What to Look for Before Buying YM2000

[BatCave]

Heading over to look at a YM2000 from an indvidual at a farm in a day to use for finishing mowing and light bushogging of about 5 acres...would be using 4-foot implements to stay within tractor horsepower rating.

I have already checked out an old Kubota, and I formerly was the operator (not owner) of a 4wd Mitsubishi compact, but I am liking what I hear about Yanmars better than old greymkt Kubotas and Mitsubishis.

I don't really care if paint is flaking or if sheet metal has a little rust, since I'm buying an old tractor, but what should I be looking for in terms of maintenance and condition?

Stuff like...
Any good tips on how to test transmission condition on a YM2000?

Where is the engine serial number to identify whether it is an "A" (it is faded red, so I believe it to be an A).

Any field tests to determine condition?

Any visual tests on start-up to help identify inner-engine problems?

Noises to listen for?

Tips to ID a Vietnam "remanufactured" job (I don't think it's one, but not sure)?

Just looking for anything to check when I'm there. I'm fairly mechanically inclined, so throw it on me, but realize I'm looking for things I can check in about 1/2 hour without breaking out many tools ... not sure the guy wants me to start pulling off injectors and what not

Also interested in what you think a fair private seller price would be on a YM2000 if everything is working order, just not cosmetically perfect on sheet metal and such.

Thanks in advance, and looking forward to being an active member of this forum if I do purchase this YM.

 

[phatgemi]

Well I'm no mechanical expert but first off I would make sure that it starts relatively easy. Don't worry about the hammerin as that's normal with these. It should smooth out somewhat around 2200 rpm. You'll be able to tell. It shouldn't have excessive smoke.

Other assorted things to check:

Look at radiator water. How does it look. Shouldnt have too much antifreeze. these run best at 70/30 mix in summer.

Check all four wheels for evidence of leaks. Indicative of a seal problem. Not a deal killer but something to fix.

Electrical issues. Do all the lights work? Take a VOM if you have one and make sure alternator is putting out juice.

Another leak area is to check around the steering wheel gear box. Any leak here can be a pain to fix. Problem can be solved but for instance if you needed a new steering box: they are about 500 dollars and they are back ordered with a hefty wait. Parts to rebuild are available at savings but not a job for week hearted.

Hydraulics - How does it lift. Is it noisy? Will it hold a implement up when engine is shut off or drop immediately. Potential problem if it does. Read thru all the issues a current poster has had. Any apparent leaks???

Tires/Wheels - How is rubber? Any evidence of bad rusting around valve.

Clutch - How much play? Any slippage? Easy to fix but a minor pain.

Brakes - How much play? Is the linkage smooth.

PTO - Check out each speed on pto without a implement attached. American implements not able to run on higher speeds but nice to know they work on tractor. If you can attach a mower/bushhog, how does it mow?
A 2000 can handle a 4 foot bush hog handily and thats what i run. A 5 footer is just a bit much. I mow mostly flat ground and for a finish mower, my 2000 handles a 6 foot Caroni great. No problem at all.

Do all the indicator lights/tach work??

I've probably run on too long but these are a few issues. Good luck. The 2000 is a great tractor and if it doesn't have new paint, it probably is NOT a Viet rebuild. I believe the correct engine for the 2000 is the 2TR20A

 

[BruceR]

Insist on a cold start....pull the compression release, turn it over till the oil light goes out. Push compression release back, pull throttle all the way back and it should fire right off. Faster it starts, the better your compression.

Look for small white painted stars on the rear of the left fender, some older re-cons had this.

Welcome and good luck
Bruce

 

[California]

...Any good tips on how to test transmission condition on a YM2000?

Where is the engine serial number to identify whether it is an "A" (it is faded red, so I believe it to be an A).

Any field tests to determine condition?

Any visual tests on start-up to help identify inner-engine problems?

Noises to listen for?

Tips to ID a Vietnam "remanufactured" job (I don't think it's one, but not sure)?

Also interested in what you think a fair private seller price would be on a YM2000 if everything is working order, just not cosmetically perfect on sheet metal and such.

Thanks in advance, and looking forward to being an active member of this forum if I do purchase this YM.

phatgemi and Bruce pretty well covered it. For used equipment I start with an estimate of $200 to ? as a reserve to fix stuff I didn't notice in the walkaround. As you see issues, you can get more precise in estimating total cost to put it in service. For the condition you describe, you're sure to find some 'deferred maintenance' items that weren't important to the previous owner such as broken headlights.

Transmission: Drive it both pulling and coasting in each gear, and both hi/low range, to see if it falls out of gear or sounds like chipped teeth, bad bearings etc. From what I've read here these transmissions are near indestructible.

Pay special attention to the hydraulics. Noise, leakdown, dirty fluid. Previous neglect here can cause problems. Budget $60 for a likely replacement of the 'strainer' (filter screen) and $35 for new fluid since nobody replaces these timely on an old tractor.

Engine serial: on a builder's plate next to the starter. I think the A was mid-production and A-X was the final series. The dipstick is on the left by the starter on the later ones but I don't know when they switched it over from the right side. Note the first series of YM2000 were painted green and had external headlights alongside the grille. While most everything is interchangeable on the later red tractors, the early (green) 2000's have some parts unique to that model, and less widely available.

Chassis serial: by your left ankle.

Electrics: don't worry, it's so simple you can replace everything if needed for under $100. (except the headlight assemblies which are hard to find).

Stuck brakes: very common on a neglected tractor and simple to free up. These seldom need brake shoes.

Starting: This is the best test of engine condition, as phatgemi and Bruce noted. Feel the block to see if the seller warmed it up before you arrived. In warm weather, even a cold engine should fire as soon as you let go of the compression release. Don't try to idle it immediately, the manual says 1500 rpm warmup and it will clank painfully below 1,000 when it is cold.

Noises: Not a useful indicator of anything on these because they make such a racket. phagemi says it should smooth out around 2200 but I've never noticed this - it clanks at idle and sounds like a rod is going to come through the block as you run the rpm's up; this is normal and I don't think you can judge anything by the engine's mechanical sound. Think of that terrible racket as the sound of raw power. You might want to compare what your hear, to the sound file at the bottom of my sig photos (referenced below).

I think a YM2000 is an excellent choice because it is near-indestructible and has the best parts availability of any gray market tractor. Like an old VW, jeep, or '65 Mustang, there will be replica parts available for years to come.

Price? For a tractor in good running condition maybe $1800 shabby to $3600 flawless but this is extremely variable depending on location.

 

[LMTC]

Bear in mind that around $4000 buys one with an OSHA approved ROPS, new paint, and a 6 month powertrain warranty from an established reputable dealer. Work backwards from there. The ROPS alone is worth $600.

 

[BatCave]

Bear in mind that around $4000 buys one with an OSHA approved ROPS, new paint, and a 6 month powertrain warranty from an established reputable dealer. Work backwards from there. The ROPS alone is worth $600.

LMTC,
I'm not really seeing these 2000s at any local dealers, and I don't know who to trust in terms of dealers. Care to suggest who can deliver a top-notch tractor for $4K? I am planning on welding on a ROPS or buying one, despite the fact that in my first 10 years of bushogging and farming, I never once used a tractor that had one. Seems like a smart idea though.

 

[Dargo]

Care to suggest who can deliver a top-notch tractor for $4K?

I didn't see where he said a "top notch" tractor for 4k. That isn't going to happen. I'd assume what he is saying is that you can buy a new Chinese tractor or freshly rebuilt grey market with similar hp with a warranty for that range.

 

[BatCave]

I didn't see where he said a "top notch" tractor for 4k. That isn't going to happen. I'd assume what he is saying is that you can buy a new Chinese tractor or freshly rebuilt grey market with similar hp with a warranty for that range.

thought I posted, but guess it didn't go through so had to rewrite the whole post in my head.

Yeah, top-notch is probably not the best description...just looking for something I can trust. I could care less if lights don't work or it's rusty, but would rather not plop down cash and then follow up by spending my weekends and weeknights trying to figure out strange overheating problems or working on worn-out hydraulics. I wouldn't mind buying from a dealer at all, but not sure who to trust to find a trust-worthy machine. Suggestions appreciated, of course. Location: Southern Appalachians.

Hearing some about welded pieces -- any tips on spotting casing welds that have since been painted over?

Advance thanks for continued help, found a second YM 2000 to look at so I can compare tractors. You guys have a metric #### ton of knowledge posted up here and I fully appreciate it.

 

[LMTC]

I'm not really seeing these 2000s at any local dealers

A location in your profile would be helpful. Who to trust? ALWAYS get references. You might ask on this forum what dealer(s) have a reputation for reliability. Where to find a YM2000 with OSHA approved ROPS (please, do not build a ROPS....email for very simple reasons why not), new paint, 6 month warranty on powertrain for 4k? Email us.

Oh, and as a general note re: emails....I have had three email inquiries in the past few days to which I responded and then got an auto-reply telling me my email address is not on the approved list of the intended recipient. One of these "invited" me to make application to the recipient, via an online form, to have my email address "considered" for approval. We respond to EVERY email that reaches us, with the exception of obvious scams, advertising, or anything rude or uncivil (this is very seldom). If you want to get our answer and you have screened email, make sure we are on the approved list before you email us...same goes for any inquiry you send out. So if you email us and don't get an answer, odds are your email didn't get delivered (yes, they do sometimes disappear somewhere in cyber-space) or our reply didn't get delivered. OK, that's off my chest...thanks for "listening."

 

[California]

I should clarify here - I was responding to BatCave's first post,

Heading over to look at a YM2000 from an individual at a farm

where he can expect to find a semi-retired 30 year old Yanmar. I expect that one will look a little neglected, but probably doesn't have major problems.

I wouldn't expect a dealer to sell a clean, warranted tractor for the same price as BatCave's farmer neighbor.

A clean unit from a REPUTABLE dealer is worth more than I said above, and the modern safety package is well worth what it adds to the dealer's price.