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  • Yanmar Tractors
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'YM' Series

YM1100 YM135 YM1300 YM1301 YM140 YM1401 YM146 YM147 YM1500 YM1502 YM1510 YM155 YM1600 YM1601 YM1602 YM1610 YM165 YM169 YM1700 YM1702 YM1720 YMG1800 YM180 YM186 YM187 YM1802 YM1810 YM1820 YM1900 YM195 YM2000 YMG2000 YM2001 YM2002 YM2002 YM2010 YM2020 YM220 YM2200 YM2202 YM2210 YM226 YM2220 YM2301 YM2310 YM240 YM2402 YM2420 YM250 YM2500 YM2610 YM2620 YM2700 YM276 YM2820 YM3000 YM3110 YM3220 YM330 YM336 YM3810 YM4220 YM4300 GT14

'F" Series

F14 F15 F16 F17 / FX17 F18 / FX18 F20 / FX20 F22 / FX22 F24 / FX24 F26 / FX26 F28 / FX28 F32 / FX32 F42 / FX42 F165 / FX165 F215 / FX215 F255 / FX255 KE-2 KE-3 KE-4

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  • Home/
  • Why is the Yanmar tractor so popular?

Why is the Yanmar tractor so popular?

The popularity of the Yanmar tractor has exploded in recent years. In part, because of the relatively low price compared to other tractors in its size range but also because of its rugged simplicity. In this article we will explore why so many people are now seeking out the 1970's 'YM' Yanmar instead of a more modern machine.

Before we talk about why we love these little Japanese workhorses... let's take a quick look at their history. While Yanmar tractors first entered the US market in the mid 70's, the company was actually founded in 1912 and was one of the first companies to build a diesel engine. Despite being a global agricultural powerhouse- the tractors they introduced in the USA in the '70s never really 'took off'. Yanmar's philosophy was simple- produce the highest quality machines possible and not worry too much about what that machine would cost. This led to virtually indestructible tractors but at a price higher than other, better established, brands in the same size range. Ultimately, Yanmar was not able to gain traction in the competitive compact tractor market and the relatively unknown (in the US) brand left the US market in the mid 90s.

It was not long after Yanmar left the market that people began to take notice of the extreme simplicity and durability of the small machines. While Yanmar was slowly building a following among used tractor buyers, a few entrepreneurs took note of this increasing popularity and began importing the tractors directly from Japan. These "gray market" tractors, as they were called, were able to be imported and sold at a very low cost while still offering all of the same quality and reliability as the US market Yanmars. Many of these gray market machine shared parts with the US models and parts availability was very good.

Not many people realize this but the expression 'they don't build them like that anymore' was actually first spoken while looking at a mid complex modern tractor engine1970s Yanmar. Now, I basically just made that up but the expression is certainly a perfect fit for the tractor. Remember how you used to be able to pop the hood of an old car and actually see things like spark plugs? You could change your own oil. You could troubleshoot your own vehicle's problems without plugging it into a laptop. If you pop the hood of a new car you will find a sea of plastic shrouds and expensive electronic components... all of them strategically designed to fail just minutes after the warranty expires.

Tractors are the same way. The 'YM' series tractors are the 1970's Chevy Nova. Simple, sturdy, reliable. It does everything you need without all of the complicated bells and whistles that are going to break and cost a fortune to fix. If you break it- you can usually troubleshoot and fix it in your yard where it sits and keep working. Newer tractors are stuffed with complicated electronics which, while they can make the tractor more comfortable to operate, also add to its complexity. Good luck trying to trace down the starter circuit of a modern tractor. Many of them are now computer controlled! Most new tractors offered by many brands also have electronic over hydraulic systems (lifting the loader or three point is done by electronics - not just a valve), electronic controlled engines, electronic cruise controls, and detailed electronic instrumentation. Those things are great when they work but incredibly costly to repair and the average owner can not diagnose digital circuits on their own. By contrast, most Yanmars need a power wire to start and that is it. Everything else is mechanical. The average, mechanically inclined, homeowner can maintain and repair almost any part of their tractor. This is not the case with many, more complicated, designs.

While other brands are adding additional complexity they are taking away something else. Durability. If you take a look at a modern tractor you will see a lot missing compared to the older Yanmars. The older Yanmar tractor has sleeved engines, for example. The engines could basically be maintained and serviced to run forever. Wear out an engine (it should take 10,000 to 15,000 hours or more if maintained properly) and you can just drop in a new set of cylinder sleeves and be back to work the next day. Newer brands (even Yanmar's newer tractors) have a sleeveless engine. It costs less to build but any excess wear to the cylinders must be bored out by a machine shop and that process can only be done a couple of times at best. Overheat your engine and the un-sleeved block may be un-repairable while a sleeved engine can often be overhauled in your back yard. And it is not just the engine parts. Axle shafts and PTO shafts typically have replaceable wear collars so that seals do not cut into the expensive shafts. These are not things that you typically find on modern 'throw-away' tractors.

Another one of Yanmar's attributes was their willingness to share parts across many models. Instead of manufacturing a different clutch for every model, for example, they share the same clutch across dozens of models. This cuts down production costs and encourages aftermarket companies to reproduce common parts. This is one of the reasons that Yanmar tractors are still so easy to get parts for 30+ years later. There are actually many tractors that were sold by another big brand less than 10 years ago that you can not get major parts for any more!

Depreciation is another thing to consider. A 30 year old Yanmar is pretty much done depreciating. Its value will not go much lower. As long as you buy it for a fair price, maintain it properly, and take care of it- you should expect to get nearly the full purchase price when it comes time to sell. Drive a new tractor off the trailer and you are almost always upside down many thousands of dollars. Keep one for a few years and it could be worth as little as 1/2 what you paid for it!

 

 

Always be sure that any tractor you are using is equipped with a ROPS and retrofitted with the most up to date safety features.




Related Content

Popular Yanmar Tractor Models:
YM1510
YM2010
YM2020


 


***** What is gray market? Click here. *****


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