Looking at buying a Chinese tractor

[sd455dan]

Can't say about the Australian versions of the Fotons, but the US versions are good tractors.

Checking Jack Yuan from China Tractor factory say Hello

as a chineese owner of a chineese tractor this is what he had to say on post 112 of the thread concerning chinese tractors


I think Foton must be the best tractor in China, also its after-sale-service is very good.

let me tell you the Top 10 sale tractor brand in China. YTO, Foton, John Deere, Dongfeng, Newholland, Shifeng, Changlin, Jinma, Changfa, Wuzheng.

I believe his own tractor is listed as a Jinma

 

[sd455dan]

Parts-Parts-Parts

How often will you need them, how hard will they be to get, and how much will they cost. Those are the key questions you should be asking yourself. I've owned several John Deere's, a couple of Kubota's, and an off-brand. The off-brand was an OK tractor but when I bought parts (and everyone will need to at some point), they were absurdly expensive….$50 for a metal pin, $80 for a plastic cap, ….it was ridiculous. This was in Texas, check out the parts issue before you decide.

REALLY ?? parts prices for the items on this invoice were very fair IMHO- purchased for my chinese tractor recently



One more thing if I could only keep one of the 2 tractors under my avatar it would likly be the Chinese one...

 

[jkis]

i looked at kubota, johndeere, massey, farmline, leyland, foton, newholand, and recieved info and a dvd for southwind, i looked for around 1 year, started looking at new tractors, and talking to people around me, everyone i know said stay away from the chinese tractors, they are unproven, in the end i went to one of the bigger tractor places with money in my pocket, on the way there i spotted a foton on special, i drove a few 2nd hand tractors, i wasnt impressed with the tractors and salesman, there was only 3 months warranty on s/h units, i found problems with each tractor, i couldnt pick one up on the day, and would of had to wait till one was ready, so i was driving home, it was late, all day and didnt get a tractor, as i had to drive past the foton on the way home, i went and had a look, asked for a drive, couldnt belive the difference in the feel of the tractor, this motor felt like it had grunt, was quick to pick up the revs, so much beter than what i had tryed earlier that day, we talked a deal, i got the slasher thrown in, it came with 2 years warranty extra hydraulic take off's, free service, the price matched the 2nd hand tractors that didnt have a slasher, they loan't me a trailer to take it home, my mates gave me a talking to, i offered them to try and match me in a paddock and working, nobody took it up, a couple of them said after 4 years, it has proved itself, i checked it is now 6 years, and would replace it with the same brand, i also have a massey 65 that has cost me some $ to bring back into work, i'll mention the only 2 problems i have really had, 1 the slasher gearbox got hot after a couple of hrs, no oil in the box, rung the dealer, they said it would take a week, but if i did the change over myself, they would have a new gearbox, for me within 2 days, the other was the original slip clutch on the slasher wore out, they didnt have the parts, but replaced it with a h/duty bareco unit if i paid $70 towards it, i broke the exhaust manifold, rang to order a new one, the dealer suggested i weld up the broken one, still holding 5 years later, that guy isnt the dealer now more of a friend, and knows how hard i push this machine, when we catch up from time to time, he can't believe just how good it has been, if your unbiased you see things in a different light.
cheers stuart

 

[ssls6]

REALLY ?? parts prices for the items on this invoice were very fair IMHO- purchased for my chinese tractor recently

View attachment 325766

One more thing if I could only keep one of the 2 tractors under my avatar it would likly be the Chinese one...

Those parts seem reasonable but they are not all that way. I stand by my statement, before buying a tractor check out the parts situation. For all I know, in Australia JD parts are eye-wateringly expensive. That would turn me off JD. As long as a tractor has a good reputation in the area and parts are reasonable, then I would consider it seriously.

 

[jkis]

Those parts seem reasonable but they are not all that way. I stand by my statement, before buying a tractor check out the parts situation. For all I know, in Australia JD parts are eye-wateringly expensive. That would turn me off JD. As long as a tractor has a good reputation in the area and parts are reasonable, then I would consider it seriously.

yes same as in the link, mine ain't that pretty
cheers stuart

 

[CalG]

I've been having a good look around the threads here and by the looks of it there are some pretty happy people with what they have. As has been pointed out to me just because its Chinese built doesn't mean its rubbish. I also get the impression that in Australia there is reasonable after sales service for many of the tractors accept for that brand I started looking first at. When it comes right down to it, the after sales service is going to pay a big part in what I settle on.

David

And that is the message of my line "Buy a dealer" , nothing more...

cheers

 

[TomSeller]

........ 5 years later, that guy isnt the dealer now more of a friend, and knows how hard i push this machine, when we catch up from time to time, he can't believe just how good it has been, if your unbiased you see things in a different light.
cheers stuart

I see you have 10 acres and 2 tractors. Can you tell us how you can push a tractor hard on 10 acres considering you have 2 tractors to split the duties? I am not intending any disrespect here, but want to get an idea of how hard this tractor is really worked.

 

[jkis]

tom, it interests me to why you think these tractors are limited to this 10 acres, when i got the 25 it was for my use, people would ask me to do there places, simply because, other people didn't show up, working on neglected properties, overgrown with regrowth, and suckers and rocks, car motors gearboxes and all manor of rubbish, twisting the cutter bar, 5 mins into the 1st job, i welded flat bar to the sides, after breaking to many cutters, i changed to chain, cheaper an i could have plenty of spare, the chain out lasted, the cutters 10x, i thought the slasher gearbox would be the 1st to let go, it out lasted the deck, although i kept repairing that, the tractor was run full revs to get the jobs done, changing gears to suit the terrain and the vegetation, the only kind things did for this tractor was to turn it off, clean the radiator out and give it oil and filter changes, not proud of what i did, and dont feel the need to explain it, but i sure am proud of that little chinese tractor, it looks a mess the mud guards are knocked around the seat has broken down, probably not worth anything in $ now, but it starts and runs ready to go again, is only a couple of months ago, the old 4ft 6"slasher got retired, the tractor now has a 4ft, seems so much quieter now the chains are gone
cheers stuart

 

[TomSeller]

i sure am proud of that little chinese tractor, it looks a mess the mud guards are knocked around the seat has broken down, probably not worth anything in $ now, but it starts and runs ready to go again,

Running a brush hog, if that is what a slasher is, is not really hard on a tractor in my opinion so you must have other things where you use it hard that it stands up to? I don't know of many brands that are "not worth anything in $ now" after only 6 years. Again, I don't mean any disrespect, but this thread is about purchasing a Chinese tractor and yours does not seem to be worked hard, is on a modest number of acres and is not worth anything (your terms, not mine) after only 6 years. Many tractor brands out there hold their value very well and would be worth nearly their purchase price after 6 years on small acreage.

 

[jkis]

tom, it interests me to why you think these tractors are limited to this 10 acres, i dont mind being asked questions, can you give answers too,
cheers stuart