Looking at buying a Chinese tractor

[davidwd40]

Hello,
I'm new to this and was wondering if anyone can help me about Agrison Tractors in Australia. What I see so far from their web site they appear to be pretty good and are in my price range.
I have only ever found one secondhand on the web that was for sale but it was a little too big in horse power for what I want. Can anyone help me about small secondhand or new Agrisons and how they have found them. Agrison have a lot of ads for secondhand tractors but the links take me only to brand new ones can anyone help me find their secondhand one also. Thank you.

 

[CalG]

Don't buy a tractor, buy your local dealer or a "reputable brand" i.e. parts network.

Here in the US, I would buy anything BUT!

 

[Bob Rooks]

Don't buy a tractor, buy your local dealer or a "reputable brand" i.e. parts network.
Here in the US, I would buy anything BUT!

Do you base your bias and predjudice on personal experience? Please relate.

 

[CalG]

previous experience with "overall quality and durability" from Asian sourced ag equipment,

And After sales support.

Support means everything when the original execution is less than expectations.

 

[jeff9366]

Now, now, now.....China is Australia's largest natural resources customer.

I expect a lot of China produced machinery is sold and serviced in Australia.

Australia is a major trading nation; much, much closer to China than to the USA.

 

[Rich Waugh]

I own a Chinese tractor (Jinma) and love it. Nice simple technology and no silly frills. The Chinese make fine tractors, but like any piece of "heavy" equipment, they take more maintenance than your family car. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Chinese tractor again, either.

That said, there have been a few threads on this and other forums regarding the Agrison tractors sold in Australia, and the general consensus is that they're marginal and the dealer support is appallingly bad. I'd recommend you look at another brand such as Jinma, Mahindra, Dong Feng, Foton, (Euroleopard in GB), and others. Where there's that many people all complaining about one particular brand and dealer, there is probably something to it. And those ads for used tractors that redirect you to new tractors only makes me think of deceptive trade practices. If nothing else, at least check with your Australian trades council or whatever the consumer protection group is called.

 

[davidwd40]

Thank you all for your responses, what I should have done was see if there are any Australians out there who use different chinese tractors that are imported into Australia.
I do know that while Chinese tractors are world wide in different countries there are different laws in relation to what can be sold and what is expected. I thank you Rich Waugh and think the best thing I should do is have a thread that will bring in hopefully Australian Chinese Tractor Owners. Again my thanks to you all and sorry for not getting it right in the first place.

 

[jkis]

what size are you after, i have a 25hp foton euroleppard, have had it around 5 to 6 years, i can't really complain it has had a hard worklife and been out in the weather, the tacho, hour meter stoped at around 200hrs, the slasher is going to bits, but the gearbox on it is still going, mine has the deep reduction, some of the slashing has required it, they are cheap on ebay s/h with around 100 hrs on them for $3000, the only regret i have is the brake pedals are a bit to small for my foot, i'd buy another tomorrow, i choose the size for the weight, i would of liked the 4x4, it was overweight, and when i have bean stuck i would of needed a which for that too
cheers stuart

 

[zonta223]

Hello,
I'm new to this and was wondering if anyone can help me about Agrison Tractors in Australia. What I see so far from their web site they appear to be pretty good and are in my price range.
I have only ever found one secondhand on the web that was for sale but it was a little too big in horse power for what I want. Can anyone help me about small secondhand or new Agrisons and how they have found them. Agrison have a lot of ads for secondhand tractors but the links take me only to brand new ones can anyone help me find their secondhand one also. Thank you.

Don't know of anyone who has seen a list of secondhand tractors from them.
The small Agricat/Agrison tractors seem to be Luzhong if you want a secondhand one you could look here Tractor Fumetsu IT IS NOT IT HAS Been Rebadged IT IS A Luzhong | eBay.
or here...Agrison Agricat 2011 FT304 30Hp 4x4 Tractor, Backhoe, Slasher | Heavy, Farming & Agriculture Equipment | Gumtree Australia Hume Area - Campbellfield.
or here .......http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/buying-pricing-comparisons/260276-nothappyjan.html.
or here......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tJf1gvvTk.

Just do a search on here for Agrison/Agricat although a lot of forums have been deleted there is still enough information to help you make up your own mind.

 

[davidwd40]

Thank you gentlemen, jkis thanks sir, like I say I just looking at present and have found it hard to find secondhand Agrison tractors to look at.
zonta223 I'll have a look at these you have posted here, thanks for your help people is good to be able to get advice from others. Thank you all.

 

[davidwd40]

Don't know of anyone who has seen a list of secondhand tractors from them.
The small Agricat/Agrison tractors seem to be Luzhong if you want a secondhand one you could look here Tractor Fumetsu IT IS NOT IT HAS Been Rebadged IT IS A Luzhong | eBay.
or here...Agrison Agricat 2011 FT304 30Hp 4x4 Tractor, Backhoe, Slasher | Heavy, Farming & Agriculture Equipment | Gumtree Australia Hume Area - Campbellfield.
or here .......http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/buying-pricing-comparisons/260276-nothappyjan.html.
or here......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tJf1gvvTk.

Just do a search on here for Agrison/Agricat although a lot of forums have been deleted there is still enough information to help you make up your own mind.

Sir, I have been and looked at that one on gumtree and called the phone number provided, there was a lady who said her husband had place that write up and he will phone me tonight about the tractor. I cant afford what he is asking for it but may learn from him about Agrison tractors in Australia. Thank you again for being so helpful.

 

[RonMar]

I would also look at who stocks parts for what brands in your area. You will probably at some point need parts support, and that is going to be pretty frustrating if no one in country has parts. One of the reasons I chose a Jinma 284 here in the states was that lots were being sold, and many sellers were stocking parts. Mine has been great though, and I havn't needed too many things(key switch and tach sensor), with mine just approaching 450 hours and 7 years in service with no real issues...

 

[sd455dan]

Thank you gentlemen, jkis thanks sir, like I say I just looking at present and have found it hard to find secondhand Agrison tractors to look at.
zonta223 I'll have a look at these you have posted here, thanks for your help people is good to be able to get advice from others. Thank you all.

How about the Enfly or the Apollo ? they look interesting.. Shanghais aren't available are they?? would be similar to my Rhino 55 hp which- for being 20 years old has been a good machine, and held up well

 

[davidwd40]

How about the Enfly or the Apollo ? they look interesting.. Shanghais aren't available are they?? would be similar to my Rhino 55 hp which- for being 20 years old has been a good machine, and held up well

Certainly lots of different makes of chinese tractor in Australia, haven't heard about Shanghais. Foton seem to offer a good deal in small tractors and appear to offer good back up service. Had a long chat with the man who's tractor is on gumtree, if what he's claiming service after a sale is not good, also I get the impression that his Agrison didn't meet what the sales person claimed it could do nor did it meet Australian Safety Standards. So ruling out Agrison tractors as not being suitable. Hopefully people here will tell me about their Fotons and I'll search the files here to see what I can find out.

 

[Rich Waugh]

Can't say about the Australian versions of the Fotons, but the US versions are good tractors.

 

[zonta223]

Certainly lots of different makes of chinese tractor in Australia, haven't heard about Shanghais. Foton seem to offer a good deal in small tractors and appear to offer good back up service. Had a long chat with the man who's tractor is on gumtree, if what he's claiming service after a sale is not good, also I get the impression that his Agrison didn't meet what the sales person claimed it could do nor did it meet Australian Safety Standards. So ruling out Agrison tractors as not being suitable. Hopefully people here will tell me about their Fotons and I'll search the files here to see what I can find out.

Have had my Foton FT404 for 12 months.............done everything I asked and the dealer is always helpful nothing is to much trouble for them, don't think you would go wrong buying one of them.

 

[bjr]

I live in E. WA state in USA and I've 11 yrs. and around 2500 hrs on my JM354 Jinma. It's required minimal parts and all parts except filters and hydraulic hoses come from supporting dealers on this site order and UPS delivered. Service advise come from the supporting dealers on this site. I do my own wrenching and wouldn't have it any other way. Some fitting threads have been Americanized to the next size inch threads. It's my tractor and it's been a good investment. If you have to depend on a local brick and motor dealer/store then look elsewhere. Your call. bjr

 

[Rich Waugh]

I've got friends that own Kubotas, Deeres and New Hollands and other high-dollar machines, and at various times most of them have come around wanting to borrow my cheap Chinese tractor to get something done while theirs was in the shop costing them big bucks. I don't lend out my tractor, though if they're properly contrite I may use it myself to help them out. It has been a dependable workhorse and they don't stay that way when you start letting people borrow them, I've found.

People who toss off trite one-liners like that sometimes do it because they're incapable of more involved reasoning, or unwilling to be exposed to different ways of thinking and doing things, Bob. It's okay; not everyone is suited to owning a tractor that isn't supported by a local mechanic, parts supply and dealership, and I understand that. It's only when they start acting superior about it that they reveal their need for external validation.

 

[davidwd40]

I've been having a good look around the threads here and by the looks of it there are some pretty happy people with what they have. As has been pointed out to me just because its Chinese built doesn't mean its rubbish. I also get the impression that in Australia there is reasonable after sales service for many of the tractors accept for that brand I started looking first at. When it comes right down to it, the after sales service is going to pay a big part in what I settle on.

 

[ssls6]

Parts-Parts-Parts

How often will you need them, how hard will they be to get, and how much will they cost. Those are the key questions you should be asking yourself. I've owned several John Deere's, a couple of Kubota's, and an off-brand. The off-brand was an OK tractor but when I bought parts (and everyone will need to at some point), they were absurdly expensive….$50 for a metal pin, $80 for a plastic cap, ….it was ridiculous. This was in Texas, check out the parts issue before you decide.