Ep124: Should homesteaders avoid grey market tractors?
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2018
- We homesteaders are always looking for good deals. Many of us have or want to have a tractor to help out with projects. There are thousands of old tractors on the used market some of which are very good deals. What about grey market tractors? For years, people have been talking about them and the issues or benefits of owning one. Should you consider looking for a grey market tractor? Should you avoid one if you find a good one for sale?
Websites we reference in this video are:
www.orangetractortalks.com/201...
www.kubotausa.com/gray-market...
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The only safety feature my Kubota L175 has is labels written in English. My favorite is the one by the radiator: "Drain cooling water perfectly in cold season for preventing frozen"
i have a grey market yanmar. Great tractor haven't had one issue with it. I hate bully corporations that get laws passed to help their bottom line. Yes it doesn't have some of the safety stuff that our nanny state says we need to protect us from ourselves. But if you are a person with common sense nothing wrong with grey market tractors.
Yeah thats some bullshit. "Capitalism" my ass.
I was reading the Kubota website the list of what makes it a grey market...one of the items on the list; a model Kubota did not authorize to be shipped to the US...how arrogant
@@mikecude4167 Maybe not arrogant so much as covering their own behind. Maybe they have legit reason not to authorize it being sold in the U.S. It could be non compliant with one or 2 U'S regulation but compliant elsewhere. If I owned a business like that I wouldn't want to get in any kind of expensive legal trouble. I don't blame Kubota so much as I blame those making the regulations.
Amen
my dad bought a grey market yanmar back in the 90s. That thing is great, he's hardly ever had a problem with it til this day. Kabota knew more people would opt for the affordable used option instead of their new overpriced tractors. Only reason they cared.
Farm and Ag equipment companies are the same ones restricting owners from their computer systems for things like addons and updates. Ignore everything they say, its all in the name of profit. The accessories are out there, the software is out there, you just lose access to the dealer network (oh well).
The John Deere system is very similar to what most modern auto makers are using; a version of a CANbus system and a main ECU (or whatever that company chooses to call their main computer). There have actually been state hearings over whether or not individuals have a "right to service" with their modern ag equipment.
And our own damn government isn't just as, or MORE likely to do something along those lines? Because they pick up something you said in "private" and didn't like, or who knows. Russians have more problems than worrying about fucking with some random person across the planet. Our own government has a LOT more motivation. Along with apple and all the others. You are being spied on, but by other Americans, not some Ukrainian farm hacker. Worry bout the shit that IS happening rather than cold war propaganda residual bullshit. Or keep buying into the bullshit like all the idiots clamoring to get new phones and shit to be spied on with. Onstar will be locking people in their cars and driving them to fema camps if everybody keeps buying their bullshit propoganda. We learned more than rocket science from the nazis...
Interesting Troy. Learned something. Never heard of grey market tractors until now.
This is the best video ive seen in a while. Well researched well presented, no bs.
Thanks!
Looked at a tractor just like that one in Alum Creek several years ago. The skinny tires always stood out to me.
We own a Satoh Beaver from the 80`s with bucket and backhoe. Has seen better days but still does what we need it to do.
Most of the time you have to bypass the all the safety switches anyway
I had no idea about grey market tractors. Thank you so much for this info.
This is good to know RedToolHouse i have never even heard of it till i saw your upcoming video yesterday. Thanks i buy restore and resale alot of used tractors and have never as far as i know ever had a gray market tractor. You can learn a lot from watching CZcams.
I'm with you I like making old be new again!
I wasn’t aware of the gray tractor market, however with the cheap yanmar tractor packages I knew they were definitely something different
you can brand name anything, from expired casting/mold patterns, and give it any name you want, for 15 years i name branded a few models of fishing reals that use to be one of the top names, i branded them with my ex wife's name, and same with yanmar, i know whose expired patterns they are, when having them made you can have them add anything you want on a tractor or anything else you want to get into, it just brings the cost up a few dollars, and yes safety stuff too. it dont add much to the price, we are talking dollars not hundreds or thousands. i get emails all the time wanting me to take on stuff
Great information, thanks!
I've got a Yanmar YM1500 that is a gray market tractor. I love it! It's dependable and does everything I need a small tractor to do.
Thanks for putting that information out there. That's great stuff to know. I've got a grey market Kubota B-1600D. It's been a great little tractor for around the property and we haven't had any problems with it. It can be a dangerous little bugger though if you're not careful. It has really tall rice paddy lug tires and is very narrow, so it can be very tippy. It's surprised me a few times. It also doesn't have a seatbelt or a rollbar.
There was a guy here in Alberta that was bringing them in by the container load and had all the parts and attachments for them, but he seems to have gone out of business now. He was cleaning them up, putting English stickers on them and usually adding a brand new front end loader. They were about half the price of a regular Kubota.
Your camera work is very simple, however; very nice.
Good video brother
i was just reminded of this, i dont know how well that kubata law really stands as i dont know if any of you have seen the models sold by home-depo in Canada any way, but both John deere and kuboto have licensed cretin models numbers to them, they line the whole fron out side wall of the stores and you can sure see the huge difference in build, they both take on the craftsman look in quality
I remember my dad bought one of those grey market kubota tractors with a front end loader. It had issues when he first got it (previous owner fault of doing no maintenance) but was not too complicated of a tractor to fix. Was a tough tractor but he sold it as it was too big of a machine for what he was using it for. Kubota dealerships never really wanted to help out for parts when they found out it was a grey market tractor.
I had a Kubota B4200 in the UK and liked it very much. I wouldn't buy a US export Kubota after hearing about that years ago, if I lived in the US I'd specifically look for a gray market model.
If I wanted to be treated with the utmost contempt, I'd buy an iPhone...
I had a 76 Kubota 1701, 2wd. It had 2900+ hours showing on a meter that was broken long before I got it. Great running tough little tractor ! Wish I still had it !
Some of those smaller older ones were the best.
Looks about the same size as our Satoh Buck. Just got it and I am quite impressed so far. It has power that is deceiving for it's size
Great information. Thanks.
Very enlightening video. I had no idea this was a thing, but I'm not a bit surprised. Don't get me started on "Right to Repair" infringements.
All I have ever owned was Gray Market Tractors... They're Great very easy to work on... I have never had any trouble with them...
I dont need a tractor. I'm not interested in owning a tractor. Man, was I ever interested and captivated by this video though! Great presentation, delivery, and editing! Thanks, I learned something new today!
Thanks for watching.
I had a old b7000 with a front end loader at my old job, we fix the whole top heavy problem by filling tires with calcium and using weight lifting plates as wheel weights they fit perfectly in the rim. As for parts the whole grey market problem was solved by ordering by part number not model
I have a grey market Yanmar sold by Fredricks in Alabama. They have a shop where they refurbish these tractors. It has a brand new ROPS on it. It has been a great tractor for the past 5 years, no problems. They are not illegal to own or import. Fredricks has many for sale in many sizes. Parts are available from Fredricks in Alabama and Hoye in Texas.I highly recommend both of these parts suppliers and Fredricks outdoor in Alabama.
My dad was a 100% john deere man for years... his last tractor was a 40 hp Iseki.. he said it was absolutely the best tractor he ever owned as far as reliability. The same tractor in fact, that I pulled a trailer with him and the pallbearers to his gravesite with.
That is a very cool tribute to your dad.
Sinister. That's kinda depressing man.😥
Dandahermit Seals nah, I think he would've liked the gesture.
Sinister. Oh I agree, it just made me kinda sad. I know--'' pretty weanie!#" but it is kinda like ur faithful dog laying on urgrave.
Sinister
Awesome!!👍👍✊
Well that explains why the kubota dealer thumbs there nose at me when I need anything for my Mitsubishi tractor.
mowguy fudd Savage 😂
Dealer arrogance is the #1 thing that will keep me away from buying from someone
3 of the best little tractors ever made
The grey market ones are generally better than the north America models for the most part also you can important you just have to do it in pieces
I'd love having a little tractor like that kabota.
Good information thank you
I recently bought my first tractor. I bought a brand new Yanmar. Once I got to where I needed to do an oil change. I soon found out that the filters were hard to locate not going through the dealer. They only do "kits". To my horror it was $300. Just for filters. Luckily NAPA, helped me get 2 of the 3 filters cross referencing them. The third I had to go to the dealer and convince them to sell me the single filter. It is absolutely disturbing to see such political persuasion in cornering someone to spend so much money on something that is so cheap to make. Greed is such a horrible mindset. It helps no one. Great content sir, thank you for the info.
check out hoyetractor.com they have parts for most all the grey market tractors including filters etc. and very reasonably priced
I just got all the fluid filters (4), oil, hydraulic fluid, and air filters (2) for my Kubota from a Kubota dealership for just under $300 . So it's what it is, know what's alot more expensive? New motor or transmission.
I need a small tractor for use around the house. I have a old case I was thinking of getting back in service. But its just a big lawnmower!
Neighbor of mine bought a gray market Kubota tractor. Came time to buy tires, he couldn't.....the wheels were something they only used overseas and not a tire in the US would fit them. Had to buy 4 new wheels as well as tires !
I have read some similar issues about that. I never had to put tires on mine.
i worked at a kubota dealer and i can tell you that there is a difference. you can find the engine model and engine parts are fairly easy to come by. i could never find a list that would change the model numbers over because to my knowlege there is none. it is mere speculation.while they look the same, maybe same engine, the internals (gears shafts etc) are often different. unless a part had a good number stamped in it it was a real crapshoot to get the right part. and realize by this point those models are mostly obsolete due to age. parts have been increasingly discontinued. not saying you cant find a good one out there.,because they can be had. personally though i would steer clear of hydro models and only get geared models. too many parts on the hydros no longer exist even in salvage yards and they never held up for most people.
Thank you for the video
When I was doing parts at a Cat Dealer. The Gray market machines were hilariously impossible to find 95% of parts needed, was a fun challenge to tinker with! Doesn't mean the machines are junk! Just need some TLC and effort haha
I bought a Kubota tractor basket case gray market tractor. I had to rebuild the engine and had no trouble getting parts for it. It was a good tractor.
Nice Kubota. I'm jealous of the 4wd. Nice video as well, much less clickbaity then expected. I say go for it with grey market. Those rice field tires are awesome. Who ever had too much lug?
They were great, never could get it stuck in the mud. Almost climbed a tree with it one time!
I had a Satoh for a few years, and it was a very good little tractor. Unfortunately it was one that no longer had a dealer network in the U.S. So, while I could get a mechanic who could my maintenance there was an issue if I needed parts which were not available at the local auto parts dealerships. Otherwise it was not much different than a U.S. produced tractor from the pre 1970's.
I had a Satoh 15 HP Beaver. It was dependable and didn't need anything but PM over the years.
YOUR RIGHT ..I have a 1500 Yarmar it 1979 .myself I do not want all that safety s...as they call it.I just get on hit the key and go ..
I have that same exact tractor and it still runs till this day and u can get parts online if u need to
some kobota tractors are made here in north east georgia, i think we haave 2 plants now in this aera.
There was a place near me that was getting old tractors with high hours, repainting them and selling them. Zetor,Mahindra,Yanmar etc.Many we’re old junk. I would stick with orange and green paint. If you want a fixer up get an old Ferguson or Ford.
never had any trouble with mine well used.Traded mine in got my money back to,(Dealer for Mahindra)
Love my Yanmar Gray. It shares about 90%+ of everything it's John Deere twin has. Engine, hydraulics, etc. It's painted red and not JD green. Yanmar has been making John Deere CUT tractors since the early1980s. And then Club Cadet CUT tractors up to recently. Easy to find parts here in the USA and Canada too. Better than any of the other gray brands out there. Some outfits will take the gray Yanmar tractors and totally restore them and offer a 1-year warranty too. I didn't have to spend no $22K on a new one. Only 1/4 that price. PLUS, these restored tractors don't have those wacky computer issues either. They are soooo easy to work on as well.
Great video
I have a Yanmar 1610D. Not a gray market machine as far as I know, but there are some reconditioned/salvaged ones that are. No matter, if a specific tractor checks out as good machine at a good price I would buy it.
The YM1610D is indeed a grey market tractor. It is a fine tractor though. That power shift transmission is great.
I owned a old yanmar was a great tractor ftw
I grew up in farm country driving the big red/green/blue machines. So when I was looking for a sub compact tractor I looked for 1) a local dealer with a good reputation. 2) comparative specifications on hydraulics. 3) price and warranty. The winner - Mahendra.
Now after 200 hours on an eMax 22HST 4WD I am still satisfied. Most of these sub compact brands are now assembled in either China or India. Yes even John Deere comes out of India.
sub compact John Deeres are mfg.on Japan and assembled in Georgia USA the engines are made by Yanmar in Japan
Not intirely true. My 8 year old JD x340 garden tractor has a ( claimed ) 26 hp Kowasaki motor. That's Japanese.
larger John Deere models have restrictions upon repair shops which are not authorized by John Deere. The legal issue is called 'right to repair". The systems detect when new parts are added and will not function correctly until software updates register the updated parts.
Most Kubotas sold in North America are manufactured in Ga.
Only assembled in ga.
brian lane cut bent welded and painted Gainesville ga KMA Jefferson ga KIE
The Deere's out of Augusta are only assembled there also.
I believe John Deere was doing something simular with equipment being imported back into the NA market from Europe by not honoring the warranty. Saftey & emmision standards are much higher over there. It might have to do more so with markup on margins because Deere is deemed to be lower quality. Kubota most likely is focused on their grey market versions because of margins.
Good information 🚜🚜🚜👍👍
I have bought 2 gray market tractors. Both from a dealer in Dallas tx. They have everything as far as safety equipment and manuals. Not much difference other than age and electronics.
There has been a odd looking Myanmar sitting for sale for years. I been wondering about it.
BTW, the vid comment about not getting an owners manual or parts manual isn't true for the Yanmars. Just pop on over to the John Deere site and look up the Yanmar twin. A YM2500 = JD-850. Hoye and Fredricks offer owners manuals. It's is sketchy for the other two brands listed in the vid. Some Mitsubishi CUT tractors were rebranded as M-F types. Thus, those would have documentation and easy parts.
Only downside is it can be hard to get parts. I had a good little yahmar that was a grey tractor. The engine seized in it and I could not find another engine. ALSO Yahmar kept getting my ad flagged, both looking for parts and when I tried to sell it.
Which was poor business, because I liked it and I would have bought a new Yahmar later. So with thier dirty business I won't buy a Yahmar. Or a John Deere. ( John deere uses Yahmar engines)
Last time I checked, Grey Market was just another name for "Third party market" So a second hand car dealer is part of the Grey Market. Unless it means something different in the industrial/commercial market as it does in the consumer market then it doesn't matter if it is an import or not for it to be part of the grey market.
Kubota (KBA) is manufactured in Georgia 🇺🇸, more than you can say about other big brands
The UK has a lawn tractor (with lights) I like alot it's the JD X950R. I've actually talked to a farming friend and said if I bought that tractor would he crate it and ship it over here to my future farm.
SouthernWulf Extra cool story bro
This tells me everything i need to know about kubota. They will sell the cheaper stuff overseas so its ok for them to get killed lacking safety stuff. or... They know they can add a few hundred dollars worth of stuff and jack up the price a few grand to sell here.
I was a teacher in Korea for 10 years. It's the same with cars. Hyunadai cars that are sold in Korea (and made in Korea) cannot be imported to Canada or the USA. They use thinner sheet metal. NO Korean cars have cruise control! ("Our country is small blah blah blah .... Cruise control would save gas, the government taxes gas and the Korean government is fairly corrupt.) There is a car called a "Tico" (google it). It's the smallest four door crossover vehicle I've ever seen. They are very common in Korea but cannot be imported to North American because they are simply too dangerous. While Asians are exporting their cars all over the world, there are virtually no American cars to be seen because the import tax is 75% or something similar. In other words, they want to sell to the west but don't want to buy from the west. Don't get me started .....
I have a grey market Kubota. The previous owner installed a ROPS, which I think he got from a Kubota dealer. I don't know where the ROPS came from, but its safe enough for me. I didn't know it was a grey market tractor when I bought it. I've bought parts from Australia. Teslas aren't sold by Tesla dealers , and that's the way Tesla wants it. There is a business need for a widely known web site for ordering Asian tractor parts. Too many of these machines are scrapped when they could be repaired. These older machines aren't competing with new models, Kubota and the other manufacturers should help the hobbiest market rather than treat us like pariahs. We promote the brands as long lasting and durable when we restore them. I wish Steiner or another company would take on the Asian market. These are the 8Ns of the future. I understand the dealer's need to make profit, but I see Kubotas everywhere so they aren't struggling for sales, as some dealers were 25 years ago.
In the question "Should homesteaders avoid grey market tractors?", the answer is ΝΟ !!!
Same with cars. Cars safety and emissions rules are different or even non existent in countries like India and China, but there is still huge market of buyers there for cheaper cars, truck, and tractors.
Purchased a Kubota L345 (manufactured 1978-1985) about 20 years ago, having no idea it was a gray market tractor. It had all the decals a looked appropriate for a normally imported Kubota L345. When I went to order parts, nothing fit. My mechanic claims it is a gray market tractor. Understand they were brought across the border from Canada, by individual farmers. Put a lot of money into repairs, and knowing what I know now, should have purchased a much more capable machine, although I really love the two speed PTO. Guess that is more the common complaint; should of, would of, could of bought a better machine to start with.
Mitsubishi is made in Japan. During WWII, the company manufactured aircraft, including the A6M series known to us as the "ZERO".
And what did BMW manufacture during the war?
They also used slave labor , POWs included. All Japanese companies did during the war.
@@mikeleikam2892 And our country in prisoned our own Japanese citizens during the same war. We have the POW camp just down the road in Crossville TN. War brings out the best and the worst in man.
Maybe i missed it in this video i was just reading the headline and seeing what you had to say about it. My understanding is is is illegal to purchase or sell "in the U.S" but owning it dose not matter.
yup 7:48
Any problems can be overcame with these. Don't fear the grey market unless it's autos at emissions test time.
My uncle bought a Hitachi medium sized excavator. Saved 20k..only reason it was marked as gray was the Cabin did not have roof protection? A few welds and all his engine parts come from napa..
napa depends on the location I have one near my house thats the warehouse for all the other local stores and they have all the common use items in stock
All good... mostly filters and small stuff..lol
I have six change the wheels myself they will just have to get over it are drop there prices
Mahindra try 1 of those I have a 37.5 HP one and there grate.
Yanmar, who builds and make all John Deere sub compacts and compact tractors did the same thing. I was at a Kioti Dealership in N.C. and was with a friend of mine. We were talking to the owner about numbers ($) on a few different new Kioti Tractors with front end loaders,etc. We were both looking for a new Tractor. He was actually a Yanmar dealer also. His wife walked up to the owner and told him and showed him a thick stack of paper's they had gotten in the mail from Yanmar. Yanmar was warning there dealers from then on, not to sell parts or repair four digit model # Yanmars. They could only sale, repair, and sale part's for three digit # models made for the U.S. market or they could or would loose their dealership agreement and would be cut off from any new part's. This was around 2002. You can go to any John Deere dealership or look at someone's J.D., tractor or mower and you will see Yanmar on the Tractor. It's also on some of the Riding Mowers, engines,ect. Has been for decades.Another company, Shibaura has made Ford Tractors since the early 1970's. My sister used a 1973 Ford 1000 diesel tractor to mow acre's on their Horse Farm. Yes it is made by Shibaura. They have an International 4x4 Tractor with a front end loader on it, its a Mitsubishi made tractor. Massey Fergusons were made by Toyosha, Hinomoto. My brothers MF 205 is made in Japan by Toyosha. Iseki made very late model Massey Ferguson's. Mahindra Tractors compact, and sub compacts were made by Mitsubishi if you look at the engine and I.D plate. Hitachi bought Hinomoto, and their manufacturer Toyosha. Kubota furnished Bobcat with engines for their skid steers for decades until a Korean Co. bought Bobcat. The Korean Co. made engines also, so Kubota cut off their supply of engines. Now Bobcats are all Korean made and powered. I have a Kubota B7100HSE that I use for finish mowing and an L 2850DT 4x4 with a front end loader for bush hogging and plowing , Tilling, snow removal and all the heavy work. The B model is Hydrostatic drive which is nice and smooth. I know someone with a Grey market L model Kubota and someone with a Hinomoto 4x4 with an FEL on it. You can get parts for either one if you go to the Dealer. Always use the U.S. market model # of a tractor and don't mention Grey Market or give them a Grey Market number or they will not sell you part's. I'm friends with the local Kubota dealer and he will get Heated in a hurry if you mention Grey Market Kubota's to him. He said if he sold part's for those, Kubota would take his Dealers license and shut down his business! TractorData.com has all makes and models of about every Tractor ever made. You can usually cross reference any or most grey markets. Remember, use an American market model # if you go to or through a Dealer! Napa has got part's and filters also! Grey Markets usually have lower hours on them than most U.S. Tractors as most come from Japan, Vietnam, Thialand, etc, where they don't use them daily like most American owned Tractors. Just be sure to look at them very close before you buy! Look for lot's of play in the stearing, white smoke, worn cylinders or (Broken Rings), where the clutch engages, Tractors have to be split into two halves for clutch replacement, check the rear lift, Tires ect.Good Luck!!! PEACE................................
I have a L1501 kubota. What is the model equivalent to this for parts?
If you sell one, in say, Tennessee to someone in Kentucky is that an import/export operation? Importing to another state. Is that illegal?
So are old used tractors grey market also then? You since they are unsafe?
i have a Satoh which is grey market. When i first got it some parts were available but I couldn't get any dealer to work on it. I found a mechanic that was willing to repair it and I was ok. As far as any concerns I never had any so I think its all a lot of bs.
How long have you had your Satoh?
Don't put the wheel or sheet metal on, Then they are imported as parts. Assembled in the US when they are off the shipping container.
I own a gray market Kubota B1500DT and its a great little tractor. There are some parts that you can't get here, but most parts are usually interchangeable with the US equivalent tractor. The reason Kubota had a fit is because tractors are heavily subsidized in Japan and farmers get massive incentives to trade them in every 2-3yrs. This creates a glut of used tractors in Japan, and they are therefore super cheap. Enterprising Americans were buying container loads of used 2yr old Kubotas and selling them for a small fraction of what a new Kubota cost at a US dealer. The dealers complained to Kubota....Kubota complained to the US gov't...(probably spent some lobbying money to buy off some Congressmen)...and boom, it was suddenly illegal to import these used tractors. I know of no other product that is illegal to import used.
Interesting info. That definitely sheds some additional light on the issue. Nothing jacks up free trade like government!
You can still go to sites like Alibaba.com and buy used Asian tractors in lots of ten. Do a query and see what you can find.
Funny, my legally-imported '83 B5100D has no ROPS, no belt, is quite narrow, no over-running clutch, and everything is written in English and French (assuming for the Canadian market), but it was safe enough back then! LOL
Holden McGroin
Yea I remember as a kid back then that the lawnmowers has a heck of a lot less stickers on them, thanks lawyers!!
That was before the lawyers got involved. Once a lawsuit or two came, everything changed.
I bought a B7000 4wd Kubota in 2003 to build our acreage. It still is the best tractor I have ever had. Hell, it is the most reliable
useful machine I have ever owned. I live in Canada where many of these Kubota's have been imported as have many other vehicles, including some cars and trucks with the steering wheel on the wrong side. You poor Americans have been fcuked by
your own government, always against the little guy. Kubota is trying to psych you guys out. You can always add a ROPS, seat belt,
and any other accessories or features you may like. I added a cab because here in Alberta it gets to -40 when I am pushing snow.
Parts for these machines are available everywhere. NAPA, Ebay, etc. I switched the rice paddy tires for turf tires and it works fine.
Do some internet research. This machine, mine is a 1987, is by far better built than any other tractor then or now. Also you will
find that Kubota does a lot of very smart engineering that makes for a durable machine.
It's just big companies whining about not making thousands of dollars off of new tractors and whining about imports. I have a Yanmar 2000 and love it! Wish I could find a 4x4 the same size or a bit larger.
Nissan, Honda and Toyota has been doing this grey market scene for many years. Honda being the biggest offender through the 80s. Groups of dealer/ investors would set it up as container shipments to Guam and on to ports on the south east coast as a product of Guam
what's the difference between the gray market and black market?
Parts, fuel, and oil requirements or the scarsity thereof would be my only concern.
Do category 1 American implements hook up to them ok without problems?
I never had any issues with 3 point hitch compatibility.
Parts could be a concern if there wasn't any on Ebay, Amazon or even in the dealers! ;-) If faced with a dealer being a mor_n when selling parts just ask for the exactly same part of the "American" counterpart. It's exactly the same part. ;-)
Now fuel and oil!!! You're joking, right?
Cheers
I'm still confused on why I can't buy a car straight from a manufacturer. Company are BS to make more money
There's a difference between retail and manufacturing/distribution. If you get a chance to talk to dealers they'll have their own stories about the work they need to put in.
i have an 87 yanmar 226d, mine is not a grey market. throttle works in the correct direction, (for in the states) has pto guard and built in over run, but no rops because someone put a jd cab on it.
its kinda like my 83 honda 3 wheeler, some way they are illegal which is not true, they cant be made but you can still own one, if they were illegal i wouldnt be able to register it.
I don't think my Dad's 58 Ford 800 has any of that stuff you are talking about. Most likely they say they are unsafe because someone rolls one over Kubota is going to be sued no matter what. Even if it's the driver's fault. But throw in the fact it was not meant for the North American market just adds more fuel. My Trabant was never sold here in the United States but I imported it legally from Hungary. No way it's 2 cycle engine would pass emmissions but it's 30+ years old so it's exempt anyway.
Is Massey Ferguson tractor imported from Canada?
Buy a Hinomoto, great tractors with great engines, lots of features,
Not familiar at all with that one. Judging by the name I assume it is not manufactured in Georgia?
In reference to the text on the tractor, you mean Japanese, not Chinese . :o)
Hermit Holller Homestead
I think the Japanese Do use Chinese characters for the most part. The Japanese do not use Chineae exclusively but the vast majority of the characters are Chinese.
Interesting that the Japanese would use Chinese characters on tractors they produce unless they were for the Chinese market. Personally I would not know the difference between Japanese and Chinese characters.
Grass Junkie Mirage Japanese use many characters derived from Chinese but they are often different as they have evolved over centuries. There are other characters that used as well and those have evolved so much as to be quite different.
I was looking for this comment. 7:00 was cringe.
Belarus produces a good tractor. If I could find one in the States, I would definitely buy it. I used to believe in protecting goods produced or finished in the United States until CEOs of such companies continued to make exponentially more than their average employee. If it were 20x more, I'm all for it, but 240x more than the average employee, or 10,000x or so (Apple), no thanks. I have also worked in factories where I have seen companies buff off Japanese manufacturing labels and replace them with American flags so that it seemed like more of the product was produced in the U.S. when it was not. Hitachi, I'm referring to your suspension products and whatever else you may be up to.
If the company was smart they would export some of the ones people are importing. If there is a demand, supply.
King Alfred Well they are but greedy insurance companies say INSTALL PTO clutch and ROP etc.. The tires and track with is a JOKE! Go look on USA brand or market tractors... I have seen SUPER SKINNY rice farmer tractors and narrow frame for orchard models too...
Look up Fredricks Importing. They do this today. Foldable ROPS, PTO shield, all body & instrument decals in English, etc. And fully restored with a 1-year warranty.
Politics is everywhere, even in your tractors!
As a person you can import any tractor you want... go to japan.... buy it... and ship it home.... use it for personal use... absolutely nothing illegal about that. The problem is if you buy a bunch of them, import them, then try to resale them.
Also, if you buy one used your not doing anything illegal.
banshee8989 Exactly
Jeanette Waverly you ain't kidding!!
Politics is anywhere that money is involved.
Well, yeah, everything that humans do in society is political, because society is the political and the political is society. The only way to escape society is to live in the wilderness by yourself and avoid all contact with any other human; because as soon as you get a group of people together, you get society.
I don't see the issue other than parts are tough not impossible but the dealers are in a position where they should not sell them from Kabota. Kabota built it they crack me up some times. Personally I bought a 1967 JD 2020. Good tractor went that way because of parts and the numbers built in the US. I agree Grey Markets are no more dangerous than my 67 and the fact that all tractors are dangerous depending on how they are used.
Just a little information here . I have been using grey market tractors since the 80 s ..both yanmar and kubota...They are great tractors and the ones i have owned had very few hours on them . They are mostly used in rice patties...( which explain the big lug tires ) with tillers on them . I have owned the tillers as well and they also are great pieces of equipment . Here is the catch..some countries such as viet nam will buy huge numbers of worn out ones and build a tractor outa abunch of basterd parts ..then resell them here . There are some dealers in america that only bid on complete good condition tractors then go thru them when they arrive here . Those are the only dealers i would consider buying from . The last time i checked on these...and yes i researched the things..called japan and got the scoop...A person could hire a bidder....they offered two different size containers ....and have a load shipped in here . They dismantle the tractors for shipping and if you know whom ur dealing with you will get complete tractors in those containers . Other countries ( mostly asian ) will bid on piles of worn out junk...make a tractor outa all that crap..paint it and sell it as a complete tractor ( buyer beware ) . Just do your homework...research it like you should before buying any tractor and you will be will be well satisfied with those little tractors . God Bless America
Great info. Thanks for watching and sharing.
My 2 cents....I used to work for a Massey dealer, we would have people that brought Canadian grey market tractors. Some parts are the same many are not . the fuel systems were not, which was a big deal when the injector pumps, injectors etc needed replacement. Do your research before you buy.
So, where does one go today to aquire really good quality grey market late model Japanese tractors with good parts availability (not from dealership) at a good price? The less computers and emissions controls the better!
Alot of safty stuff gets disabled anyway.