# Kioti Advice?



## blondie

Hi Guys,
I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to give me advice, please. I am looking at a Kioti 25hp. Its about the same price as the Kubota, but is much heavier. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know a real lot about tractors, and want to use it to move rocks and clean off the driveway and use the mower thing that go on the back to mow my 10 acres.
The thing is, the dealer who sells the Kioti is a really nice family dealership and they treat me really nicely. Its a new brand for them and this area. The other place is very difficult to deal with and treats me with a really dismissive attitude before the sale, so I am concerned with what will happen after the sale. 
I have heard negative comments on the Kioti resale value, and also on the loader sometimes cracking. The general attitude nearby is why buy a Kioti since they have so little history locally.
Can anyone weigh in on this, please?
Thank you!


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## Fordfarm

Welcome aboard, Blondie! What part of the world do you live in? What dealer are we talking about? Someone else may know them and be able to weigh in and be more helpful!


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## mark777

Welcome Blondie....

The only negative thing I've heard in conversations on other forums, was the cracking loader buckets that were during a manufacturing run (in '04 & '05 ??). Other than that they seem to be a stand up tractor with a good but short history. 

I haven't owned or driven one...but I have seen them and upon close inspection they look designed and engineered well.

Mark


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## Archdean

Welcome Blondie!!

I'll try to help you!
Weight of the tractor means two things:
1. it takes more horsepower to get and keep it moving vs. a lighter one.
2. can put more pressure on the ground for traction and will make more of a destructive impression in turf.

In the case of a 25 HP model it won't make much difference either way!!

Coyote and Kubota both are good machines and in my opinion Kubota is by far superior but I"M VERY BIASED!!

Now with ten acres I would suggest nothing less than a 30 HP model either company brand will do you well WITH AN HST transmission!!

Deal with the one your going to have to live with!!

And yes Resale is better with Kubota but that should not be the main factor in your decission!!

Drive both brands and and all styles then put your money on the one that MAKES YOU HAPPY!!

Dean

:cowboy:


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## Live Oak

Welcome to Tractor Forum Blondie! 

The kioti castings tend to be a bit more heavier than Kubota, Deere, and New Holland. This is actually not such a bad thing as it allows the tractor to be heavier which upto a point helps with traction. 

I would suggest you consider a 30 or 35 hp tractor as opposed to the 25 hp as this will give you better performance and allow you a wider range of applications. 35 hp is viewed to be the sweet spot by most for compact tractors. The CK25 may be struggling with a rotary cutter in tall brush. Not that much difference in the size of the tractor in my opinion. 

I own a John Deere but I think for the dollar spent, Kioti gives one of the best values out there and most folks I know who own a Kioti are very happy and satisfied with them. I have been looking at the larger agriculture model Kioti's myself. 

One of the MOST important issues to consider is the dealer and your confidence in how they will take care of you AFTER the sale. I bad dealer can make a great tractor a bad buy in some case and vice versa. If you already have reservations about the Kubota dealer, I would pass them up. 

Kubota makes a very good and very reliable tractor. In most cases the comparable Kioti model tractor is substantially cheaper than the Kubota or Deere, etc. That is one of Kioti's selling points. 

Kioti also offers the best warranty in the industry. 2 year bumper to bumper and 12 month on the front end loader. 

The issue of resale value is a hotly debated one but in the end, you have to ask yourself if you are buying the tractor for its resale value or to perform work? If you plan on selling it after a time, the answer is more than likely yes; the resale value will likely be more for a Deere or Kubota. 

Do you want a hydrostatic drive transmission (no shifting) or the standard DK models (manual gear shift)? 

I would strongly suggest you get the front end loader. These are VERY handy for many tasks. 

Get the heavy duty or at least medium duty rotary cutter. The light duty cutters don't hold up well over time and don't come with the nicer safety features such as chain guards and a slip clutch. 

Before you buy any tractor, DO go to each dealer you are considering and ask to demo each model on your list. This will give you a good idea of how each tractor will be suited to your liking. Demo a hydrostatic transmission and manual shift model. Pay close attention to how the salesman and dealer will provide after the sale support. If possible, try to talk to folks who own each particular model (this is not always possible). THEN make your purchase decision. 

Be sure to let us know what you decide and please do NOT hesitate to post any questions you may still have. That is what we are here for! :cheers: 

DK35Vince I am sure will see your thread and questions and post his comments and suggestions since he actually owns a Kioti.


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## Fordfarm

Blondie - Chief gave you some good advice! Check out the dealer!

Mark - it's not the loader BUCKETS that are cracking - it's the crossmembers between the arms. Kioti has been aware of the problem for over a year and is still keeping thier owners (and dealers) in the dark as to a fix. Not instilling confidence in the brand!
Personal preference here, but from what I have seen, I would drive by and get a real tractor..........


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## DK35vince

The cracking loaders where the torque tubes on the KL 120 and KL 130 loaders. (the loaders used on the CK 20, 25 and 30 tractors).
I don't know if the problem has been resolved on these loaders yet or not..

I've owned my Kioti DK 35 for going on 6 years, 920 hours.
I've been real pleased with this tractor so far, works real well with no problems..


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## blondie

Wow. You guys are a wealth of information! I can't thank you enough.
I will look into the 30 hp ones. Does the hst thing rob much power? The automatic one?

I appreciate the help because I have to purchase by the end of this month because the Kioti has an awesome finance rate of 3.99% for 48 months, which is better than the Kubota.

I am very thankful for the clarification about the cracking thing, I will speak to the dealer about it. I do love the cup holder on that one, though! 


Today I go to the Kubota place after work, (ick) and hope it goes well, but I can't say I am looking forward to it. I will post later this evening when I have more news. I will know more about how much I can tolerate the dealership, for sure. It would be really a shame to love the tractor and dislike the dealer....

Again, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate this candid insight- it is invaluable. It's such a big purchase, and other than you all, it's hard to get a straight answer. I especially liked the thought to remember i am not buying this for the resale value. I didn't think of that.

The dealership I like also sells a brand called Massey(?) spelling may be off. Haven't checked it out yet because people have told me it's expensive.

It seemed like the drag behind rear discharge mower thing was nice, because it seemed easy to take on and off. But moving it from place to place on a trailer may be difficult because the thing is really heavy. The salesman told me it could be raised higher than 6 inches for a first time mow to be safe from unseen rocks and such.

Hopefully by the end of the month I'll be able to put a tractor picture up as well, just like you all!


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## Live Oak

Blondie,

Yes the HST transmission (automatic one) does use or rob more hp than the manual gear shift transmission. To give you an idea of just how much; the Kioti CK30 HST engine is rated at 30 hp, however the pto is rated at 23.5 hp. An approximate hp loss of 6.5 hp or nearly 22%. 

If you plan to do any brush clearing with a rotary cutter or even heavy finish mower cutting, you may notice some bogging down of the engine if you take things too fast. Unfortunately, the next size up HST transmission tractor that Kioti offers is the DK45SE HST which is rated at 45 hp and 36 pto hp. This model may be a little more than you wanted size and price wise. It is just a little larger than the CK30 HST and in a hp range that offers you the most ability to operate attachments and implements. You will have to be the judge of that. It would make a great alround utility tractor but maybe not such a great grass mowing tractor in confined areas where manueverability is an issue. 

Depending upon how many acres of the 10 acres you mow, the DK45SE HST may be an option to consider. If you are mowing no more than 5 acres, the DK45SE HST might be a bit much. 

Are you planning to mow with a finish mower or a rotary cutter?


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## blondie

Hi,
I just got back from shopping and have a 18 hour hold on a Kubota, so I will post a new thread under the Kubota heading. I would love your input before I sign the deal.
Thank you!


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## Archdean

> _Originally posted by blondie _
> *Hi,
> I just got back from shopping and have a 18 hour hold on a Kubota, so I will post a new thread under the Kubota heading. I would love your input before I sign the deal.
> Thank you! *


Congratulations!!

You won't regret your decision!!

:cowboy:


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## Fordfarm

Blondie - you have made an old goat from Oklahoma very happy with your purchase of the Kubota.... (Archdean)

I'm also sure that you made the right choice! Congrats on the decision!:grapevine


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## DK35vince

> The cracking loaders were the torque tubes on the KL 120 and KL 130 loaders. (the loaders used on the CK 20, 25 and 30 tractors).


A fix is now avalable for the affected loaders


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## Live Oak

> _Originally posted by DK35vince _
> *A fix is now avalable for the affected loaders *


Great find Vince! :thumbsup: Thanks for posting that. Can you start another thread about this fix for the loader cracking problem? I will make it a sticky.


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