Ranch Hand Tractors

[LarryD]

Has anyone ever had any experience with this manfacturer? I visited a dealership in the big metropolis of Chewelah, WA and the owner/salesman was very helpfull/knowledgable about his product.

He was quoting around 18K for the 45hp model w/loader. More specs at www.ranchhandtractors.com.

The reason I ask is I've got a friend that lives here and he's looking for a bigger companion to his JD4100, something to hay 160 acres.

[stevenf]

Larry, this is very interesting I was sitting here waiting for my servers to come back on line and read a lot of their web pages. Check out their warranty page, this sounds like a very good deal on a new to the market tractor but the warranty info is a bit scary especially the shipping of warranty parts HMM! Heck of a price but it appears to be a chinese tractor hidden under all the hoopla not that thats a bad thing neccessarily but they sure don't touch on it very hard just that they assemble it here and fill it with shell products. The ratings all look pretty good on their comparison chart but it is their chart so I can't attest to the truthfulness of it or that theirs numbers are valid.
Steve

[knute_m]

Larry,

I hate to be a pessimist. But, from their website, I’d sure be wary. A “Google” of Ranch Hand tractors shows almost nothing. That is never a good sign.

I’m not sure how many tractors and crawlers I’ve owned in the past 40 years, but it probably comes close to averaging one per year. I’ve owned a lot of orphans and a lot of grey market tractors. From an Oliver OC-3 that was in a barn that burned, to a Hinomoto that had a bad adolescence, I’ve always made sure that a good parts supply was available before I plunked down any money.

If I couldn’t verify that at least several thousand tractors under that manufacturer’s name have been sold in this country, I’d have a real hard time buying one. Without that quantity of tractors there are no “salvage” parts when the manufacturer shuts down the production line for critical items like axles, heads, transmission parts, etc.

There are a lot of other really good tractors out there, at really good prices, and made by companies who have been in the tractor business for many years. For instance, I currently have a pretty new Mahindra. It was made by Mitsubishi. Before this exact model had the Mahindra name, it had the Cub Cadet name. Mitsubishi has been making good tractors for a long time – no matter what the name. Even Mahindra has been in the country for quite a while.

Look at the different forums on this website. It will give you a pretty good idea of the more popular brands – the ones supported by a network of manufacturers and dealers.

Good Luck,

Knute

[Dargo]

I'm pretty sure I know what tractor they are. If price is 100% of what is driving you, I can show you what I think is the same tractor with a different name for a bit less money. Sometimes there is a reason all other tractors cost a bit more.

[LarryD]

First of all, I'm stuck with my 33D until I die...that's what the CFO says.

I was soliciting opinions regarding this tractor because until yesterday, I'd never heard of them.

The engine is the same one as a famous green tractor but franachise branding prevents them from saying so.

The other factors in favor of my friend getting one is the dealership/assembly point is 2 miles down the road, if the broken tractor moved at all, he could literally drive it to the shop. Although I can't say how good these guys are beyond assembly.

The owner claims 5 dealerships across the country and 130 unit sold last year from this dealership alone. He was also willing to contact owners if Mark would like to talk to them.

All in all, the specs seem good for the price but I too am reluctant purchase equipment from companies that seem new to the market. Still, this guy is a local resident, seemed very personable, and was very low pressure salesman. He agreed there was used equipment in the local market for less money but sometimes the maintenance programs are limited and you just never know what the equipment has endured.

[JerryG]

Larry,
They appear to be a "Foton" made in China. Here is a link showing them.
http://www.tractor-world.com/product...ractors-01.htm

[rickmacheske]

Took a look at the comparison pricing on the 35 hp tractor. Looks like I got a great deal on my 'bota L3400. I paid $19250 out the door with 0% financing for a L3400 HST + LA463 FEL + 5' bush hog + 6' finish mower + 5' box blade.... Their prices don't look very good to me...

[Redneck_Randy]

Looks as they inflated the prices on the comparison tractors to make their price look all that much better. They state a NH TC35A with a 16LA FEL is $22,900 (probably MSPR and theirs is selling price). I gave nowhere that price for my 35A with an FEL.

[Mike1]

First off, I own a Jinma tractor, so don't take this as a chinese tractor bash, but the Ranch Hand's look like Foton's in the photos on their website. If that is in fact the case, the engines may or may not be Chinese manufactured Perkins designed diesels. The reason they can't name them, is that Perkins has pulled out of their relationship with the Chinese engine manufacturer for alleging not honoring component sourcing requirements as well as quality standards. That said, the larger 60, 70, 80 hp Foton's are still generally sold with engines advertised as Perkins, and many owners are happy with the tractors, especially when you consider the cost. Before your friend buys a Ranch Hand, I would look at the non-private brand Fotons which will probably be a little cheaper. For what its worth, I bought my 30 hp Jinma almost two years ago, when prices were a bit lower. I paid 9,000 with a Koyker 160 loader. With that kind of savings, I was willing to take the associated risk. I've been very happy. I wouldn't have bought the same tractor package from Nortrac though - their price was 13,500 two years ago.

[Dargo]

The engine is the same one as a famous green tractor but franachise branding prevents them from saying so.

Actually, no, it's not. Based on the misleading information on the website and the misinformation given to you that you stated above, I'd run, not walk, away from those tractors. To sell by lying and giving misinformation means that this private label of a Foton will not be around long. And, yes, everyone has stated what tractor it actually is. I didn't want to mention the name previously when I posted that I was pretty sure what tractor it is, but everyone else sees the same thing I do.

So, if you want a Foton, I'd go to Rural King and buy one of those. At least you will have a store franchise that will be around to chase if you have any issues. This "Ranch Hand" seems to be pumping out pure BS to try to sell their tractors. I'd trust them about as far as I could throw their tractors!