Yamaha Lawn tractors

Fordlords · Dec 1, 2006

I'm just making a lawn and garden tractor trivia game to post in the near future. Yamaha made some lawn tractors in the late 1980's and early 1990's, though they did not sell well and they did not make them for long. The question I have is did these use an engine made by Yamaha or was it from another supplier? Hoping someone might know, if so, a big THANKS!

-Fordlords-

jeffmazz · Dec 1, 2006

My 1989 Yamaha 18 hp Garden Tractor had a Yamaha engine in it. It was a **** good tractor....should have kept it.

Jeff

Fordlords · Dec 3, 2006

Thanks for the info

-Fordlords-

slowrev · Dec 6, 2006

Did they have handlebars ?

bontai_Joe · Dec 6, 2006

slowrev said:
Did they have handlebars ?

Nope, no handlebars. The 2 I've seen were very nice looking tractors and extremely quiet when running. Not my fovorite color paint scheme, sort of a silvery blue which is a bit bright for my taste, but paint is just paint. The tractors were well made, but I have no idea as to what they cost vs. the competition, and I have no idea as to how they were marketed or why they are now gone. Yamaha has a decent reputation and long term experience in making and selling equipment, so I'm surprised they are not still in the market. Then again, I'm also surprised that Honda got out of the tractor business in the USA as well.

Fordlords · Dec 8, 2006

I'm sure Yamaha got out for the same reason Honda did- they just couldn't compete. It was Kawasaki's original intention to produce their own line of L/G equipment back in the late 1980's as Honda and Yamaha did. John Deere then approached Kawasaki to supply them the majority of their L/G engines at that time to keep them out of the market and they agreed. Yamaha only lasted in the market a few years, and now Honda got out just recently but will carry on as an engine supplier. In essence John Deere's tactic worked by keeping the Japanese names from taking over a big share of the market- sort of the work with them and not against them tactic.

As for my trivia question, I do beleive that Honda and Yamaha are the only two manufacturers in history to produce lawn and garden tractors that utilized their own branded engines.

A 1990's Yamaha YT model: http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/data/524/25195Yamaha.jpg

-Fordlords-