YM 2210D front axle arm and top knuckle

[California]

It's unknown how many YM machines are left still in Asia.

A Yanmar owner in Japan participated here briefly. He said the culture changed around 1980, and the next generation, making excellent wages in the cites, weren't interested in spending their weekends driving out from the city to help grandpa plant or harvest his quarter acre of rice. So a whole generation of family-owned small YM's went to auction then overseas. Apparently larger contractors took over that cultivation. The guy's point was there will always be more YM's from 40 years ago in the used tractor market compared to the number of later models.

 

[bmaverick]

A Yanmar owner in Japan participated here briefly. He said the culture changed around 1980, and the next generation, making excellent wages in the cites, weren't interested in spending their weekends driving out from the city to help grandpa plant or harvest his quarter acre of rice. So a whole generation of family-owned small YM's went to auction then overseas. Apparently larger contractors took over that cultivation. The guy's point was there will always be more YM's from 40 years ago in the used tractor market compared to the number of later models.

When Vietnam opened up in 2001 to more Asian countries, countless YM machines were were delivered there by a huge amount of cargo ships. Then in 2011 VN and the US signed the TPP treaty. Thus, the VN Yanmars got a 3rd life in so-so shape hitting our shores.

Additionally, there are several 10s of thousands YMs in the EU, eastern EU, the Baltics, the Ukraine, Poland, and many in Russia. Even models we've yet not seen here, like the YM5000, YM6000 and YM7000. We do have a few of the YM4220 machines here, but still rare due to size and how many can fit into a cargo container. Ideally, the YM3810 was the largest to pack the most into a container. Anything about that model wasted space. BUT, those countries in the EU and Russia loved the tillers, so those took up the dead space. I'm on a few farm forums over there. The biggest hassle now is getting parts. Thus, they have tapped into our parts network and pay the high import tariffs just to keep machines going.

 

[California]

...in 2011 VN and the US signed the TPP treaty. Thus, the VN Yanmars got a 3rd life in so-so shape hitting our shores.

The VN 'rebuilts' were here in big numbers a decade before that. The importer here that was a branch of a VN 'rebuild factory' told me in 2003 that they were wholesaling 400 per month.

 

[kenmac]

Indeed he isn't using the UTDA any longer, yet the machines rebuilt get that Yanmar agreement 'approved' serial number ID plate as the UTDA info is there.

Tom does list why on his site the disbanding of the UTDA, because Yanmar legal also went after the UTDA dealers that were to be exempt per Tom's agreement. Thus the UTDA lost Little Miami Tractor and I think RCO. The UTDA was to be the umbrella of dealers selling Fredricks rebuilt machines per the Yanmar agreement. All of this can be found here: Our History — Fredricks Importing
It would be really nice to know the history saga since that was posted in 2013. It's like a cliff hanger having no ending.

As we are in 2021 of the post-c19 era; parts shortages, broken supply chains, ramping up hyper-inflation, with over 100K of Gray Market Yanmars in North America the future seems difficult to picture or navigate. Down south, most if not all of those states are c19 mandate exempt, unless you are a Federal office or agency there. So, Fredricks does have the ability to survive.

It's unknown how many YM machines are left still in Asia. It would be super for Fredricks to restore the RS, KE and AF compact models. In the EU, those are now the hot Gray market machines people are seeking. Tom isn't getting any younger either.

Well, Tom is in a lot of things here in AL. He is the largest Mahindra dealer in the area. He sells UTV's ATV's Boats, Bad Boy lawnmowers you name it, he has his hands in it.
He is also into politics big time in Al, and has run a couple times for a local state house seat.
He was an engineer for NASA in Hunstville at one time.

With all he's into, I'm surprised he still fools with yanmar tractors.
But for all the yanmar owners, It's great he does

When I first met him he had just gotten out of selling the chinese tractors and gone to yanmar.
It use to be him and his brother and a parts guy. I have no idea how many work at his dealerships today.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. He has a nice helicopter he likes to fly around with too !

 

[kenmac]

The VN 'rebuilts' were here in big numbers a decade before that. The importer here that was a branch of a VN 'rebuild factory' told me in 2003 that they were wholesaling 400 per month.

Yeah, they were here before Tom actually began to sell them.
He was establishing a parts network first. He didn't want to sell something he couldn't support.
That's probably why he has stuck with just a hand full of models.
Big investment to build new molds, etc, to support a new product and stock all those parts

 

[California]

Well, Tom is in a lot of things here in AL. ...

With all he's into, I'm surprised he still fools with yanmar tractors.
But for all the yanmar owners, It's great he does

When I first met him he had just gotten out of selling the chinese tractors and gone to yanmar.
It use to be him and his brother and a parts guy.

Weren't you selling a few Yanmars back then, too?

 

[kenmac]

Weren't you selling a few Yanmars back then, too?

No, I wasn't . I purchased my 3110D from him in his very early days of starting up.
He sold me the very first proto type ROPS he produced that made it through OSHA testing

 

[California]

No, I wasn't . I purchased my 3110D from him in his very early days of starting up.
He sold me the very first proto type ROPS he produced that made it through OSHA testing

Thanks. I must have been thinking of another long-time poster.

I was right behind you. I bought the first production YM2000 ROPS, hoping it fit my YM240 which it did.

 

[careyo63]

Well, Tom is in a lot of things here in AL. He is the largest Mahindra dealer in the area. He sells UTV's ATV's Boats, Bad Boy lawnmowers you name it, he has his hands in it.
He is also into politics big time in Al, and has run a couple times for a local state house seat.
He was an engineer for NASA in Hunstville at one time.

With all he's into, I'm surprised he still fools with yanmar tractors.
But for all the yanmar owners, It's great he does

When I first met him he had just gotten out of selling the chinese tractors and gone to yanmar.
It use to be him and his brother and a parts guy. I have no idea how many work at his dealerships today.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. He has a nice helicopter he likes to fly around with too !

I've seen that helicopter. Walked right next to it picking up a tiller. BA... Don't see that everyday in a shop that's for sure. He told me it was Tom's. I lived 25 miles from Aberdeen proving ground. All kinds buzzed the house daily. Shake the windows they was so low.