Yanmar

When it comes to building reliable and efficient engines, the Japanese seem to have mastered the art. Still, they didn't achieve the level of perfection we know them for today overnight. Instead, it took decades of research & development from top manufacturers to establish their name in such a highly competitive field.

One such well-established maker of diesel engines and related machinery is Yanmar, a privately-owned Japanese brand credited with developing the world's first small diesel engine.

The story began in 1912 when a young man named Magokichi Yamaoka founded a small repair factory for old gas engines in Osaka. Before starting this venture, Yamaoka had spent several years working as a gas plumber at Osaka Gas, where he learned everything about engines. While other major players in the business were shifting to renewable energy sources like electricity, Yamaoka decided to stay put in the gas engine business. He bought old equipment for pennies on the dollar and sold it to companies all over Japan. With the First World War at its peak, demand for gas engines surged, and Yamaoka's risky bet paid off big time. However, once the ceasefire was declared, he had no other choice but to close up shop and move back to his hometown due to the recession.

During his brief business break, Yamaoka met a former colleague who had turned one of his gas engines into an oil-powered rice grinding mill. No need to mention that Yamaoka immediately fell in love with the idea. Seizing the opportunity, he realized he could create a lighter and smaller version for the masses, thereby significantly improving the lives of farmers. Yamaoka immediately moved back to Osaka and got to work building a prototype. After around three months of intense work, he came up with a 3-horsepower oil engine that was smaller and nearly five times lighter than what he had seen back home.

Such an innovation changed everything for Yanmar as Yamaoka's innovative designs proved extremely helpful in real life. His company was incredibly successful and soon employed 50-60 production line workers. Yanmar played an essential role in Japan's agricultural development, increasing mechanized equipment use and resulting in an astronomical increase in efficiency. Still, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Yanmar as the Great Depression caused immense financial stress. Being the persistent man he is, Yamaoka found a way to keep his business afloat and even managed to create the world's first compact diesel engine.

Since then, Yanmar has been at the forefront of producing efficient and durable engines destined for tractors and other farming equipment to boats and even large ships. But no matter how good an engine is, it is only so with proper maintenance. And to keep your Yanmar engine in good shape, all you need is a comprehensive Yanmar engine manual. These Yanmar service manuals provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to fix all issues yourself. Simply browse through our extensive collection, access the right Yanmar service manual for your needs, and save tons on maintenance and repairs!