I love a big diesel engine as much as anybody, but they aren’t always practical. While I’d love to own a V16 two-stroke Detroit or whatever else, there’s no way I could actually use one—I just don’t have the need. Surely, though, I could find a use for these Yanmar single-cylinder diesels that are water-cooled, hand-cranked, and happy to run at virtually zero rpm.
It helps that you don’t need a full garage to store one, as these can live on a tabletop or a pushcart if needed. And they’re nothing new, either, which is part of what blows me away. They’re still being made, albeit for other markets as the United States (and specifically California) are phasing out small engines due to emissions.
Still, I think these are worth talking about, and this recent clip of one that went viral on Instagram and TikTok proves plenty of folks are interested in them:
Commenters likened it to an ancient hit-and-miss engine, though that’s not accurate. Those old stationary units were governed to fire at a constant engine speed, while the Yanmar in this clip is simply idling at a lower rpm than it’s really intended to. The fact it can idle so low without stalling is impressive on its own.
I started poking around Yanmar’s Indonesia website after watching that video. I wanted to learn more about the TF160 and other engines like it; there are several other series for different applications. The powerplant on display here is a horizontally situated four-stroke with direct injection. Displacement measures 0.857 liters with a bore of 4.02 inches and a stroke of 4.13 inches, so slightly under square for better fuel efficiency and low-end torque with peak twist coming at 2,400 rpm. It’s pretty hefty at nearly 310 pounds dry, and the dimensions are 30.2 inches long, 14.94 inches wide, and 24.5 inches tall.
There are smaller engines in the TF series starting with the TF65, a 382cc unit that’s good for farm equipment like tillers. Meanwhile, the TF300 exists on the opposite side of the spectrum at nearly 1.5 liters; that one is good for marine applications. No matter the size, they’re all direct-injected and water-cooled. Pretty nifty.
Then, there’s the compact NL series that comes in two forms: the TF85NL and TF105NL. Measuring 493cc and 583cc, respectively, they’re more focused on agricultural applications. Of course, you could probably tell that by looking at ’em. Don’t they remind you of a tractor without a seat? Or wheels?
Some people even tune these up. Check this one out with its long, colorful pipes:
You can see from the smoke blowing out of the exhaust why Yanmar doesn’t sell these engines in the United States. Instead, the company offers the TF series in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Taiwan. As for the NL series, Yanmar’s site only lists it for sale in Indonesia. It looks like they occasionally pop up for sale on eBay as this TF160 is listed for $2,600 plus the price of air freight from India.
If you really need a small industrial engine in the States, there are other options you can buy quickly and off the shelf without jumping through hoops. That doesn’t change how interesting these are to look at and watch run, though. Machinery differs around the world and while you can get a Kohler diesel here in a hurry, it just wouldn’t have the same cool factor—not that regulators care about that anyway.
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