Who makes the larger Nortracs?

[RSKY]

Can anybody tell me who the manufacturer is of the 60 and 80 horsepower Nortrac tractors. They both have the Perkins engines.

 

[greg_g]

Pretty sure they're Foton, who I'm told last year merged with Lovol to establish Foton-Lovol Heavy Industries.

I think the NorTrac advertising would be more accurate if it said Perkins-licensed engine. FLHI likely has an arrangement with Perkins similar to that which FeiDong (KAMA) had with Isuzu. The foreword in my FD395/495 engine manual states they're manufactured "with the help of the advanced design features of 4BD1 diesel engine from the Isuzu company". So my guess is that the Nortrac/Foton has a Chinese engine manufactured under license from Perkins.

//greg//

 

[bluechip]

Close. The engine in the larger tractors sold by Foton up through 2007 were made in a factory that was set up as a joint venture between Perkins and the chinese. this factory became known as Perkins Tiajin. Perkins had pulled out of this venture a few years ago and the chinese continued to use the brand and trademarks. Lovol acquired all or part interest in this plant but not the right to use the Perkins name. I was told the engines produced by this plant, while still based on the Perkins design the plant was set up to build, would be called Lovol brand. However I think Tier III engines for Foton are to be sourced from "the real" perkins and when this happens the price will have to go up as much as 5000USD. I suspect most Fotons in the USA now were built in 2007 with tier II EPA engines... I guess the botom line is... get one before their gone!