Grey Yanmars

[gatractorman]

Are the grey market Yanmars not being imported any longer, not seeing a lot of them , is Fredrick's the only one left?

 

[thepumpguysc]

Have u tried Hoye.??

 

[winston1]

Have u tried Hoye.??

Hoye does not import tractors, only a parts dealer.

 

[CoyPatton]

Several years back, you saw a lot of small businesses that were selling a variety of imports. I am not sure now of what all took place, but there was a big stink raised about several issues related to these. Lots of these issues were safety related as I recall as well as regulatory in nature. Most of the small importers that I personally knew of closed down that portion of their business. They said they just did do enough business to absorb the cost of the changes. The few I know of that are still doing business across the South are in an arrangement with Frederick’s from what I understand. I do not know if Frederick’s is the only authorized distributor in the USA or not.
I do know that listing a Yanmar for sale is against policy on Hoye’s message system and eBay.
I still see them on occasion on craiglist and other such sites however.

 

[Evets Tsorf]

Someone is, when shopping for my tractor, I was checking Craigslist in Northern California and southern Oregon, saw quite a few grey market tractor posts in both Medford and Portland posts. Several brands noted as reconditioned, shinny paint and rice paddy tires where telling giveaways.

 

[clemsonfor]

Most are YMN diesel tractors the way they are advertised on CL. Who knows if they swap decals on the yard though after pics to sell them?

 

[kenmac]

Most are YMN diesel tractors the way they are advertised on CL. Who knows if they swap decals on the yard though after pics to sell them?

yep, after the threat of a lawsuit by Yanmar. most selling the yanmar name closed up shop.
Far as I know, Fredricks is the only grey yanmar seller approved by yanmar to used their name on greys

 

[clemsonfor]

yep, after the threat of a lawsuit by Yanmar. most selling the yanmar name closed up shop.
Far as I know, Fredricks is the only grey yanmar seller approved by yanmar to used their name on greys

You are correct Fredrick's and any of their authorized dealers are able to use and market the Yanmar name.

 

[YanmarFever]

And once again, we all got screwed by the lawyers...

 

[HaltCatchFire]

The bigger names may have gone, but the Craigslist business is thriving. Here in Oregon a guy imports containers full of reconditioned ones as fast as he can sell them.

 

[clemsonfor]

The bigger names may have gone, but the Craigslist business is thriving. Here in Oregon a guy imports containers full of reconditioned ones as fast as he can sell them.

May have to look on CL and see what I can see.

 

[YanmarFever]

The bigger names may have gone, but the Craigslist business is thriving. Here in Oregon a guy imports containers full of reconditioned ones as fast as he can sell them.

Yes, they are reconditioned in vietnam...

 

[CoyPatton]

Yes, they are reconditioned in vietnam...

TractorErnie, are the Vietnam reconditioned ones still considered a tractor that maybe substandard?

Meaning as much as anything else, possible mismatched tractors put together to make one?

 

[careyo63]

Been on or around this form well over a decade. 2/12 was when I had to redo my membership. More like 08. and you just don't hear all the bad things about the POS. Vn'ers. Now that everything has settled down and with the UTDA. Disbanded. I can't recall for a while of anyone having the problems they use to with one of them. Parts Availability and tractors mismatched you just don't hear about anymore. :2cents:

 

[clemsonfor]

Been on or around this form well over a decade. 2/12 was when I had to redo my membership. More like 08. and you just don't hear all the bad things about the POS. Vn'ers. Now that everything has settled down and with the UTDA. Disbanded. I can't recall for a while of anyone having the problems they use to with one of them. Parts Availability and tractors mismatched you just don't hear about anymore. :2cents:

I would agree with this. It seems all the horror stories just are not there or repeated at the frequency they were once. I am not saying some or all of these stories were not true, but I have suspicions about the frequency they occured with the volume of units that were imported. Meaning like what percent were just total junkers...5% or 55%?? I don't know. I do know there are many small issues, some not really important. Some are outright lies. Like the tractor is a 1998 or it has totally been redone or it is a new tractor or they were redone at the Yanmar factory in Japan. Many of those were said but I am talking about these tractors that have hand made parts on them or center sections from one model but a wrong smaller engine put into the tractor or the total wrong axle welded to the wrong tractor. Or tar like substances in them for oil etc.

With the internet and forums what they have gained in the last decade and prior you would hear from almost all of these people these days on one of these forums. And for yanmars there is only a few of them.

I have been around awhile as well. And I have read it all. That said I think Fredrick's or their dealers offer an A+ product and definitely should be strongly considered for the small amount of money over a YMN tractor or whatever they call them these days

 

[California]

Yes Fredricks. They are the only ones selling reconditioned Yanmars that are up to the quality level that God and Yanmar intended.
There's a little history there. Fredricks negotiated with Yanmar and got exclusive rights to use the Yanmar logo on their rebuilts (rebuilt in USA) based on agreeing to a high level of quality.

The recent thread here about a splined coupler that connects the shaft from the clutch, into the Powershift pump, and had chewed up the PS input spline, as well as being welded (!) to the clutch shaft, is an example of suspected mismatched parts on a likely 'rebuilt'. These instances are more rare now, but in that instance real expensive to get right. In another recent instance I encountered, a seller of 'YNM' VN rebuilts advertises a little backhoe as 'digs 6 ft' while another dealer has the manufacturer brochure online showing 4.5 ft. Who do you believe, the manufacturer's brochure or the YNM importer's representation?

 

[clemsonfor]

Yes Fredricks. They are the only ones selling reconditioned Yanmars that are up to the quality level that God and Yanmar intended.
There's a little history there. Fredricks negotiated with Yanmar and got exclusive rights to use the Yanmar logo on their rebuilts (rebuilt in USA) based on agreeing to a high level of quality.

The recent thread here about a splined coupler that connects the shaft from the clutch, into the Powershift pump, and had chewed up the PS input spline, as well as being welded (!) to the clutch shaft, is an example of suspected mismatched parts on a likely 'rebuilt'. These instances are more rare now, but in that instance real expensive to get right. In another recent instance I encountered, a seller of 'YNM' VN rebuilts advertises a little backhoe as 'digs 6 ft' while another dealer has the manufacturer brochure online showing 4.5 ft. Who do you believe, the manufacturer's brochure or the YNM importer's representation?

That post did come to mind when I wrote my previous one. But even though that is a homemade part that was made for that tractor for whatever reason. It was working. And I can't remember the details but it wasn't the shaft that was the problem, or the reason for the teardown right?

 

[careyo63]

Remember that one. But we was hearing and dealing with that kind of problem on almost a every other day basis. And that's were the YMN comes into play. Yanmar is not standing behind those unit or dealers for that matter and they have to label them. The YMN is working and people know what the risk is buying one. I don't ever see any YMN but that's only Atl. I look at. And then Fredricks supplied dealers here in Ga.. Still 2 I know of and there not that far to get to from Ga.. Working like they set it up and intended it work IMO..:thumbsup:

 

[YanmarFever]

TractorErnie, are the Vietnam reconditioned ones still considered a tractor that maybe substandard?

Meaning as much as anything else, possible mismatched tractors put together to make one?

Coy, I have been out of the tractor business since late 2011, I had my turn in it, made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun.
I still have an FX235-D that will probably be buried next to me someday...:laughing:

Before 2011 the vietnam units were not the best looking or performing machines out there.
I dont know what has changed to make them any better since then.

I think the vietnam importers, also made a deal with yanmar, that's why you see them being imported to the states.

 

[California]

...can't remember the details but it wasn't the shaft that was the problem, or the reason for the teardown right?

As I recall he tore the center out of the clutch. Seems to me a standard clutch driving the shaft into the PS pump should have a much gentler life compared to the same clutch driving a MT so I suspect there was something bogus about the clutch to fail like that. (The PS models first spin the PS pump then that powers the PS internal clutches to engage, to start the tractor moving).