List of quality refurbishers?

[bradshaw77]

Hi. I'm new to the forum, and new to the world of tractors. I'm looking for something to help me work my somewhat hilly and forested 20 acres without breaking the bank on a brand new tractor.

I've read some advice online which says that the there are great refurbished tractors out there and then also ones that say to beware of those claiming to rebuild or refurbish but start out with a pretty trashed piece of machinery. Is there a list of trustworthy companies that refurbish them? I've heard good things about Fredericks, but then the second tractor shown in the before and after photos on this page seem are a little disturbing: Quality Fredricks Importing

I also have another question. How hard physically is it to drive the older stick shift Yanmars. I've got some neck and arm issues which don't leave me as an invalid, but do get me down sometimes.

 

[kenmac]

Fredricks buys the best Yanmar tractors Available from japan..He /they are the only importer /dealer That I would put any trust in.. He will do what he says, and you will get a quality tractor..No doubt about that !
If you have physical issues,, you may want to look at the power shift models and power steering models..

What is wrong with the B-4 and after photos of the refurbished tractor ? These are 30+ year old tractors, that were used to farm with in japan..when he buys them,, they aren't show quality...Like I said,, you won't find any better quality Grey refurbed tractor anywhere !

 

[MesaAZguy]

I chose a Vietnamese tractor as it was local to me. It appeared mostly unmolested aside from welded rims, a new clutch and some spit & polish.
That said, I chose to make it look better and go over everything on it. With these tractors, you will need to be able to work on them since there are no yanmar dealers willing to touch them. They are simple machines that are built tough. I added a larger shift ball on mine to make it easier to reach. The clutch isn't very hard to engage. Your best bet is to try one out before buying it to see how it feels to you. I do find the deck of my little 1802 tight to get into but spacious enough once you are in. My big feet get in the way of loading myself onto the machine.

Most dealers outside of Fredricks will only offer a warranty from none to two weeks on these. Depending on your comfort level and mechanical aptitude, a Fredricks machine has a strong warranty regardless of what it looked like before they restored them. These tractors have been left outside for years in the weather so it is expected for them to look like crap when they are sourced.
Best of luck on your decision. Keep us posted!


Before and as I bought it:






Stripped it down for some inspection and cosmetic restoration:








All assembled and ready for work.

 

[Neat 1500]

That would be a very short list I think.

1) Fredericks.
2) As Above.

 

[clemsonfor]

UHHH those pictures of the Frederics before pics look GREAT!!! Those would sell in that condition for 4000 to 5000 all day long in that condition just the tractor!

 

[draw54]

I chose a Vietnamese tractor as it was local to me. It appeared mostly unmolested aside from welded rims, a new clutch and some spit & polish.
That said, I chose to make it look better and go over everything on it. With these tractors, you will need to be able to work on them since there are no yanmar dealers willing to touch them. They are simple machines that are built tough. I added a larger shift ball on mine to make it easier to reach. The clutch isn't very hard to engage. Your best bet is to try one out before buying it to see how it feels to you. I do find the deck of my little 1802 tight to get into but spacious enough once you are in. My big feet get in the way of loading myself onto the machine.

I got a couple inches of leg room by swapping/reversing the seat mounting brackets on the 2420 model.

 

[coosa]

I bought a tractor from Fredrick's last summer. I went to the yard and picked out the one I wanted and I can tell you it looked much worse than the one in the pic. My wife was with me and she couldn't believe I would buy something that looked so bad. The fact that it looked so bad meant that nearly everything had to be rebuilt.

2 weeks later they delivered what looked like a brand new tractor to my house that is about 200 miles from Decatur. I did have a problem - the mechanic didn't get a surface perfectly smooth and it resulted in a blown head gasket. Fredrick's came back to my house, carried it back, repaired it, and then returned it. It's been a great little tractor since.

I love the fact that it is so simple and has none of the anti-pollution features of a new tractor.

 

[FleetMan]

If you come across any tractor sold by Ernie of Ernie's Tractor from the Portland, OR area you should have a good unit. Ernie turned out quality units while he was in the business.

 

[bmaverick]

I've heard good things about Fredericks, but then the second tractor shown in the before and after photos on this page seem are a little disturbing: Quality Fredricks Importing

I also have another question. How hard physically is it to drive the older stick shift Yanmars. I've got some neck and arm issues which don't leave me as an invalid, but do get me down sometimes.

Did you click image forward on the Fredricks page on those two images? Those that are displayed are the BEFORE images, clicking on the photos will show the AFTER refurbished. I had toured their operations first hand. It's a sweet place. They go to some extra lengths refurbishing those Yanmars. The body shop is impressive. And if anything is missing or comes in broken, they have connections to get OE parts from suppliers world wide.

You got 20 acres. Then only look at Yanmar PowerShift models. Forget the regular gear types. The PowerShift will work excellent for post hole digging vs. gear. PowerShift will work excellent mowing/bush-hogging since the PTO is live and will not spin down going from forward gears to reverse. Saves wear-n-tear on the clutch too!

If you plan to do square hay bailing, then a YM2610 or higher number tractor is needed. New Holland balers from the late '60s till now on the smaller units need a minimum of 25 PTO Hp.

With your neck and arm issues, get a PowerShift on the steering wheel column and not the floor deck. Plus those Yanmars have a better open area to enter and exit the seating location too.

 

[California]

Rough appearance doesn't mean worn out.

The good-ol-boy American farmer who owned my YM240 prior must have left it outdoors for a decade or so.

Despite its appearance, I've run it 13 years now without problems.

I thought this would be a problem. I bought replacement wheels immediately - but I still haven't mounted them. I can't imagine what that prior owner did, but whatever it was, I haven't duplicated the abuse that caused this. (And the front tires are mismatched. One original from 1980 and 80% worn, one 'implement' tread, same size, that was new when I bought the tractor. The tractor doesn't seem to notice the difference. If I ever sell the thing I'll first mount new, matched tires on those spare wheels).

One of the minor things I had to renovate when I bought the tractor. The lights were dangling by my knee. The ignition switch needed to be replaced too. Overall I spent a couple hundred $ replacing minor stuff like this, then I've had 13 years trouble-free. The tractor still looks thrashed, I don't care. It has certainly paid for itself by now.

My point is: don't be afraid of a 'before' photo if Fredricks renovated it. Deficiencies that they have to correct are most likely appearance and minor stuff like my experience, not anything fundamental - that their warranty would cover in any case.