JInma JM-304 3.30 star(s) (3)

Jinma 304
Model Year: 2007

I bought this tractor as a crate unit and assembled it myself to learn a bit about tractors. I'm glad I did it that way, since there are no dealers or service places here in the Virgin Islands. I have to do it all myself, so I needed t know what I was likely to be dealing with. This tractor is a simple, no-frills workhorse that is pretty robustly built in most respects. The Chinese don't favor using heat-treated steels much, so many of the components are softer than I might like, but they seem to work adequately well. The tie rod is far too soft, however, and I had to reinforce it to stop it from repeatedly bending. Easy to do. The control valve that came with the Jinma ZL30 FEL was a total piece of crap and I replaced it promptly with one from RanchHand Supply and the difference is like night and day. The loader itself is okay, but the OEM valve was making it seem like a joke. I use the tractor for mowing orchards with a 5' brush hog, and it chews its way through 8' tall cane grass with no problems in low range. The 4WD is a godsend since half of the work I do is on hills that are fairly steep and/or in mud bogs. I've also used this tractor to move a 40' shipping container by pushing it across the ground. I was surprised at how easily it moved that heavy thing. This tractor is dandy for what I do. Plain, simple and no bling. I think shuttle shift would be nice, but it wasn't an option. This is a no-frills tractor, after all. It isn't the best machine ever built - there are some things that need to be done to make it better, like a bigger alternator, bracing for the fiberglass canopy, and other little stuff that I've done as I found time and energy. I don't mind having to do that since this tractor cost about half of what a similarly-sized Kubota or New Holland would have and does the same work. It's a very good value for the money if you don't mind doing a few things to improve it.

Pros: solid, reliable, simple
Cons: soft steel, canopy snags tree limbs, alternator is wimpy.

JM-304
Model Year: 2004

This tractor does what I need it to do. I manage our horse paddock with it, grade my driveway, haul trees around with it to cut with my chainsaw mill and also firewood. I also have a post hole digger and am building fence for the pasture as I clear the land. Build quality is okay. You can tell the molds are worn and parts are not as tight as the JD's and Kubota's of the world, but I payed less than half the price of one of those and since I do not rely on it for a living it fits the bill. No features to speak of. I base performance on it doing what I require of it. I have not had any issues so far with it other than leaks and a brake problem. My dealer was a joy to deal with, he even brought a new tractor when the original one broke down in the field during the first week.

Pros: Cost.
Cons: None - it is just a bare bones tractor.

My 304 is a Constant Headache!
Model Year: 2006

I purchased my Jinma 304 in 2012 as a package deal with my 18 acre (2 acres in cultivation) farm. It was the worst decision I have made this year. From the start I have had one thing after another go wrong with it. The previous owner had to replace the block in it within 150 hours of use. After 250 hours of use the oil pump has gone bad. The 1st/reverse yolk in the gear box sheared off. The seal in the front left wheel has gone bad, spilling oil all over the rim. The hydraulics are weak as a kitten. I use a 5 foot tiller and bush hog with the tractor and I hardly have enough power to run them. I believe the concept of making a tractor that is half the price of a JD or Kubota is that you should just buy 2 so that you have 1 as back up when the first one breaks down, because it will. If you are considering buying one of these tractors please save yourself the headache and buy something reliable.

Pros: Haven't found one yet.
Cons: My kitten can till land better than my Jinma.