Nortrac tractor

[Levi Keech]

has anyone ever heard of the Nortrac tractors? they are on the Northern tool site, it"s an 82 horse model. They store manager at the local JD dealer said that they are a throw away tractor. But that"s JD for you. Are they really worth $25,000?

 

[Paul in MN]

Look carefully at Northern's stock in their store...a high % of stuff from China. I think Northern owns the name "Nortrac" and puts it on something they have imported in the huge steel boxes that fill the decks of ships coming from China.

If you have a job that can afford to depreciate this $25K machine totally off in about 2 years, then maybe it is a good deal for you. But for the rest of us who expect a good piece of equipment to still be productive 20 years (or even 50 years) later, well the Nortrac just won't fill that bill. If I can afford to pay that kind of $$, I expect dealer support with a full shop to take care of the first 3 years of warantee, and then a parts dept that will assure me high probability of parts availability 25 years from now.

I think your JD dealer was right on the money. He has a good product fully supported, as do the CNH, AGCO, and CIH dealers. They have all proven they are for the long haul. IMHO Nortrac has a long ways to go to be a respected product.

Paul in MN

 

[James Williams]

DO NOT BUY ONE,One of our churches bought one to bush hog about 3 acers 3 times a year and the PTO never worked from day one,the local MF dealer did the wearnty work on it and it came back the same way it left,the tractor is sitting in the barn with no use.The church paid cash for it and getting our money back is out of the question.

jimmy

 

[charles todd]

I researched the NORTRAC brand, because I was looking at the 60hp cab tractor. The Chinese company JINMA builds the NORTRAC for Northern Tool. There are dealers for NORTRAC scattered around the states that are affiliatted with NORTHERN. Parts are available, but service is hit and miss. JINMA is a high quality Chinese tractor... Like China's John Deere. But, I cannot say it has the quality of an American Deere, NH, Kubota, ect. One interesting point, Northern Tool Has JINMA build the NORTRAC in China and then puts an American, South Dakota build KOYKER Loader and Backhoe on them to make the appeal. That is all I know... And I still have my Farmall.

 

[karl f]

the bigger models at least have Perkins engines. Another name that seems to have the same specs is Foton. there is a dealer for them in MN.
Even with the Perkins, I'd be leary to the rest of the machine. Bet a day on a moldboard or a few days on a square baler would find some weak spots. The cab in pictures looks like something i could live with however.

read a rumor elsewhere on the net that there's a new David Brown tractor in germany, mostly chinese built, but supposedly high quality. More than likely any decent tractor from china will come from the same plant as another.

I think there may be some china products out there worth their price, but i will still take a 656 or H/M/ etc. any day.

karl f

 

[karl f]

did some looking in the NT catalog and the ad on the Foton tractors, the Foton has the same icon as the big nortracs.

Interestingly enough the Foton dealer offers 2 yr warranty vs. NT's 1 yr. and they offer a 125hp mfd model for only $51k. would not mind tryin to wreck that one on the offset disk if they'd let me try it for free :wink:

big question: why is china being more successful than russia at the tractor game, and all markets for that matter?


karl f

 

[Spook]

I think the whole JD, MF, IH thing gets a little complicated because all the small tractors are built in China, India, Korea. Some of the parts on supposedly US brands are made elswhere, mainly China. Think of all the JD Yannmar (Japanese), tractors. Now Deere is going to China because the Japanese are too expensive. It's all about money.