LindenBruce
Gold Member
Hello All,
Well, I was at an AG show in Modesto Ca. a few weeks and and there sat a brand new YT359TLB. I stopped and looked it over. Very well built with good craftsmanship and fitment. Here are some more specific observations;
PROS - Very good ground clearance, beefy front 4x4 axle assembly, very nice wide side step on the left side, strong Woods backhoe with sturdy construction, very comfortable seat, flat operator platform, easy reach with intuitive switch layout, nice impressive digital display, horn to move stubborn cattle out of the way (LOL), good loader joystick location, easy to view over the hood, impressive HP numbers engine and pto, big naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine giving lots of torque, really good hose and hiring harness layout, ECM up on top and out in front of the engine for easy access if needed, lots of lighting with the rear lights attached to the base section of the ROPS, steel hood and fenders, super easy steering effort. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
CONS - Okay, despite the impressive power numbers of this tractor and engine, the primary hydraulic system only has a 9.4GPM rating? What the heck? This was disappointing. With this engine HP level you would think primary hydraulic system ratings in the 12 GPM or higher class. Steering system is rated at a very good 5.3 GPM. the FEL bucket is small for this size tractor with a 10.9Cu Ft rating despite a lift capacity of 2500 pounds at the pins. It is attached via a skid loader QA system, so you can affix a larger bucket with ease. The side panels below the hood block access to the engine oil dipstick and fill cap. Meaning you need to remove them to do an oil fill. And I think the big thing (best for last right) is the rear axles. The rear end of the tractor has offset geared hubs that extend to the rear of the differential unit. And from those hubs are short stub axles that stick out to the sides for the tires. Under a heavy weight load I would think these offset units could be a potential failure point using heavy 3 point attachments. I am not sure how durable this rear axle method of attachment is going to be. Every tractor I have looked at in this power class, the rear axles come straight out from the differential assembly. Oh, I almost forgot. The price. The TLB is MSRP around 56K. So they are proud of this unit for sure. So...?
Over all I really liked the tractor. The DPF 4cyl 202CuIn engine was fairly quiet and very smooth at idle and higher rpm ranges. The i HMT to me is fairly new but an interesting concept. I hope it works out well. If the i HMT fails, it is a plug and play cartridge design which would make servicing a snap. No need to break the tractor in half. Large fuel tank giving lots of time before refills.
The two things that killed it for me was the price point AND the low primary hydraulic system flow rates. Otherwise this is am impressive tractor. Sorry I did not take any pics, but those are available at our favorite tractor sale house.
B.
Well, I was at an AG show in Modesto Ca. a few weeks and and there sat a brand new YT359TLB. I stopped and looked it over. Very well built with good craftsmanship and fitment. Here are some more specific observations;
PROS - Very good ground clearance, beefy front 4x4 axle assembly, very nice wide side step on the left side, strong Woods backhoe with sturdy construction, very comfortable seat, flat operator platform, easy reach with intuitive switch layout, nice impressive digital display, horn to move stubborn cattle out of the way (LOL), good loader joystick location, easy to view over the hood, impressive HP numbers engine and pto, big naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine giving lots of torque, really good hose and hiring harness layout, ECM up on top and out in front of the engine for easy access if needed, lots of lighting with the rear lights attached to the base section of the ROPS, steel hood and fenders, super easy steering effort. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
CONS - Okay, despite the impressive power numbers of this tractor and engine, the primary hydraulic system only has a 9.4GPM rating? What the heck? This was disappointing. With this engine HP level you would think primary hydraulic system ratings in the 12 GPM or higher class. Steering system is rated at a very good 5.3 GPM. the FEL bucket is small for this size tractor with a 10.9Cu Ft rating despite a lift capacity of 2500 pounds at the pins. It is attached via a skid loader QA system, so you can affix a larger bucket with ease. The side panels below the hood block access to the engine oil dipstick and fill cap. Meaning you need to remove them to do an oil fill. And I think the big thing (best for last right) is the rear axles. The rear end of the tractor has offset geared hubs that extend to the rear of the differential unit. And from those hubs are short stub axles that stick out to the sides for the tires. Under a heavy weight load I would think these offset units could be a potential failure point using heavy 3 point attachments. I am not sure how durable this rear axle method of attachment is going to be. Every tractor I have looked at in this power class, the rear axles come straight out from the differential assembly. Oh, I almost forgot. The price. The TLB is MSRP around 56K. So they are proud of this unit for sure. So...?
Over all I really liked the tractor. The DPF 4cyl 202CuIn engine was fairly quiet and very smooth at idle and higher rpm ranges. The i HMT to me is fairly new but an interesting concept. I hope it works out well. If the i HMT fails, it is a plug and play cartridge design which would make servicing a snap. No need to break the tractor in half. Large fuel tank giving lots of time before refills.
The two things that killed it for me was the price point AND the low primary hydraulic system flow rates. Otherwise this is am impressive tractor. Sorry I did not take any pics, but those are available at our favorite tractor sale house.
B.
