BEWARE of buying cheap Chinese tractors that do not adhere to local safety standards, Australia's peak machinery body has warned.

The Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia has alerted its members to several recent cases where dealers have been asked to perform pre-delivery work on imported tractors that did not meet Australian design standards.

The tractors in question were manufactured in China and the work requested by the importer involved installing guards, hydraulic-valve placement and Roll Over Protection Structure modifications.

TMA executive director Richard Lewis said dealers needed to be aware that performing warranty and other work on tractors involved the dealer in the chain of responsibility.

"And that can lead to liability issues if there is a drama with the tractor at some stage in the future," Mr Lewis said.

"Gone are the days of selling machinery "as is, where is" and forgetting about it.

"You can't import and sell a tractor and then claim no responsibility for it any more."

Mr Lewis said some imported machinery may be cheaper to buy, but manufacturing standards had to be adhered to.

"Cheapest is not necessarily best when (buying) agricultural equipment," Mr Lewis said.

"That's why the industry has developed design standards for post drivers and other machinery such as grain augers, so they are safer to use and comply to expected standards.

"Value comes in many forms, not just price."

Mr Lewis said while many reputable brands of tractors were made in Asia, such as Kubota, some Chinese-made tractors were simply not up to scratch.

"There are Chinese-made tractors that are fine but the TMA has had cases reported where the ROPS structure did not comply to design regulations and hydraulic plumbing was exposed in the cabin area," Mr Lewis said.

"These sorts of problems scream 'buyer beware' and selling them is simply not on."

Tractors sold with a ROPS system should have a compliance plate on the ROPS that is easily visible. The plate or compliance certificate must identify compliance with Australian standard AS1636 or one of its overseas equivalents.

"You cannot tamper or change the integrity of the ROPS by drilling it or welding material onto it," Mr Lewis said. "If you have doubts, call the TMA or speak to a reputable machinery dealer in your area."