My First Real Tractor!

[Kustrud]

Picked this up today with 700 hours on it for $1,800! I'm pretty happy with the deal!

Clean oil, clean coolant, original paint, everything seems to work perfectly, good lift and PTO, hopefully a great little tractor! All gears are smooth, brakes good, and clutch seems perfect too. The only issue I can find is that it leaks a little at the PTO shaft, there is no play whatsoever so I am assuming it just needs a new seal.

I'll be using this to put in food plots at our hunting club so will be doing some light bush-hogging, single bottom plow or middle buster, and a disc a few times a year.

I have MANY questions so please help where you can!

1. What kind of oil? I am in GA and have some Rotella 15-40 on hand.
2. What kind of transmission fluid? I'm assuming this is the same fluid that runs the hydraulics?
3. Is it safe to run these at all RPM's - or better to keep above or below a certain point? What is a "good safe" operation range?
4. Should I add the ORC for PTO driven implements?
5. Are there glow plugs and how are they activated?
6. For the PTO shaft leaking oil - how do I go about changing this seal out? Can I do it from the outside or is some disassembly required?
7. What kind of coolant/mixture should I use?
8. Anything specific to check or lookout for?
9. Also, what is the correct procedure to start this thing? It was the compression release that you turn counter-clockwise. Just making sure I am doing this correctly.
10. One more thing - is there a water/fuel separator - how and where do I drain it if so? Also - is there a fuel filter?
11. Best/easiest place to buy filters that should have them in stock?
12. How does the rear lift arm work, does it just stop at the top and that is where pt hitch stays? Does it lock in place? It seems like the lever goes up and down and the lift follows it
but the lever does not lock anywhere. Is this normal operation?
13. Is it OK to operate the lift at all RPM's - or only higher RPM's?
14. What is the valve/lock knob under the seat for?
15. One more - how full should the coolant overflow bottle be? It is right in line with the "low"mark currently.

Sorry so much, I want to know every nook and cranny on this thing!

I'll think of more but thanks in advance and here's some pics!
I just ordered a PTO new seal and C-Clip, fuel filters, air filter, and o-ring for fuel bowl housing from Hoye. Will be changing all fluids today/tomorrow as well, tranny fluid when the new seal arrives as well as flushing the radiator and replacing the coolant.

 

[California]

Welcome!

Here's some info in English on YM240, its US near-twin. (Slightly more hp etc). There is also the US YM195 which is a YM1700 with some minor changes for the US market such as decals, safety shields, water pump, etc.


YM240-YM195 Showroom Brochure

 

[winston1]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. :welcome:

Look around in these help pages by Hoye and you can answer most all of your questions. Hoye Tractor Parts -Yanmar Research Center

 

[Wakey]

Wow, was that a Craigslist sourced purchase? Welcome to the forum from down the road in Madison.

 

[tractorshopper]

Welcome and congrats. Don't know specifics of your tractor so can't answer most of your q's, but the 3 point hitch will raise and lower with the lever you mentioned. It will stay as high or low as you set it and leave it. Doesn't matter the RPMs for raising or lowering the hitch. The RPMs matter more about operating your PTO. Most implements like bush-hog, tiller, etc, are set for operation at 540 RPMs.

The best thing about work days at the hunt club being a tractor owner is you stay on the tractor getting seat time all day while the other guys sweat a lot more running chainsaws, etc.

 

[clemsonfor]

Welcome!! We have another member that's from Braselton here as well. I beleive he has a 1700 too!!

15w40 oil is the correct oil the trans/hydraulic fluid is JD spec 303 you often see it called 303 fluid or tractor trans hydraulic fluid. Just make sure you see the 303 spec listed. It's an old spec so any modern trans/hydro fluid should meet it.

All rpm are safe it depends on what your doing. Your pto is 540 in the first or down position at around 2400 rpm. So for most pto things that mow above 2000 or 2200 should be where you want to be. They have tons of torque so if your box blading you can probably put around at 1200 or so and be fine if your in a low gear.

50/50 antifreeze water if you have a water pump which I beleive the 1700 does.

The start procedure is to pull the throttle all the way back. Open the decompression valve by your left knee and spin the motor till the oil light goes oUT then let the decomp valve close while still cranking once motor catches reduce the throttle till it's running g about 1300 or so till warm and then reduce till idle of like 800 or 900.

There should be a fuel filter on the right side of tractor. Follow the line out of bottom of fuel tank it should go to a fuel filter boled to the block with a clear fuel bowl then into the pump. If it has one of those inline filters I recommend getting the correct setup from Hoye Tractor, their add is at the top of the main forum page. They also have the fuel filters and others as well. We can list the numbers but you can get the fuel and oil filters from places like carquest or napa if you like, but there not much cheaper in the as of fuel filters from there, the oil filter is just a common Japanese car filter that is used on honda and subarus so it's everywhere.

You do want an over run clutch, tires are directly connected to pto.

There is no glow plugs but there is a thermostat feature. It should have a tiny clear cup on top of motor it fills with diesel and there is a similar thing to a glow plug in the intake that heats up when it's working right , when the key is turned to the left as it heats up diesel out of the cup drips on it to start a small fire of smoldering fuel scenario, you then quickly turn the key to the right to crank after like 15 to 30 seconds of the thermostart.
The three point lever is in the same place as other tractors that lever on the right of the seat. No it will not stop, you can crash the implement into the back of the tractor if It makes it that far you have to manually stop it before anything hits..if it were too, so pay attention. It's simple up and down. It has a lock tab to set a certain height if it's still there and three point holds. That knob beneath the seat between you knees is the lockout for three point, it's for servicing and testing of components ...DO NOT use it to hold it at a certain height or anything else other than temporarily damage to the hydro system can occur. Use the 3pt at any rpm that you like but if your at like 600 rpm and lifting heavy it will pull it down really low as it takes power to do so, also you have more power at higher rpms. But it will lift or should lift your disk just as well at 900 rpm as it does at 2000. It will be faster and lift a tad higher at the higher rpm but nothing that matters.

Overflow bottle is not a big deal as long as there is some when it's cold but lined up with the low mark when it's cold is perfect.

The pto leak is not a big deal Chang it I'd it bothers you or live with the leak and keep eye on the fluid.

You got an amazing deal welcome to the family. I'm just a few hours down the road from you as are several other members even closer.

 

[clemsonfor]

I see in the pic that you do have the correct fuel fliter assembly, now is there a filter in that clear bowl...I can't tell but I would make sure before I started it again that there was.

I use mine for very similar things to you.

Also that 700 hours could be 1700 or 2700 hours etc.

 

[Kustrud]

Thanks guys, found it on FB actually!

Understood on the hours - I was more-so basing that on the condition of the tractor. I doubt 2700, am hoping 700 haha! I have always read that 200 probably means 1200 and that 700 is more often 700 than 1700.

So I have learned a lot over the past day scanning through forums and done a few things - got the oil changed already too. Here's my questions that are left unanswered:

** I think some of ya'll answered while I was typing - so thank you and I have edited my remaining questions!**

That helps and thanks a ton! Great to hear there are some people close in case I ever have any situations. I am beyond excited to finally have one! Let me know anymore info. you can!
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3. Ordered fuel filters - how do I change it without losing prime or how do I prime the system after?

8. Anything specific to check or lookout for?

 

[winston1]

Unless someone added it the 1700 does not have a water pump. Fluid & Oil Types

 

[Kustrud]

Yup, no water pump on mine - 25% fluid and 75% water from what I have read. Was going to flush the radiator tonight - I'll probably just order a new one soon anyway though, this one looks a little rough lol!