MyLittleRedTractor is a Yanmar YM-3110. Yanmar is the world's oldest producer of small diesel engines, particularly for marine and agricultural applications. If you own a small sailing yacht, chances are you have a Yanmar auxiliary engine. This model was built by Yanmar of Japan in '79-'80 for sale in their domestic markets. It was purchased used in the early part of this century and refurbished in Vietnam, shipped here and sold in the US on the 'grey market'. Yanmar's are highly prized by some for their simple, almost bullet proof design and low cost. Most of the "grey" models probably spent their first lives axle deep in a rice patty where they were often stored over the winter.
Careful observers, and especially John Deere enthusiast, will notice the yellow stickers on the sides and say: "I ain't never seen no Red John Deere tractor!". First let me say I didn't put those stickers on there. The old gentleman who originally purchased it off the boat did that. He only used the tractor to run his pto driven rotory tiller in his garden. But he owned a number of John Deeres and apparently liked them alot. Which brings me to my second point, that you may have never seen a Red John Deere, but you certainly have seen a great many Green Yanmars! That is because Yanmar has been building tractors for JD since the '70's. Yanmar in fact once sold their tractors in US directly. However, JD's brand loyalty was very difficult to overcome for Yanmar, and JD could not make a small tractor as cost effectively. So the two companies got together and started making compact tractors in Yanmar's factories and selling them in the US as John Deeres. Complete with green and yellow paint, and most importantly for 'grey' Yanmar owners today, John Deere's parts and support infrastructure. MyLittleRedTractor is essentially a John Deere 850/950 with between 70 and 80 percent parts compatibility. The differences are mainly in the transmission and tuning of the engine. It has a 4 range, 16 speed "Powershift" transmission which is clutchless in-range and a "creeper gear". The JD 850/950's have a standard 2 range, 8 speed transmission and as far as I know, no "creeper".
Anyway it is a hard working little tractor with plenty of horsepower (34 drawbar, 31 pto), but it very light at only about 2260 lbs. Other small tractors prized for their compact size, maneuverability, and reliable design such as the venerable Ford 8N/9N or very similar Ferguson "T" models are as much as 1000 pounds heavier. This is primarily because the old Fords and "Fergies" were designed to pull deep tilling implements such as a bottom plow, or a cultivator in row cropping fields. Yanmars were designed to work in rice patties with pto driven implements such as a rotory tiller. Different applications, different design philosophies. As a once and future engineer, I find such differences fascinating.
MyLittleRedTractor was purchased to use in and around our small homestead. It is admittedly a compromise, but I think a fair one. It has most of the good qualities of a modern compact tractor without the hefty price tag. But it also has many of the faults, weight being the principle one in my mind. Time will tell how suitable it will be for use in our garden. It did well with the rotary mower, but showed it's lack of heft when pulling a bottom plow. I'm working on a low cost solution to that problem now. But overall I do love my little tractor and I hope I have a long, safe and happy relationship with it.
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