Looking at Used Nortrac/Jinma 304

[Millhouse]

Looking for a first tractor and stumbled across a 1996 Nortrac 304 with 579 hours and a Great Bend 240 FL for $6500. What's the consensus on these? I'll be using this for a 12 acre homestead doing mowing/plowing etc. I have no problem turning wrenches when needed, but it would be nice if it wasn't required on a weekly basis. What other tractors does this compare to for size and power?

 

[jeff9366]

Jinma JM-304

Manufacturer: Jinma
Factory: Yancheng City, China

Jinma JM-304 Engines:
Jinma 2.2L 3-cyl diesel
Jinma JM-304 Power:
Engine: 30 hp [22.4 kW]

Capacity:
Fuel: 7.9 gal [29.9 L]

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: Category I
Rear lift: 1112 lbs [504 kg]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: live
Rear RPM: 540, 720

Dimensions & Tires:
Wheelbase: 72.4 inches [183 cm]
Weight: 3924 lbs [1779 kg]
Front tire: 6.00-16
Rear tire: 11.2-24

Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x4 MFWD 4WD

Hydraulics:
Type: closed
Valves: 1
Pump flow: 3.17 gpm [12.0 lpm]

Page information:
Last update: December 22, 2009
Copyright: Copyright 2016 TractorData LLC
Contact: Peter@TractorData.com

 

[jeff9366]

Ample tractor weight for plowing with one, two or three bottom Moldboard Plow.

Thirty horsepower is enough to operate a 60" Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog.

Determine if Owner's Manual is in Chinese, Pidgin English or English you can comprehend.

Considering a Jinma for a FIRST TRACTOR is not something I would do.

Live PTO is a bit difficult to operate with a mower.
Live PTO indicates clutch & gear transmission.

Determine if Jinma 304 tractor has manual or power steering.

With three gallons per minute hydraulic flow the Loader will operate very slowly.

Loader lift capacity is not determined by hydraulic flow, rather by hydraulic cylinder size on loader. Loader could be slow but powerful, or not.

 

[Millhouse]

Plenty of tractor weight for plowing.

Thirty horsepower is enough to operate a 60" Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog.

Determine if Owner's Manual is in Chinese, Pidgin English or English you can comprehend.

Considering a Jinma for a FIRST TRACTOR is not something I would do.

Could you elaborate? What are the difficulties people are having? I'm no stranger to automotive repair, granted tractors are a different animal.

 

[jeff9366]

The T-B-N ARCHIVE contains multiple pages of threads concerning Jinma 304 tractors. Better you read experiences of actual operators, then ask questions.


LINK: Jinma 34 tractor site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I have a 2007 354 which is basically the same tractor with a slightly bigger engine.

If it hasn't been well maintained, run away. Are the fluids full and clean-looking? Is the air filter in reasonable shape? Are the grease points greased? Does it look like when things broke they got fixed?

My experience is that parts are widely available from online dealers, and relatively inexpensive. Parts are available quite cheaply from Ali Express but you have to wait for shipping. Jinma is one of the largest (if not the largest) tractor manufacturers in the world and there are millions of them out there, the parts are there, you just have to know where to look. They're generally easy to work on, the way cars used to be, where most jobs can be done with pretty ordinary tools. Which is good, because you're going to have to work on it yourself. There are a lot of knowledgeable people in the Chinese Tractors forum here to help you, and the US online dealers tend to be helpful as well.

This was not an expensive tractor when it was new, I recall I paid around $8500 for my bare tractor, loader was another $3-4K. Yours is another ten years older than mine so the asking price sounds a little rich. Many were sold to inexperienced users who didn't know the importance of oil changes, air filters or coolant. These tractors are heavy and tough, but can be damaged quickly if run without an air filter or proper lubrication. In particular, if allowed to overheat the head gaskets blow quickly. On some versions the radiators were positioned so they were prone to clogging with chaff and they would overheat easily. Once the head gasket is blown the oil can get contaminated and other engine parts can fail.

Do not buy this tractor if it doesn't start easily and run smoothly, or if all the cylinders don't fire. We get a lot of people here who buy Jinmas that are running rough and they get them home and open them up and find out the head gasket is shot. For more detail, see my post #6 on this thread:
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/chinese-tractors/287274-jinma-200-hard-starts.html

A Jinma with a blown head gasket is actually a good project, they're not that hard to fix. I just wouldn't pay any money for it.

By modern standards the weatherproofing on these tractors is poor. They need to be stored indoors. Do not buy it if it looks like it was stored outdoors.

Ultimately whether it's a good deal depends on what else is available to you for similar money.

 

[Millhouse]

I have a 2007 354 which is basically the same tractor with a slightly bigger engine.

If it hasn't been well maintained, run away. Are the fluids full and clean-looking? Is the air filter in reasonable shape? Are the grease points greased? Does it look like when things broke they got fixed?

My experience is that parts are widely available from online dealers, and relatively inexpensive. Parts are available quite cheaply from Ali Express but you have to wait for shipping. Jinma is one of the largest (if not the largest) tractor manufacturers in the world and there are millions of them out there, the parts are there, you just have to know where to look. They're generally easy to work on, the way cars used to be, where most jobs can be done with pretty ordinary tools. Which is good, because you're going to have to work on it yourself. There are a lot of knowledgeable people in the Chinese Tractors forum here to help you, and the US online dealers tend to be helpful as well.

This was not an expensive tractor when it was new, I recall I paid around $8500 for my bare tractor, loader was another $3-4K. Yours is another ten years older than mine so the asking price sounds a little rich. Many were sold to inexperienced users who didn't know the importance of oil changes, air filters or coolant. These tractors are heavy and tough, but can be damaged quickly if run without an air filter or proper lubrication. In particular, if allowed to overheat the head gaskets blow quickly. On some versions the radiators were positioned so they were prone to clogging with chaff and they would overheat easily. Once the head gasket is blown the oil can get contaminated and other engine parts can fail.

Do not buy this tractor if it doesn't start easily and run smoothly, or if all the cylinders don't fire. We get a lot of people here who buy Jinmas that are running rough and they get them home and open them up and find out the head gasket is shot. For more detail, see my post #6 on this thread:
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/chinese-tractors/287274-jinma-200-hard-starts.html

A Jinma with a blown head gasket is actually a good project, they're not that hard to fix. I just wouldn't pay any money for it.

By modern standards the weatherproofing on these tractors is poor. They need to be stored indoors. Do not buy it if it looks like it was stored outdoors.

Ultimately whether it's a good deal depends on what else is available to you for similar money.

All good to know, thanks! I haven't seen it in person, but the paint looks good as does the hydraulic lines from the pics. $6500 seems rich, until you consider any other non-Chinese tractor in this range and hour level is easily double in price.

 

[Millhouse]

Ample tractor weight for plowing with one, two or three bottom Moldboard Plow.

Thirty horsepower is enough to operate a 60" Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog.

Determine if Owner's Manual is in Chinese, Pidgin English or English you can comprehend.

Considering a Jinma for a FIRST TRACTOR is not something I would do.

Live PTO is a bit difficult to operate with a mower.
Live PTO indicates clutch & gear transmission.

Determine if Jinma 304 tractor has manual or power steering.

With three gallons per minute hydraulic flow the Loader will operate very slowly.

Loader lift capacity is not determined by hydraulic flow, rather by hydraulic cylinder size on loader. Loader could be slow but powerful, or not.

Maybe I'm missing something. Don't most tractors have a live PTO?

 

[Millhouse]

Here is the tractor...

 

[jeff9366]

Most contemporary tractors have HST transmissions coupled with independent PTOs.