Buying Advice Considering a YM2000 purchase

[bridler]

Hi Everyone - First post here. Want to purchase a Yanmar YM 2000. I have put one on hold with Fredricks Equipment in AL. I understand they refurbish the tractors in house and provide a one year warranty. Any feedback on this dealer would be appreciated.

I''ll be using it mostly for mowing and some bush hogging. Will be fitting it with turf wheels/tires. Should I get a 4' or 5' finish mower? And should I be using a 4 ft. bushhog on this tractor?

All advice much appreciated!

Thanks
Bridler

 

[284 International]

Welcome to the forum. There are several members here who have purchased from Fredrick's. They have a good reputation clear out to this area. With that said, people make mistakes. Check the machine over well when you get, and be sure to test all the functions.

The YM2000 is a terrific machine. You chose well. I have one and use a 4 foot cutter. Depending on conditions, a 5 foot brush mower would be usable. I imagine a 5' finish mower would be fine, depending on how thick the grass gets.

I like the smaller cutter because it can be used on thicker material very slowly, or, if conditions are good, at higher speeds, while a larger unit becomes bogged more easily. I had a 5' unit and sold it, because I found the 4' cutter more useful for my machines and conditions. (I run the cutter on my YM2000 and a smaller 15 hp 186D.) Others' experiences may vary. As a rule, though, I think 4 to 5 foot implements are a good match for this machine, with heavier things (box blade, brush mower, disk) being better at the 4' size, and lighter things (finish mower, rake, angle blade) at 5'. Show us pictures when you get your new tractor!

 

[California]

284 just said everything that I was going to reply.

re 4 ft brush hog vs 5 ft: I might consider a 5 ft if I frequently mowed a pasture, frontage, etc where you just let out the clutch and drive along. In grass that isn't very high. On level ground.

But if you need the brush hog to shred brush, or pioneer through waist-high grass that is a nuisance to walk through, or mow uphill, a 4 ft will work the tractor as hard as you would want and a 5 ft rough mower used for that application is just too much for YM2000.

5 ft implements are considered standard for an 8N (27 hp and a half ton heavier than YM2000) so you can see how hard they are going to work the smaller Yanmar.

Here's an old thread about mowing that I started a couple of years ago. The point relevant here is that the grass in this photo was so wet and heavy that it was difficult to mow uphill with the 4 ft mower.

 

[clemsonfor]

Fredericks is the main USA refurber. They are kind of pricy, you usually can do much better on price to find a good used one if you can. But anyway thats your choice and there a good place.

As to the mower, if you are mowing yard like grass or a pasture every 3-5 weeks you can probly mow with a 5fter, but me i mow my fields 2-3x per season and a 4fter is all it can handle. I mow in 7 out of 8 gears and when really thick i have to go to 6th and it can still tax it hard when mowing thick bermuda that is shin high. or fescue that is waist to chest high.

 

[deepNdirt]

Hello and welcome to the site, You'll find some great informative Folks around here, and always willing to help,:thumbsup:
only thing I have to add is to be sure and get you a overrun clutch for the PTO shaft to use with your rotary implements,

 

[bridler]

Thanks for the advice...so l will opt for the 5' mower and 4'ft brush hog.

I'll be getting the tractor in a couple of weeks and will post pics then.

 

[bridler]

Hi deepNdirt

Is the "overun clutch" you refer to - the same as the overun coupler?

 

[kenmac]

Welcome to the Fourm :thumbsup:

Have you priced a cutter from Fredricks ? They sell light duty to heavy duty cutters & other equipment

 

[bridler]

Hi kenmac

Yes, I'm considering their 5' ft finish mower, and 4'ft. brush hog.

 

[jerrybob]

284.....comment are right on. Don't know if it was just a typo....but the 186d is 18hp.:thumbsup:

 

[deepNdirt]

Hi deepNdirt

Is the "overun clutch" you refer to - the same as the overun coupler?

I can see how the terminology could be questionable, However what I am talking about is the ratchet (Overrun clutch), I believe the coupler is the one that adapts one type of spline to another,

Note: the picture showing the PTO overrun clutch on top, the adapter coupler on the bottom,

and also if you are buying a package deal from Fredricks they will be sure the drive shafts are to the correct lengths and ready to go, Although don't be surprised if buying either one of these implements elsewhere you might find yourself having to size the shafts yourself, ( meaning ) cutting them down to fit your tractor,
I did on both of the 4 ft Brush cutters I've owned anyway,

 

[284 International]

284.... the 186d is 18hp.

The Japanese market machines are numbered according to PTO horsepower. The 186 has 18 engine horsepower and the PTO horsepower is 15. The Japanese market version of the 186 is the 1510. The YM2000 in US garb (YM240) is 24 engine and 20 PTO horsepower.

I should have specified what i meant more accurately. Thanks.

 

[kenmac]

Hi kenmac

Yes, I'm considering their 5' ft finish mower, and 4'ft. brush hog.

I wouldn't consider a light duty cutter. med duty or heavy duty. If they still LMC brand cutters, they are made right up the road from them

 

[California]

Is the "overun clutch" ... the same as the overun coupler?

I think we're all talking about the same thing here but 'overrun coupler' is confusing. 'Overrun ratchet' would be more precise but 'overrun clutch' seems to be the industry standard name for the device. At any rate it looks like deepNdirt's first picture and has the same function as 'coast' on a bicycle. It prevents the inertia of the mower from pushing the tractor forward.

Adding a Quick Hitch might move the mower back the same distance as the overrun clutch adds to the driveline length which would avoid cutting anything. But check all this carefully - you can damage the tractor's pto when you lift the mower if the driveline is too long.

I didn't notice if you specified whether you are already familiar with YM2000, or a true beginner like most of us started out. YM240 was the US version of YM2000 and its documentation is what you will want (unless you can read Japanese). You might like to look at the YM240 sales brochure etc linked from my sig at the bottom of this post.


Edit: Bah. I didn't highlight 'quick hitch' above, that's an unwanted 'site feature'. I'm not talking about that at all, I'm talking about this. (plus the special top connector that comes with Tractor Supply's version of the QH, or is telephone special order from HF). Although I suppose the Pat's accessory could work too. As for me, I like the added rear ballast that a Quick Hitch provides.

Bah again. Now I see quick hitch above isn't highlighted any more. At least for me.

 

[284 International]

These are originally rScotty's for the 186 brochure, and California's for the 240 brochure (What he has linked). I tried to add them to my earlier post, but couldn't upload them to TBN.

 

[jerrybob]

Thanks 284 for posting the spec sheets......I haven't seen those specific sheets before. Good information. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[bridler]

I can see how the terminology could be questionable, However what I am talking about is the ratchet (Overrun clutch), I believe the coupler is the one that adapts one type of spline to another,

Note: the picture showing the PTO overrun clutch on top, the adapter coupler on the bottom,

and also if you are buying a package deal from Fredricks they will be sure the drive shafts are to the correct lengths and ready to go, Although don't be surprised if buying either one of these implements elsewhere you might find yourself having to size the shafts yourself, ( meaning ) cutting them down to fit your tractor,
I did on both of the 4 ft Brush cutters I've owned anyway,

Thanks deepNdirt! I contacted Fredricks and they've confirmed that all of their Yanmars are sold with the overrun clutch - I was Glad to hear that!:thumbsup:

 

[bridler]

I wouldn't consider a light duty cutter. med duty or heavy duty. If they still LMC brand cutters, they are made right up the road from them

kenmac:

Since I'm a newbe....a few dumb questions: Are the implements rated as light, medium, and heavy? Or do you just look at the overall construction/price to arrive at this?

 

[bridler]

I think we're all talking about the same thing here but 'overrun coupler' is confusing. 'Overrun ratchet' would be more precise but 'overrun clutch' seems to be the industry standard name for the device. At any rate it looks like deepNdirt's first picture and has the same function as 'coast' on a bicycle. It prevents the inertia of the mower from pushing the tractor forward.

Adding a Quick Hitch might move the mower back the same distance as the overrun clutch adds to the driveline length which would avoid cutting anything. But check all this carefully - you can damage the tractor's pto when you lift the mower if the driveline is too long.

I didn't notice if you specified whether you are already familiar with YM2000, or a true beginner like most of us started out. YM240 was the US version of YM2000 and its documentation is what you will want (unless you can read Japanese). You might like to look at the YM240 sales brochure etc linked from my sig at the bottom of this post.


Edit: Bah. I didn't highlight 'quick hitch' above, that's an unwanted 'site feature'. I'm not talking about that at all, I'm talking about this. (plus the special top connector that comes with Tractor Supply's version of the QH, or is telephone special order from HF). Although I suppose the Pat's accessory could work too. As for me, I like the added rear ballast that a Quick Hitch provides.

Bah again. Now I see quick hitch above isn't highlighted any more. At least for me.

Thanks for the info California.

Yes, I'm a newbe here and this YM 2000 will be my first utlitity tractor. I like the quick hitch method that you refrenced - I will now start to do some research on this.

Also, would like to get my hands on the owners/operators manual, and a repair manual on the YM240...as I'm sure I'll need this down the road.:thumbsup:

 

[284 International]

Also, would like to get my hands on the owners/operators manual, and a repair manual on the YM240...as I'm sure I'll need this down the road.

I would be surprised if Fredrick's doesn't supply an operator's manual. They likely sell the service manuals, too, but they are also available from a site sponsor here, Hoye tractor, LMTC, or from online auctions.

I don't know anything about the specific brands, but it's nice to find something that is popular and/or uses generic parts. For instance, Agrisupply sells rotary cutter gearboxes in an array of sizes and shaft types: Agri Supply - Search

If your cutter uses one of those styles, it will always be simple, in the unlikely event of a gearbox failure, to source a replacement, drop-in box that is compatible with your current PTO shaft and so forth. Similarly, they sell a variety of replacement blades. Buying a unit that is cross-compatible with other units is a wise decision, in my view.

Having the same blade form, length, and bolt hole size and pattern means if something goes wrong, you can find a replacement part easily. Rough mowers are not nearly as fragile as finish mowers, but still suffer from eventual blade damage in rough use.

If you get a box blade, the thicker and heavier the metal the better. I've never seen a box blade built too heavy. They may be too big for a compact tractor, but not too heavy. I always end up adding ballast anyway, usually in the form of suitcase weights, so any extra sturdiness or mass is always appreciated.