YARDMAX YC0850 1850 lb. Compaction Force Plate Compactor, 2.5 hp, 79cc, 5900 BPM

I bought this instead of renting because I needed it for a longer period of time and I didn't want to rush the job to save money on rental fees. For a backyard project like mine this compactor was perfect and performed flawlessly. It's not too big where it's harder to handle and the fold away wheels makes it easy to move around. Don't let the small size fool you, it can get the job done. My project was about 30 X 20 and it started and worked great.

I disliked the unprofessional service. The box arrived partially opened. The exterior of the box, suffered minor rips all around. And upon futher reviewing the Yardmax Compactor Unit I learned that this machine had to be previously purchased and returned. The Bolts and nuts used to secure the wheel Assembly was missing. I had to go too The hardware store to acquire the missing bolts. Then I came upon more evidence of product tampering, the manufactures bottle of engine oil had only 1/2 of engine oil remaining in the bottle. The affixed Air filter housing that secured to the machine had broken clamps. So I had to use heavy tape to hold it together. Time was of great significance to me too just simply return the machine for a refund. For eight dollars more I could have purchased the same machine at HOME DEPOT had I known in advance of the current problem I'd be facing in advance. In the future I will purchase all heavy Equipment from Home Depot. I'm so angry .

The product arrived in great shape!The Amazon WEB site, stated a "Stamping Pad Included" in the grey box on the right labeled "What's Included". But it turns out that may not be true. Disappointed here as this was in my cost, feature comparison list. And it appears I may have to buy it. Not good. Kind of upsetting as it moved the true cost of the unit above a couple other units.The WEB site should be updated! I made a jpeg copy of it and may try to get a stamping pad. I need it.The product goes together fast. Very easy. Be careful with the wheel attachment. The cover of the manual and page three show them backwards. But the instruction section is correct. I was scratching my head for a second. But quick and easy to fix.The wheels are a lifesaver and one of the reasons I went with this unit. I've rented before and have needed two guys to move the renal unit around. The wheels make it so easyI worry about the gas cap getting smooshed by the handle when you fold it up. Just have to remember to be careful.Need to go buy some oil and try it out now.

I received the compactor in the time specified, and was surprised by the good quality of the unit. The assembly instructions were fairly straightforward, although I did have to search a bit to find what kind of oil to use (it was in the enclosed engine manual, and not in the manual for the compactor itself). As far as usage, I am a homeowner but have used several different brands of plate compactor for home projects, this one is actually better to run than some others I have used...there is very little vibration in the handle while operating, and even this little 1850lb model compacts well. For the price, this is an excellent alternative to putting up with the headaches associated with renting a compactor from a rental store. I plan to use this for several projects at home and at family and friends' homes and sell it when I am done. I would definitely recommend, so far.

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.