# Ford YT16H Serial Number HELP!



## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

Hello all. Just picked up a YT16H locally for $350.00. Its in decent shape with a 42" deck. Could maybe use a hood and a grill but the rest seem good (so far). Anyway, I was trying to figure out the year. Take a look at my serial tag of left side of frame and please tell me what this means?? Thanks for the help and if you have any parts, let me know!


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## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

Pulled the "Ford" emblem off the front of the hood last night in an effort to pound out a few dents and the date code on the back of that is "E4" which would be 1994. Not sure that can be right as the machine has the white rear seat pan blue "Ford" seat, white grill, black graphics and pin on rear wheels.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Welcome to the tractor forum mach1s,

The Ford YT series tractors/mowers were manufactured for Ford by Gilson from 1984 to 1993. A clone of the Gilson YT16H. Since your number plate indicates yours was a sample, my GUESS is that it was manufactured prior to mass production, probably for Ford approval. 

Finding parts will be your greatest challenge. Good Luck.


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## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

New Holland Dealer told me the Black hood stripe makes it a later model (1987). He had no ideas on the odd serial number coding but said the 9607482 (component) is the number he needs to get parts. I put that number in old Google and all that comes up is info for a YT18??


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## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

Update!! So I ended up getting a call from the guy I purchased the tractor from telling me he found the owners manual and some blades for it. I head over and he hands me an almost mint condition owners manual for tractor and the deck!! Score! Asked him about serial number and it turns out he has a story behind it. His father was the manager at Milwaukee Tractor. He purchased the YT16H in late 1986. It was a 1987 model. Next thing I know his father walks out of house to finish the story. Ford had Gilson manufacturing tractors for them. Every year, Gilson would produce about a dozen "sample" tractors with there latest updates or changes and deliver them to the Ford reps for evaluation. At which point Ford would say go or no-go to the updates. The tractors were then sent back to Gilson. Gilson would then offer them for employee purchase only to distributors at a discounted rate. Well this guy purchased mine in late 1986. He told me of a couple of the "enhancements" Gilson came up with that we're aparently turned down by Ford. One being an oil indicator light and another being a different style Trans lock/unlock actuator for the hydrostatic models. Mine has both these options (non-operational) but there. I have a couple of pics. So it turns out my tractor is a 1987 "prototype" model. Kinda cool!


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## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

Would not let me post more than one pic.


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## mach1s (Mar 28, 2016)

left side dash pic.


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## Ed Clarey (May 30, 2018)

mach1s said:


> Update!! So I ended up getting a call from the guy I purchased the tractor from telling me he found the owners manual and some blades for it. I head over and he hands me an almost mint condition owners manual for tractor and the deck!! Score! Asked him about serial number and it turns out he has a story behind it. His father was the manager at Milwaukee Tractor. He purchased the YT16H in late 1986. It was a 1987 model. Next thing I know his father walks out of house to finish the story. Ford had Gilson manufacturing tractors for them. Every year, Gilson would produce about a dozen "sample" tractors with there latest updates or changes and deliver them to the Ford reps for evaluation. At which point Ford would say go or no-go to the updates. The tractors were then sent back to Gilson. Gilson would then offer them for employee purchase only to distributors at a discounted rate. Well this guy purchased mine in late 1986. He told me of a couple of the "enhancements" Gilson came up with that we're aparently turned down by Ford. One being an oil indicator light and another being a different style Trans lock/unlock actuator for the hydrostatic models. Mine has both these options (non-operational) but there. I have a couple of pics. So it turns out my tractor is a 1987 "prototype" model. Kinda cool!


Always cool to have story to tell!


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