Bought the Jinma

[kvmapr]

DAP does have good eyes. I noticed it was down not long after that photo was taken. I had just started playing with the FEL and you notice real quick when your backing and forwarding with the mower still on the ground.

Thanks to all for the well wishes. Yes Ron did a masterful job setting me up for a stable ride on my hilly terrain. I look forward to many hours of plowing, grading and mowing on the back of this tractor.

It was amusing how all the local boys took an interest in my new ride. I had the whole range of responses, from negative to bemused interest to where do I get one. Most of them will be watching for the next year to see if I have any problems with it. I'm optimistic that I won't. We'll see.

kvmapr

 

[johnk]

Just remember to take it slow and careful. It gives you a good foundation in the learning curve. Safety first.....

 

[RedRocker]

When I'm mowing in an unfamilure area I'll keep my bucket just off the ground to find the "stuff" before my mower does. Nice rig, you'll get a lot of stuff done now.

 

[Ranch_Hand_Supp]

Hey kvmapr,

Glad it all worked out !!

Thanks for the kind words and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or problems while under warranty or out of warranty.

Ronald
Ranch Hand Supply

 

[jbrumberg]

kvmapr:

Your "local boys" will prove to be one of your greatest resources as you advance along your "learning curve". I bet I entertained most of the real farmers in my area as I learned to use my first tractor . A word of caution- do not get too comfortable with your tractor and equipment! That is when accidents happen ! Jay

 

[tydp]

Sounds like you got good service from the dealer, but I have always found that a dealer will deliver your new tractor purchase for free. The last purchase, my dealer delivered from 3 hours away. (Hillsboro, TX - just north of Waco to near Tyler, TX).

 

[kvmapr]

It would have been great if Ron could have delivered the tractor to me, but it's 300 miles from his place to mine. I was just happy he was willing to lend me his trailer so I could haul it home myself.

You might ask why I was willing to go so far for a tractor? Especially with JD and New Holland dealers just up the road. Well I was impressed with the attention to detail that Ron puts into his work. I happened to be down his way on business last Spring and spent a couple hours of "his" time talking about tractors and how he services them. I couldn't find anybody anywhere in this region who could demonstrate as much competence as Ron. And I really was impressed with the tractor (I like good value in the things I buy).

I completely respect the advice to go slow. Fortunately I did spend a few of my teen years working with a Farmall Cub in hilly terrain. Between my brother and I we managed to turn it over more times than I care to admit. But before we managed to kill ourselves, we learned how to avoid those upsets. I keep those lessons in mind now.

And those local boys are a great source of wisdom. I've known most of those guys for years and they're all characters of one type or other. But from the word go they've bent over backward to help me out, and I try to do the same for them. My neighbor's already cut me a load of firewood, and I know he's itching to get an acre of blackberries mowed down. Think I'll ask him if he minds me "practicing" on those blackberries.

Thanks everyone for the words of welcome. And I look forward to asking for plenty of advice on this forum (although there's so much good info here already it's hard to come up with a question that hasn't been thoroughly discussed).

kvmapr

 

[Soundguy]

Great story.

It just goes to show that with a non major brand tractor, the dealer really is the defining issue on customer satisfaction.

Soundguy

I'm a new tractor owner and I just spent my first weekend with my new Jinma model 254LE. And I have to tell you it was everything I was hoping, and more.

It all began with a trip down to Ranch Hand Supply in Chesapeake, VA to pick up my new purchase. I spent hours talking with the proprietor, Ron, and was thoroughly impressed by the way he put together and serviced the tractor before I ever showed up. Even as we stood there talking, Ron was assembling another 254LE. And he pointed out a problem that originated in the factory. He was taking care of the issue before the tractor went out the door. I'm sure that a "store bought" Jinma (i.e. Nortrac, FarmPro, AgKing, etc.) would never have uncovered or fixed the kind of problems that Ron commonly takes care of. I could have saved a couple hundred bucks with the store bought brand, but the frustration I may have encountered later would certainly not been worth it.



I can't say enough good about the deal I got either. Ron set me up with a Koyker 160 FEL and a sturdy 5 foot rough cut mower. All three, tractor, FEL and mower, came in at a great price (Ron even filled the tires to add weight for stability in my hilly home terrain). To top it all off, Ron was cool enough to lend me his trailer to tow the thing home. That saved me some big bucks that might otherwise go into a rental or delivery fees.

But now for the good stuff. My place has been begging for a good mow all summer. So I set out first thing to give it a haircut. Getting to know the feel of the tractor was a priority, especially learning how it handles on slopes. I have 18 acres or so in West Virginia, and less than 1/4 of an acre is flat (by non-West Virginia standards). All went well and I only chewed through one cinder block lost in the tall grass.


The next thing to do was play with the FEL. I had a messy old fire pit with stumps, ash and glass to clean up. The FEL made short work of what would have been a couple hours of work by hand.


The only thing I regret is that the weekend's already over. Just can't wait to get back in the saddle for some more "work". Think I'll dig a ditch next, and then clean up an old house foundation.

kvmapr

 

[tydp]

Understood, Kvmapr, good luck, have fun, and be safe.....