New /Old Yanmar?

[Cdogg]

I am thinking about getting another tractor in the clan for my son to help bush hog. I already have a Ford 3000 that's a work horse. But the field I have to keep cut is 20 acres with lots of persimmon trees and nut trees. It would alot easier on me if a smaller tractor could ring the trees and do edges. So in comes the yanmar thoughts. Is there anything I should stay away from? I have been reading up on them off Hoye's website and this site. Couple questions off the top of my head is; 2 cylinder vs 3 cylinder, 2wd vs 4wd, regular clutch vs hydrostat?, wheel adapters or not. Why are there so many models that are baseicly the same?
I know alot of these are personal prefaced, the land I'm working is flat, but the long road in hilly and off level. One spot is muddy, I think it is a natural spring. I also realize once we get comfortable with the tractor the more we will learn what we can do with it. I plant 8 food plots for deer now, we use a four wheeler to help. As of now it will mainly be a grass cutter.
Decisions, devisions!
As always thank you for your help.

 

[California]

YM series are the early ones. Preferable due to simplicity and wide parts availability. The 2 cylinders are cheap, dead simple, indestructible, and darned noisy. 3-cylinder more refined, not quite as simple to repair. The 10 and 20 series add shift-while-moving. This isn't hydrostatic, it's a years earlier design with an ordinary clutch in front of what amounts to a small-car automatic transmission that doesn't have a torque converter. So you let out the clutch, a moment later the 'A/T' builds pressure and locks its internal clutches solid, and off you go. Shifting up/down while moving is a big productivity improver. You don't need 4x4 for mowing if you can stay out of swampy muck.

The later gray market Yanmars are real quality but not as well supported for parts as the YM's. Then the present Yanmars are modern state of the art, at breathtaking prices that I think only make sense if you earn a lot of money using them.

Post info on what you find! And welcome!

 

[clemsonfor]

The classics that you will see are the ym1500 ym2000. These are pretty common. If there is a D after it's 4wd. You won't need 4wd to plant food plots or now. It does increase you pulling ability by giving more traction but it's unnecessary for basic mowing on anything but steep or muddy ground. And even a 2wd tractor will bushhog through spots wetter than you should be mowing. Just search CL or Facebook and on e you find a model you can ask is questions about that model. The older YMs do have the best support. The FX models do not have as much support and also have very complicated electrical systems that all the manuals are in Japanese, so unless your an electrical engineer and like to figure things out or can read Japanese I would stay away from those.

 

[Cdogg]

Ym2210 is the first one I'm going to look at. It was a trade in and is sitting on a lot. The dealer doesn't know any history on it. The cosmetics look good in the picture but that doesn't matter as much as the mechanics of it. Any complaints on this model?

 

[windy acers]

larger than 2000 is best. the steering and front end wheels tires ect. are not made well on my 2000. the rest of it is ok but built for a person way under 6 ft. and 200 lbs.

 

[clemsonfor]

That's a solid model, many members have it and love it. That has powershift. I believe the 10 means it's one of the earlier models where the shifter is on the floor. Later they moved it to the steering wheel I think? I just am going on what I see here. I believe Scotty Dive has one.

Only one or two real transmission problems have I ever read about on the site, that I believe we're fixed with a little work. Most issues are dirty fluid and or filters, or incorrect fluid. Check it out like any old car or pice of equipment you would buy. Check fluids for water contamination. Pull the radiator cap and start it up looking for huge bubbles or oil in there that is a telltale of blown head. These radiators plug up quick bush hogging and if you don't clean it every hour or two in tall thick stuff with fluffy seeds you will plug it up, overheat and blow the head. Go through all the gears forward and reverse. Engage the pto, if he has a bush hog see if he will let you attach it to put a load on it (you don't really have to cut anything if no field just spin it up). Make sure it has correct filters on for fuel if not think about you will need to spend $75 to put that back, many people will cut them off cause they don't know how to find them and put a $5 gas filter on. In general hold back a few hundred dollars that you will expect to pay on stuff that was wrong or neglected.

But seriously if that tractor checks out and y'all can come to a price get that thing.

 

[clemsonfor]

larger than 2000 is best. the steering and front end wheels tires ect. are not made well on my 2000. the rest of it is ok but built for a person way under 6 ft. and 150lbs.

2010 has a little bigger operator platform. But very similar. The wheels are fine on it. If you do lots of heavy loader work some people break spindles but most don't.

I am 6'2" and at my heaviest was 210. It was still perfectly fine for me and I had plenty of room. Not as roomy as some tractors but not unusable or leaving me wishing it was bigger Everytime I was on it.

 

[California]

2210 is an excellent choice assuming this particular example checks out. It is a well-supported model.

What you are likely to find is that its fundamentally solid but may show some user neglect such as a stuck brake, bashed headlight, horn not working etc, simple things to get right. At 40 years old expect to do a '1,000 hour maintenance', that is, replace fluids, filters, tighten bolts, possibly check valve adjustment. Clean the radiator exterior thoroughly. This will bring it back to what it was at its first 1,000 hours. Then just run it for years, it's not likely to develop any new issues. Previous owner neglect is about the only thing likely to need attention.

You will love the Powershift. Aside from shifting while moving (impossible on the manual-transmission Yanmars) the PS allows you to spin up a mower while you are backed up to a building or tree, then after it's spinning, shift from neutral to a forward gear. (Without PS, mower rpm is proportional to forward speed). Very handy.

 

[Cdogg]

I've heard good things about them so far. The end of next week we go and look at it. The guy knows nothing about it and I hope it checks out. "IF" I purchase it I plan to get the manuals from Hoye and go from there. Will I need a overrunning clutch on the pto, or is it good to go? I will be getting a Bush hog too, what size is best? 4' or 5'?

 

[clemsonfor]

Yes get an over run clutch. It's a grey model and didn't have an internal one like US models would of. It will run both a 4 and 5' some will say 5 is impossible but I have a 20hp Yanmar same vintage just not powershift. I can run a 5 foot fine. In the thickest thigh deep stuff or really thick shin deep Bermuda I have to cheat up and take 4 foot bites but most of the time u use all five foot of the deck. I would look for a five as your production goes up and it's not making it run flat out all the time. If you bushhog twice a year you can easily use the five foot model.


I might not wait a week, if he has a decent price on it it may be gone in a few days if it's sitting out on the lot visible and he had made not promises to you.