Courtney, Have seen Many trucks from Japan RUST the frames and body to the ground.. How rugged does the frame look? The metal thin? If you plowed, you would see some salt.. Just want Your thoughts on this.. GREAT Video!
I live in the UK and worked for a Subaru dealer for years before it closed. We used to sell a number of Subaru Sumo micro vans with 4WD and they could be specified with a tipping bed body too. The garage closed in 2005 but I have fond memories from my time working there and the people I met through working there.
Very popular on farms in New Zealand & used as a farm run about. Mostly in NZ, they come with dual rear tires & are auto only. Suzuki produce the same type of truck / atv. They climb hills with no issues & are so reliable. In Japan they are called micro trucks or Kei Trucks. Sold new in NZ with a 5 year factory backed warranty.
I have been to the US several time in the last few years (from NZ) and so know what its like shifting with the opposite hand than you're used to. Takes 10 minutes to get used to, but still find myself getting in the wrong door weeks later lol
It's really cool to see Americans starting to embrace these mini trucks. They're such neat little vehicles that have been restricted to the Japanese market for too long. Hopefully someday street-legal LHD versions will become available.
@@michaelramsey82 There are various sizes...at least in east Asia and parts of Africa. Probably Europe too. With various options such as 4 wheel drive, dually rear wheels, four doors, etc. The medium sized ones with dually wheels are by far the most common, with the small 2 wheel drive ones used for package delivery inside of dense cities and small 4x wheel drive ones used by farmers (although the dually midsized 2 wheel drive models are probably more common in this market too). I can't recall seeing a 4x4 dually, but they may exist. Most of my experience is in east Asia, but I've seen them in other regions too. If this were facebook, I'd snap some photos on my daily walk. They would be branded Hyundai, Kia, or Daewoo.
Buy a used one from japan older than 25yrs and import it yourself. It will cost less than 10k and if imported as a vehicle not a utv you can get a title. New these are overpriced IMHO being you can't use them on the street
Thank you for sharing this was very interesting and informative for me at age 72, setting up a Nature n Land Conservancy in the Mojave Desert area of southern California.
Been looking at buying one recently. Fun fact, in some states like NC they are street legal. Can't take one one roads over 55 mph, but perfect for backroads or drives into town.
I've looked at these for almost 20 years. But I lived in the city then and didn't have a use for them. Now living in the country with 11 acres of woods and some open areas could really use one but being retired can't afford one. But enjoy yours. A number of the farmers here have them and I've talked to them and they love them.
I've had mine for 4 years. Wish it had a front locker and portal axles, but it does great and easy to maintain. Operating cost are much less than a UTV. It's fun to drive.
When we rented a manual transmission car in England many years ago I had NO problem shifting with my left hand. My "trip up" was automatically looking up to the right for the rear view mirror.
I've looked at these in the past, my biggest concern would be parts availability and cost. Otherwise I think they would make a great tool for landowners.
And registration. Farm implement regs would need inspection and some places obviously won't have these on the approved list. Also too heavy where I am for OHV tags so the last option is on road, which will require inspection, emissions, and insurance.
With how inflated car prices are nowadays, getting a 25year old vehicle that you can modify to today’s standards ends up balancing out. Yet you end up with something more useful and compact than what you can purchase here.
the parts are there and they are pretty cheap vs other vehicles . my 96 suzuki carry came with A title and was registered in NC . many other places allow it as well , but only the older ones
Cheaper than my defender! Wow. I agree shifting not a big deal. I rented a car in the UK and the shifting was nowhere near my concern after using roundabouts with way too many lanes ;)
Love my Sambar. Should have got the dump version and A/C. I use mine as transition sprayer with the ATV boom on the back. Size between the field sprayer and a hand pump. I manage about 22 acres with it. With the older version the parts is a problem which is probably why going with a new one is better. I think a 55gallon sprayer tank is about perfect for these.
I think they are awesome!!!!! Here in WV you can get a "special purpose vehicle" plate and drive them on secondary roads sam as you can with a side by side.
I have had 2 of these little truck. They are super little trucks for the farm. but not for the off road as much. They dont have the suspension like UTV has. Both of mine bottomed out on struts when trying to drive across corn fiel. and my UTV can run full speed across it. They both have there own uses. but NO it wont take the place of UTV unless you want to drive super slow speed across fields... My little truck had A/C and such. but really nice..But these are way over priced also. I bought both of mine from 2 different people for less than $3000.00
Honesty, I think these would be ideal for a battery option. It's a chore vehicle. It's not going to be running constantly. It's not going to be covering large distances. Just wish there was a category where these could be made street legal up to 45 or 55 mph.
Hey man! I just want to get this out there. Here in the Philippines, we have a lot of those Kei-trucks and vans. We have every model you can think of. But the good thing is, they are all in left-hand drive, since we drive on the right side of the road here, too! I hope someone will look into it when considering buying one. Imagine it's on the left side!
There is a video here on TH-cam of a guy moving a mini excavator in the bed of a mini truck. You have an impressive operation. Do you think you branch out into mini excavators and mini bulldozers next?
Looks like a great option compared to what is already on the market. Thank you Guys for putting this video together. I want one!!! Just put it on my wish list😁👍🚜💨🐓
There kinda cool and all but, just like anything else you need to justify buying/having one. I personally don’t have the need for that sort of thing much anymore. These days I’m more likely to be tearing up the trails in my SxS somewhere. Great job on the video by the way. 👍
Holy smokes 25-30k is insane for these things. You can find them so much cheaper. A guy down the road from me has 3-4 older ones. No way dropping that on that thing
Yeah, he's bragging they're so much cheaper than a Gator. I just bought a jd 865m with cab for less than what these are selling for. I won't deny they look nice and I'm sure they will do everything he says they will but at least be honest about the pricing.
Really ? You can find a brand-new import so much cheaper ? Links, please. And don't tell me you are comparing it to a 20 year old model that's been imported from northern Japan, and been through 20 winters.
@@paulreinmund2038 these things r literally everywhere here in PA. You could be a old one and rebuild the thing three times over for the price of one of these news.
Two years ago I bought a 1996 Mitsubishi Minicab, automatic, 4WD Dump with less than 3500 miles on it from Mayberry Mini Trucks in NC, for $6800.00. The vehicle was completely serviced, came with a NC title, and was delivered to my house in southern WV for $250.00. No way I would pay the prices he wants for one when older ones that are in great condition can be had for a fraction of that price.
These little trucks are sold in Australia as private imports. They can be registered and insured for road use. They are not exactly popular and are not seen much. The cleaners at my former workplace had one. We drive on the left side of the road which makes importing second hand Japanese vehicles a lot easier.
A 4-seater version would be a solid investment, but with a family of 5 and 3 young boys (2,4,11) I need something with a bit more room like a Mule etc. I had a Can Am Commander Max XT for years, and it was great, but as my family grew it was clear we wouldn't be able to go back to a 2-seater. These are very intriguing for sure. It seems like the Willys Jeeps (I have a CJ2A) but with a slick dump bed and newer tech and ac. Thanks for the video.
Hey Courtney! Love the channel, long time watcher, first time really interacting. I just started a channel (and tagged you in my most recent video which is a joke) and wanted to say you are an inspiration to me. Thanks for doing what you do. Also, these mini dumps are awesome, I foresee one in my near future.
The rear receiver is actually a $350 option. And at 13:30 it looks like it has collision detect, traction control, parking alert, and auto-engine off? (Hate that last one, I disable that permanently on any vehicle that has it). There's no mention of that on the website, unless the button panel is pulled from a common parts bin.
@@GoodWorksTractors Oddly enough just today we saw a Dihatsu Hijet microvan for sale in the side of the road. Not sure what series, but looks like a 8th or 9th generation model.
This guy isn’t pointing out the real weaknesses. I’ve got these and utvs. They have overlap in their uses for sure, but these aren’t always an alternative to a utv. Hardly any suspension travel means I can only run 5 mph through pastures I can run my utv 30 mph through. I’d never take a mini truck through brush and tight woods … there’s a reason utvs have plastic everywhere- Plastic doesn’t dent or scratch like metal body panels. A mini truck would be literally totalled in just a normal day’s work for a utv.
You did not cover the two options for dump; PTO vs electric hydraulic and which is better for farm/ranch work and how dump feature compares to a UTV tilt bed. Also is the ground clearance acceptable for working/ clearing food plots and trails or they need to stay on flat/smooth ground.
There were several people a few years back importing 25 year old Hijet, Honda Acty, etc. I liked that they were significantly quieter and more useful that a UTV, with more creature comforts at a quarter the cost. I guess they saturated the market or it became harder/more expensive to import them because nobody local sells them anymore. Even new these are cheaper than a UTV, which is great. When I was shopping UTVs a Can-Am Commander XT with weather package was only $6k cheaper than my Forester XT, which is crazy. Also, all those imported mini-trucks were manual, which is better than the guaranteed to fail CVT belts in SXS and UTVs. I've never seen an automatic. I might have pulled the trigger on one if that was an option back then. I have a good friend who can't drive a manual due to losing a foot to complications from spina bifida. I try to make sure he can use as many of my "toys" as possible instead of always being relegated to passenger.
I drive a 1993 hihet it is a4 speed but they did make 5speeds and automatics. Daihatsu automatics from s83p and 110 series are not cvt the Subaru automatics were cvt and had some problems. They made an even smaller automatic, called the midge two. States have made it harder to register them for on the road I believe this is why the slowdown in importing them. Just check with your local if you intend to put it on road use or stick a farm plate on it. Mine is older, it was a project for me to restore with my son so I went antique route. I have not had a problem finding parts they literally made millions of these. The hardest part is figuring out what to call the parts in a foreign language when you were searching multiple countries, but the Internet has made parts readily available. G and R imposts and eBay/amazon Japan have most common parts even for my 30year old discontinued model and my local Napa stocks the filters. I would not recommend one as a daily driver if you were a brain surgeon but as a secondary or third vehicle for a small business, or to replace a UTv on a farm. They are perfect.
@KVX21 beside the fact that you can't buy a mini truck made in America, you realize there's a difference between made in America and assembled in America, right? Would you prefer a Tacoma assembled in Baja, CA or Sierra/Silverado built in Mexico, or F150 assembled in Detroit, but with every major component being manufactured in either Canada or Mexico and most of the electronics for all three being Chinese? UTVs and side by sides are the same way. They all use parts from across the globe. Welcome to the World of the last 50 years.
Looks neat, but my issue with all of these mini truck imports, is that they are designed for someone of the build and stature of their intended market, where Americans tend to be taller and stockier and so just fitting into them for the average American could be problematic. It would be nice if the cab was a foot deeper with adjustable seats to push them back
Average height of US male: 5’ 9” www.health.com/average-height-for-men-7501601#toc-average-height-for-men-in-the-us Average height of Japanese male: 5’ 7” en.llcig.com/average-height-in-japan-2023/ Weight is probably a bigger difference, but doesn’t mean it’s all in the waistline. Even if several inches bigger in the waist, that’s a circumference measurement.
Can these be driven on the streets in Michigan? I get probably not the interstate. I also understand you probably wouldn't drive everyday, but if you needed to drive a short distance for grain, hay, gravel, etc., could it be?
These are pretty awesome. What is the top speed? Also do they have a Horsepower rating? And last but not least do they have a dash that shows speed or RPM? Sorry if I missed any of that in the video!
lol I always ended up shifting tractors of my left hand anyway when the shifters in the middle, I don’t know why just always use my left hand. I drive an old model. One of these the shifting is easy, but I still after all this time confuse the windshield wipers, and the turn signals their opposite of every other car I own. I am not sure if this is true in the new ones, but turn signal is on the right on mine.
Looks like the majority of buyers for this machine, will pay with other people's money 💰but very interesting video. If they were truly inovated, they'd be electric or lpg , natural gas, not very expensive Diesel, my wife's old '84 Civic got 40mpg. Plus, don't see too many Japanese vehicles from the '80's around anymore, so much for Japanese quality standing the test of time. Just my opinion
@@tcmits3699 Take a look at the Top 15 vehicles having the best chance to hit 250,000 miles. 10 out of the 15 are Japenese. www.motor1.com/news/665294/longest-lasting-vehicles-study-2023/
Looks like the 1550 lbs dump might be a bit on the lighter side, when you showed the clip of loading it seemed like it can't haul much, so more of a versatile tool as opposed to a small scale dump truck!
@@GoodWorksTractors my bad I didn't mean to imply that you were being deceiving, but I'm thinking the tractor you loaded out with is most likely rated to lift more than 1550 lbs so one bucket from it would probably be pushing it. And electric over hydraulic dumps in general aren't very forgiving when overloaded. I do apologize tho I realize you weren't trying to say that they are heavy-duty earth moving off road haulers! Just a cool economic alternative to a sxs!
1500 lbs seems a little light for the dump. I was wanting to see you load up that bed with more than one scoop of dirt. I would think 2500 would be a lot closer to what this truck should handle. Maybe that's the Xtream dump option? One scoop only would make me think I'd just run my tractor to the destination dump point.
If you're interested in pricing and more information, then please visit www.minidumps.com
Courtney, Have seen Many trucks from Japan RUST the frames and body to the ground.. How rugged does the frame look? The metal thin? If you plowed, you would see some salt.. Just want Your thoughts on this.. GREAT Video!
I live in the UK and worked for a Subaru dealer for years before it closed. We used to sell a number of Subaru Sumo micro vans with 4WD and they could be specified with a tipping bed body too. The garage closed in 2005 but I have fond memories from my time working there and the people I met through working there.
I JUST saw a few of these at a small car lot locally and was immediately curious about them. This video showing up in my feed is perfectly timed!
Very popular on farms in New Zealand & used as a farm run about. Mostly in NZ, they come with dual rear tires & are auto only. Suzuki produce the same type of truck / atv. They climb hills with no issues & are so reliable. In Japan they are called micro trucks or Kei Trucks. Sold new in NZ with a 5 year factory backed warranty.
I have been to the US several time in the last few years (from NZ) and so know what its like shifting with the opposite hand than you're used to. Takes 10 minutes to get used to, but still find myself getting in the wrong door weeks later lol
It's really cool to see Americans starting to embrace these mini trucks. They're such neat little vehicles that have been restricted to the Japanese market for too long. Hopefully someday street-legal LHD versions will become available.
Not restricted to Japan. They are all over Asia and were originally based on European designs. And are sold in Africa and other areas in the world.
@@silverbackag9790 Interesting, I always thought the ones sold in mainland Asia, Europe and Africa were larger.
@@michaelramsey82 There are various sizes...at least in east Asia and parts of Africa. Probably Europe too. With various options such as 4 wheel drive, dually rear wheels, four doors, etc. The medium sized ones with dually wheels are by far the most common, with the small 2 wheel drive ones used for package delivery inside of dense cities and small 4x wheel drive ones used by farmers (although the dually midsized 2 wheel drive models are probably more common in this market too). I can't recall seeing a 4x4 dually, but they may exist. Most of my experience is in east Asia, but I've seen them in other regions too.
If this were facebook, I'd snap some photos on my daily walk. They would be branded Hyundai, Kia, or Daewoo.
Buy a used one from japan older than 25yrs and import it yourself. It will cost less than 10k and if imported as a vehicle not a utv you can get a title. New these are overpriced IMHO being you can't use them on the street
Thank you for sharing this was very interesting and informative for me at age 72, setting up a Nature n Land Conservancy in the Mojave Desert area of southern California.
Been looking at buying one recently. Fun fact, in some states like NC they are street legal. Can't take one one roads over 55 mph, but perfect for backroads or drives into town.
I think I’ve seen them on the roads in Washington state.
Thanks for watching!
They can be plated in Wyoming, but so can a side by side. :)
@timbutler3213 you have! I have too. I've seen one in and around Chehalis Washington
If 25 years old there's are one driving on the roads if you get that made in 22 you wait 2047 road use.
I've looked at these for almost 20 years. But I lived in the city then and didn't have a use for them. Now living in the country with 11 acres of woods and some open areas could really use one but being retired can't afford one. But enjoy yours. A number of the farmers here have them and I've talked to them and they love them.
I've had mine for 4 years. Wish it had a front locker and portal axles, but it does great and easy to maintain. Operating cost are much less than a UTV. It's fun to drive.
they do make portal axels for these
When I was stationed in Japan in 1966, I saw three wheel versions of this. They were powered by motorcycle engines. We called them “sake wagons”.
They still have some in China. Used to have them in Korea.
Bongos is what we called them when I was stationed in Korea. Loved them!
we lived in left hand drive countries for years. Found it very easy to adapt on vehicle. The issue was opposite traffic flow.
In Indiana is street allowed but not on the interstate lol but we allowed those tiny cars that are small than this lol
What a great looking piece of equipment. And the quality of construction shows through.
Glad the video portrayed that, they have the same feel in person.
When we rented a manual transmission car in England many years ago I had NO problem shifting with my left hand. My "trip up" was automatically looking up to the right for the rear view mirror.
I work in a maintenance department that has a few Mules, we might be getting a couple more soon, going to suggest these instead.
we have an older Dihautsu it’s a great little truck love to have the dump bed
thank you for sharing
I heard about kei cars and trucks, but the mini dump trucks caught me off guard
Can you get a PTO for the rear like for a bush hog
Like the concept -- but like anything, where can get you service? What is the service network like?
Talk to the folks at minidumps.com. They can help!
I first saw these mini trucks during my travels this year in Jordan and Israel. There they have the driver controls on the correct side.
I've looked at these in the past, my biggest concern would be parts availability and cost. Otherwise I think they would make a great tool for landowners.
And registration. Farm implement regs would need inspection and some places obviously won't have these on the approved list. Also too heavy where I am for OHV tags so the last option is on road, which will require inspection, emissions, and insurance.
With how inflated car prices are nowadays, getting a 25year old vehicle that you can modify to today’s standards ends up balancing out. Yet you end up with something more useful and compact than what you can purchase here.
the parts are there and they are pretty cheap vs other vehicles . my 96 suzuki carry came with A title and was registered in NC . many other places allow it as well , but only the older ones
I like this alot. We are looking to replace our 2012 Gator at some point and I am putting this on the list.
Cheaper than my defender! Wow. I agree shifting not a big deal. I rented a car in the UK and the shifting was nowhere near my concern after using roundabouts with way too many lanes ;)
Love my Sambar. Should have got the dump version and A/C. I use mine as transition sprayer with the ATV boom on the back. Size between the field sprayer and a hand pump. I manage about 22 acres with it. With the older version the parts is a problem which is probably why going with a new one is better. I think a 55gallon sprayer tank is about perfect for these.
What is the pay load weight rating? And how big is the bed
I think they are awesome!!!!! Here in WV you can get a "special purpose vehicle" plate and drive them on secondary roads sam as you can with a side by side.
I have had 2 of these little truck. They are super little trucks for the farm. but not for the off road as much. They dont have the suspension like UTV has. Both of mine bottomed out on struts when trying to drive across corn fiel. and my UTV can run full speed across it. They both have there own uses. but NO it wont take the place of UTV unless you want to drive super slow speed across fields... My little truck had A/C and such. but really nice..But these are way over priced also. I bought both of mine from 2 different people for less than $3000.00
Have you ever heard of Mayberry Mini-Trucks? They sell essentially the same thing with a caveat that they can be licenced for the road.
Honesty, I think these would be ideal for a battery option. It's a chore vehicle. It's not going to be running constantly. It's not going to be covering large distances. Just wish there was a category where these could be made street legal up to 45 or 55 mph.
Can they be purchased in Canada?
What kind of engine is in it? Easily accessible service points?
The engine is accessed under the seats.
They are legal in most states and have been for a few years now.... the only ones you can't drive on-road are new ones or those less than 25 yrs.
Pretty neat little dump truck. I could see many uses for a machine like this.
I have seen several of these mini trucks driving around town.
Hey man! I just want to get this out there. Here in the Philippines, we have a lot of those Kei-trucks and vans. We have every model you can think of. But the good thing is, they are all in left-hand drive, since we drive on the right side of the road here, too! I hope someone will look into it when considering buying one. Imagine it's on the left side!
There is a video here on TH-cam of a guy moving a mini excavator in the bed of a mini truck. You have an impressive operation. Do you think you branch out into mini excavators and mini bulldozers next?
Looks like a great option compared to what is already on the market. Thank you Guys for putting this video together. I want one!!! Just put it on my wish list😁👍🚜💨🐓
There kinda cool and all but, just like anything else you need to justify buying/having one. I personally don’t have the need for that sort of thing much anymore. These days I’m more likely to be tearing up the trails in my SxS somewhere. Great job on the video by the way. 👍
When designed...engineered...built by Japanese....its an xcellent product!!
Holy smokes 25-30k is insane for these things. You can find them so much cheaper. A guy down the road from me has 3-4 older ones. No way dropping that on that thing
Yeah, he's bragging they're so much cheaper than a Gator. I just bought a jd 865m with cab for less than what these are selling for. I won't deny they look nice and I'm sure they will do everything he says they will but at least be honest about the pricing.
Really ? You can find a brand-new import so much cheaper ? Links, please. And don't tell me you are comparing it to a 20 year old model that's been imported from northern Japan, and been through 20 winters.
@@paulreinmund2038 these things r literally everywhere here in PA. You could be a old one and rebuild the thing three times over for the price of one of these news.
Two years ago I bought a 1996 Mitsubishi Minicab, automatic, 4WD Dump with less than 3500 miles on it from Mayberry Mini Trucks in NC, for $6800.00. The vehicle was completely serviced, came with a NC title, and was delivered to my house in southern WV for $250.00. No way I would pay the prices he wants for one when older ones that are in great condition can be had for a fraction of that price.
These little trucks are sold in Australia as private imports. They can be registered and insured for road use. They are not exactly popular and are not seen much. The cleaners at my former workplace had one.
We drive on the left side of the road which makes importing second hand Japanese vehicles a lot easier.
have you ever tried the Northern Tool tractors they sell in their catalogues? would like to see your opinion of them
I'm very happy to see a quality work vehicle.
R.I.P side by side.
Very soon, they'll force them to use battery power, and you will have no choice on that. Same as road vehicles, the fix is in.
What's under the "hood" (cab) for an engine? serviceability? ease of maintenance? Made a more in-depth interview with your new little buddy. 🙂
Those and side x sides are legal in Tennessee
A 4-seater version would be a solid investment, but with a family of 5 and 3 young boys (2,4,11) I need something with a bit more room like a Mule etc. I had a Can Am Commander Max XT for years, and it was great, but as my family grew it was clear we wouldn't be able to go back to a 2-seater. These are very intriguing for sure. It seems like the Willys Jeeps (I have a CJ2A) but with a slick dump bed and newer tech and ac. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, might not be the solution for you unfortunately. I understand your situation!
A CJ-2A is a pretty good comparison.
There are four seat versions. Not sure about US availability.
Hey Courtney! Love the channel, long time watcher, first time really interacting. I just started a channel (and tagged you in my most recent video which is a joke) and wanted to say you are an inspiration to me. Thanks for doing what you do.
Also, these mini dumps are awesome, I foresee one in my near future.
The rear receiver is actually a $350 option. And at 13:30 it looks like it has collision detect, traction control, parking alert, and auto-engine off? (Hate that last one, I disable that permanently on any vehicle that has it). There's no mention of that on the website, unless the button panel is pulled from a common parts bin.
Yeah, the panels are not custom made for the imported trucks, so same panels that are used in Japan.
@@GoodWorksTractors Oddly enough just today we saw a Dihatsu Hijet microvan for sale in the side of the road. Not sure what series, but looks like a 8th or 9th generation model.
This guy isn’t pointing out the real weaknesses. I’ve got these and utvs. They have overlap in their uses for sure, but these aren’t always an alternative to a utv. Hardly any suspension travel means I can only run 5 mph through pastures I can run my utv 30 mph through. I’d never take a mini truck through brush and tight woods … there’s a reason utvs have plastic everywhere- Plastic doesn’t dent or scratch like metal body panels. A mini truck would be literally totalled in just a normal day’s work for a utv.
Perhaps I missed it. But is there Diesel engine option?
i've been waiting for this video since I 1st saw them in the background on your channel. In CT, they can be configured & registered to use on the road
You did not cover the two options for dump; PTO vs electric hydraulic and which is better for farm/ranch work and how dump feature compares to a UTV tilt bed.
Also is the ground clearance acceptable for working/ clearing food plots and trails or they need to stay on flat/smooth ground.
Ive seen these on the streets of Colombia, or something very similar at least. Down there, they are pretty much ubiquitous on many construction sites
There were several people a few years back importing 25 year old Hijet, Honda Acty, etc. I liked that they were significantly quieter and more useful that a UTV, with more creature comforts at a quarter the cost. I guess they saturated the market or it became harder/more expensive to import them because nobody local sells them anymore. Even new these are cheaper than a UTV, which is great. When I was shopping UTVs a Can-Am Commander XT with weather package was only $6k cheaper than my Forester XT, which is crazy. Also, all those imported mini-trucks were manual, which is better than the guaranteed to fail CVT belts in SXS and UTVs. I've never seen an automatic. I might have pulled the trigger on one if that was an option back then. I have a good friend who can't drive a manual due to losing a foot to complications from spina bifida. I try to make sure he can use as many of my "toys" as possible instead of always being relegated to passenger.
Yeah, harder to import is the problem. Gotta follow the rules to a T. These guys do it the right way.
I drive a 1993 hihet it is a4 speed but they did make 5speeds and automatics. Daihatsu automatics from s83p and 110 series are not cvt the Subaru automatics were cvt and had some problems. They made an even smaller automatic, called the midge two. States have made it harder to register them for on the road I believe this is why the slowdown in importing them. Just check with your local if you intend to put it on road use or stick a farm plate on it. Mine is older, it was a project for me to restore with my son so I went antique route. I have not had a problem finding parts they literally made millions of these. The hardest part is figuring out what to call the parts in a foreign language when you were searching multiple countries, but the Internet has made parts readily available. G and R imposts and eBay/amazon Japan have most common parts even for my 30year old discontinued model and my local Napa stocks the filters. I would not recommend one as a daily driver if you were a brain surgeon but as a secondary or third vehicle for a small business, or to replace a UTv on a farm. They are perfect.
BUY MADE IN USA!
@KVX21 beside the fact that you can't buy a mini truck made in America, you realize there's a difference between made in America and assembled in America, right? Would you prefer a Tacoma assembled in Baja, CA or Sierra/Silverado built in Mexico, or F150 assembled in Detroit, but with every major component being manufactured in either Canada or Mexico and most of the electronics for all three being Chinese? UTVs and side by sides are the same way. They all use parts from across the globe. Welcome to the World of the last 50 years.
@@Noah_E LOL ok Sheepee. You should read it again BUY MADE IN USA!! Remember them words dippy...
Can't do the right side drive but I love those little trucks , I have a little Isuzu like that without the dump bed but mine is a left side drive
How many cylinder engine?
At 6'5" don't think I'd fit in it, but have liked these since seeing them years ago.
At 6’4”, i fit good enough to get by. Head room is good, but I have a longer inseam.
Imported my Suzuki carry. Was looking at gators and decided to go this route. Older, but significantly cheaper and road legal in my state.
Are wider tires available and usable for that truck. In order to reduce ruts and compaction in your pasture?
Looks neat, but my issue with all of these mini truck imports, is that they are designed for someone of the build and stature of their intended market, where Americans tend to be taller and stockier and so just fitting into them for the average American could be problematic. It would be nice if the cab was a foot deeper with adjustable seats to push them back
Average height of US male: 5’ 9” www.health.com/average-height-for-men-7501601#toc-average-height-for-men-in-the-us
Average height of Japanese male: 5’ 7” en.llcig.com/average-height-in-japan-2023/
Weight is probably a bigger difference, but doesn’t mean it’s all in the waistline. Even if several inches bigger in the waist, that’s a circumference measurement.
Can these be driven on the streets in Michigan? I get probably not the interstate. I also understand you probably wouldn't drive everyday, but if you needed to drive a short distance for grain, hay, gravel, etc., could it be?
These are sold for off road use only
They are too new to import and register for street use. Also these are speed restricted keeping them off the streets with 25mph+ limits.
These are pretty awesome.
What is the top speed?
Also do they have a Horsepower rating?
And last but not least do they have a dash that shows speed or RPM?
Sorry if I missed any of that in the video!
I personally didnt have all the excavator, skid steer experience prior to driving a right side driver.... and I adapted in a day.
Wow in freaking Georgia they recently barred people from registering kei trucks for road use 😡
It would be awesome having good heat in a 4wd utv at the hunting camp
The Kei trucks are street legal in many states.
What is the engine gas or diesel. Horsepower rating?
I miss the days of the small pickup trucks. These fit the bill great.
Worked on a dairy farm, and we had something like this but was not a nice-looking sure is a nice-looking machine
Thanks for watching!
lol I always ended up shifting tractors of my left hand anyway when the shifters in the middle, I don’t know why just always use my left hand. I drive an old model. One of these the shifting is easy, but I still after all this time confuse the windshield wipers, and the turn signals their opposite of every other car I own. I am not sure if this is true in the new ones, but turn signal is on the right on mine.
I’ve used Daihatsu heavy equipment. These should be good to
Is legal in Florida for the road
Kトラックは日本ではエアコン 4WDモデルの新車が8000ドルで買えます。
ダンプタイプは11000ドルくらいです。手続きも含んで。
保険は別に年間800～1000ドルくらいです。
燃費と耐久性でマニュアルを強くお勧めします。
Curious how the turning radius compares to Gator, Ranger, Kubota, etc.
Better actually. rear wheels are tucked in a bit further so shorter wheelbase.
4 wheel independent suspension? How does it do on trails and hills?
What is the torque and haul and carry capacity?
What is the name of the dealer and where are they located
can you get a snowblower for these?
can a large person (6^ 5", 300 lbs.) get inside? drive? can you load it with 1000 lbs. and drive it up a steep hill ?
In Europe they are Street legal and left Hand Drive also 2wd i think a lot of Municipalities use them for all Kind of Utilities
If you're looking for something a little bigger check out the Kia K2500 series trucks.
Ok but can I put a lift kit and big tires on it?
Can a snowblower attachment be added?
We’re do I find one and what is the money
minidumps.com/truck-sales/
Is power steering an option on these? I didn’t see it mentioned on the website.
It’s almost like an old S10 but better!!! It’s definitely the cat’s meow for property /apartment maintenance
Definitely, quite similar in size!
Looks like the majority of buyers for this machine, will pay with other people's money 💰but very interesting video. If they were truly inovated, they'd be electric or lpg , natural gas, not very expensive Diesel, my wife's old '84 Civic got 40mpg. Plus, don't see too many Japanese vehicles from the '80's around anymore, so much for Japanese quality standing the test of time. Just my opinion
@@tcmits3699 Take a look at the Top 15 vehicles having the best chance to hit 250,000 miles. 10 out of the 15 are Japenese. www.motor1.com/news/665294/longest-lasting-vehicles-study-2023/
@@tcmits3699
Because the salt from winters eats cars
Looks like the 1550 lbs dump might be a bit on the lighter side, when you showed the clip of loading it seemed like it can't haul much, so more of a versatile tool as opposed to a small scale dump truck!
Not sure why you think I maxed it out? I put one scoop for visual demo.
@@GoodWorksTractors my bad I didn't mean to imply that you were being deceiving, but I'm thinking the tractor you loaded out with is most likely rated to lift more than 1550 lbs so one bucket from it would probably be pushing it. And electric over hydraulic dumps in general aren't very forgiving when overloaded. I do apologize tho I realize you weren't trying to say that they are heavy-duty earth moving off road haulers! Just a cool economic alternative to a sxs!
In Australia you can road use them
Great forward thinking also great pricing also
Alright, I'm going to be honest, this is really cool!
1500 lbs seems a little light for the dump. I was wanting to see you load up that bed with more than one scoop of dirt. I would think 2500 would be a lot closer to what this truck should handle. Maybe that's the Xtream dump option? One scoop only would make me think I'd just run my tractor to the destination dump point.
One scoop just for video, I'll be doing much more with it down the road.
Kei trucks rock
Outstanding job!
Wow That is a neat option
The link to the website did not bring anything up.Little early for a April fools.(just kidding)Do you have another link? thanks
Hmm, I checked all the links and working. Try here: www.minidumps.com
A diesel option???
No mention of the engine stats on this vehicle. Not on their website either. Why?
Can you tag these so they are street legal?