Alright, Who'll Admit to Using these Chinese attacments/implements ??

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Hill,
Just quickly scrolling through those implements, I took a quick look at the 3PT log splitter. I didnt like the looks of the thing when operating in the horizontal position ! Half your split wood would be falling down around your hitch and rear tire, poor design IMHO !

Maybe Im missing something ?

 

[bjr]

I traded for a 58" grey market tiller. The tines on the cheaper Chinese tillers are mount the same, I think. What a mistake. It's now a good useable machine but it to over a year of modifying it and much $$$$ spent. I found out that the two bolt flange mounted tine is the only way to go. The attaching lugs for the 3pt. have to be serious iron, I mean thick and wide and oh yeah don't forget the slip clutch for your PTO shaft. I had to make a new tiller shaft that take King Kutter syle tines. If I had to do it all over again, I would march right down to the local Western Wear/tractor supply store and buy a new KingKutter tiller. It's the most bang for the buck around here and you can get parts for it. CCM also sells a pretty decent machine for reasonable money. I think they may have some kind of stocking dealer in Northern CA. You'd have call and find out though. Stay away from those tine mounting singe bolt rectangle slot style tillers. You'll loose/brake tines that will be next to impossible to get. bjr

 

[mobilus]

Jae, I'm not sure if King Kutter is not importing their rotary cutters now. I looked long and hard at both TOPRO and KK and they look the same. As the salesman at Atwoods told me, they haven't had any other returns for the problem I described, so mine may not have been wholly indicative of the TOPRO line's quality. But I was not willing to put another unit together to find out.
I do believe that a large disparity exists between Chinese and American product quality, but I also know that there is a premium one must pay for a superior product. Sometimes it isn't worth it, and that is a personal call. The CPSC regularly sends out safety advisories, and a proportionally large number of them are Chinese imports. Does that mean that "Quality is Job #1" at every American manufacturer? Obviously not, but the manufacturer is most often a whole lot more accessible and therefore more able to provide customer support when issues do arise.
Your results may vary...

 

[greg_g]

I have had four Chinese tractors (two currently) and they're potentially VERY good value for the dollar. A mechanical aptitude helps. If not, dealer support can be a MAJOR factor.

I've only got one (known) Chinese implement , and that's a 5' rotary cutter (Futon brand from Rural King). Compared to what I've heard about the Jinma finish mower, it's surprisingly quiet. No complaints about fit/finish/or operation. Again, good value for the $470 paid. Easy to work on too.

But as to the eBay stuff you're asking about, I think it's overpriced. Plus, there's no substitute for competent dealer support. Most of the Chinese stuff is quite usable - moreso if you're mechanically inclined - and a better value for the dollar than the eBay prices I saw.

Oh - and I prefer the east/west orientation for a log splitter. I've got the Tractor Supply TPH splitter myself (SpeeCo I think). Wouldn't like that thing sticking out eight feet behind my tractor on the north/south orientation those other guys are espousing.

//greg//

 

[heymack]

No way, no how will I buy any of that Chinese junk. I want implements that my children will be able to use. Unless it's something I consider "disposable" I'm sticking with the higher quality, heavier duty Made in USA equipment.

 

[Elendil22]

for 3 years i owned a "grey market" Yanmar 1510D (4WD) with a Yanmar tiller Woods loader, 60" woods finishing mower and 6' rear blade.

Paid $5200 for all of it including a 12' trailer to haul all of it on.

It was a great unit. I worked it do death for 3 years and then sold all of it for enough to buy a CC 1050 and concrete my 120' driveway 2 cars wide.

Kinda wish I still had it.....................

 

[Spiveyman]

No way, no how will I buy any of that Chinese junk. I want implements that my children will be able to use. Unless it's something I consider "disposable" I'm sticking with the higher quality, heavier duty Made in USA equipment.

Right on man!!! Call me an American isolationist wacko, but freaking buy American. If you don't have the cash to buy something worth while and only plan to use it for a couple of years then ebay it to someone else, then fine. But if you are going to depend on it and want it to last for some time, buy American. I have a US made rotary cutter that my grandpa owned. It's probably older than I am and still works perfect. It's starting to rust because it sat out for a decade or so between him passing and me getting into farming, but it's still solid. One of those chinese deals would have rusted through and would look like a cheese greater by now. On the serious side of things, I'm a chemical engineer by day and I can tell you that the grades of steel coming out of china are no where close to what you get from the US. Why do you think you can buy a new brake rotor for $30 at Autozone? Cheap China steel. First time you hit the brakes and hit a puddle it will warp like crazy.

Back to the American isolationist wacko side, when you buy chinese steel you are fueling the fight for resources for the other side. We're not just talking about jobs, but also materials. The cost of steel is outrageous because of the influx of chinese crap into the states. Every dollar you spend for a chinese implement (new stuff obviously not ebay) is a dollar that fights against an American counterpart!

Off my soap box.

 

[johnk]

I owned a Chinese tractor which some people say is a good buy for the money but I'm glad I sold it. It had more down time and the thing is I don't have the time to be fixing all these little quirks so to speak. If you really look at the resale and what is going to break next... Buy Chinese. You can't compare it to one of of the big three. I'm not going to get into all the BS that happened to it but I'd buy from a reputable maker..... If you have the time and don't need it in a pinch buy the cheaper make but don't be disappointed when it doesn't perform. You get what you pay for. I'm not knocking foreign but some of the imports are quite rough. I don't mind paying if it has a good track record. Just my 2 cents....I bought a hinged back box blade from TSC that was a reasonable price but even on that the hinged blade hinges were off parallel but it worked. At least I got my moneys worth out of the metal. Buying a Total Complicated Package made in CHINA. No thanks. Too Many variables and loose ends on the other end. Not saying 22 Hp isn't 22 HP but its nice to turn the key and hear it run.