Which Yanmar model (if any)

[woolyAcres]

I'm trying to find a tractor that will allow me to handle chores around a 30 acre property. The land has a large flat section but also has a few step parts but those are generally pretty short slopes (less than 60' from bottom of slope to top). I've not measured it, though I will, steepest sections are probably approaching 25 degrees. Jobs I'd like to tackle with this machine include:
-keeping pasture/fields mowed (brush hogging)
-landscaping, moving gravel, mulch, manure, etc so FEL (or at least FEL capable)
-driveway/road maintenance (gravel)
-snow removal(4wd?)
-possibly mowing the open portions of the yard (1/2 acre+)
-pulling hay wagon
-occasionally moving 4x4 round bale? maybe asking too much?
-hauling firewood from the woods but ground clearance isn't a big concern for me. I suspect 8-10" sufficient and preferable to improve stability.

Equipment I already own or have access to for use with this machine:
5' box blade with rippers
5' Landscape rake
5' Woods brush-hog (approx 550lbs)
5' TSC rototiller

For budget reason I've been looking at used and because my budget keeps shrinking I'm looking at older and higher hour machines. This brought me to Yanmar- a reputation for durability and reliability, and plain old ability, as well as their decent parts support and availability. My problem is which models should I be considering. There seem to be lots out there.

Which model would you chose for these chores? Why (power shift, stability, HP, power steering, etc)? And in your area what would you expect to pay for this machine?

I've received some great input already regarding a couple models that were for sale locally. I decided to start a new thread to get input on more models and hopefully from more users. That thread can be found here:

I look forward to your opinions and suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[winston1]

I would recommend not going with anything under 20pto hp and 4 wheel drive based on your usage. My short research on a 4x4 round bale could put it as heavy as 600#. A 20pto horsepower with loader could probably handle that avoiding bouncing across the pasture. In East Texas you would expect a decent 20hp 4 wheel drive tractor with loader to start at $5500 and up from there. You get a good one less than that and you have made a deal. :thumbsup:

A 5' tiller is going to be a big load for a 20pto hp. I had a 51" with my 20pto hp and it was all it needed.

 

[woolyAcres]

@winston- Thanks for your comments. I doubt I'd run the 5' tiller with this tractor. The one I'd really like to be able to use is the 5' brush hog. The dry bales we made this year are probably about 500lbs and moving those wouldn't be a primary job, just something to be done once or twice a year in a pinch. I see by your tag you have a bobcat 235. Ideally that's probably the size/style tractor I'm looking for but it's just out of my price range. Do you know Yanmar well enough to suggest a model for these tasks?

 

[winston1]

You can browse this list noting hp ratings. http://www.mytractorforum.com/69-yanmar/42921-domestic-gray-model-yanmar-list.html

I wouldn't suggest a particular model. Remember the us sold model number indicates engine hp and the grey's model number is pto hp. You would likely get a manual transmission a for a little less than the power shift. I would suggest you just keep watching ads and have patience.

 

[woolyAcres]

You can browse this list noting hp ratings. http://www.mytractorforum.com/69-yanmar/42921-domestic-gray-model-yanmar-list.html

I wouldn't suggest a particular model. Remember the us sold model number indicates engine hp and the grey's model number is pto hp. You would likely get a manual transmission a for a little less than the power shift. I would suggest you just keep watching ads and have patience.

Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen that before. Is grey/us number also the difference between 3 and 4 digits? What about color? What does that indicate about tractor (green vs red)?

I think patience is the only course I can afford at the moment. I suppose if the oil and gas companies move back in a sign me to a big lease I might have some cash to work with but that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.

 

[winston1]

The greens were the older generation. For the most part in the YM models the 4 digit are the greys, however, toward the top of the grey list you see about three models with 3 digits. They are pretty rare and you would want to avoid those. Parts are very very limited. You can go to Hoye's parts sight and look up most any model and browse through their parts. Hoye also carries many parts that wouldn't necessarily be listed. This might also be interesting to you. What is your Yanmar tractor worth?

 

[woolyAcres]

What is your Yanmar tractor worth?

Great link. Thanks.

 

[jeff9366]

Shop Yanmars with approximately 60" rear tire width, bearing in mind that R4 industrial tires will be about 4-6" wider than R1 ag tires, which are standard in 'specs'.

Then buy all the weight you can afford, followed by horsepower. You will have a tractor well matched to your implements.

I used to operate a Deere/Yanmar 750. It was an exceptionally solid tractor.

 

[woolyAcres]

Shop Yanmars with approximately 60" rear tire width, bearing in mind that R4 industrial tires will be about 4-6" wider than R1 ag tires, which are standard in 'specs'.

Then buy all the weight you can afford, followed by horsepower. You will have a tractor well matched to your implements.

That's an interesting approach. Is the 60" rear tire width because of the size of implements I've got? There are occasions when having a rear implement that's larger than the tractor footprint would be nice - say using the box blade to remove snow or using the brush-hog. I'm curious how/why 60"?

 

[kenmac]

I recommend a 3110D ..I really like this tractor.. If I ever buy a new tractor , I'll keep this 3110D.. It's big enough to do things I need to do, yet small enough to get through wooded trails on my property.. If you want Yanmar,, 3110D is hard to beat..I've got some pics somewhere on here with some big logs.. it's been a tough tractor