Advice for first tractor please

[arrow]

Yepper.... havng same size tires works fine mechanically. And the closer we get to same size front/rear, the better things become. So how did we ever get to such undersized front tires anyway? Sure a smaller tire up there helps with steering clearance, but does it need to be as small as it's gotten? Where's the advantage?

I wonder if tiny front wheels are just a styling holdover from the days before power steering became common, and are still with us because that's the way a tractor is supposed to look?

rScotty

I would say yes.
A lot of the European tractors that we would call 4wd compacts, have identical tire sizes.
Which do you think is cheaper to make? comes to mind as well.

 

[Carl_NH]

Rscotty - as a former farm boy, the old tractors had small front wheels for visibility to see the ground for row crops/plow furrow, and big rears were for traction and pulling. Also for loader frame clearance etc, the smaller wheels are better.

But to your point, I can envision a better solution would be a 1/2 or 3/4 sized front to rear wheel.

 

[Tharg]

So Tharg there are a lot of 2WD older tractors for sale near Coventry but very few with loaders but here is a nice Kubota with loader 37 HP and 65 hours that would do nicely for you. But the price is not listed and it does not have a QA bucket (key for changing implements like pallet fortks etc). Auto Trader Farm - New and Used Farm For Sale

The older ones over there seem reasonably priced but will need some regular wrenching to keep in operation. The benefit of a newer unit is little to no repairs needed.

Many thanks for searching for me! I think it is probably going to be beyond my budget with such low hours but I shall call and ask all the same. They might have something else due to arrive soon!

 

[Tharg]

Does anyone have any experience of Lovol/Foton tractors (made in China) which they would like to share?

 

[IH3444]

Chinese Tractors

For the discussion of Chinese tractors.

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[WinterDeere]

 

[paulsharvey]

Does anyone have any experience of Lovol/Foton tractors (made in China) which they would like to share?

I actually saw a company selling "Grove 60hp" machines, and it's one of the rebadged Chinese imports. The ones I saw online were very cheap, like $16,000 for a "60 hp" but that's about all I could tell you. This company doesn't even have a easily findable website. Foton and some others are more legit companies. I dont so much mind Chinese mini hoes, being they are using readily available off the shelf parts, but where do you order a clutch or whatever for these tractors. I also think a mini hoe is motor, values and a hydralic pump, and will likely never need to see 500 hours. A large CUT/small utility, i kinda see as more of a long term purchase.

At this point I can't even find the ad online... I know it was red, and looked oddly small for a 60hp

 

[rScotty]

The Chinese export scheme seems narrowly focused on price. My suspicion is that more than low price is necessary to be competitive long term, but is a long term presence even one of their goals? I hope so, but maybe Chinese business strategy is something completely different.

So I'm still in the watch and wait mode on Chinese tractors.
Curious, but unconvinced.

rScotty