Buying Advice nortrac 25xt fel

[20 20]

To help Bob out some here, I also own a nortrac dozer and have been VERY impressed with its performance. I have had no major problems gettings parts when needed, parts broke because of my ignorance. I also owned a 254 jinma tractor and regret selling it, I will buy again. Both machines worked very well and did any job I threw at them. They are not that hard to work on either, IF needed. For the money and dependablitiy I never ONCE looked back and KNOW that I made the correct choice.
Now with that said maybe I should also trade in my pants and shoes, go out and buy NIKEY and RALPH LAUREN :laughing:

 

[timinsanborn]

while i cannot answer your question regarding the new 25xt tractors , i bought a nt254b tractor from them in july of 2009. it has been a good strong tractor.
I did have 1 warranty issue and nortrac quickly sent me the parts and i repaired it myself, faster than a regular dealer would have been.
I have also ordered some spare parts from them and have also gotten them quickly.
how it will be in the long run, i don`t know.but right now i have no regrets.

 

[namesray]

thanks all. timinsborn thank you for that answer. that is on the track i am looking. someone who has a nortrac xt series tractor. i take it yours is a jinma. what do you do with your nt254? how many hours a year do you put on it? what was the problem you had under warrenty? should someone NEED to be so mechanically inclined to own one?

 

[timinsanborn]

i mainly use mine around the house ,moving/spreading dirt ,stone and in the winter snow removal.I`ve got a 5 foot rototiller for it to do the garden. i have 40 hours on it so far.its not the fancyist tractor out there but it gets the job done.
the warranty issue i had was with erattic oil pressure. i verified with a separate guage and called northern, explained my problem and they sent me a new oil pressure regulator. recieved 2 days later and installed it in about 30 minutes.oil pressure is now steady.
i`m no diesel mechanic, but i do maintenance and repairs on my own cars/ etc..and as far as future repairs on the tractor,nortrac has a help line, my nortrac manual has a complete parts breakdown w/part numbers in it, and i have the assistance of fellow TBN members and CTOA.

 

[Martian]

Well, I just couldn't just let this slide...


The truth comes out.
Then by all accounts do you have reason to bash them??
I think not.
I stand by what I said earlier: "Just plain 'ol ignorance and prejudice".
I really don't see what either of you two are doing on this thread if there is nothing here that interests you, unless you are just trolling.
I digress.

I hate starting an argument here so I would like to say I was in no way bashing them. I said I would look to a major brand and not buy something out of a magazine, I can fix anything, if I have the time. I get up early and get home late, when I turn the key on my tractor I expect it to start. ANY AND ALL tractors will have problems, I've been lucky enough to not have anything major recently, just services mainly but when it goes down a lot of the time I will have the dealer pick it up at a little more cost because I just don't have the time to fix it. I have no doubt Nortrac (Foton) makes a good tractor. I did not put anything in my original post as too say that they weren't either, only I would get it out of a magazine - nothing about quality:thumbsup:

There's not many put there because not many people want them. I'm sure they will do, but I'd look to a major brand. I would never by a tractor out of a magazine or an online store for that matter. Go to a dealer in your area. Pay a little more and get quality and quality service. Nothing against them, I just wouldn't buy one.

And as far of what your trying to say about the Deere being made elsewhere and assembled here that is completely true, and true with any manufacturer. I have no problem with stuff not being built "here."

 

[mguitas]

Wonder what would happen if nortrac would make HST drive. Maybe more sales. Just wondering. They are the heavest compact i seen. I was checking the weight on tractor data.

 

[Martian]

Wonder what would happen if nortrac would make HST drive. Maybe more sales. Just wondering. They are the heavest compact i seen. I was checking the weight on tractor data.

I think it could make it more interesting, if they could keep the price down. Hydrostatic seems to be a big cost. They are the old school HP machines with out the fancy gadgets right now and its good to still have one of those in the market. A lot less to go wrong.

 

[20 20]

thanks all. timinsborn thank you for that answer. that is on the track i am looking. someone who has a nortrac xt series tractor. i take it yours is a jinma. what do you do with your nt254? how many hours a year do you put on it? what was the problem you had under warrenty? should someone NEED to be so mechanically inclined to own one?

Hey Namesray; I know you didn't direct this at me but I would like to chime in. Not sure if Bob still works with NT but he was very helpfull with any issue's I had, I believe he is the big dog in the mechanical shop. I broke a track pad once{nortrac dozer} told him what I did {my fault} he sent me 2 at NO cost not even shipping. They were/have been very respectable on any questions I had/have.

I used my 254 tractor for for logging, snow removal, dirt moving, landscaping, digging trenches for electric and water, plus some pond work{had the BH}. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it when I let it go{needed a bigger, different machine at the time} had over 900hrs on it and ran like a champ. I also live in a place where it needed to ran at 15-20 below too 85-90 above F.
Mine was older, 06, and the only things I had an issue with were the electric starter selonoid and the little bearings on the 4W drive, front of shaft. I fixed the selonoid at no cost just my time some serious cleaning, and sealing it back together, never had a problem again. I belive it messed up for 2 reasons dealer where I bought it and the fact they left it outside for the winter without running it. The 4W drive I also fixed for about $2.00, a clip popped off releasing 6 little bearings{easy fix}. I believe my 4W popped the clip because of my pushing to move logs. I actually chained a log to the FEL and moved it a few hundred feet balancing on the front wheels

PS, side note about the china BH in my opinion, STAY AWAY. I used mine quite a bit but they are fussy and require a lot of attention. IMO getting a good one is luck of the draw.

 

[NorTracNY]

Namesray,
Sorry, mine is an '03 Jinma from Northern. When I bought it, I was very happy with Northern and the person who was running the tractor division. I forget his name, but he moved on. After that they stopped the newsletter and I pretty much went elsewhere for parts. Unfortunately, my comments on Northern would be too old. I can tell you that I'm VERY happy with the Jinma NorTrac. As mentioned, it's heavy. That has allowed me to do so much with it. Weight matters for a lot of jobs.

All repairs have been caused by me and fixed by me except for one. I had a local tractor (big 3) dealer fix it for me when it needed to be split. Parts are not an issue. If anything it's a plus. I can get a part shipped to me from one of the several dealers on here in less time than my JD dealer could for my JD garden tractor! And the cost is A LOT less.

 

[the6shooter]

I don't believe anyone was bashing nortrac tractors, (specificly) most of us that use our tractors to make a living, know for a fact that they just don't hold up, for a comercial buisness. most of us that use a tractor hard, would be laughed off a customers property for showing up on a job site with something like the chineese junk thats out there. the 1st. chineese tractor I had dealings with when you needed a part you had to take a photo for the failed part. Because they fix a problem part, in the production prosess, which makes it hard to ever get that part, to get you going again. with my buisness I can't wait 6 months to get a replacement. even you as a tractor owner should understand that!~ thats what I was up against 7 yrs. ago, and will not make that mistake, then or now and the future. It's your money you do what you want with yours and I'll do what I prefer with mine. Ignorance,,I think not,, just have the experiance to know better in buisness.
But sorry to have steped on your toes.
david