouldn't believe the difference until you use a 4x4 for a while, then slip it out of 4x4 mode and try to use it.....you'll wonder "what the heck happened to my tractor ? " I would never buy a tractor that isn't 4x4 unless you get up into a really large tractor.

OK....now feel free to disregard the above, and go buy the tractor.....ahahahahaaaaaaaaa

In the future, I think anybody's parts will be hard to find. The tractor market is now global, as is production.

Even on Big Green's lot, you'll see tractors produced in four different countries. You can't convince me that parts will be available for all of them in 25 years...and a good tractor will last a lot longer than 25 years, if maintained. So I don't think anybody's future parts availability is cast in stone.

I guess I'm lucky...I can still get every part for my Romainian-made 1973 Long...even down to the sheetmetal and lugnuts...but that is highly unusual.

My DH has had one for about 6 years and he uses it frequently and it is a good tractor but of course it is not going to do what a larger tractor with a loader can do. He bushhogs, disks, pulls, pushes and whatever else he can think of. Cash's Cowgirl, you sure are right about Louisiana being flat. My family is in North LA and it is flat.

Back to the subject at hand...

If I knew the tractor and the price is right, I'd give it serious consideration. Even on just 4 acres, a small tractor is handier than an extra shirt pocket...IMO.

Yanmar engine is what is in my John Deere 950...... That tells me they are o.k.

I've had a YM1601 for 3 yrs now and finished mowed 3ac and bushed 5 since I got it. Only failure so far is battery and regulator. I got a Kabota regulator to bolt right up.

I use a blade to scrape the drive and the snow and have yet to use the tiller that came with it. I did use a disc last year to work the 5 ac to plant grass and it handled it fine.

I will agree that I really wish I had a loader, so much more that I could and would do. I also agree with the tire issue, really would like to have some turf tires but so far wont spring for the cost.

Later
Ed

FWIW, the entire 950 tractor is made by Japan, by Yanmar. JD just made sure they are good and were painted green.

I don't know this tractor in particular but I'll warn you ahead of time:
Tractors make you want to spend money on the great attachments! Besides the standard mower, maybe a manure spreader (our old one spreads by the standard method as well as what fall out of the rusted out spots!), post hole digger & 60" tiller (how did I do without those?), and now anxiously awaiting the arrival of a wood chipper.
Good luck with your purchase!

LOL!

So I went and looked at it today...not bad. Looks good for it's age, runs well, just my size (I'm under 5'2" and didn't want a huge tractor). He did some repair work to it already. We are able to call him if we need something or something is not working right. He's said that we could have it for less than his asking price which I think is great because his asking price is higher than I want to spend.

Hubby is going to talk with him tomorrow.

__________________
Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa