Re: Jimna, Farm Pro, Farm King-what\'s the difference
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One guy earlier in this thread said it was a Futain, which is another Chinese manufacturer. The guy loading it up yesterday said that is was a Jimna (sp?))</font>
You didn't mention if your 20% guy got any warranty coverage for that price. If not - or after the parts warranty period expires - he's in for a surprise when attempting to mate Jinma parts to a Futian. A glance at the manufacturer's plates will likely reveal it's got a Weichai "1998 engine" in a 2003 or older Futian tractor.
Futian is the name under which this tractor was marketed before they got sued by New Holland for trade dress infringement. To avoid marketing stigma, the name for subsequent "legal" imports was changed to Foton.
To be fair, there's a remote chance that RK might actually be reselling Fotons now. But that assumption is not supported by evidence at at hand. Note that - for advertising purposes - Rural King has removed the FT404/FT654/FT704 designators from the spec sheets, no longer displays FT404/FT654/FT704 photographs, and doesn't even call them "blue tractors" anymore.
The price paid is great, and it's a brute of a machine. No reason it won't be a good performer. I was offered an even better deal on the FT404, but passed it up because of parts concerns and service after sale issues. Personal concerns aside, as long as the buyer is capable of supervising the mechanicals, parts availability in the long term IS the only problem I'd expect buyers to encounter.
//greg//
