Can a Yanmar compare....

[Lions_TX]

To a John Deere? To a Kubota? To a FarmPro? To a Mahindra?

Here is my dillema... I see Yanmar advertised as priced "thousands (of dollars) below other tractors and i am curious as to how accurate that is.

For example: I seen a Mahindra 26hp, front wheel assist, hst, with FEL with 40 hours on it. The list price new was approx. 18,000, it was for sale for 12,500. A saveings of over 5000 bucks or over 1/4 of the original price. I would imagine that, that price would continue to drop as more hours were put on the machine.

OK so a brand new Mahindra 20hp, with loader cost approx. 11,500 with a 3 year warranty. Using the same formula as the larger machine, by time it has some hours on it, it will only be worth about 8,000. A comprible Yanmar with ??? hours on it presently goes for approx. the same and it does not have the pto shield or ROPS and minimal if any warranty.

So, my question is this, are Yanmar tractors that good that they hold such a high resale value even though they have high or unknown hours on them? With such high resale value can they really be compared to a Deere?

When i had first began looking for a tractor, i had seriously thought that Yanmar was the way to go for me, at this point i am not so sure.

Here is another example: A 2wd small Yanmar with no pto shield, nor ROPS, sells for approx. 3000 with a short limited warranty. A brand new comprible FarmPro with the shield and ROPS and a 30 month warranty sells for approx. 4000, thats brand new everything from the bottom of the tires to the top of the exaust stack, to me the extended warranty with all new parts is well worth the extra 1000, not to mention that the ROPS is worth that. So is Yanmar that good that it is worth more then a brand new machine with such a warranty and safety equiptment? How can such be marketed as "thousands less"? One with common understanding should be able to see that "upgrading" the safety features would make a used machine more then a brand new one, and it is still short the warranty period.

I'm really confused why these tractors are worth so much? Why do other tractors loose such value after so many hours but a Yanmar that is starting with so many hours is worth so much?

Do Yanmar hold their resale value that good? Like if i buy a rebuilt Yanmar and put 80-100 hours (about 2 hours a week) on it in a year, how much is that going to devalue the tractor considering it has hundreds if not thousands of hours on it to begin with?

Now before any one confuses my concern with bashing i would like to make it perfectly clear that i am considering a major purchase. The cost of a 8000.-12,000. tractor buys alot of Toyota truck that i am very sure will hold its value. It can also buy me a very solid used tractor from several other brand names and again i am pretty sure it will hold its "used" value. I just want to know what is so special about them that they command such high prices? Is a 20 year old Yanmar really worth the same as 10 year old Kubota? Is it really worth the same as a brand new FarmPro? Is it really fair to compare price differences to a name like Deere?

Here is another issue of concern, it is my understanding that in the places these tractors are originally used they are used under a co-op system. I could well imagine that if i had to share my tractor with a bunch of my neighbors, we would have no problem turning the 3 digit hour meter over in a year, defently in 2 years. That is why i say unknown hours.

If any one can shed some light on these concerns/issues i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks...
Lions

 

[California]

You gotta go back and read a lot of old posts here to get the whole picture. Here's part of it -

Yanmar quality really is that good. Just as good as Toyota in cars, where a 6 year old Toyota is worth more than a 3 year old Taurus. (And I think Kubota is as good as Yanmar only the marketing is different.)

The Chinese tractors just aren't comparable according to dealers here who have sold both. Somebody once quoted a Chinese designer saying the lowest cost ones, the ones you are comparing, are purpose-built for American weekend gardeners and were never designed to compete in heavy work.

Comparison to Deere: 30 years ago Deere watched Yanmar (along with Kubota) enter the US small-tractor market and realized they didn't have a product to compete. So they contracted Yanmar to build their compact tractors for them and labelled them Deeres. Comparing a Yanmar to a Deere is really a Yanmar/Yanmar comparison until you get up to the recent models where Yanmar provides only a couple of models. Deere continues to put Yanmar engines in many smaller models. I hope this answers the 'quality compared to Deere' question.

There are a couple kinds of Yanmars available. The first is simply used tractors imported in good condition, reconditioned by replacing the seat, maybe the muffler, and fixing a couple of minor neglected items. They may have a few scratches on them, no big deal. There are good dealers posting here who sell these. These continue Yanmar's well earned reputation.

The next category is the Vietnam rebuilts. These have about a man-month of labor in them and the appearance is invariably immaculate. If you need to impress the new neighbors or your riding-stable customers these might be the first thing you consider. However - the real quality as a working tractor can be simply unknown. Many posters here have won the gamble and have excellent and gorgeous VN rebuilts. A few have posted endlessly about endless problems - clear down to Yanmar logos on a non-Yanmar machine that nobody can identify. If you have the experience to size up the quality of the individual tractor you might buy, these can be an excellent value. Not a good choice for a sight-unseen ebay auction!

There's a third category, nearly impossible to find: Yanmar had dealers here 30 years ago and there are real American-version Yanmars around. This is what I have. (Unreconditioned, and looks it!) But these are rare. I think the gray-market Yanmars here now must outnumber them by some large multiple - maybe 100:1??

One last thought. A 20 year old Yanmar may be fairly priced by comparison to a new Mahindra etc, but there are advantages and disadvantages to buying new. The older Yanmars are intentionally simple and can probably be kept running for many years similar to the old American tractors. On the other hand modern technology needs specialized diagnostic tools and contains parts, for example computer circuits, that you simply have to obtain from the factory. If you earn your living with it, buying new and having a dealer who will come out for service calls may make sense. If this will be one of several tractors owned or it is non-critical hobby use then choosing a Yanmar for its lower purchase and maintenance costs may allow more tractor for the dollar.

 

[normde2001]

Gosh guys, I only read the first 1" or 2 of a post. Yanmar and new FarmPro, (Chinese), have always been considered about equally priced, a matter of preference. You are speculating on non-existent Mahindras. You would have to show me a dozen or so of those tractors at those prices, and where to get parts for them.

 

[1danny]

To a John Deere? To a Kubota? To a FarmPro? To a Mahindra?

Here is my dillema... I see Yanmar advertised as priced "thousands (of dollars) below other tractors and i am curious as to how accurate that is.

For example: I seen a Mahindra 26hp, front wheel assist, hst, with FEL with 40 hours on it. The list price new was approx. 18,000, it was for sale for 12,500. A saveings of over 5000 bucks or over 1/4 of the original price. I would imagine that, that price would continue to drop as more hours were put on the machine.

OK so a brand new Mahindra 20hp, with loader cost approx. 11,500 with a 3 year warranty. Using the same formula as the larger machine, by time it has some hours on it, it will only be worth about 8,000. A comprible Yanmar with ??? hours on it presently goes for approx. the same and it does not have the pto shield or ROPS and minimal if any warranty.

So, my question is this, are Yanmar tractors that good that they hold such a high resale value even though they have high or unknown hours on them? With such high resale value can they really be compared to a Deere?

When i had first began looking for a tractor, i had seriously thought that Yanmar was the way to go for me, at this point i am not so sure.

Here is another example: A 2wd small Yanmar with no pto shield, nor ROPS, sells for approx. 3000 with a short limited warranty. A brand new comprible FarmPro with the shield and ROPS and a 30 month warranty sells for approx. 4000, thats brand new everything from the bottom of the tires to the top of the exaust stack, to me the extended warranty with all new parts is well worth the extra 1000, not to mention that the ROPS is worth that. So is Yanmar that good that it is worth more then a brand new machine with such a warranty and safety equiptment? How can such be marketed as "thousands less"? One with common understanding should be able to see that "upgrading" the safety features would make a used machine more then a brand new one, and it is still short the warranty period.

I'm really confused why these tractors are worth so much? Why do other tractors loose such value after so many hours but a Yanmar that is starting with so many hours is worth so much?

Do Yanmar hold their resale value that good? Like if i buy a rebuilt Yanmar and put 80-100 hours (about 2 hours a week) on it in a year, how much is that going to devalue the tractor considering it has hundreds if not thousands of hours on it to begin with?

Now before any one confuses my concern with bashing i would like to make it perfectly clear that i am considering a major purchase. The cost of a 8000.-12,000. tractor buys alot of Toyota truck that i am very sure will hold its value. It can also buy me a very solid used tractor from several other brand names and again i am pretty sure it will hold its "used" value. I just want to know what is so special about them that they command such high prices? Is a 20 year old Yanmar really worth the same as 10 year old Kubota? Is it really worth the same as a brand new FarmPro? Is it really fair to compare price differences to a name like Deere?

Here is another issue of concern, it is my understanding that in the places these tractors are originally used they are used under a co-op system. I could well imagine that if i had to share my tractor with a bunch of my neighbors, we would have no problem turning the 3 digit hour meter over in a year, defently in 2 years. That is why i say unknown hours.

If any one can shed some light on these concerns/issues i would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks...
Lions

If you buy a Yanmar from a dealer that sells UTDA certified tractors it will have ROPS, PTO sheild, over run clutch, and a warranty. I sold Farmpro/Jinma for about a year but had too many problems with them. I would not buy a JD with Yanmar engine at this time because of parts problems. JD either won't or can't buy parts from Yanmar, ( at least thats what I've been told ) and Yanmar Parts dealers can no longer order JD parts from Yanmar. I have customers right now with JD tractors with yanmar engines that need parts and can't find them.

Danny

 

[kenmac]

I know I shouldn't do this .............A chinese or a yanmar

 

[LMTC]

I know I shouldn't do this .............A chinese or a yanmar

Really. Kind of like the choice between, oh, say being beaten with a blunt instrument or eating a gourmet meal .

The JD parts issue is not widely known, but we are hearing the same kinds of things it sounds like Danny is hearing. I've heard it from another dealer as well, so I'd say where there's smoke..........well, you know.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I owned a YM 1700 for 14 years mostly running a 5' finish mower. I purchased the unit with 667 hours on it. When I traded it in she had over 1250 hours on it. In the 14 years of ownership I bought 2 new front tires, changed out the seat, and performed regular service on the tractor. Needless to say I am a BIG FAN OF YANMARS. Mine was absolutely bulletproof.

Now the key to that tractor was that I purchased her from a reputable dealer that only dealt in Grade A units from Japan. The tractor had a fresh coat of paint and all fluids changed out from the dealer when I got her. I have no doubt that the 667 hours showing on the meter was accurate eventhough the YM 1700 was a 1975 model.

So, in essence, if you can get a reputable dealer to sell you a Yanmar that is a good unit then you will have absolutely zero issues with her. No offense to folks that own Chineese tractors. I still feel that a good used Yanmar is a better value than a new Chineese unit.

 

[BruceR]

Lions_TX,
I live in East Texas and purchased my YM2000B from a direct importer just over the border in OK. I have no reputable dealers near me, but am actually close to some major "reconditioned" dealers. Mine was an A or B+ grade machine showing 462 hours on the meter. The YM "B" series have 4 digit hour meters and I have no doubt that it reads correctly. All parts were numbered to the tractors when they were removed for shipping so everything got put back where it belonged. I have put a little over 100 hours on it in the past year, mostly bush hogging and gradeing with a 6 foot blade. Only thing it has cost is an over-run clutch and regular maintainance. As far as re-sale value, I would say that it is worth at least $1000 more at this time than the $2400 I gave for it.

Bruce

 

[Lions_TX]

You are speculating on non-existent Mahindras. You would have to show me a dozen or so of those tractors at those prices, and where to get parts for them.

Could you clarify what you mean by this? The prices and models i used as examples were from the local Mahindra dealer, he had dozens of them on the lot and several dealerships in the state. Mahindra is one of the more common brands around me actually, kinda having a hard time finding a local dealer that carries compact tractors besides JD. As far as parts, the dealer has the full parts manuals and from what i understand Mahindra has been making tractors for decades so what are you saying?

Lions

 

[Lions_TX]

You gotta go back and read a lot of old posts here to get the whole picture. Here's part of it -... ...If this will be one of several tractors owned or it is non-critical hobby use then choosing a Yanmar for its lower purchase and maintenance costs may allow more tractor for the dollar.

Ok so first of all, are you saying a Yanmar is a JD with red paint?

Its my first tractor and it will be used for a comercial hobby, i say hobby as i am presently not making money at what i do but plan to within another 2 years once i am able to meet the organic qualifications. So it is pretty important that i get a solid running machine.

I did take your advise and began to look back through the 15 trillion "old post". Here is what i got so far:
As with all tractors there are good dealers and bad. Some sware by rebuilds, others cringe at the very word. No matter what i buy i have to look at it like i am buying a used machine and need to anticipate at very least minor repairs in addition to routine maintenance. Some models are more difficult to get parts for. Not all tractors are what they first appear to be. I should be prepared to have parts that dont belong, ie., mismatched parts. There appears to be some division among the dealers/importers/merchants, in reguards to what is "right and wrong". There presently does not seem to be a central universal distribution system. Oh and most importantly, some post are not worth responding to...

Are those the types of things you were thinking when ya told me to search the old post?

If you could point out a few post you think may be important that would certainly help speed the searching process on my end.

Thanks... Lions

 

[Lions_TX]

If you buy a Yanmar from a dealer that sells UTDA certified tractors it will have ROPS, PTO sheild, over run clutch, and a warranty. I sold Farmpro/Jinma for about a year but had too many problems with them. I would not buy a JD with Yanmar engine at this time because of parts problems. JD either won't or can't buy parts from Yanmar, ( at least thats what I've been told ) and Yanmar Parts dealers can no longer order JD parts from Yanmar. I have customers right now with JD tractors with yanmar engines that need parts and can't find them.

Danny

Thanks for the info on the UTDA certifications. JD's green paint is out of my budget, besides mostly they just use the moster sized ones around here. FarmPro is being marketed around here with a 30-60 month waranty, was that the case when you sold them?

Lions

 

[Lions_TX]

Lions_TX,
I live in East Texas and purchased my YM2000B from a direct importer just over the border in OK. I have no reputable dealers near me, but am actually close to some major "reconditioned" dealers. Bruce

Does the dealer have a web page? All i seem to be finding is reconditioned dealers around me too.

Thanks...
Lions

 

[California]

Ok so first of all, are you saying a Yanmar is a JD with red paint?

No, the Deere the models were different models. Then later on I think there were some nearly identical.

Here is what i got so far:
As with all tractors there are good dealers and bad. Some sware by rebuilds, others cringe at the very word. No matter what i buy i have to look at it like i am buying a used machine and need to anticipate at very least minor repairs in addition to routine maintenance. Some models are more difficult to get parts for. Not all tractors are what they first appear to be. Are those the types of things you were thinking when ya told me to search the old post?

Yep. That's the essence of it. By reading, learn what you need to know to distingish quality from junk when you actually go to look at a tractor. Ald I think the first question always is 'why did they have to paint it?'

If you could point out a few post you think may be important that would certainly help speed the searching process on my end.

You can probably find them as fast as I. When you learn to distinguish credible posts from rants then you probably know as much as you can learn from reading, and it's time to go look at tractors. Whatever you do, figure in a few hundred dollars reserve to fix unexpected stuff.

Personally, I've never had the sort of problems that a few posters describe. When I found my Yanmar I read as much as I could find about that model and discovered it is a version of the popular YM2000, with excellent parts availability and reputation for reliability. That helped me decide.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[LMTC]

Bear this in mind as you search....if it were truly possible to sell quality at lower prices, wouldn't those of us who have been in the market for a decade or longer be doing so? Sometimes the cost of shipping might well be worth it for the quality.

Always ask ANY dealer for references, including some several years old..so you can gauge how well they help customers resolve problems. Most new references will be good. Also search this forum, and ask around on here, privately if you prefer. Most folks will answer you.

Good luck.

 

[normde2001]

"Could you clarify what you mean by this? The prices and models i used as examples were from the local Mahindra dealer, he had dozens of them on the lot and several dealerships in the state. Mahindra is one of the more common brands around me actually, kinda having a hard time finding a local dealer that carries compact tractors besides JD. As far as parts, the dealer has the full parts manuals and from what i understand Mahindra has been making tractors for decades so what are you saying?"

The 2 models you referred to are new tractors, (admittedly 1 has 40 hours) that you are projecting into the future as used tractors, (non-existent). Does your Mahindra dealer have dozens of used tractors for you to choose from for a price comparison?

 

[Lions_TX]

No, only the one used machine, that must mean they sell like hotcakes right? I used an imaginary formula to speculate, yes. I basically assumed the value of the smaller tractor to be marked up by the dealer, minus the manufacturer and wholesalers profits. So what are you saying? That you are speculating a Mahindra will or will not hold good resale value?

Thanks...
Lions

 

[Lions_TX]

Bear this in mind as you search....if it were truly possible to sell quality at lower prices, wouldn't those of us who have been in the market for a decade or longer be doing so? Sometimes the cost of shipping might well be worth it for the quality.

Always ask ANY dealer for references, including some several years old..so you can gauge how well they help customers resolve problems. Most new references will be good. Also search this forum, and ask around on here, privately if you prefer. Most folks will answer you.

Good luck.

OK, so hypothetically i decide to buy a tractor from you, i send you a check and by next friday i have my new tractor. When i get the tractor theres a headlight out, some loose bolts in critical parts and a minor leak. Can i as a person of concious expect you to send a mechanic here with parts? Would you expect me to truck it from south Texas back to you?

I really have to look at the cost as total cost, time, labor and aggrevation all considered. Like i have seen you post, nothing is free. With all due respect i dont give alot of weight to references, i could give you 5 right now as to why you should buy from me and i dont even sell.

I feel that if i do decide to go with Yanmar it will probably be easiest on both me and the seller if i buy it used, as is. I would expect that would save me money based on the notion that nothing is free. I assume a dealer must anticipate the waranty being used and adds to the price accordingly. Kinda like "free shipping". So do such dealers exist?

Buying a tractor through shipping usually means i am gonna have no clue as to what i am buying other then others percieved perceptions of a dealer, thats not a route i am sure i want to travel.

If i am understanding correct i think that its time for me to call the local tractor farms and see if they have a tractor that fits my needs. Or better yet take a ride and visit so i can see what types and condition of tractors they have. At that point i should take notes on a few models that interest me and bring that info back here to figure out if its a good or bad model and parts availability, does that sound correct?

Thanks...
Lions

 

[LMTC]

I'll leave this thread alone after this post. I was trying to make some positive suggestions to you re: how to protect yourself in this market.

Can i as a person of concious expect you to send a mechanic here with parts?

That comes across as just sarcastic to me; you know the answer. If you buy a $40,000 new car with a three year warranty the dealer is not going to send a mechanic to you.

I assume a dealer must anticipate the waranty being used and adds to the price accordingly.

Our prices went up with the addition of a ROPS, PTO shield, clutch safety start switch, and other items going on all units now. When we went from 30 day warranty to 60 day to 6 months our prices did not change. Your assumption, at least in our case, is based on lack of knowledge. We simply learned from experience that the tractors we are selling are that good.

With all due respect i dont give alot of weight to references, i could give you 5 right now as to why you should buy from me and i dont even sell.

So you're saying you have 5 friends who are willing to lie and say they bought a tractor from you?

Good luck. You're not interested in our part of the market.

 

[scesnick]

I have read this whole post and it seems as if you are trying to get Yanmar owners to talk you out of buying a Yanmar. I don' think that is going to happen here. Mostly because the majority of us Yanmar owners have had nothing but good experiences with these machines. As far as sending a mechanic to your home to fix your tractor once it was shipped, You have to remember these are NOT new machines and they are VERY easy to fix yourself anyway.

I have a YM 200BD and the 4wd gear went out of it ( my fault really) and I just made a call to LMTC and got the parts i needed in 2-3 days and fixed it in about an hour by myself and that was what i consider a major fix. Not to mention if you are mechanically challenged ANY tractor dealer will fix it for you I'm sure.

the bottom line is this. Yanmar tractors didn't get their solid reputation by accident. They are extremely easy to fix if a problem does occur and parts are readily available and the price of the tractors can not be beat.

 

[mark777]

Lions,

I believe you’re searching for certain reassurances from members and dealers that participate on this forum concerning a future purchase. You can only be sure of one thing if your shopping for a bargain Yanmar tractor…it’s going to be used.

It isn’t realistic to think anyone here is going to convince you that a specific model Yanmar is going to fill your needs 100% nor be absolutely trouble free in years to come. You are, however, addressing a forum of members with this make of tractor who are quite happy with their purchase, the products’ performance, price and the wealth of information exchanged right here on this web-site.

Perhaps a used tractor will not meet your expectations and a new Chinese brand will. Plus it will arrive without loose bolts, minor leaks or a headlight out (except for the ones I know about). Good luck with your search.