The Marvelous Diesel Mini-Tractors!

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THE PROOF IS IN THE "PUTTING"

I soon found that the Yanmar's rear-mounted, belt-driven mower did an excellent job of cutting anything from manicured lawns to standing corn, poke-weed, or small brush. The implement's three blades are made of 3/16-inch steel, and the belt arrangement is well designed and has proven to be trouble-free. (However, when I "pushed my luck" by attaching a four-foot American-made bush hog, I found that this accessory was a mite more than the tractor could handle ... an intolerable vibration developed, and front weights became essential whenever tight turns were attempted.)

Under normal loads, though, the Yanmar has a turning radius of 7-1/4 feet. . . or 5-3/4 feet if the brake is applied to the inside wheel while maneuvering. This short are allows the tractor to mow close to trees and shrubbery, and the machine's light weight doesn't compact or scar lawns in dry weather . . . even when agricultural (rather than turf) tires are being used.

ROTOTILLING RESULTS

The Yanmar (which, as I've said, is pretty much representative of the other small imported diesels) has enough power in first or second gear (low range) to operate a 42-inch rotovator to depths of seven or eight inches . . . when used on previously cultivated soil. Two passes with this attachment in place are enough to turn corn stubble into a well-tilled bed, while unbroken fescue and clover sod—even on clay loam—can be tilled by traversing the same area three times . . . and increasing the depth of the tines with each successive pass.

That hefty 42-inch rotovator doesn't seem to strain my Yanmar, either ... or cause the excessive engine lugging and smoking that would signal an overload. I am, however, cautious by nature ... so I always try to use first gear when tilling, and have the tines turning before I lower them into the soil.

I do occasionally miss my old MF-135's automatic draft control (which keeps the rotovator's teeth at nearly the same depth regardless of the ground contour). But, when the area to be worked is fairly level, I don't find the Yanmar's lack of this feature to be a significant handicap.

GROUND SPEEDS

It seems that I use third speed (low range) and first speed (high range) on the mini more than any of the other forward gears . . . probably more out of habit than for any practical reason. My Yanmar has a rather abrupt "lurch" between these two gear ranges, which forces me to choose constantly between thrills and discretion. The other three little diesels offer a more gradual transition, however, with the Satoh proving to be the best of the bunch in this respect. (In fact. the Satoh's slower maximum forward speed is adequate for all off-road work.)

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