Chinese Tractors are unique in that there are more than 150 tractor factories in China building tractors over 50 hp (37 kW) that range from 1960s technology to the latest, greatest technology with investments from Western companies such as John Deere, CNH and AGCO, and many more building under 50hp.
Overview[]
The Chinese tractor industry is exploding in terms of growth as agriculture is getting more mechanized in China, and also due to the low-cost manufacturing providing low-cost tractors to all parts of the world. There are many factories that build tractors of the same design, and even brand name, and others that seem to be unique to their own branding and technology. Many of the companies have reorganized various times, under different names, so they can be hard to trace, (other than maybe their city of origin). There are also many distributors (exporters) from China which seem to represent themselves as manufacturers, when in fact they manufacture nothing.
Many of the big name manufacturers have either established new joint ventures in China, or have bought into existing tractor manufacturers. For example, in 2007, John Deere purchased Ningbo Benye Tractor Co which manufactures under the Benye name, and in 2001, CNH established a joint venture with SAIC called Shanghai New Holland Agricultural Machinery Corp., manufacturing Shanghai Tractors, Shanghai-New Holland and New Holland tractors. AGCO manufactures tractors under the Valtra and Massey Ferguson brands, as well as engines and other equipment.
Chinese tractors are exported around the world under their own names, (Foton Lovol and Jinma) being two of the best known, and under any number of private-label brand names, (you tell them what name to put on it, they will as with other products).
Confusion[]
Something that makes the distinction difficult of Chinese tractors and factories from one another is that the company name often includes either the city or province that factory is located in. For instance, there are something like 14 different companies that have "Weifang" in the name or brand, over 25 with "Shandong" in the name or brand, and so on. Further complicating it, all factories were at one time state-owned. China began privatizing, or semi-privatizing, factories several years ago. Many have been reorganized or combined with others, and many are still partially owned by their state-government. Designs and models have been shared across various companies, so that there are multiple companies that build Tai Shan branded tractors, or tractors in the Tai Shan series (same with Jinma), or several that look like Fotons but, may be a different make altogether.
One more thing to factor in are the trading or export companies that have been formed. Some are owned by the tractor manufacturing companies, and many more are independent of any factory. These independent ones will sell tractors from multiple suppliers under their own private brand, yet their websites lists them as manufacturers.
Tracking the various companies, exporters, how they have merged, divided or developed over the years is very difficult.
Chinese Tractor Factories[]
Chinese Brands[]
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Private Label Tractors Made in China[]
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