Buying Advice looking at buying a Yanmar, have some questions

[red alder ranch]

So, after borrowing tractors from neighbors and friends for ten years, I have finally gotten a loan from the credit union and I am going to buy my own.

Uses: brush hog, pasture mowing, tilling, pulling small firewood logs, FEL work

I'm looking for a 4wd, 25-35hp, and from what I've been seeing and reading online, Yanmar looks like a good value for the money. Right now, I'm looking at a 2620D, a 3220D and a couple of 336Ds. They all seem to have more or less the same basic engine if I'm reading things right. The 2620 and the 3220 look to have sort of lighter duty loaders on them, and the 336s look like they have original Yanmar, heavier loaders on them.

While reading through the forums here, I found some talk of broken spindles on the 336 models, and there seemed to be some indication that certain serial number runs cannot be upgraded if they break, and that some serial numbers already have the HD spindle from the get go. Can anyone tell me more about what those serial number ranges are? Do the 2620 and 3220 have similar issues? What else should I be wary of when looking at used gray market Yanmars from the mid eighties, which is what I seem to be finding in my price range?

What are the differences in these models? It's kind of hard to tell by reading specs. From what I have read, and experienced in the woods pulling small logs, more weight is a good thing to have. The tractor that I have used the most over the last few years is a Ford 1715, 27hp, and 2200#. It has calcium in the rear tires, but I still have felt a few times like I wished it was a little heavier.

Thanks!

 

[clemsonfor]

So, after borrowing tractors from neighbors and friends for ten years, I have finally gotten a loan from the credit union and I am going to buy my own.

Uses: brush hog, pasture mowing, tilling, pulling small firewood logs, FEL work

I'm looking for a 4wd, 25-35hp, and from what I've been seeing and reading online, Yanmar looks like a good value for the money. Right now, I'm looking at a 2620D, a 3220D and a couple of 336Ds. They all seem to have more or less the same basic engine if I'm reading things right. The 2620 and the 3220 look to have sort of lighter duty loaders on them, and the 336s look like they have original Yanmar, heavier loaders on them.

While reading through the forums here, I found some talk of broken spindles on the 336 models, and there seemed to be some indication that certain serial number runs cannot be upgraded if they break, and that some serial numbers already have the HD spindle from the get go. Can anyone tell me more about what those serial number ranges are? Do the 2620 and 3220 have similar issues? What else should I be wary of when looking at used gray market Yanmars from the mid eighties, which is what I seem to be finding in my price range?

What are the differences in these models? It's kind of hard to tell by reading specs. From what I have read, and experienced in the woods pulling small logs, more weight is a good thing to have. The tractor that I have used the most over the last few years is a Ford 1715, 27hp, and 2200#. It has calcium in the rear tires, but I still have felt a few times like I wished it was a little heavier.

Thanks!

Aaron?

 

[red alder ranch]

Aaron?

no, Mark.

 

[284 International]

Red Alder Ranch, Aaron is a poster here who runs Hoye tractor, a common source of Yanmar parts.

RScotty is the go-to guy for knowledge about the 336 series machines.

Hoye's website says the serial number break for the 336D is "usually" before/after 41217. I don't know if that's a heavier duty spindle in the later models or not.

I don't know anything about the models you mentioned except for reading RScotty's descriptions of the 336D. The breakage seemed to be related to heavy use/abuse by those in the construction industry. He talks about it in post #18 (including part numbers!) here.

I think all of those machines are significantly heavier than the Ford 1715. You'll probably be quite pleased; the Powershift transmission is a real productivity booster compared to a conventional manual transmission.

Are the grey market machines reconditioned/rebuilt? Some of the new looking machines that are foreign market products have been dolled up in Vietnam, and tend to have a poor reputation. Mine (and some others) have been magnificent machines, others have been abysmal. Of course, with a used product you're always running that risk anyway. The 336D will be an American market tractor, so doesn't have the Vietnam rebuild danger, but "Bubba" fixes (like some of mine, in full disclosure :laughing are a possibility.

 

[red alder ranch]

the 2620 and the 3220 I am looking at are both in use, and look used but clean. Don't know if they were originally reconditioned in asia before being brought here or not. Is there any way to tell?

I'll have to find out about the serial number on the 336s. They're both a lot farther away from me, and I would want to know all I could about them before making a long drive.

thanks!

 

[284 International]

I don't know of any way to tell for certain. If a machine has been in operation for some time without trouble, and has been reconditioned, it is likely as good as any other used machine. My reconditioned 1401D is the best machine I own, and has been zero trouble.

The reconditioned machines have sometimes been labeled as much more recently built tractors than they actually are. For instance, my 1401D was only made from 1979 to 1981, but was sold to the original owner as being a 1998 or 1999 model tractor. Other indicators are an appearance of a new machine incongruous with its 25 to 35 year old age. A pristine 30 year old tractor doesn't make sense. The older machines are imported from Japan after a certain amount of use on farms-how could they NOT show any wear or use?

Are you looking at any other machines? I'm not trying to talk you out of a Yanmar, but there are other good brands, too, and you may be able to get into something that has a dealer for support nearby for somewhere around what the Yanmar runs. Kioti and Mahindra seem to have pretty good reputations and dealer networks across the country, as an example.

 

[red alder ranch]

I have a somewhat limited budget, and need 4WD, so what is mostly coming up in my price range and area when I look around is Yanmar and older Mitsubishis. I've been told that gray market Yanmars are way easier to get parts for than the gray market Mitsubishis. Can't afford a new one of the size that I need, and so far haven't found anything suitable and used at any of the nearby dealers.

Every now and then I see a used kubota in my price range, but they all look pretty beat up.

 

[284 International]

Yanmar parts ARE easier to find than Mitsubishi/Satoh parts. That may be some observer bias, since I only own 2 of the latter, and both are models that don't show up really as even being produced in significant numbers, while I have several of the most ubiquitous Yanmars. But the breadth of support is definitely better for Yanmars.

Having said that, I have called looking for parts (pre-emptively, I haven't needed anything) on the Mitsubishis, and hydraulic pumps, pistons/rings, bearings, water pumps, alternators, gaskets and the like were all available. I have a Mitsubishi D1800 and Satoh ST1440.

Yanmars have the nice resource of good web-based support, but all the Japanese tractors work about the same as far as principles of maintenance and repair work goes. I guess what I should just say is that I'm not scared of Mitsubishi machines.

The couple I have are excellent, and are actually better in some ways than the Yanmars. They have very light steering, making them easier to drive than their Yanmar counterparts, and the D1800 has a 3 range transmission with 3 speeds vs the YM2000's 2 range transmission with 4 speeds, and has a 4 speed PTO. They have glow plugs rather than the thermostart system, but lack a compression release mechanism. The glowplugs on my Mitsubishis work, while none of the Thermostarts in my 4 Yanmars do. (I've never had trouble starting them with just the compression release.)

All the little gray market machines I own are several sizes down from what you're looking at, and my other stuff is a bit bigger, so I have no personal experience with them to share, unfortunately.

Whatever individual machines you're looking at, I would suggest pricing out replacement parts beforehand, just for the record, to include tires, hydraulic and injection pumps, the water pump, and in-frame overhaul parts. That will give you an idea of an absolute worst-case scenario, as well as a perspective on how available any parts you need may be.

Other factors to consider are your mechanical ability/aptitude, and, more importantly, your willingness to be so inclined. You've used tractors before, it sounds like, so you have a good idea what you're up against as far as using older equipment.

Many times it's cheaper to buy a machine with implements than to source them piecemeal.

 

[red alder ranch]

I'm a pretty decent mechanic and maintain all my cars and trucks and other equipment, including a portable sawmill, myself, so I'm not afraid to work on a tractor, I just want to make sure that I get one that won't be likely to need a lot of that kind of my time...

I'm going to look at the 3220d in person this afternoon. It's a private party, and they want $8000 for it. It has only about 1000 hours on it, and has a ROPS and canopy, and a small FEL. No other implements, though.

 

[clemsonfor]

I'm a pretty decent mechanic and maintain all my cars and trucks and other equipment, including a portable sawmill, myself, so I'm not afraid to work on a tractor, I just want to make sure that I get one that won't be likely to need a lot of that kind of my time...

I'm going to look at the 3220d in person this afternoon. It's a private party, and they want $8000 for it. It has only about 1000 hours on it, and has a ROPS and canopy, and a small FEL. No other implements, though.

For just a little more, and prolly better financing as you will be buying new, look at new Manihandras, new cub cadets (yanmar engine) and new Kiotis.

Im not trying to talk you outta a yanmar but there trying to sell stuff now and for 1.5 times what your going to spend i think you can have a brand new manihandra with loader and a warrenty. Granted i am not really pricing these things just add shopping and seems you can get 0% or 1.9% max on these new ones. On a used one im betting unless your borrowing against your 401K or something your gonna be in the 6% range on the used one if not closer to 10%