I am an over-65 semiretired farmer with 200 acres of beef cattle and cropping. I use the tractor as a general farm hand.
Having owned 55 horsepower tractors in the past, I thought this tractor would do all of my ploughing and cultivating as well as the front-end loader work. However, the tractor is far too light and under-tired for heavy pulling work, even with the front-wheel assist.
The little Chinese 236 Pekins copy is a lovely little motor (so far) and it would pull my 12-foot Gyral cultivator if the tractor could get traction. I also found that under a heavy load on a warm day the cooling system is not up to the job with the needle hovering on the edge of the red zone. I think it is best to regard these tractors in the grey Fergie range of everyday farm rouseabout not suitable for heavy pulling. The fuel tank is also far too small at 38 liters (10 gallons) and under heavy load needs filling 3 times a day, which is not particularly easy as the fuel fill cap is badly located under a flap in the hood and the flap is not directly over the filler cap.
The tractor is easy to operate even for a big old bloke like me, the 4 in 1 bucket front-end loader is an absolute joy, and although the hydraulic speed is no world-beater, it easily lifts my 5-foot round bales and big square bales. I have the Chinese version quick attach bale forks which I use as a pallet forklift as well as hay, also the quick attach stone bucket which is a poor design and far too weak. The 4 in 1 bucket is a great tool. It can grab and lift out posts, move soil and gravel, carry things, and is worth a man on the farm. The general tin work is almost as bad as a Yankee car, poor fit and the plastic taillights rattle and fall out. (I asked for a warranty replacement but have heard nothing)
The three-point linkage works okay, although I have not tried the draft control. The arms are shorter than my old Pommie David Brown 885, therefore the lift is not as high, but that probably means it will lift more weight. There are a few hydraulic oil leaks, but nothing I worry about. The engine is not leaky.
The 4H 4L gearbox with shuttle shift works fine but no 4 or 6 mph speed (speeds in the work area are 3.3, 5 & 7 mph). I find getting the tractor out of 4-wheel drive into 2-wheel drive is very tight, hard to do, and makes a nasty clunk in the transmission. There is also a very pronounced power take-off driveline rattle at idle. The clutch operated start safety switch malfunctioned the first day and I had to bypass it.
I worry about the parts supply, the dealership in Australia has had a few changes, but they continue to assure us that parts supply is okay.
The books and manuals that come with the tractor are quite comprehensive, but generally the information is garbled and lost in translation. I have put my old faithful Case 830 Draft o’ matic back to the heavy pulling, but all in all I am happy with my Chinese tractor. (And it's Green and my neighbors think it is another famous brand)