clemsonfor
Super Member
I get what your saying. The ym2000 and all machines of that era have the 3 digit hour meters.
I don't deny that more VN machines have problems than ones from Fredericks. Back in the day the price difference was small, today I am not sure what it is. I guess my point is, I know you have seen the pics of the import yards in the Yanmar grey import heyday. Literally hundreds of not thousands of them were there. While there were and are many issues it's kind of one of those things that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. There are thousands of owners that believe they got a machine redone in Japan, is a 1999 model year totally reconditioned, whatever the story they got was. Many of these people may have little skill or budget. You only hear a small percentage of buyers who have an issue and are trying to fix it themself for budget reasons or there doing it themselves and seek guidance. The machines history reveals itself then. The ones who are running the tractors flawlessly for hundreds of hours at this point have no reason to seek out Yanmar forums unless there just forum hounds and like sharing and learning like so many of us here.
I say that to also say, if buying reconditioned look at Fredericks machines hard look at the price difference and weigh any potential risk for issues carefully! If buying used and a machine has had over 200 hours put on it by a previous owner without major issue take that into consideration also a cost savings of buying one redone from Fredericks.
Full disclosure I own a VN tractor. I don't hide the fact, I have said it many times. I often times think, I should of just paid the little extra and got a Fredrick's machine. But honestly in the 14 years or so I have owned it I have not spent that price difference on parts even to this day. Would some of these parts worn out of I got it from Fredericks..maybe, maybe not. Most things are wear items. A 40 year old strainer splitting, probably age, it was a Yanmar part after all. Alternator...who knows these go out on anything at any point. Oil pressure sending unit, again who knows with the cheap quality of parts today. Rear wheel oil seals... probably since I am redoing ones that I have already done once on my tractor. Three point lift o rings, maybe, I don't care they cost $2 and install in very little time. Yes I'm doing a rear axle bearing...maybe that would be fine if I got a Fredericks machine cause mine I'm sure we're from a tractor that never had trans oil changed and had water in it as we hear people say and of course it was beat to death in VN. Had a three point valve basically exploded. It was a freak think that even Aaron at Hoye said he had never seen, that can happen to anyone. Things I wouldn't have had to do. I rebuilt my three point lift with a new ring on the piston. That wasn't done but would have at Fredrick's. Also I had to replace the radiator. This was given to me under warranty from the purchase place though. I took my own time to replace it of course . They would of used a new one at Fredericks I bet or at least caught the spit in it. I also would of got new tires. Mine came with original looking ones. I have replaced a front already, and the other will be in a year or two from now. I hope to get another 10 years from the rears or more.
I like working on and getting to know my machine. But I really don't like having to do the work at some times. If I couldn't do this work I would take that into consideration.
I totally get what your saying. Its a roll of the dice. I also want people to know it's a risk yes but it's not like 75% of those machines are doomed. If that was the case they would be parked on the sides of fields and yards all over and not working doing gardens, food plots , and mowing duty.
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I think you miss my point. The VN machines are 3rd hand-me-downs vs. those coming from Japan as 2nd hand downs. It's that middle of VN that is troubling. 