Yanmar refurbs, who refurbished the machine?

[clemsonfor]

thanks all.

and that's the problem for the small gardener/farmer. it seems to take a Boat Load of skills just to get efficient in our efforts.

for the time being it may be wise to just stick to a Troybilt Horse tiller and a high wheel Weed Mower. between those two machines, it will buy me time to figure out the small tractor game.

Locally we have JD, Kubota, MF, Ford, and Kioti dealers; perhaps wise to just stick with the Name Brand to not get stuck in the mud with Rusting Iron.

i love the Yanmar stories on this forum, and was hoping this newly purchased Yanmar 2000 from Fredricks Equipment would be the Ideal situation...and it still May be. the man selling was a former dealer who bought a boat load of Fredricks Yanmars and was dumping his last one. He said these tractors just don't sell up North here. Probably nobody wants uncertainty....kinda like me.

thanks.

If you do your own repairs on your cars and trucks thsee YM tractors are easier.

The common ones have almost every part needed from Fredericks or Hoye to fix or rebuilt pretty much anything on them.

I have a VN recon tractor. I had a few issues right up front that the dealer took care of. I installed the part. But in 10 years everything I have done has mostly been maintence. I rebuilt the 3 pt lift cause I am sort of a perfectionist. Put a new belt on it, a new battery, several fuel filters, changed oil every year, unstuck stuck brakes, resurfaced a brake drum which had rusted due to the stuck brake I mentioned previously , which is a common thing. Replaced a leaky brake shaft seal, replaced both wheel seals due to leaks. All the parts are cheap and work is sttaught foward like California said. I even documented most of this on here. But if you can't do anything I have mentioned, replace seals, use a puller, know the techniques to remove stuff you probably don't need to buy any older tractor. But like Norm said most won't mess with these cause they assume there no parts and don't want to fool with it. But a good old school diesel or can fix anything guy can fix these, you just have to find that guy.

To give an idea of costs, the orings and stuff for the 3 pt might have cost me $20 for the parts.

Doing the leaky wheel seal the right way all new parts cost me less than say $40. That is assuming you catch and reuse the oil.

I love these machines

 

[airbiscuit]

Something like this too rich for your blood?
TractorHouse.com | 213 KUBOTA BX237 For Sale

2013 KUBOTA BX2370 at TractorHouse.com

2013 KUBOTA BX2370
LOOKS GOOD, RUNS AND STARTS GOOD, DIESEL, 4WD, HYDRO TRANS, POWER STEERING, 60" DECK, LOADER W/48" BUCKET AND GRILL GUARD, DECK A LITTLE ROUGH BUT STILL WORKS FINE, CLEAN IT UP AND SERVICE IT YOURSELF AND SAVE Fuel Type: Diesel, Loader, Transmission Type: Hydro
For Sale Price: USD $8,500
Hours: 1,000
Drive: 4 WD
Horsepower: 23
Serial Number: 11528

Booth Machinery Sales Inc
Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933
Phone: (765) 722-7010

 

[tillers]

Something like this too rich for your blood?


2013 KUBOTA BX2370 at TractorHouse.com

2013 KUBOTA BX2370
LOOKS GOOD, RUNS AND STARTS GOOD, DIESEL, 4WD, HYDRO TRANS, POWER STEERING, 60" DECK, LOADER W/48" BUCKET AND GRILL GUARD, DECK A LITTLE ROUGH BUT STILL WORKS FINE, CLEAN IT UP AND SERVICE IT YOURSELF AND SAVE Fuel Type: Diesel, Loader, Transmission Type: Hydro
For Sale Price: USD $8,500
Hours: 1,000
Drive: 4 WD
Horsepower: 23
Serial Number: 11528

Booth Machinery Sales Inc
Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933
Phone: (765) 722-7010

looks good, thanks.

the Kubota dealer said to drag any old Kubota in and they can take care of it. ...of course they will not touch gray market stuff.

what i like about name brand compact tractors is they hold their value. my neighbor sold his JD compact with loader after 10 years for what he bought new.

 

[California]

I'll agree with airbiscuit and clemsonfor. The YM240 was my first tractor. Buying cheap hasn't bit me.

I spent a month on minor renovation - a new battery, a hold-down for it, locating an original fuel filter that should have been on it. Replacing the awful ancient fuel that was hard to start. Later, $100 for a new replica starter to replace a poorly-done rebuilt apparently done by a local shop. (Warranty date marked on it in paint-pen). All my projects were remedies for previous owner neglect. It didn't need anything that reflected high hours of use, just neglect. 14 years later I can see why the previous owner never did anything - it hasn't needed anything.

Only the non-OEM loader has needed attention, seals and hoses from time to time, simple to replace. Anything else has been remedying my own owner abuse, such as bending a 3-point arm using the backhoe to pull the tractor sideways. Took that off and reasoned with it using the BFH, now good as new.

They were designed to be owner-maintained and I haven't ever had reason to look for a pro mechanic. Taking a tire for flat repair is the only 'pro' repair I can think of.

I think a YM2000 is an excellent choice for a first tractor, it's simple and indestructible.

 

[California]

Something like this too rich for your blood?
TractorHouse.com | 213 KUBOTA BX237 For Sale

LOOKS GOOD, RUNS AND STARTS GOOD, DIESEL, 4WD, HYDRO TRANS, POWER STEERING, 60" DECK, LOADER W/48" BUCKET AND GRILL GUARD, DECK A LITTLE ROUGH BUT STILL WORKS FINE, CLEAN IT UP AND SERVICE IT YOURSELF AND SAVE Fuel Type: Diesel, Loader, Transmission Type: Hydro

USD $8,500

That might be a reasonable choice for his application since it includes loader and mower in the price and it's a few decades newer. But I wonder if those little tires are suited to his work environment. Those seem more suited to suburban groundskeeping in contrast to the YM2000.

I see on TractorData you need to spin the engine to 3200 rpm to get hp comparable to the Yanmar at 2200 rpm, that sounds pretty busy. Also I wonder if maintenance and repairs are more expensive than the near-zero costs for the Yanmar.

I guess it depends if you are buying for close work where the little guy with power steering would be better, or mowing and tiling across wide open ground where the larger tractor is better suited.

... or something else entirely, some decent used tractor that some neighbor might suggest.

 

[tillers]

I'll agree with airbiscuit and clemsonfor. The YM240 was my first tractor. Buying cheap hasn't bit me.

I spent a month on minor renovation - a new battery, a hold-down for it, locating an original fuel filter that should have been on it. Replacing the awful ancient fuel that was hard to start. Later, $100 for a new replica starter to replace a poorly-done rebuilt apparently done by a local shop. (Warranty date marked on it in paint-pen). All my projects were remedies for previous owner neglect. It didn't need anything that reflected high hours of use, just neglect. 14 years later I can see why the previous owner never did anything - it hasn't needed anything.

Only the non-OEM loader has needed attention, seals and hoses from time to time, simple to replace. Anything else has been remedying my own owner abuse, such as bending a 3-point arm using the backhoe to pull the tractor sideways. Took that off and reasoned with it using the BFH, now good as new.

They were designed to be owner-maintained and I haven't ever had reason to look for a pro mechanic. Taking a tire for flat repair is the only 'pro' repair I can think of.

I think a YM2000 is an excellent choice for a first tractor, it's simple and indestructible.

California, i have to agree with you on this. ALL small tractors should work like this, the one i was looking at was refurbished by the best US Yanmar refurbers too...very attractive situation. the dealer knocked $1000 off the price too, just to dump the thing.

tough decision.

chances are i could probably fix my way through problems and enjoy the Yanmar. just watching videos of the thing is a real Hoot.

but if i buy this Refurb for $4000 and it turns into a Brick, then this would severly hurt my family. whereas getting a Kubota for 8 grand and reselling later for about the same is really more of an investment.

thanks for the advise.

my next foray is to look at used Ford, Kubota and Kioti; may find something durable like a Yanmar. this wont be used much, maybe 50 to 100 hours a year. this is a good little farm for any Compact Tractor to retire too.

All my projects were remedies for previous owner neglect. It didn't need anything that reflected high hours of use, just neglect. 14 years later I can see why the previous owner never did anything - it hasn't needed anything.

hopefully the former owner at least changed oil. it really is scary the kind of people who have No Concept of the idea of an oil change. i work with a maintenance guy like that; a machine we use keeps dieing because of no oil change, but he knows it all and the manager tells me not to worry about it, as he says he doesn't.

huh? (rolls eyes)

 

[California]

hopefully the former owner at least changed oil. it really is scary...

Nope!

My YM240 came from a guy who had had it a year, found it didn't have the traction to pull a big disc in his flood-irrigated walnut orchard. He said he had the radiator rodded and he put on a junk rebuilt starter, ran it only a few hours, decided to sell it. He didn't change oil in that year. He apparently didn't do anything! It squeaked as it rolled along because the lugnuts weren't snug.

That seller said prior history was it was abandoned parked outdoors for a decade or so after its previous owner shut down a riding stable.

The diesel stunk and burned my eyes. I think it was pre 1994 unlimited-sulphur fuel that had gone bad, and this explained why he had burned up a starter.

I of course changed all fluids, suspecting they were as old as that diesel. Here's what the hydraulic 'strainer' (filter) looked like. Filthy but still intact. The O-ring had decomposed and glued the filter in so solidly that I destroyed the filter getting it out. $50 for a replacement. I flushed the transmission with diesel. 10 years later I changed fluid again and the screen wasn't dirty like this, it just had a few trapped particles. Looks to me this filter I destroyed had not been cleaned since back in the '80's. But no harm done to the Yanmar despite this neglect. Try that with a hydro-transmission!

 

[tillers]

Nope!

My YM240 came from a guy who had had it a year, found it didn't have the traction to pull a big disc in his flood-irrigated walnut orchard. He said he had the radiator rodded and he put on a junk rebuilt starter, ran it only a few hours, decided to sell it. He didn't change oil in that year. He apparently didn't do anything! It squeaked as it rolled along because the lugnuts weren't snug.

That seller said prior history was it was abandoned parked outdoors for a decade or so after its previous owner shut down a riding stable.

The diesel stunk and burned my eyes. I think it was pre 1994 unlimited-sulphur fuel that had gone bad, and this explained why he had burned up a starter.

I of course changed all fluids, suspecting they were as old as that diesel. Here's what the hydraulic 'strainer' (filter) looked like. Filthy but still intact. The O-ring had decomposed and glued the filter in so solidly that I destroyed the filter getting it out. $50 for a replacement. I flushed the transmission with diesel. 10 years later I changed fluid again and the screen wasn't dirty like this, it just had a few trapped particles. Looks to me this filter I destroyed had not been cleaned since back in the '80's. But no harm done to the Yanmar despite this neglect. Try that with a hydro-transmission!

California, your tractor experience is what makes it so hard to say no to a YM2000. this refurbed tractor from Fredricks is pristine IMHO.

i looked at modern Compact Tractors yesterday, and basically my Eyes were Rolling the whole time. ...of course they call this 'progress'.

drives me nutz.

and of course the sales guy had to tell me about the Bigger Tractors and their 'Regen' modes. well i know about Regen from working at a Semi Truck yard; didn't know that even small 30 hp tractors did that...eh, just don't run your tractor at low idle when using the Loader and life will be goooood.

thanks.

but the new ones have Digital Instrumentation and nice paint jobs. ...and we can keep up with the Jones's too come the Weekend. and all this for 0% financing and hundreds a month. hmmm.

 

[California]

Digital Instrumentation? What's that? Photo below is the underside of the instrument panel. No digits there!
My inline fuse 'upgrade' was needed because that was a mess, but adding a fuse panel would have been a better choice.
On a Fredricks rebuilt you wouldn't find the mess under there that I had to remedy.

Here's another of my longwinded threads about a project made necessary due to my own 'user abuse'. I tried B100 biodiesel, learned its better suited to equipment that is in frequent use. It crudded up the injectors that had never been cleaned/replaced, which made starting difficult although it ran fine after starting. I bought/installed two new $100 injectors and went back to conventional diesel.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/171020-injector-removal-tool-cheapskate-version.html

I'm not really advocating that YM2000 is the best match to your application. Only that it will perform as expected if you do decide that this size tractor is what you need.

 

[tillers]

Digital Instrumentation? What's that? Photo below is the underside of the instrument panel. No digits there!
My inline fuse 'upgrade' was needed because that was a mess, but adding a fuse panel would have been a better choice.
On a Fredricks rebuilt you wouldn't find the mess under there that I had to remedy.

Here's another of my longwinded threads about a project made necessary due to my own 'user abuse'. I tried B100 biodiesel, learned its better suited to equipment that is in frequent use. It crudded up the injectors that had never been cleaned/replaced, which made starting difficult although it ran fine after starting. I bought/installed two new $100 injectors and went back to conventional diesel.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/171020-injector-removal-tool-cheapskate-version.html

I'm not really advocating that YM2000 is the best match to your application. Only that it will perform as expected if you do decide that this size tractor is what you need.

California, i found a 1979 YANMAR YM240 for $2400.

that would be a tractor built for the US only correct?

Yanmar 240 Tractor. 353 hours. 2wd. Yanmar 1.1L 2-cyl diesel. 24hp. 8x2 gear trans.

anyway the hours are low and the price is cheaper, about half the price of the refurb. could be a better choice.

whatcha think?