Quick answer: A used farm tractor has to be specified for paddy or dryland work before it leaves the yard, because the four things that separate the two cannot be fixed cheaply at destination: tyre pattern, ground clearance, sealing and PTO speed. For flooded rice ground, order high-lug paddy rubber and 450 mm or more of clearance; our 90 hp DEUTZ-FAHR CD904S-1 ships on 9.5-24 front and 16.9-30 rear tyres. For dryland ploughing and road haulage, the wider 12.4-24 / 18.4-34 set on a 100 hp New Holland SNH1004 spreads the load and slips less. Write all four items into the proforma invoice and the machine works on day one.

Why One Used Farm Tractor Cannot Serve Both Fields

Horsepower is the number most buyers compare first, yet two machines ten horsepower apart can leave China on completely different tyres. The 90 hp DEUTZ-FAHR CD904S-1 runs 9.5-24 / 16.9-30; the 100 hp SNH1004 runs 12.4-24 / 18.4-34. That is not a stock accident. Paddy tyres are narrower with taller, angled lugs so the machine sinks through slurry to the hardpan and bites. Dryland tyres are wider with shallower lugs so they float on top and carry load on the road. Put a dryland set into 300 mm of standing water and the tractor spins, digs in and buries the rear axle. Put a paddy set on hard ground and the lugs wear flat inside one season. Settle that question first and the horsepower choice gets a lot easier.

Tyre Size and Ground Clearance on a Used Farm Tractor

Read the sidewall, not the brochure. The table below lists tyre sizes and measured clearance on machines we actually ship, so you can see how wide the spread is.

The pattern is clear: rice machines clear 450 mm and more, while a 50 hp utility unit such as the SH504 sits at 334 mm and will hang up in a flooded field. On the dryland side the sizes grow wider instead of taller. A Massey Ferguson MF1004 at 100 hp rides on 14.9-28 / 18.4-38, and the SNH1004 on 12.4-24 / 18.4-34. Both put more rubber on the ground for draught work, which is exactly what you want on dry soil and exactly what you do not want in mud.

Ballast and Weight per Horsepower

Sinkage is a weight problem as much as a tyre problem. Divide operating weight by rated power and the result predicts how a used farm tractor behaves in soft ground. The Kubota M7040 at 2,400 kg and 72 hp comes out at 33 kg/hp; the SNH704 at 2,400 kg and 70 hp at 34 kg/hp; the MF1004 at 3,900 kg and 100 hp at 39 kg/hp. Lighter machines float better, which is why 70 hp units stay popular in rice districts. The trade-off is traction with a heavy implement, so specify front weights. Both the SNH1004 and the CD904S-1 ship with a front weight rack for that reason.

Sealing and PTO Speed: What Fails First on a Used Farm Tractor

Rice work means mud and water above the axle for weeks. Before a used farm tractor goes into a paddy, check four items: front axle hub seals and breather height, engine air intake stack height, the radiator screen, and the clutch housing drain. Brakes matter too. The Kubota M7040 uses wet disc brakes, which survive slurry far better than dry shoes; on a machine with dry brakes, budget for more frequent adjustment. PTO speed is the other trap. A paddy rotary tiller usually wants 540 or 720 rpm. The CD904S-1 offers 540/760, the MF1004 offers 540/1000, while Shanghai-built SNH units carry a single figure such as 766 or 783 rpm on the plate. Ask for a photo of the plate, not a page from the brochure.

Six Things to Confirm Before the Container Is Loaded

Run this list on every machine before you wire the balance:

• Tyre size and lug pattern in writing, front and rear, with photos of the actual machine.
• Ground clearance measured under the front axle, not at the drawbar: 450 mm or more for rice.
• PTO speed from the nameplate, plus spline count and direction of rotation.
• Front weight rack fitted, and the number of weights included in the price.
• Hub seals, air intake height and brake type inspected and photographed.
• Overall height for the container: a CD904S-1 stands 2,650 mm, above the roughly 2,580 mm door opening of a 40 ft high cube, so the exhaust stack and mirrors come off before loading.

Questions Buyers Ask

Is 90 hp enough for 20 hectares of paddy?

In most flooded conditions, yes, provided the machine is on paddy tyres. A used farm tractor of 90 hp on 16.9-30 high-lug rears handles a two-metre rotary tiller in a single pass. Move up to 100 hp only if you also plough dryland or haul trailers on roads, where the extra mass and wider tyres pay for themselves.

Can I fit paddy tyres after the tractor arrives?

You can, but it is the expensive way round. Sourcing and fitting 16.9-30 high-lug rears at destination costs far more than shipping them fitted, and you are left holding a set of dryland tyres you cannot use. Ordering the machine on the correct rubber puts the cost into the same container and the same invoice.

Linyi Gama Machinery Co., Ltd. is based in Linyi City, Shandong Province, China, and ships used farm tractor units in 20 ft, 40 ft and flat-rack loads worldwide. We send tyre photos, nameplate photos and hour-meter readings before payment, and we fit paddy or dryland rubber to order. For current stock, full specifications and a quote, email Gavin@gamagr.com or reach us by phone and WhatsApp on +86 13013532997.