News Release

More than 40,000 tractors worldwide powered by Yanmar engines

“The engine is a tractor’s most vital organ, it is what every farmer or operator relies on to bring him home at the end of the day, 365 days a year.” That is the strong belief of Antonio Carraro and a solid base for their long-standing success. For more than 25 years they have found this quality and reliability at Yanmar.

First OEM customer in agriculture for Yanmar Europe

25 years ago, Antonio Carraro was still a small Italian brand, but with high ambitions to become a world leader in specialized compact tractors. They knew that the engine was a vital part for success, so they wanted the most suitable engine available in terms of quality, reliability, performance, and fuel efficiency. Because of these properties, Antonio Carraro had its eye on Yanmar engines, which would be a giant leap forward in AC's ambitions. But would the Japanese Yanmar, a well-known brand in Asia, be willing to customize an engine for a specialist tractor maker from Italy?

"Within 30 days Yanmar had adapted a water-cooled 3-cylinder engine to the compact bonnet of our tractor. We were excited”, says Damiano De Checchi, R&D Director of Antonio Carraro. But when we asked for additional and more powerful engines, Yanmar said 'no': large-scale customization did not fit within the quality requirements of their production standards in those days. Fortunately, we were able to convince Yanmar that quality was also our top priority without compromise. That’s where we connected. And so, we became the first customer in agriculture for Yanmar in Europe and started a strong partnership.”

Through thick and thin

The collaboration with Yanmar was not self-evident. After all, what big company would want to invest in production adaptations to provide custom engines in different configurations for about 80 models, divided into 10-12 power ranges? But Yanmar believed in Antonio Carraro and provided each new tractor model with the right engine time and again, with the two companies' technical teams working together as one.

De Checchi: "Fitting a Yanmar has always been a guarantee of extraordinary performance and reliability. A perfect fit for our compact tractors, from the very first model to our legendary 5800 Series, launched in 2014 and the best-selling Carraro tractor worldwide. Not a single cloud in the sky, until the new Stage V engines imposed a major challenge on us. Due to a better combustion system, Stage V engines are bigger; in fact, too big for our bonnet. But once again our excellent partnership proved its worth. Yanmar modified the aftertreatment system to fit our specifications, so that we could fit the latest generation of engines into the existing tight engine bay.”

Two companies, two cultures, one mission

Although the companies are rooted in two different cultures, they found common ground in that they are both family businesses with a long tradition and share the same industrial mission to always put the needs of the end customer first. From the very first relationship between Mr. Carraro and Yamaoka and their families, up to the current generation of management and staff, every employee was and is committed to going the extra mile. “Numbers, technical data and mathematical calculations are important in every company, but what counts above all are the people whose work, passion and choices determine the success of this company and its products,” says De Checchi.

Above all, there is an exclusive and deeply felt companionship between the two companies. “Yanmar has always been, and still is, a dedicated long-term partner for Antonio Carraro. One that has always believed in this Italian brand and continues to do so, by contributing in a practical, concrete way to the development of Antonio Carraro’s most innovative tractors currently available on the market.”

YANMAR 4TNV88-B – Unbeatable reliability and great performance

About Antonio Carraro

Founded in 1910, Antonio Carraro is a world leader in the production of compact tractors for specialized agriculture and civil maintenance. Based in Italy with commercial branches in Australia, Spain, France and Turkey, the company employs more than 500 people. Their mission is to always offer the best solution to tractor operators, even under extreme working conditions. Antonio Carraro is a multiple finalist and winner of the Tractor of the Year (TotY) Award in the Best of Specialised category.