Neat 1500
Platinum Member
:licking: Oh I wished I'd find somewhere here that had tillers like that lined up.........
Newbie with new mods to his 2210d!!
- Thread starter Jtullis13
- Start date
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:licking: Oh I wished I'd find somewhere here that had tillers like that lined up.........
OP
Jtullis13
Platinum Member
That is an awesome picture of those tillers. Just wish they were closer so I could drive there & pick one up
careyo63
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2012
- Messages
- 2,607
- Tractor
- 77 Yanmar YM2000 63 Ford 2000
I was lucky to be able to drive. My 250 5.4 gasser has a 39gal tank so I was able to do it without having to stop. I'm 40 miles east side of Atl.. Speed limits 65 and it's a little over 500 miles so right at 8hrs. round trip. Running mostly the speed limit. 
If you remember I told you I use a Frontier Tiller on the JD. IMHO. You will not regret it!!!
If you remember I told you I use a Frontier Tiller on the JD. IMHO. You will not regret it!!!
OP
Jtullis13
Platinum Member
That was a trip for you. I would be willing to drive that far to get one too. But Fredricks is 900 miles from me one way
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,976
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
I wish that place with the tillers was still there. They closed several years ago.
When VN reconditioned tractors were first sent over here everyone had high hopes. This place with the tillers (and 50+ reconditioned tractors indoors in a warehouse) was the US outlet/wholesaler for a VN reconditioning factory, I think independent of the other similar ones.
I'm pretty sure the three twenty-something kids from VN running the place were family of the factory owners. Decent, honest, but that killed the business because they took back too many broken tractors for warranty exchange.
I met them when I wanted genuine parts to restore my YM240, where its previous US owners had ignored failures or hacked US stuff that didn't belong. A three-idiot-light cluster, battery hold down assembly, and a complete fuel filter assembly were the first things I bought. I watched as these were taken off gorgeous but non-running 'rebuilts'.
They had a row of tractors out back that were all missing some vital component, new 'rebuilts' that had been accepted back for warranty exchange and then other components scavenged for a warranty repair to keep another customer happy. This importer had no access to replacement parts, only those complete units that they had to dismantle for parts. The staff running the place understood American quality standards but they weren't getting the quality they needed from their source (aside from gorgeous paint jobs) to make a viable business.
Later I bought that used tiller there, and they had the best prices for Howse (US) rotary mower and the box blade so I bought them there too. Koyker loaders were what they installed on their rebuilts, again good US quality.
After I was told the eldest brother made a trip to VN to see if he could get the factory to improve quality, and seeing that row of warranty-return tractors growing each time I went in, closing was inevitable. And this explains why I sometimes comment that a VN recon Yanmar is a gamble.
Note Fredricks is completely separate from this VN channel. Fredricks brings over tractors from Japan, not VN, and does his reconditioning here, to American standards.
When VN reconditioned tractors were first sent over here everyone had high hopes. This place with the tillers (and 50+ reconditioned tractors indoors in a warehouse) was the US outlet/wholesaler for a VN reconditioning factory, I think independent of the other similar ones.
I'm pretty sure the three twenty-something kids from VN running the place were family of the factory owners. Decent, honest, but that killed the business because they took back too many broken tractors for warranty exchange.
I met them when I wanted genuine parts to restore my YM240, where its previous US owners had ignored failures or hacked US stuff that didn't belong. A three-idiot-light cluster, battery hold down assembly, and a complete fuel filter assembly were the first things I bought. I watched as these were taken off gorgeous but non-running 'rebuilts'.
They had a row of tractors out back that were all missing some vital component, new 'rebuilts' that had been accepted back for warranty exchange and then other components scavenged for a warranty repair to keep another customer happy. This importer had no access to replacement parts, only those complete units that they had to dismantle for parts. The staff running the place understood American quality standards but they weren't getting the quality they needed from their source (aside from gorgeous paint jobs) to make a viable business.
Later I bought that used tiller there, and they had the best prices for Howse (US) rotary mower and the box blade so I bought them there too. Koyker loaders were what they installed on their rebuilts, again good US quality.
After I was told the eldest brother made a trip to VN to see if he could get the factory to improve quality, and seeing that row of warranty-return tractors growing each time I went in, closing was inevitable. And this explains why I sometimes comment that a VN recon Yanmar is a gamble.
Note Fredricks is completely separate from this VN channel. Fredricks brings over tractors from Japan, not VN, and does his reconditioning here, to American standards.
Neat 1500
Platinum Member
Even if they were it's still no good for me, I'm on the wrong side of the planet for them :thumbdown:
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,976
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
Look on the bright side - shipping from VN to you is a lot closer than to here.
Are there similar VN recon dealers in Melbourne?
Neat 1500
Platinum Member
Unfortunately no there aren't. About 8 to 10 years ago there were some importers here that brought in refurbs that were grey market, I don't even know where they got them from (that includes mine that I had shipped 1000 miles to me) but now they are basically non existant. I do see occasionally some Iseki and Kubota units that have been imported but they are not refurbed, off the boat and in the yard they go as is but not Yanmars. Mine has a Bulldog loader on it and LCI branded hoses and fan belt on it. It has been the best piece of machinery I have ever owned so I was lucky to get one that was reconditioned reasonably well. Would have liked to know out of curiosity where it did come from.
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LCI and Bulldog were located in Van, Tx and went under 5 or so years ago. Theirs came from Vietnam. I think to many law suits put them under. They had several Vietnamese working at the Van facility. In their hayday they probably had 50 to 100 tractors parked there most all the time.
OP
Jtullis13
Platinum Member
Yeah California I've heard you and others talk about the VN tractors being a gamble and that is why I chose Fredricks for my Yanmar. The tiller thing is sad and so is that family that was shut down due to poor quality. Sad to hear about those tractors that could have had a good life too.
