Jinma 254 (Tractor King) 4x4 tractor - Big Red

If you had come to me before I found mine, and told me I'd be driving a Chinese tractor, I would have laughed at you. But after having owned mine for over 2 years, and being decently motivated to take good care of it, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Here's the story: I was looking for a tractor, diesel, 4x4, front loader, with the ability to pull at least a 6ft mower and climb some decent sized hills. I was having difficulty with my price range, as everything about double to triple where my budget was. I was in the $6-8k range. With the capability I wanted, everything I found put me in the 13-25k arena. Not something I could even imagine. I started looking online and in trader type magazines for used equipment, but the majority was run down, way too many hours, or just not remotely appealing.
One day on a trip home from the lake, I passed by a house with a bright red tractor sitting out front for sale. I stopped and got the number. It had a 6ft. finish mower, still with the sales sticker of $1275 on it (yes, very good shape) and a Koyker loader on the front. It was a Tractor King 254. My initial call got an asking price of $10500. It was 1 year old with only 75 hours on the meter. Not too bad of a deal, as a new piece with the loader and mower would run in the neighborhood of $12500. Problem is, I just didn't want to spend over $7k, so I passed. A couple months later, I called again, as I had passed by the same place and saw it still for sale. The price had dropped to $9000. I pushed and said I could do $6000. I was talking to the wife, who seemed noticeably disgusted that it had not yet sold. She wanted to get rid of it and buy some 4-wheelers. We settled on $7000. I was very happy. I went to pick it up and test drove it first to make sure it was what I wanted.
In truth, these are the simplest of machines. No frills, if you know what I mean. To change gears, you must be at a dead stop. They aren't quiet, so hearing protection is recommended. The seat has no springs, and even less padding. What it DOES have though, is a very basic, easily maintained engine which, when taken care of, will give you a LOT of excellent service if not pushed beyond its limits.

I plan to have future write-ups on this equipment with pictures and detailed steps of how to do things the right way. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to post a comment. After more than 2 years, mine is still running like a champ. I couldn't have been happier with my purchase.