Anyone have knowlege of Shibaura tractors?

[KRStone]

Been looking for a tractor, found one on craigslist.



It's a Shibaura SL 1543.



4x4, 5 spd w/ Hi & Lo ranges, gannon, bucket loader, for sale locally.



Been looking for a tractor for home use.



Owner says it runs strong but throwout bearing is gone and needs replaced. Owner says it's not an expensive part, but an involved replacement.



Wondering what anyone's thoughts/experience is with this type of tractor and the repair?



For sale for $2,500

 

[rscurtis]

Supposed to be very good. They made the original 1000 series tractors for Ford. I believe they make the New Holland "Boomer", styled after the 8N. They also made some hand held products for Stihl a number of years ago, they were also very good. My only question would be parts availability.

 

[HBarlow]

I know a little about John Deere and Kubota compact tractors and have owned a Kubota for a couple of years.

Both products provide years of outstanding service and both have dealers all over the country where parts and service are available.

I am not an expert on JDs or Kubotas or the industry but I have never heard of a Shibaura tractor. I guess I am skeptical.

Are parts available for one? What was the price of that tractor new? What year was it made and sold and how many operating hours? What condition is it in? What else might it need that can't be detected until it is back in operation.

My advice would be keep looking. You will pay a lot more for a good used JD or Kubota but parts and service are readily available and the tractor will still have excellent value in the future.

 

[rscurtis]

I worked for a Ford tractor dealer in the late '70's -early '80's, and the Ford 1600 series were bulletproof- equal in quality to a JD or Kubota. The early 2-cylinder versions were a little noisy, but ran and ran. They even made a diesel garden tractor that was sold by Ford, and they are sought after by collectors. As I pointed out and you are also mentioning, parts availability should be researched before purchase. It's the same deal with the gray-market Yanmar's- a very good tractor that no one can service.

 

[TFucili]

Supposed to be very good. They made the original 1000 series tractors for Ford. I believe they make the New Holland "Boomer", styled after the 8N. They also made some hand held products for Stihl a number of years ago, they were also very good. My only question would be parts availability.

This is all correct. I was a Stihl(and John deere)dealer, and have owned a New Holland 2120 made by Shibaura. Their stuff is good. But, if it is "gray market", you'll probably whistle Dixie for parts.

 

[KRStone]

hmmm. Good advice. I'm going to pass on this one.



Didn't know that Kubota has such a good name, good to know.

 

[rscurtis]

Kubota products are traditionally top shelf, and they are not re-badged Yanmar's as are (were?) the smaller JD's, and now the Cub Cadet CUT's.

 

[HBarlow]

hmmm. Good advice. I'm going to pass on this one.

Didn't know that Kubota has such a good name, good to know.

I didn't either, didn't even know their country of origin until several years ago. When I bought and old farmhouse in the country about three years ago I was thinking I'd buy a compact sized John Deere but learned about Kubotas and now I notice them everywhere I go.

John Deere is probably the brand of choice for serious farmers but for smaller jobs the Kubota is a very strong selling brand. Their products seem to be almost unbreakable.

 

[TFucili]

hmmm. Good advice. I'm going to pass on this one.



Didn't know that Kubota has such a good name, good to know.

With the economy as bad as it is, there are plenty of people trying to turn good stuff into cash, just keep your eyes open. I had a guy with a Deere 5000 series trying to trade it on an ATV at our shop a while ago. If he shows up again, I'll get better info for you. Otherwise, stick to Kubota, Deere, or New Holland, and you'll be a happy camper.

 

[rscurtis]

The New Holland CUT's will at least have a Shibauru engine, and they may have built the whole machine. That should tell you something about their quality.

 

[HBarlow]

addy john,

The discussion forums is not the place for posting self serving commercial advertising.

I, for one, do not appreciate it. It is of no value to the original poster or to other forum participants.

You are probably trying to push black market tractors with limited or no parts support available.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I used to work in a local Kubota dealership as a mechanic for a number of years. Went to Kubota school also. I have done repairs on most of the compact tractor brands over the years. If you want a compact tractor that will outlast you, BUY A KUBOTA!! IMHO Top shelf engeneering, top shelf parts support, top shelf dealers. Your second bet would be John Deere. Any of the "Off brands" will be a headache when you need repairs or parts. USE CAUTION,

 

[Bill Stockard]

I used to work in a local Kubota dealership as a mechanic for a number of years. Went to Kubota school also. I have done repairs on most of the compact tractor brands over the years. If you want a compact tractor that will outlast you, BUY A KUBOTA!! IMHO Top shelf engeneering, top shelf parts support, top shelf dealers. Your second bet would be John Deere. Any of the "Off brands" will be a headache when you need repairs or parts. USE CAUTION,

The best tractor tech that I have ever known during my 30+ years with IH who once worked at our dealership for many years is now working at a Kubota/CaseIH dealership and has the same opinion of Kubota as you. I have two dealership owner friends who also sell competitive brands along with Kubota also say the same thing. I took their advice into consideration when buying my compact tractor five years ago. I bought a Kubota and have run it hard for nearly 1,000 hours and I haven't been disappointed. It hasn't been back to the dealer except for routine service.



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

And to give credit where credit is due, it was from Bill Stockard that I learned about Kubota tractors and because of his advice that I bought one.

 

[Wertles]

Another vote here for either JD or Kubota. Spent months researching compact tractors 4 years ago and these two are in a class by themselves. I went with JD mainly because I knew I could always get parts if needed, and for the fact that it is faster to drive the tractor to the dealer than to get out the trailer and load everything up to get it there. A JD or Kubota might be a bad choice for you if the nearest store is two hours away. I found a dealer I trust and have built a relationship with over the last 6 years. Total, I think I've spent about 60K between 4 different machines. They all know me by name and treat me as a valued customer every time I walk in the door.

 

[HBarlow]

Quote from Wertles: "A JD or Kubota might be a bad choice for you if the nearest store is two hours away"

Your point is valid but I don't really think that fact would make a Kubota or JD a bad choice. Neither of them is likely to need anything but routine service until their hour meter gets into some pretty large nunbers.

Kubota dealers are about fifty or sixty miles from my place but that's not a problem.

 

[JUeckert]

For many, money is the bottom line as to decideing a purchase like this. If a man has a need/want for a tractor, yet doesent put many hrs on one in a year, dealer support may not be a big deal during a possible break down. . If this same man will keep that tractor from now on, resale may not mean much, and again a much cheaper purchase price is worth considering also. . If you intend to rack up some hrs, and resale in 5 to 10 years[ maybe you will want a larger model?] then go with a name brand. . when dollars are exchanged, you will see why. . For small tractors, kubota,jd,newholland,massey, and case ih, are all solid choices. . Get to the large models, and in most cases i dont care for the kubota's. . Some food for thought for any brand; SOMETIMES, with the helps of a parts manual, i have got a tractor part quicker shipped off the net, then i have dealing with a dealer... Sometimes cheaper also...

 

[Dieselnut59]

I didn't either, didn't even know their country of origin until several years ago. When I bought and old farmhouse in the country about three years ago I was thinking I'd buy a compact sized John Deere but learned about Kubotas and now I notice them everywhere I go.



John Deere is probably the brand of choice for serious farmers but for smaller jobs the Kubota is a very strong selling brand. Their products seem to be almost unbreakable.

Made completely in Japan (main parts) and Gainesville, Georgia USA (final assembly, implements, cabs, wheels, etc. ) unlike John Deere which is made in India, China, Germany, Japan, Indonesia and USA. Everything I have ever had experience with or owned that is made by Kubota is top notch. I love my tractor and mower and my Kubota powered welder/generator.

 

[HBarlow]

I love my little B2920 also. It has only accumulated a little over 200 hours in over two years of use but every minute on it has been fun. It will mow, plow, move dirt and gravel, smooth driveways, lift and transport heavy object, and more.

I showed my wife how to mow with it using the belly mount mower and now she wants to do the mowing.

 

[Superglide]

I was perusing the Kubota. ca site and came across this interesting link. Thought it would probably apply in the U. S. as well.



Gray Market Tractors and Construction