reliability question, historically

[LMTC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Beware of the hours on that grey .... 1000 hrs for a grey tractor is highly unlikely. )</font>

Also beware the supposedly informational remarks from those without significant experience in the grey market. After 11+ years and literally THOUSANDS of tractors we have seen, I remain convinced that the vast majority have completely accurate hourmeters. Unsubstantiated skepticism does not count as experience.

The vietnamese recons are a totally different story.

 

[EFC]

In Japan tractors are traded in to the dealer for a couple reasons. #1 is taxes, the older the equipment the higher the taxes. #2 liquidation or crop changes. The average farm is less than a half an acre. Pretty hard to put a 1000 hours on a tractor on a farm that big especially when the only chore they are used for is tilling twice sometimes 3 times a year. The larger the tractor the higher hours since they are used on larger farms. The high hour greys (2000 +) are usually from dairies who use them everyday. I have seen some hour meter tampering but talking with the dealers in Japan they are looking for it also. They compare the hours on the tractor with the fuel records the farmer has to provide and maintain.

I have sold both grey and Chinese for years and we still repair both. I see fewer problems from an A to B+ grey than a new Chinese. With that said if you want to pick round bales up you could do it with an 18hp Chinese tractor and you couldn’t with an 18 hp grey.

0 hour Vietnam salvaged junk is just that and isn’t comparable to either Chinese or greys

Buck

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> will I be happy 10-15 years down the road? </font>

Hey Rlee,

These people are supposed to know the answers to the questions like that:

http://www.certifiedpsychics.com/psychic/phone-psychic/psychic-hotline.html

Ask yourself this though: Do I want to start out with a Used/Rebuilt Tractor, or a Brand New Tractor, with a warranty.

Most of us that have gotten Chinese Tractors are very happy and would do it again. 10 to 15 years down the road, some of us think that the Chinese may be building most if not all of the tractors.

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[rlee6]

Thank you, EFC, for the explanation of meter hours on greys. I didn't know low hours are kind of norm for greys.

To be honest with Chinese tractor owners here, the large number of posts at Chinese tractor forums seeking repair advice, including head gaskets on low mileage tractors, scares me. I even saw one on front axle repair.

Are these indicative of high repair needs of the Chinese? I can think of crate tractors and importers as the major contributing factors since they place unchecked tractors in the hands of end users.

If JD and Kubota sold crate tractors directly to end users, do you think their repair needs would be comparable? I mean as high?

I would appreciate your comments.

 

[bluechip]

It is true that Chinese tractors do require more repair than major brands. Also most Chinese tractor owners do their own repairs and are much more apt to seek advice and post than owners of major brands, so I believe you see a disproportionate amount of major problems posted on Chinese tractors. No way to back this theory up with any type of scientific statistics, but it stands to reason. Final assembly by the importer (be it a dealer or individual) does play a part. most of the problems we see are from something that was not done right at the factory. I tell customers that they should expect some type of minor issue during the first 90 days, if it doesn't happen, they are very happy and if it does they are not dissapointed as they were expecting something. The basic designs are basically solid (with the possible exception of the front Differential on the 200 series Jinmas and a couple seals that could be improved ont the KAMAs etc). MOst of the problems are things like rolled O rings, under torqued bolts, missing snap ring, etc. sometimes these can be major effort to fix, which is why I recommend buying assembled and tested rather than crate. The 2 cylinder engines do seem to occasionally pop a head gasket. could be not retorqing during the 50 hour service and the design of the 2 cylinder head. As it has been said here often, who you buy from has as much to do with satisfaction as whay you buy.