Looking to buy Yanmar 1700.

MinnesotaBoy · Oct 21, 2004

Hello everyone,

New to the site and I'm also new to the compact tractor market and need some assistance. My fiancee and I are moving to a 4 acre hobby farm in mid-November, and I have found a local auction with a YM 1700 listed. If it is a good deal I'd like to buy it to help with all the little chores that go along with owning property. However, being new to compact tractors and Yanmars specifically I'm not quite sure what I should be looking for to make sure this make/model of tractor is sound mechanically, any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

fig · Oct 21, 2004

Minnesota,

I have a 1700 that I use to mow about 5 acres with (5' finish mower) and keep up about 400 feet of gravel drive with. Those are the main chores, but you can always find something else to do with it. It is more than enough to do these things and I love the little "Yammer Hammer".

I guess you need to define more of what you are going to do with it on your farm. Are you going to add a FEL, etc., etc.?

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

MinnesotaBoy · Oct 21, 2004

( Minnesota,

I have a 1700 that I use to mow about 5 acres with (5' finish mower) and keep up about 400 feet of gravel drive with. Those are the main chores, but you can always find something else to do with it. It is more than enough to do these things and I love the little "Yammer Hammer".

I guess you need to define more of what you are going to do with it on your farm. Are you going to add a FEL, etc., etc.?

P.S. Welcome to the forum! )

Thanks fig for responding,

I would like to add a loader to whatever tractor I buy at some point, I have about the same amount of mowing as you and a slightly shorter driveway. In addition, there are several outbuildings on the property that are dire need of repair and my fiancee desperately wants to have a large number of animals as well as a garden. So in addition to mowing the tractor would be used for hauling hay between buildings, moving construction materials - blocks, lumber etc, and occassionaly tilling a garden, not real heavy work, but a lot of it.

fig · Oct 21, 2004

Minnesota,

Some of the other guys might jump in here and discuss the FEL issue (2WD over 4WD/ no power steering over power steering), but as far as the other chores you are talking about; I do some of the same things and think it would be good fit. At least it has beenin my case.

arthr31 · Oct 21, 2004

( Minnesota,

Some of the other guys might jump in here and discuss the FEL issue (2WD over 4WD/ no power steering over power steering), but as far as the other chores you are talking about; I do some of the same things and think it would be good fit. At least it has beenin my case. )

Hey Minnesota:
If you get snow, or do go with a FEL, I'd recommend getting a 4x4. With the extra load of a FEL, the tractor will sometimes spin going up slopes of soft earth. Before I got my 1601d with 4x4, my older 2x2 (IH) would sometimes not make it over 6" to 1' inclines (ruts) without spinning wheels and sometimes getting stuck.

I find with carrying a load in the FEL, moving around on soft ground requires 4x4, at least in my situation (ledgy/sloping New England terrain).

WRT power steering, the tractor is narrow enough for it not to matter much....

normde2001 · Oct 21, 2004

Buying a grey market tractor requires pretty much the same checkover as buying a used car, however you have to be pretty creative in finding parts, and pretty much do your own repairs as most tractor dealers won't touch them. As others have said if you are considering a FEL, I would definitely get a 4WD. 2WD tractors with loaders range from inconvenient to unsafe.

MinnesotaBoy · Oct 22, 2004

Thanks guys for all the great feedback!!!

The auction is tomorrow and at this point I am leaning towards passing on the 1700 for a larger 4WD model since we do get a lot of snow here and the FEL is something I would be using quite a bit. I'll post the price the 1700 goes for, heck if it goes cheap enough maybe I'll buy it just to have it for a finishing mower tractor.

Again, Thanks for the input.

Soundguy · Oct 24, 2004

Now there's good thinking.. having an extra tractor is ALWAYS a good thing...

Kinda like having two women.. very handy...only less expensive and a heck of alot safer /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

Soundguy

MinnesotaBoy · Oct 25, 2004

The tractor was in decent shape, definitely had been used i.e a few dings and dents, paint faded - but no major problems that were obvious. It went for $2000 but I couldn't bring myself to buy it, maybe if it had gone for $1000 but I couldn't spend $2000 knowing I'd still need to buy another tractor.