what do you think of this tractor

[bookwormom]

our little 19 hp Yanmar is just a tad too small for what we need. Great little tractor otherwise. A neighbor up the road a few miles wants to sell a Foton tractor as he is downsizing. We are considering it, but have no idea what we are doing. Never heard of this tractor before, have you? anyone got one?

[tufhelp]

Here is some information about the Foton - Largest tractor company in China...

I found these FAQ at this site:

http://www.mayerfarm.com/

OUR FOTON TRACTOR MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...
Hopefully we can answer a few of your questions here today!

Q:I have never heard of FOTON, how long have you been selling them?

A:I received my first shipment of FOTON tractors in June of 2005.
We have sold over 140 new tractors in nearly three years.

Q:Who makes FOTON tractors, & where are they made?

A:FOTON HI is the largest ag tractor manufacturer in China and one of the largest manufacturers
of construction equipment. FOTON HI manufacturers dozers, end-loaders, excavators, rollers,
well drilling rigs & more.

I (Bill Mayer, owner of MFI) have been to China 4 times in the last 3 years and researched the
top 4 tractor manufacturers before deciding to import FOTON tractors. Their quality & appearance
are superior to the competition. FOTON HI is committed to continually improving their products.
They have over 4,400 employees working in several state-of-the-art assembly plants.
They also have joint ventures with Mercedes Benz, Dana, LUK & Carraro.

Q:What size of tractors do you have available?

A:FOTON produces many different models of tractors.
MFI has chosen to sell 25, 40, 50, 60, 70, 82, 125 & 145 HP models. Some 2WD, most 4WD.
And some with cabs, others with ROPS & canopy.

Q:Can you explain the terms of your warranty on the new FOTON tractors?

A:There is a 2 year warranty on parts & labor.

Q:My major concern is parts – where will I get parts for my FOTON?

A:Great question! I have been in the farm machinery business for over 20 years and understand how important it is to take care of my customers after the sale. I purchased a large supply of parts that came with my 1st shipment of tractors. The winter of 2006, we built a new parts room and more than doubled our FOTON parts inventory by the spring of 2007. We have needed very few of these parts,
but I always want a good supply on hand if the need should arise in the future.

Q:How large is the MFI service area? And can any mechanic work on these tractors?

A:MFI has an excellent team of technicians to provide service on any of the new FOTONS we sell within
a 250 mile radius of Des Moines, IA. For those tractors sold outside of our service area (for instance… we have sold tractors into ND, VA, GA, OK, etc.), MFI will pay for a local mechanic to repair the tractor and will even overnight the parts directly to him. However, because of the dependability of the FOTONs, we have not had to hire any outside tech help yet.

But YES, any mechanic can service these tractors – mainly because they do not have computers and are simple to work on – which is a major reason we have been so successful in selling the tractors
in the short time we’ve offered them.

Q:What are some of their components?

A:The 60, 70 & 82 HP tractors have Perkins 4 cylinder diesel engines, DANA front axles from Italy, and
LUK clutches from Germany, all of which are quality components of world-renowned manufacturers.

The 25, 40 & 50 HP tractors have dependable & economical 3 or 4 cylinder engines & components manufactured in China. They have performed well for our customers thus far.

Q:What about re-sale value?

A:Because our new tractors cost 40% to 50% less than the competition, our depreciation is far less than theirs as well. Even though the tractors are the most economical available, we still have a lot of people looking for used FOTONS. None of our customers are interested in trading their tractors in yet, but I will be glad to get them and offer you a good trade-in value when that time comes.

Q:How are they holding up?

A:We have had very few service calls on the 100 tractors sold in our first 2 years. The larger models have the right components (Perkins, Dana, & LUK clutches) and the smaller tractors have done equally as well. Most owners of the 25 & 40 HP models are not putting over 70 to 80 hours per year on their tractors, therefore, they should last a long time.

[MooseToo]

the quality of chinese tractors has been steadily improving - personally, if looking only at the bottom line, i would prefer buying korean or indian rather than chicom -

[Eastex]

BWM, speaking for myself, I wouldn't buy a chinese tractor. How much more HP are you needing?

[DM]

BWM, speaking for myself, I wouldn't buy a chinese tractor. *How much more HP are you needing?

I agree 100%.

DM

[bookwormom]

could you say why? what would you recommend?

we could stand 40 hp, our place just consists of steep places.

[DM]

could you say why? *what would you recommend?

we could stand 40 hp, *our place just consists of steep places. *

The chinese are all over the board on quality... and you will have problems with a china tractor if you buy one.... Will it be a major problem?? Who knows, but you need to be a person that can fix it, and keep up with the problems they have...

The ones i've been around, have had poor quality porous castings (read leaks) poor rubber products, soft steel in them, and then once in a while you find a gear so hard the teeth break off like they are glass... And, once you buy it, you better love it, cause resale is really bad on them... Even though the quality is getting better with them, they are NOT for me!

You never said what your going to do with the tractor, so it's hard to recomend a specific tractor model for "your" purpose...

DM

[bookwormom]

Hubby is having second and third thoughts on that tractor, I told him DM is to be trusted. but we need a tractor that has more power and can do what needs to be done.right now he is seeding the new pasture (four acres) our little one can handle pulling the spreader, it just is so slow. what tractor is that in the pictures you posted DM?

[DM]

Hubby is having second and third thoughts on that tractor, I told him DM is to be trusted. *but we need a tractor that has more power and can do what needs to be done.right now he is seeding the new pasture (four acres) our little one can handle pulling the spreader, it just is so slow. *what tractor is that in the pictures you posted DM?

Hi Book,

Both of my "work" tractors are Agco Allis, The company name is now shortened to AGCO... I bought both of them new, and they both are excelent tractors...

My smaller one is 45hp and i see low houred used ones listed for 10K or less... Here's mine...

http://www.fototime.com/FF7944C50125A77/orig.jpg

They have live independant pto, live hydraulics with one remote, hydrostatic power steering, 3 point hitch, drawbar and radial tires... NO computer or a bunch of electrical crap to go bad either... They are all metric, and were made in Italy by SLH... SLH is a big tractor company that's been around for a long time.

AGCO no longer sells this model, so that means lower resale, wich helps the buyer, but parts are still available from AGCO if needed.

It's a very good low maintance tractor that's easy on fuel... I put over 400 hours on mine commercial rototilling, and that gives a tractor a real workout... It's been problem free...

My neighbor has the same model, and it's giving him good service too.... He uses it for haying.

Anyway, that's one choise for someone on a budget, who wants a modern tractor that's built heavy enough for farm work.

DM