F17d First Impression

[wannabeefree]

I just purchased a refurbished F17D with a new front loader and Box scraper. The hours meter says 355 hrs but I have heard this is not trust worthy because at 9999 they roll over and or they can be rolled back. Never the less this thing appears to be in top condition for a 30 yr old tractor. The frame has been repainted but other than that its all original paint.

I do not know the maker of the new front end loader and the seller said he has them custom made for him. It seams plenty beefy and will lift at least 750 lbs as far as I can tell. The included Box Scraper is made by JBAR it is a 48" that according there website weighs 413 lbs, so its pretty beefy and works well as a counter balance for the Loader.

The first thing I did was reverse the rear wheels left to right because there was barely enough width inside the tires to fit any standard 26" spreader bars or even the Box Scraper would rub when turning. With the wheels reversed the over all width is now 51" instead of the original 44". I don't know why anyone would want such a narrow track accept maybe getting in and out of really tight places. Anyway Everything fits fine now and it seems a little more stable too.

My first task was to hook up an old 80" wide Drill Seeder and a 96 " ring roller . I seeded two 3 acre small lots with winter Rye and hardly new it was behind me. I did notice that these small tractors are a lot more bouncy than the big boys but as far as pulling power I was pleasantly surprised that this little 21 hp tractor had plenty of grunt for the task. Time will tell how other attachments workout especially PTO driven ones.

So my first impression is good. This being my first tractor I ever purchased I was skeptical. I have had some experience using my sisters Mahindra 2415 which is rated @ 24 hp but has an HST transmission. I think a gear driven trans transfers a little more power the ground as it felt like it. Maybe it is because The Yanmar F17D is a little heavier.

I have read lots of reviews on many other Yanmar models but do not find much on this particular one so I would welcome any feedback.

Thanks , Dave

 

[kenmac]

Can't offer anything on the F model tractors. Most here have the ym models.
I believe the F and other models are newer than the ym models'

If you would post a pic, someone may be able to give an idea (identify) the loader make.
There was a gun that was a member here that made them at one time. It may be one of his loaders.

Good luck with the little guy, and welcome to the site

 

[wannabeefree]

Can't offer anything on the F model tractors. Most here have the ym models.
I believe the F and other models are newer than the ym models'

If you would post a pic, someone may be able to give an idea (identify) the loader make.
There was a gun that was a member here that made them at one time. It may be one of his loaders.

Good luck with the little guy, and welcome to the site

Here is a picture of the loader, maybe someone can identify it.

 

[winston1]

Having the single tilt cylinder I think it might be a Coldwater loader made in Hoquiam, Washington. Welcome to the forum. :welcome:

 

[Jtullis13]

I agree with Winston, it does look like a Coldwater loader. I believe the Bulldog loaders had 2 cylinders for the bucket.

 

[wannabeefree]

Bingo, I just did an internet search and looked at lots of pictures and I am just about positive it is a Coldwater loader. Most everything I have read says its a pretty good setup but not the prettiest. I have only used it in limited duty so far but am pretty sure it will do all I need. As I said I already reversed my rear wheels for more stability. May consider filling the rears with fluid too.
One thing I have not yet seen are any load specs for the loader but I was told it was good for about 750 lbs in the bucket ?
Another thing I am noticing is that the F series tractors are somewhat heavier than the YM series. Mine is listed at 2163lbs plus the loader and with the Box scraper attached should be near 2800lbs or so. Seams that extra weight would be a big advantage.

 

[Jtullis13]

Bingo, I just did an internet search and looked at lots of pictures and I am just about positive it is a Coldwater loader. Most everything I have read says its a pretty good setup but not the prettiest. I have only used it in limited duty so far but am pretty sure it will do all I need. As I said I already reversed my rear wheels for more stability. May consider filling the rears with fluid too.
One thing I have not yet seen are any load specs for the loader but I was told it was good for about 750 lbs in the bucket ?
Another thing I am noticing is that the F series tractors are somewhat heavier than the YM series. Mine is listed at 2163lbs plus the loader and with the Box scraper attached should be near 2800lbs or so. Seams that extra weight would be a big advantage.

I have not heard anything real negative about the Coldwater loaders, someone else might be able to speak on that though. It should be ok to lift 750 pounds though. Yes the F models do weigh more than the YM models, you also have a 3 cylinder instead of a older 2 cylinder like myself and many others besides larger tires ect.

Many people fill their tires with all sorts of different fluids from windshield washer fluid to antifreeze. They are relatively cheap and do add ballast to your tractor, however those things tend to eat away at the wheel and tire over time. I personally use Rimgaurd "Beet Juice". It is non toxic, non corrosive and has more weight per volume than any other fluid out there, and also acts as a sealant on small holes ect. I believe 1 gallon is equal to 10 pounds, so that adds up quick. I have put that in both of my tractors for more ballast and so far it has worked great. I don't know if you are close to anyone there that sells it though. Good luck

 

[kenmac]

I've been doing some plumbing work. Come back, and y'all beat me to identifying the loader !

I kinda suspected it from what I could see in his avatar. Just wanted a better look.

 

[wannabeefree]

I have been reading everything I can about this tractor and have found this site to be very helpful .
One thing I have been looking into is a ROPS for safety. So today I emailed HOYE about the ROPS they advertise, unfortunately they do not list a verson specific for the F17D. Aron at Hoye told me that this tractor is sort of a unicorn. It is a good tractor but does not have much parts interchangeability with any of the other models. I asked what was the closest match and he told me the f16d and f18d were close but not much was interchangeable. He did say that the ROPs for the F18D might fit because the PTO Cover Plate is the same but offered no other advise. He said he did not know of any specific ROPS providers that made one for my tractor but I also went to the Fredericks Tractor site and they list one so I will check them out. I am not looking to do this real soon but would like to know my options. I am more concerned with my safety than OSHA compliance but it would be nice.

Learning new stuff everyday and hope to find out more.

Thanks, Dave

 

[kenmac]

Tom Fredricks designed the first OSHA certified ROPS for these tractors. I suspect (but not positive) Hoye gets his ROPS from Fredricks. If this is the case, I would think if Hoye doesn't have ROPS that fits, I doubt Fredricks has it.