Jinma 284, Shuttle Shift and FEL Options?

[whenley]

Hello All,

I live in Northern Virginia, have 10 acres of rolling hill. 8 of the acres are virgin woods which I am trying to thin and clear deadfall. I already have an old Ferguson TO20, which I have managed to keep running. It does pretty well dragging things out of the woods but a FEL would sure be nice. The FEL is the primary reason I want a new tractor. I will be doing a lot of dragging/pushing things around, and some minor excavating/digging.

I have looked at the Japanese tractors (Kub, Kioti, NH, etc) they are very nice but rather pricey.

I am getting serious about purchasing a Jinma 284. I recently visited Gary at Emerybuilt (Norfolk, VA) to check the tractor out.
Although he did not have a 284 with FEL on the lot, Gary was very helpful. I liked the simplicity of the Jinma, sort of a more modern TO20. Seems easy to get to things when you have to work on it. It is certainly heavier and more powerful than comparable Japanese tractors. I am pretty good mechanically so am not too worried about maintainence/upkeep.

I have two main questions for the group:
1) Is there enough experience with the Jinma shuttle shift to confidently say it is a trustworthy and worthwhile option? The 284 I saw at Emerybuilt had the shuttle. I sort of liked it. But it did feel a little spongy - I guess because it is cable operated. Not a positive engagement feel like a stickshift. I would appreciate any comments or experience with the Jinma shuttle shift option. Is it 'safe' to go with the shuttle shift option?

2) What is the feeling about loaders for the 284. Reading the forums and a link at Johns site, I see a bit of a consensus that the Koyker160 is 'better' than the standard Jinma ZL20 - but of course it costs $1000 more. I have had a hard time finding specs for the ZL20, but it seems the 160 has 800lbs more lift capability? that is quite a bit. Will the 284 handle that? Is it just a spec issue? Am I misreading? Is it of any realistic importance? I have never worked with a FEL.
Gary also mentioned the Accutech Loader, I have been able to find even less info on that.
Any comments on the various loader options would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.
This forum is great. Without it and the other internet resources - I would not even know about the Jinma/Chinese tractor options.

Worth in Virginia

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

I have purchased two Jinmas from Gary at Emerybuilt and have nothing but good things to say about the machine and Gary. My experience has been with the Koyker 160 which I installed on both. They are well built and as strong as you would want on a machine this size. From what I have read on the forums the extra 1K might be well spent!

 

[SevenCorners]

Shuttle shift is an advantage, Gary does not like them though as he told me he has had concerns with cable. Mine was a bit tight when I first got it, after 20 hours it has lossened up. I have standard Jinma loader would have preferred Koyker. My advice is to spring for Koyker I have not been pleased with low pickup #'s of the ZL20. Many times I find myself wishing it had more umph....

 

[MarkNHow]

I have a Jinma 284 with a Koyker loader. From all the posts on the various sites I would go for the Koyker although I have not seen or had experience with the Chinese loader.

I ordered the Koyker 160 with a 5' bucket. It came with 2" cylinders which I think will lift more than the tractor can handle. I try not to fill the bucket completely up.

Mark H

 

[billbill1]

I just received my tractor last Monday, it is a 284 LE w/shuttle shift. It is very stiff to shift so far and you do lose the creeper gear which is no problem for what I will use it for. Mine came with a 140 Koyker FEL and it seems very well built, I don't know if the 160 is heavier built or not. I think the 140 is a newer version but I am not sure about it either. The 284 seems to be very powerful and the hydrualics seem smooth to me-compared to the posts that I have read. Only 9 hours so far but other than loose connections on the battery and the starter-no problems. Mine is very hard to start the first time everyday and I have found that if I turn the ignition key hard to the right the starter drags. The dealer is sending me a new switch, if I still have problems I will buy a ford switch like others have done. The shuttle will give you 6X6 speeds, same in reverse as in forward. I do like this feature so far. Any questions, please ask and I will answer the best I can.

Bill Williams

 

[Twobits]

My 284 does not have the shuttle shift, so can't comment on that. However, I have the Koyker 160 FEL, and have had no problem lifting 1,000 lbs. with it. However, one does need to make certain that sufficient counterweight is on the 3 pt.

I like the quality of the Koyker FEL, and it is very smooth running. I would definitely recommend it.

 

[NuJinma]

Not sure about anyone else but I think people must make more money selling Koyker loaders. If they say the Koyker lifts more weight, I would have to say that is full of crap. The only thing limiting your lift with the ZL20 is the amount of bypass you adjust into it. You control that. You can tighten it down until there is no bypass, you will definitely blow a lot of hoses, if not cylinder seals when you have reached the end of the cylinder. On my ZL20 I routinely lift my chipper into the back of my truck, with a chain leveraged right over the end of the bucket. I have no illusions about the older style of loader valve installed in it though as lowering that same 1000 lbs is far from smooth. Have not seen, but hear the newer ones are much better.
Plowing snow, I ran 1 corner of the bucket into a damb manhole, I was laying over the front steering wheel with a sore wrist, (yes, I try to use my seat belt more now) and the tractor spun 90 degrees. I was sure I would have broken something as this was a huge hit. But I finished the job after checking the loader and tractor over. So although I would like a better loader valve, my ideal loader would be this ZL20 with a prince or brand loader valve.

 

[RonMar]

I don't have either shuttle or Koyoker loader, but I would not be without the creeper gear for the variety of things I do with the machine. If I was strictly using it for a loader on level ground with a lot of reversing directions, the shuttle would probably be a great option. But for snaking thru trees, perhaps dragging or with an impliment, on uneven ground, sometimes first low is just not slow enough. IF you are going to be clearing any brush with a brushhog, this is really important as the engine will have to be at PTO RPM to provide for the shredder, so your only speed control is that available low low gear. For that maximum rated pulling force shown in the specifications, you need wheel torque that gives time for the AG tire treds to bite, and that is what the creeper gives you.

I have heard good things about the Koyoker loaders. I don't have the china loader either so I cannot comment other than what I have heard others coment on. I can tell you that a good valve makes a big difference in how smooth and comfortable the loader is to operate(mine has a Prince valve). Domestic fittings can also make any necessary future repairs or mods, such as a 3 spool valve for a grapple, as simple as an order with Surplus center or a trip to your local hydro shop.

Whatever loader you choose, I would not be trying to lift more than about 1200 pounds with the 284. The front axle is probably the limiting factor here. I have had a 1300# concrete block on the fork bucket, and that was enough weight to start to lift the rear wheels off the ground without rear counter weight. That is a lot of stress on that front axle.

And as a final comment, just wrenching up the safety relief pressure is not a good idea without a pressure gauge in the system(about a $15 addon for a loader with domestic fittings). Loader structures are built around the known hydraulic forces at their different points on the structure. Boosting a hydraulic operating pressure beyond it's design setting by cranking up the safety is just asking for something to break, or someone to get hurt in a major way. I would much rather make 2 trips, than have to replace a pretzeled cylinder or blown hydraulic pump or hose. If you are doubting the lift capacity, add a gauge and check that it is building pressure to spec. If it is to spec and still not lifting as much as you like, get a bigger tractor...

Good luck with your new machine whatever options you choose. I really like mine after 3 years.

 

[geobar]

With 110 hours, I find the 284 to be simple yet rugged, easy to operate, nicely featured, comfortable and a great value. However I do not like the ZL-20 loader at all. The bucket does not tilt back far enough when carried low to the ground to keep the load from falling out. It will carry a heavy load of rocks, but if you carry them safely, low to the ground, most of them will have dropped off by the time you get to where you want to dump them. I can not tell you about the Koyker.

 

[Red55]

NuJinma-
Did you notice that you were responding to a post from 2004? For an up date Whenley brought a Kub 7510 (in 2004) so I guess the Jinma 284 didn't make the final cut -Ed