Yanmar makes an excellent tractor and their engines are in the John Deere tractors.Most of the refurb. tractor are just painted and cleaned up for looks. We have 7 at our ranch

 

I thought most grey-market come from Japan, and really have to be a used machine to qualify as a grey-market. They can't be imported at new, as they do not have USA safety & emissions standards.

--->Paul

 

The only problem with the grey-market tractors can be obtaining parts for them. The companies don't like them being here, because it cuts into their new tractor sales.

My dad bought a grey-market Kubota back in the 80's. It's been a good tractor, but the local Kubota dealer won't sell us any parts for it. Once they realized it was a grey-market, they wouldn't even talk to us. I tried to get a radiator cap for it once, and their reply was, "Sorry, can't help you." I went down the road to the local auto parts and had one in two minutes for $6.00.

 

Yanmar makes an excellent tractor and their engines are in the John Deere tractors.Most of the refurb. tractor are just painted and cleaned up for looks. We have 7 at our ranch

We're yours "factory refurbished"? I am worried about getting a Frankenstein tractor. Made from non-matching parts. I am pretty handy as a mechanic but there are large parts I wouldn't want to have to replace.

 

I thought most grey-market come from Japan, and really have to be a used machine to qualify as a grey-market. They can't be imported at new, as they do not have USA safety & emissions standards.

--->Paul

The tractors are built originally in Japan. Importers take them to Vietnam to be painted and fixed up before bringing them here.

 

my Yanmar 1700D is an awsome little work horse, but it is too small to move a round bale with a spike. it runs great and starts fast, I have noticed a leak around the axles but not enough too freak out about. I did have to rebuild the starter right after I got it.

 

I have a ''list'' of tractor Dealers you need Yanmar, Shibaura, Hinomoto, Mitsubishi, Iskie parts I have dealer you can get almost any part for your tractor.
The biggest problem is sometimes there is not enough weight for the tractor to do the job like the 1700 Yanmar that will not move a round bale.We get our tractors straight from Japan and import them to refur.them (all we dom is change the oils,filters and paint them when needed, and have the kids road test them around the ranch afew times to make sure everything works). and sell to support the Ostrich Ranch (since people are not knocking down our doors anymore to buy them. If any one needs grey market parts tell me the make and model and I will get you phone# for the dealer that can help you

 

Not all yanmars are redone in Vietnam, but the ones that are done there are where the horror stories come from. As far as I know, there is no easy way to tell where it came from. Just check the tractor out very, very, very carefully.
Parts are getting eaiser to find everyday. The people at Hoye tractor are great to work with, and have interactive parts menu, that allow you to click on the part of the tractor, then find the picture of the part you need. Makes it easy to get the right part without knowing the right name.

My little 1500D has been a workhorse for not alot of money; allowing me to get a tractor that is 4x4 without breaking the bank. That being said though... Despite any reworking that was given these tractors, the are still old machines that spent the the first half of their lives sitting in a rice patty. You must be comfortable with working on them yourself, or have a good friend that is, since you will not have the dealer support that other tractor owners have.

Also, they do not have seat belts, ROPS, neutral safety switches, or just about any other safety equipment that newer tractors have. These little machines will kill you if you are not careful, or do not pay attention. To begin with, most of them are narrow machines that do not like slopes at all. They like to roll over on them, and you will not have any protection if it does. I have run construction equipment and larger farm equipment on slopes steeper than 1:1, but I will not take my 1500D on hardly any slope.
They also will start in gear and will stay running and will run over you... or your livestock or your kids. Be careful.

As long as you know what you are getting into, they can be great little machines that will save you lots of work. Also you might read up at Tractorbynet. There are alot of yuppies on that site that buy what would be dream tractors for us, just to mow their yards, but there is tons of good info on alot of tractors as well.