FT-1000MP Mark V

Likes: 

• Great RX, DSP filters really work with a rock solid front-end, one of the best that I have tried !
• APF filter, really helps in a crowded CW situation
• Rock solid 100% duty cycle 200W TX
• True dual RX, unlike Icom and others!
• VERY quiet fan, you would hardly know that it is running.
• Many user configurable options that allow you to tailor the radio according to your taste and operation style.
• Beautiful RX sound, unlike some of the more modern radios with a "digital" sound.

Dislikes:

• No band scope !, it is something you get spoiled with! I will try to retrofit a bandscope like I did on the FT-950 and FT-2000

FT-2000

Likes: 

• Great RX, DSP filters really work with a rock solid front-end that will be even better once I have added the NS 3kHz roofing filter.
• Rock solid 100% duty cycle TX
• VERY quiet fan, you would hardly know that it is running.
• Internal switch mode power supply that is quiet as far as RF is concerned, maybe Icom should look at this!
• True dual RX, unlike Icom and others !
• Many user configurable options that allow you to tailor the radio according to your taste and operation style, the options you can configure seems endless.

Dislikes:

• No band scope !, But I added a SDR RX tapped into the IF now it has a better bandscope than any Icom!

FT-1000MP

Likes: 

• Great RX, DSP filters really work with a rock solid front-end, one of the best that I have tried !
• Rock solid 100% duty cycle TX
• True dual RX, unlike Icom and others !
• VERY quiet fan, you would hardly know that it is running.
• Many user configurable options that allow you to tailor the radio according to your taste and operation style.

Dislikes:

• No band scope ! It is something you get spoiled with !
• Shuttle jog tuning, takes some getting used to and I believe not as user friendly as "fuzzy logic" tuning like on the Icom radios.

Update 2014: This radio has been sold for spares, I wasted enough time with this lemon, having said that if a decent MP-1000 (later model) crosses my path I will buy it, it is a superb radio my sample was just a bad copy!

FT-990AC

Likes: 

• Great RX with a rock solid front-end, better than most modern DSP equipped radios.
• SCAF filters, really magic, with them you don't really need any other filters for SSB or CW.
• Rock solid 100% duty cycle TX, never gets hot.
• VERY quiet fan, you would hardly know that it is running.
• Antenna tuner one of the best in the industry and it far exceeds the specification.
• Internal switch mode power supply that is quiet as far as RF is concerned, maybe Icom should look at this !
• Quality of construction, I wish Yaesu still build them like this.
• Great CW radio, mine is also equipped with the additional 250Hz CW and 2.0KHz SSB filters.
• 250Hz and 500Hz filters can be used on SSB, great for digital modes like PSK31.

Dislikes:

• Dual receive would have been great.
• No band scope !, it is something you get spoiled with !
• Audio from headphone socket very low (similar to FT-847)

FT-107M

Likes:

• Great older rig, one of the first rigs with memories. 
• Heavy duty cycle radio, used for a long time on digital modes.

Dislikes:

• Bad frequency stability, worse than some much older rigs like the Kenwood TS-520SE

FT-767GX

This is one of the radios that the more I use it the more I love it, I don't think it will ever leave the shack !

Likes:

• Great all rounder for rag chewing etc. 
• Build in power supply.
• Finals running on 28V for better linearity. 
• Frequency stability great for older rig, as good as current production radios.
• Additional bands like 6 and 2m available.
• Great RX and TX sound with tone control on RX and TX shift.
• Comes standard with additional CW filter and many QRM/N combating features, making it a great radio for CW as well.
• Digital SWR and power meters !.
• Lots of features to customize and play with.

Dislikes:

• Very slow tuner and you have to tune at 100W !, can't be good for finals and causes QRM.

FT-757GXII

Likes:

• Big heat sink, high duty cycle.
• RX front-end not that great.
• Have fixed a few with problems that should have been found in quality control.

Dislikes:

• Terribly slow external tuner.

FT-901DM

Likes:

• Great old rig, solid construction.
• Noise reduction and variable bandwidth that actually works a lot better than most modern rigs !
• Frequency stability better than some much newer rigs.
• Tune-up timer prevents you from destroying finals.

Dislikes:

• VFO tunes "wrong" way !, confusing....
• Final Valves (6146B's) are getting harder to find here in "Dark" Africa but they last forever if you look after them.

FT-101E

Likes:

• Very nostalgic rig, won't use it seriously today but still fun to switch on sometimes.

Dislikes:

• Lower quality standard compared to rigs like the TS-520 from the same era.

FT-707

Likes:

• One of the first compact HF rigs.
• Easy to use and bandwidth control very effective on CW.

Dislikes:

• Had problems with finals blowing more than once, 2SC2290's not easy to find in this part of the world but can be replaced by MRF-454's.

FT-847

This rig never fails to amaze me, after a 2 hour long pile-up on 6m the other day, running stations contest style at 100+ per hour flat out at 100w, I started wondering if I should get an additional fan to keep the rig cool. The temperature in the shack was 32C. Well, no need to worry, the rig was so cold that it felt like it was not transmitting at all !. Even with both the external and internal fan running it was so quiet that I had to check visually if they were running. I have owned many rigs and this must be the coolest running rig I have seen !. I will be using this rig in the future for contest/field station operation on VHF/UHF, it is SUPERB !.

Likes:

• Fantastic RX on VHF/UHF !, better than rigs like TS-2000 or even the IC-746/756PRO/II
• FM narrow band (12.5khz) at the push of a button.
• I have found the digital filter to be useful even on 2m FM, gets rid of "rain" on the signal, perfect for using as a relay from 2m/70cm to HF.
• Easy to use Satellite mode and sensitive enough without having to resort to external pre-amplifiers.
• Great computer interface, real plug and go with no extras needed.
• Compact and layout of front panel good with positive feel push buttons.
• Shuttle jog tuning just like its big brother the 1000MP, great once you get used to it.
• Great scanning features and capable of cross band (even HF !) repeater functions with some PC software.
• Great looking radio with fantastic display.

See comments on TS-2000 compared to FT-847 by G7TOK !

Dislikes:

• Lack of internal tuner.
• CW delay max only 300ms, not long enough !. I ended up using a separate PTT control for CW bypassing VOX.
• When in "fast" tuning mode the up and down band keys jump bands, I don't know why they allowed this !!
• Plugs used for accessories not easy to find.
• Lack of support from Yaesu, I send more than one request to them about the CW delay and they never even responded....

FT-890SAT

Likes:

• Robust and well made.
• Compact, great for portable operation
• Great RX front-end (Quad FET). Better than rigs like the TS-2000 !. Add additional CW filter and you have a great CW rig. I have a cheap INRAD 250Khz filter in mine and it work great.
• Great fast tuner that will match a lot more that some of the more modern tuners that just use relays.

Dislikes:

• Problem with VFO shaft getting stuck, fixed it with Q20 and lots of patience !
• Frequency stability problem till I replaced a cap in the reference oscillator.

FT-200

Likes:

• Great old rig, in winter it warms up the shack!
• Very quiet but sensitive RX, low noise floor.

Dislikes:

• Slow AGC and lack of frequency stability, even for an old rig.

FT-747GX

Likes:

• Compact and low cost.

Dislikes:

• VFO knob with "clicks" !
• Plastic case and clip open structure.

FT-290R

Likes:

• Compact 2m all mode.
• Internal or external battery options.

Dislikes:

• RX problems and really needs pre-amp unless you modify the front-end. Sometimes the AGC will peg the S meter on switch on and only release slowly after a few minutes. I have seen this on more than one sample.
• 2.5W can be a little low !

FT-227R

Likes:

• Robust.
• Easy to work on.

Dislikes:

• Switches often get intermittent.

FT-51R

Likes:

• Compact and powerful.
• True dual channel receiver with great air band RX.
• Cross band repeat.
• Nice layout and construction.

Dislikes:

• Price !
• Up/Down keys used for volume control.

FL-2100Z

Likes:

• Compact desk sized amplifier.
• Well made compared to some amplifiers I have seen.
• Easy tune-up.

Dislikes:

• Uses expensive and scarce (in South Africa) 572B tubes. I am currently using cheap 811A's and still get 400W+. I have found the 572B tubes to be less robust that for example tubes like the 3-500Z or 4-250/400 families. It only took me a few months of contesting to wear out a new set !.
• Runs very hot unless you install an additional fan like I did.
• High keying voltage, BEWARE of using it with modern radios!

FL-7000

Likes:

• Compact desk sized amplifier and it is good looking too.
• Very quiet, even with the second fan running I hardly know it is there.
• No-tune band change, great in the heat of a contest. Band change can be completely automatic with most Yaesu and some other radios.
• Internal tuner useful even if it is slow.
• VERY Well made compared to some amplifiers I have seen.
• This is the most convenient amplifier I have used, I will purchase a second one if I can find one !

Dislikes:

• Amplifier can trip easy but it is actually a good feature as it protects the finals !. I have not found this to be a problem !
• Signal can be wide if you overdrive, this goes for most amplifiers and solid-state amplifiers are especially prone to this.
• Tuner can be VERY slow but once tuned it remembers the settings.