Your experience with china traktors

[YanmarFever]

Im a tractor dealer, have been since the 90s.

For what its worth...

We do not take ANY chinese tractors in on trade, I don't care if its 1/10th the price we wont waste our time on it.

Stick with the major brand's.

 

[Monster5601]

Here are a couple of videos of our own Siromer 204s (Jinma 204) working:

Siromer 204S & Loader - YouTube

Siromer 204s Ploughing / Siromer 204s Tractor arado - YouTube

Given the amount of bilateral movement I saw in the first video of the FEL mounts, I say no thanks. That looks like it will go at anytime. Free wouldn't be cheap enough.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I'd buy a Chinese-made tractor if I had a fully equipped garage/machine shop and plenty of free time.

My last tractor was an obsolete (no longer manufactured or supported) Kubota garden tractor that I spent more time fixing than using. While I don't object to doing repair work myself, I do know my limits.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I bought a Chinese tractor new on July 3rd 2003. It has been great. Its a Jinma 284 4x4. Replaced the battery and starter along with a thermostat. It has 900 hours and is very dependable, strong as can be, and easy to work on.

The main issues with them is the setup and prep. They will sell to anyone who claims to be a dealer and this gives them a very bad name. Yes, they are not as refined as a NH or JD but my 28HP tractor will out work a mid 30HP unit of any other brand. Simple reason is weight, gearing, and they rate them at a 12/hr average on PTO and gross HP, not peak like others.

I had the opportunity to put my 284 Jinma on a PTO dyno and it turned nearly 33HP but is only rated at 24.5 PTO HP.

By the way, my other tractor is a Ford 861. Rated at 45 HP but 2 wheel drive. The Jinma will flat out work it any day of the week other than pure PTO power. I put 125 hours per year on the Jinma and 3 hours last year on the Ford so that shows you which one I work.

Chris

 

[johnk]

Not knocking Chinese brands. I just stated fact.. The quality of the chinese tractors are not even close to a JD,MF,NH,Case, Etc,. You want a cheap tractor . buy chinese. You want a tractor that will last. Buy a quality tractor. Quality tractor usually cost more $$. I tried out a new chinese tractor when I bought my 30 + yr old yanmar. I could have bought the new chinese tractor for about the same or less $$

I had a chinese tractor and sold it at a huge loss just to get rid of it. I wanted to get work done not work on my tractor. You get what you pay for. If you don't mind cranking wrenches and having dependability buy Chinese. I know from experience...JMO.

 

[20 20]

I have to agree those bashing the the chinese tractors are the same ones that have never been on one, probably never even seen one. My little 254 jinma ran circles aorund a friends brand new NH, reason, his tractor had to be split to fix major problems. This does not make the NH a bad machine it shows that any tractor can be garbage. The dealers actual words to him were, "You must have got a friday or monday machine" then he shrugged and said oh well we'll fix it. It does run but he is constantly changing the hydro fluid because it turns milky. Of course the dealer looked it over and said there is nothing they can do.

I also own the little dozer and have to say it is one tough machine for its size. As some on here know I have put that little dozer through heck and back. I have no complaints and would definatley buy again, my non-brand money saving can go a long way elsewhere.

 

[g0rd0]

I have a year 2008 Jinma 284. Got it direct from china in a crate and did the finnal assmbly myself.
It took me 10&1/2 hrs to put it together. And then I had to run it in.
By run it in I mean start it and run for 5 minites, check for leaks and the opperation of f&r, 2wd/4wd, High and low, hydrolics and steering. Then drain everything! The engine oil, & the oil in the injector pump empty it and replace with diesel, drain the engine block and install a block heater then replace the water with 50/50 water and glycol. Drain the hydrolics and replace with diesel drain the PS and fill with diesel, now drain the rear end and front end and replace with diesel. Now start the tractor and for 5 minites use all 2wd & 4wd, Hi & low all gears f & r, cycle the hydrolics.
And now turn off the machine and drain all of that diesel from your PS, hydrolics, rear end, front end, engine and injector pump, replace the oil & hydrolic filters (it came with spares) and refill the engine and injector pump with the proper engine oil for your area, fill the front and rear end with good quality gear oil, and the PS and hydrolics with the proper hydrolic fluid for your area.
And after that before you get to 50 hours check the valve lash and torque your head bolts.
I have done that and the only complaint that I have is that in cold mornings it refuses to start without pre heating the engine(block heater).
And now if I have scared you with the assembly and run in you are not ready to get a "crate tractor". Unless if you have a trusted local mechanic that you can have the crate delivered to and pay him to assemble and ruin it in for you. Total hours should be about 15 to assemble and run it in.
Am I happy with my 284, you bet :thumbsup:. I use it for bringing in the fire wood. Mowing the fields (5' bush hog type mower) and in heavey snow and ice storms plowing the driveway (6' rear blade)

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

...and pay him to assemble and ruin it...

Sorry, but that made me laugh

 

[Localmotion]

Given the amount of bilateral movement I saw in the first video of the FEL mounts, I say no thanks. That looks like it will go at anytime. Free wouldn't be cheap enough.

Well spotted - but it's not the mounts (which are fixed permanently to the tractor) and it's not a problem...

The movement you can see is the loader where it connects to the mounts - it is a quick fit loader and clearly one of my guys hadn't tightened the lock pins properly...

I did notice it at the time, but because the loader was only doing light work and would be taken off again later the same day, I choose to work with it. The loader is actually much tighter than the dealer fitted one on the Case IH tractor we used to have...

We do not take ANY chinese tractors in on trade, I don't care if its 1/10th the price we wont waste our time on it.

More fool you - we've been dealing in Chinese tractors for many years, and I can assure you that they are very little trouble - the sale of new chinese machinery is a great sideline for a dealer, offering much better margins than the main brands (even with the cost of warrenty).

The key is to have an excellent relationship with the factory to ensure any problems are resolved - which in my experience is something most decent retailers of machinery do anyway?

In my experience, most owners of chinese tractors keep them for life and don't want to trade them in - why bother when the cost of a brand new one is so affordable?

 

[stevem5215]

The key IMO to getting a chinese tractor is to be honest about how much you want to use it. 100hrs a year is what you'd want it for. If you are going to use a tractor for 200hrs a year you don't want Chinese. And be prepared to repair it. Adjustments are common on all machines but on a chinese tractor you need to do them. They are not hard to work on like anything else it requires a good manual (and the chinese chinglish is tough to decode) and with some help on here you can get it done. Parts are a issue as well. If you get one make sure you can get the parts in a reasonable time period. A broken tractor on monday around here can get the parts to you by the weekend to repair it. That's important and you better be handy with a wrench.

Otherwise I tell people to "buy a Kubota" if you can't turn a wrench. They are for people who just want to run a tractor. Not fix it like a hobby sideline.

Steve