Parts availability for Bolens / Iseki ?

[Capricious]

Already posted this to the Iseki forum but garnered no responses: Opinions on the parts availability situation for Bolens/Iseki? And also sources of paperwork (service manual, parts diagram) Going to be looking at what is supposed to be a Bolens 1704. Had a Mitsubishi tractor a while back and parts were a bit difficult to get for that. The Bolens has a Mitsubishi engine, and some stuff is available for that, but there is more to a tractor than just an engine. Have read some stories that a former Iseki dealer in Hawaii USED to be the primary source of Iseki parts- I don't live anywhere near Hawaii. Decided that I wanted a "big name" tractor this time around, but here I am looking at another "orphan." Thanks.

 

[Sportsman762]

Bolens / Iseki parts are going to be a pain to get. There might be places that offer them, however it is going to be a pain most of the time you need to get parts. I would be very hesitant to get a Bolens / Iseki due to parts availability or lack there of. If your comfortable with that uncertainty then jump on it as it sounds like you have experience hunting for Mitsubishi parts.

 

[Wolfy]

Many Japanese tractors have limited parts availability, including the big names. That said there is also used parts, and work arounds alot of times. They are still well built tractors that if maintained can give years of service.

 

[Capricious]

Bolens / Iseki parts are going to be a pain to get. There might be places that offer them, however it is going to be a pain most of the time you need to get parts. I would be very hesitant to get a Bolens / Iseki due to parts availability or lack there of. If your comfortable with that uncertainty then jump on it as it sounds like you have experience hunting for Mitsubishi parts.

Thank you for the response. "...sounds like you have experience hunting for Mitsubishi parts..." Yeah, really don't want to repeat that, BUT I just spent the budget having 510 feet of rock road pushed into the woods and now I gotta "pinch pennies" to buy a tractor for maintaining that road (and doing a few other things). Only issue is that a few people apparently consider certain old tractors to be "collectable" and therefore, valuable, whereas I am just looking for a cheap tractor that meets certain criteria as to my own particular situation. Again, thank you,

 

[Capricious]

Many Japanese tractors have limited parts availability, including the big names. That said there is also used parts, and work arounds alot of times. They are still well built tractors that if maintained can give years of service.

Thank you for your response. This one is from the '80s and (reportedly) everything "works" so I will assume it has been properly maintained, at least until I can look at it. The old Japanese tractors can also, apparently, give long service even if not maintained- when I pulled the valve cover on my old Mitsubishi to check the valve lash not long after buying it I found a very sludged-up engine, and when I went to change the fuel filter (again, right after buying it) I discovered someone had by-passed the fuel filter, and it was feeding unfiltered fuel from a very dirty fuel tank directly into the injection pump . Yet, everything on that tractor was still working except the lights. I was always worried about it, though. When I no longer had an immediate need for it, I passed it along to the next guy, for a lot less than I paid for it. I hope to do better on my second tractor. Again, thanks for your response.

 

[stevem5215]

You could look for a Chinese tractor as well. Jinma or the like (we had a FarmPro 2420 that was Jinma) and they will do what you want for cheap. But they break and parts are needed (mail order is how I did it for the 15+ years we had it). Your call. Your money. Cheap is a pia though usually.

 

[BIGCHIEFW4]

Already posted this to the Iseki forum but garnered no responses: Opinions on the parts availability situation for Bolens/Iseki? And also sources of paperwork (service manual, parts diagram) Going to be looking at what is supposed to be a Bolens 1704. Had a Mitsubishi tractor a while back and parts were a bit difficult to get for that. The Bolens has a Mitsubishi engine, and some stuff is available for that, but there is more to a tractor than just an engine. Have read some stories that a former Iseki dealer in Hawaii USED to be the primary source of Iseki parts- I don't live anywhere near Hawaii. Decided that I wanted a "big name" tractor this time around, but here I am looking at another "orphan." Thanks.

Try Sam's Bolens online