YARDMAX YC1160 2500 lb. Compaction Force Plate Compactor, 6.5 hp, 196cc, 5500 BPM

Like it a lot ,very nice in small places ,turns easy .

I bought this with the paver pad. I have used it on 3 jobs now and haven’t marked or damaged a single paver. I removed the pad and prepped to drive ways for a cement pour. It has worked very well. Start good cold but is a pain to start hot.

I was a little worried when I first received the package - the box had been damaged and repackaged with so much duct tape that I could barely see the cardboard. The machine itself seemed to be fine though. All the parts were there and easy enough to put together. I added oil and gas, and it started right up - once I figured out how to turn on the fuel valve and move the choke. (The choke has a spring and lock, so you have to push down slightly before moving it open or closed.) It worked well for my first project - re-laying a brick walkway that needed a better base layer, with compacted crusher-run. It seems durable enough for my purposes, which means occasional projects for me and friends/family. Not sure how well it would hold up under continuous use - maybe it would be fine. The only "problem" I've had with it is the guard around the muffler coming off - the screws vibrate loose pretty easily. I may try putting it back on with some threadlocker; hopefully it will withstand the heat of the muffler. I have plenty of other engines without such guards, and it isn't a big deal to just not touch the muffler.

Why did you pick this product vs others?: A little heavy to load by yourself but work perfect for making my concrete pad and great for the money

So I ordered the 2500lbs model and upon receiving, the packaging box was damaged to a point that it barely holds the product in place. Bad sign! Taking a closer look at the way this product is packaged, it’s no surprise that this box is heavily damaged. The foam used was thin and easily breaks, no enforced corners, no band to keep box in shape during transit, overall it just reflects how much this company cares about their product. I purchased a power wheel barrow just days ago and it was a much heavier item with bigger box, yet the packaging was so strong that it arrived perfectly, now receiving this is just a total opposite of strong packaging. The unit weighs over 100 lbs, so moving it around before assembly was no fun at all. During assembly, looking at the marks on the product, I suspected that this was a previous return. The assembly process wasn’t difficult, just 4 bolts and nuts. Added some oil and gas, following instruction on start up engine, but no matter what I tried and how many times I pulled, it just won’t start. I can hear it cranking, but it feels like a dead car, nothing happens. So this must have been a return unit. I called YARDMAX technical support and was not given much information, the person answered the phone didn’t feel so technical anyway. So I decided to return this one and get a replacement. Because of the broken box, there is no way I can put the unit in it’s original packing, instead, I just ordered a new unit and going to put the defective in the new product’s box. The second unit came in today and luckily the box stayed in one piece, upon unboxing, I realized it’s not the same product, I now have the 1850lbs model which also has a small plate than the 2500lbs model. I searched around awhile online and it seems YARDMAX has taken the 2500lbs model off the shelf. As a consumer, I should have received some kind of notification from them but nothing. When I deal with a company and if things go wrong occasionally, that’s understandable, but if things continues to go wrong with packaging, item in description and technical assistance, it just brings bad taste. I have very little faith in the durability of this product, I now just hope it will at least last through this one project I am doing. Hope other consumers won’t have experience like I did, and I will be calling YARDMAX again tomorrow to see how they will handle customer service.

Following a less than ideal $100 rental experience of a commercial brand compactor from the local big box hardware store (Honda powered oil sensor kept shutting down on an incline); I gave this compactor a chance. Not only does it have a handlebar throttle control, which the commercial unit lacked, it does not suffer shutdowns when compacting on an incline. Box arrived quickly, and while damaged everything was intact, less one washer. Assembly took about 40 minutes, including adding the included oil (pleasant surprise). Filled it up with fuel and without choke, the unit started on the first pull! Let the motor warm up for a minute and began to compact loose sandy fill. Only downside is the handlebar seems a bit short (i'm nearly 6 ft tall). Not a deal breaker, my old snow blower had a similar height challenge- maybe something Yardmax addresses in the future?

Great investment if you do a lot of at home construction We use it for artificial turf install and compacting the dirt before laying cement. Every time you rent from Home Depot it's at least $120 per day, we have used this for over 30 times now

Arrived on time. No damage. Instructions ok. Easy to assemble. Filled with gas and followed directions. Started on first pull! Works as advertised for size and power. I would definitely recommend for small to medium jobs.