Apollo 5504 4.30 star(s) (4)

Apollo 3354 Tractor
Model Year: 2010

I finally took the plunge and committed to the purchase of an Apollo 3354 tractor. Being made in China, I needed to do my homework carefully. A lot of good comes out of China as does a lot of not so good. Albeit this review has only been written after 10 hours of use, but so far I am extremely happy with my purchase. The Apollo 3354 was a lot more tractor than I bargained for. With 35 HP and 2 metric tonne, it was one of the biggest tractor is it's price range. In terms of build quality, it appears miles in front of many of the Chinese tractors that I inspected. The only tractor to equal or perhaps rival it would be the DF (sold as Eastwind in Australia). My reluctance with the Eastwind option was that it was quite a bit more expensive to get the equivalent, and I was doubtful the agent would make good on their warranty. I had read some doubtful things online and when I quizzed aspects of the warranty I got a lot of "um's" and "ar's" rather than a straight answer, which left me with an uneasy feeling. Sota tractors were upfront with their warranty and offered on-site warranty at that. So, that aside, the tractor's build quality is pretty good for being Chinese. Welds are neat and clean, paint is thick and in good order, threaded components are clean and well machined. Of course, we will see how the metal holds up under stress. One thing that is really strange is for a new tractor there are a lot of bits that look really aged... like levers and controls already look like they have been in the weather for a couple of years. One of the ignition keys (ie the one that has not been in the ignition) is rusted and corroded. Just the little things. I am no farmer (city folk) and i drive luxury cars, so I am used to things being shiny and new so this was a bit confronting. The hydraulics are very neat and well finished... much better than what I had seen on competitive models. All the hydraulic tubing is mounted within the metal frame work (not outside the structure where it can be damaged as i saw on some models) all the bends are uniform and neat. Same goes underneath, no hydraulics to to be snagged by obstructions as i noted on some models. Good power on the 35hp, clean deck, good instrumentation. I know it is premature (with only 10 hours on the clock), but with virtually no information out there on the net on these tractors, I wanted to give others the opportunity to read some feedback.

Pros: Good power for the money, big FEL, clear deck.
Cons: Hard to apply hand break.

5504
Model Year: 2009

This is a lot of tractor for the money! It has a lot of design features that the others don't. Its 400 KGs heaver than the others and loaded with all the accessories I need for versatility. I used the money saved to buy a 6ft flail mulch mower, fork lift and rear blade. Impressed with:- Power (after runin) Seems to get better as it loosens up. Motor design/reliability/simplicity (no turbo) Fuel economy is good considering the extra power. Clear deck access is quick and easy. FEL is good with 4 in 1 the bonus. Its rated at 700KG lift but it managed a 14 meter hardwood telegraph pole (1200KG) griped in the 4 in 1 with ease. Quick release bucket and FEL with a full length mounting to the tractor. Tall top gear for on road work (36KPH) Wet disc brakes are good and work even better in 4WD. All cluch and brake pedels are "hung" mounted and steering is light with a full bucket load (duel hydrauic pumps) Diff loc is good. I mounted a 1500lb winch on the front for good measure. Handy for logs and getting out of trouble when close to a dam!! Front axle is heavy duty with bevel gear drive to the wheels (no cvs or unis) and all internal lubrication. I picked this tractor for design and value and figured the 5 year warranty would look after any major issues that my handy skills couldn't. So far so good @ 260 hours

Pros: Concealed muffler, clear deck design, large tacho, motor design, standard accessories, 4 in 1 FEL, & CAT 2 linkage.
Cons: Seat could be more comforable, feel diff lock should be on the left side. Air cleaner access obstructed by power steering resovior.

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Basic Review
Model Year: 1900

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Pros: .
Cons: .

Chinese Beast
Model Year: 0

Bought the 80hp Apollo. First tractor since Dad's 'Fergy', but they don't compare. The Apollo is big, red, 4wd, angry and pretty tough to drive. Sure, it is modeled on something from the 1950's---robust, no mod cons, just a beast, but it does a great job. Build quality is pretty good, but I imagine like most ag machines, you still need to fix a few things like heat shield on exhaust, extra clamps on hyd. pipes to keep them from getting pinched (on front end loader) etc. Fuel tank is tough plastic, but I still managed to put a hole in it. My fault, but it wouldn't have happened if is was aluminium or steel.

Pros: Unbelievable value for money, old design/easy to fix, very robust.
Cons: Plastic fuel tank. Hard work to drive.