# Does anyone have a Kioti DS4110?



## Meshielshorter

Rockingham New Holland tractor service and sales:
I am writing this detailed description of my purchase and problems with this Kioti DS4110 tractor, in order to give the manufacturer and dealer an opportunity to understand my emotional pain and financial loss regarding the unending problems with the tractor. TO SUMMARIZE THE ITEMS THAT HAVE FAILED: STARTER, BATTERY CONNECTIONS, POWER STEERING, LOADER TOGGLE SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES, LOADER POSITION INDICATOR ROD SEVERAL TIMES, CLUTCH, POSITIVE TRACTION FOOT PETAL STICKING, 4WD SHIFTER STUCK, LOW/HIGH RANGE SHIFTER STUCK, FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WILL NOT ENGAGE.

I am researching the Federal "Lemon Laws" and considering legal as well as social media options to come to a fair settlement. My wife majors in computers and business and we have created a video for posting on u-tube to help any other prospective buyers or current owners. I can send it to you if you want. But I am a devoted Christian and my hopes and prayers are that both the dealer and the manufacturer will be empathetic and feel my pain and loss and we can come to a solution benefiting all of us.

MY EXPERIENCE:
Now since my ability to properly operate a manual operated tractor has been questioned, let me remove those doubts early. I am a retired Senior Nuclear Maintenance Planner with over 43 years of hands on experience in the Nuclear Maintenance industry. And I have completed 11 years of Certified Apprentice School training with the highest grades and evaluations, both as a State Certified Piping Designer and a First Class Nuclear Mechanic, Supervisor and Planner. I have refueled nuclear reactors and overhauled and operated every type of complex nuclear equipment. I have owned at least 8 vehicles and 4 tractors with manual transmissions and driven them several hundred thousand miles.

My records indicate I paid $21,060 cash for the tractor with check number 442 on 07/12/13. That price did include a Land Pride bush hog. My wife and I did discuss at length the needs we have for a tractor, the use we intended, and the steep and rugged topography of our 21 acres of land and our yard. We also explained that we were hoping to keep the cost around $20,000. The tractor was to be used to mow our very steep yard and spread gravel on our 609' long and steep driveway. And we asked for his recommendation. The salesman was beneficial in explaining to us that we did not need a sub compact tractor and he recommended this 41 HP 4wd tractor to us. He explained that he could have one shipped up from Waynesboro. He may have mentioned a hydrostatic tractor, but we were assured this DS model would also be adequate if I knew how to drive a manual transmission. The first two vehicles I owned for 11 years had manual transmissions and I have driven many manual transmission vehicles, motorcycles and heavy equipment since them and am an excellent driver of manual drive equipment.
As of this date, 10/16/16, the tractor has about 360 hours on it. All service has been completed on schedule by ROCKINGHAM New Holland, to ensure the warranty would be valid.

STARTING PROBLEMS:
Shortly after the delivery of the tractor, we experienced daily problems starting the tractor. And, during or after heavy rain, we also had problems driving the tractor up the slightly sloped driveway from the barn, which had no electricity. It was so bad, that we would try to leave the tractor on higher ground or close to a receptacle where I could jump start it. Numerous times, I had to remove the tractor grill to jump the battery. It appeared that the starter had a bad spot on it and eventually disabled the tractor. ROCKINGHAM New Holland soon replaced the starter under warranty. But the starting problems continued to some degree and I often had to remove the grill to jump and start the tractor. Although the battery lugs and terminals did not show any obvious external signs of corrosion, I removed the lugs and found some serious corrosion and pitting. I cleaned them and the problems ceased for a while but then began again. Finally, I removed and cleaned them again and this time I applied some battery terminal protector sold by Advance and the problem ceased. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS ON ALL IMPORT TRACTORS.

STEERING PROBLEMS:
I believe it was just before the 100 hour service appointment that the steering broke. It suddenly became necessary to continue to turn the steering wheel just to keep the tires turned in the proper direction. This problem was repaired during the scheduled maintenance checkup.

LOADER TOGGLE CONTROL PROBLEMS:
Not long after I began to use the tractor, the loader toggle control ceased to operate. I removed the rubber boot cover and found loose screws and loose lock nuts. I tightened them and torqued them very tight. But these screws and nuts continue to loosen and often fall off in the boot. They fell off twice this past week. It is a poor design. The threaded fits are too loose. New screws and nuts should be installed and the threads should have Loctite or a suitable thread glue installed. These screws and nuts have become loose many times during my two years of operating the tractor.

LOADER POSITION INDICATOR ROD PROBLEMS:
This rod is attached to the loader bucket and the loader frame. Shortly after I began to use the tractor it came loose. And I reinstalled and tightened it. This rod came loose at least a dozen times regardless of how much I tightened it. I even have pipe wrench marks on it. Finally it got bent when it came loose during my work, and I removed it completely. THIS ITEM ALSO IS A POOR DESIGN, BUT WOULD PERFORM BETTER WITH LOCTITE APPLIED TO THE THREADS.

PROBLEMS WITH THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE:
I do not remember when the four wheel drive shifter stopped working. My maintenance man Morris Sellers told me a while back that he could not get the tractor out of four wheel drive. And since I never operate the tractor on paved roads or concrete, I did not challenge him on this. But latter when I did try to move the shifter, I could not move it up or down. It still cannot be moved.

PROBLEMS WITH THE LOW/HIGH RANGE SHIFTER:
I seldom ever operate the tractor at a speed where I need to use high range, and have never operated the tractor faster than high range first gear. I have never operated the tractor in high range with any load. But sometimes when I am in a hurry to travel up or down my 600' driveway, I will use this high range in first gear. I have noticed that after I have worked a few hours on the tractor that it becomes increasingly difficult to shift into or out of high range. And a few times it was so difficult, that I just gave up and drove the tractor in low gear. Yesterday, I could no longer move the shifter when the tractor was running or not running or hot or cold. IT IS BROKE. Once again, it was a poor design that never worked well.

PROBLEMS WITH THE WET BRAKES:
I admit, I have never seen a wet brake on a tractor. But, shortly after we purchased this tractor, I would try to back up the lawn with the bush hog on the tractor to mow the grass. Now, this lawn is sloped about 30 degrees. So, when I got to the top, I would quickly depress the clutch and then I would quickly depress the brakes. It was not long before it required more and more pressure on the brakes. Soon, the tractor would drift 10 or 15 feet down the lawn with all my weight on the brake. So, this tractor became unsafe to use for the job it was purchased for.
I went out and purchased a used 21hp HYDROSTATIC Kubota that had been "retired" from a rental store. I had ROCKINGHAM New Holland service this tractor for $864.68 on 04/30/15. Because I needed a tractor to mow the grass that the Kioti was not safe to mow. I spent over $8,000 on this tractor.

THE CLUTCH FAILED AT 309 HOURS on or about 04/18/15 about 21 months after the purchase of the tractor.

I have explained earlier that this clutch failed all at once, but I was in the middle of a very expensive project and had rented a 4wd back hoe and I continued to use the lame tractor for a few hours to go up and down my driveway a few times. I am sure thus shredded the clutch. I had to rent a skid steer track loader to finish the fine work on my driveway. We have renters every weekend and must restore the driveway. Although this tractor was supposed to have a 4 year warranty on the drive train, I was forced to pay $2,529.37 with check number 2306 on 07/02/15. It was several weeks after the failure before the tractor was repaired and then at least two weeks before I received a bill. I remember calling and explaining I had not received the bill.

THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE QUIT WORKING ON 10/14/15
I was simply using the tractor to scoop up loaders full of soft top soil that I had previously dug up with a backhoe a month earlier. I was transporting these loader of soil about 600' down my driveway and spreading them over the edge of the lawn at the driveway. And the front wheel quit turning. My hearing is not too good, so I don't know if it was making any noise or not on this rough gravel driveway.

OTHER PARTS AND PIECES:
Now, I don't know where to start on the other little parts that keep shaking loose or coming off. Just yesterday I noticed that a "C" ring for the loader was missing and the adjacent bolt was loose. I heard metal clanking and went to investigate. The grill screws kept vibrating out and finally I replaced them with wire ties. The bush hog in the back was very loose when I received the tractor and some linkage fell lose.

In summary, I love working outdoors and working with a tractor. But, I hate having the tractor to break every week I try to use it. Just in three days this past week, the bolt got loose on the loader, the "C" ring fell off, the toggle bolt nut fell off, the toggle flat head screw came out, the shifter from high to low quit moving and the 4 wd quit. We are talking about a tractor of which is expected to last 4,000 hours and everything is broke at 360 hours.
You may try to say I am too rough on it, but I have witnesses that will swear I am not too rough and that I am definitely over experienced and qualified to managed a tractor. I will give you their contact information if you want.

THIS TRACTOR IS OF POOR DESIGN AND IS VERY SIMPLY PUT A "LEMON" and is definitely not the tractor I or anyone else working on a hillside should have been sold.
Every time it breaks, I have to either rent other equipment, buy other equipment or pay to have work done at my lodge. I have spent $8,000 on another tractor to mow the grass and I have spent over $4,000 on rental equipment and over $1,000 on paying others to mow since this tractor started breaking. My lodge is a short term rental that sleeps up to 28 and rents EVERY weekend. We have received 18 Five Star Reviews in a row. And we got those by being professional and taking great care of our guests.


I am beseeching your empathy.,let's settle this like fair and honest people. I might could use a better designed Kioti tractor. But, I don't feel the warranty was honored on this one. Honestly, I would rather have a Kubota. But that may not be an option. I like for my time on the tractor to be constructive, not frustrating.
Please share this email with the owner and the manufacturer and let's see what we can do as friends to end this nightmare.
I don't think you want me to g to social media and post the story and video of this tractor and I don't want to do that to you all either.
I can send you the video if you want. But, you have the tractor.


----------

