Kioti DK45 Reviews
Kioti DK 45SC
Model Year: 2008
Considering that I moved up from a 1957 tractor this was a huge improvement. The heater in the cab is not the greatest - just barely keeps you warm in -15 celsius weather with the wind blowing - but it's better than no cab. There were a few warranty items but they were fixed. It is great on diesel - run it 10+ hours haying and only burned 1/3 tank - around 1800-2000 rpm. Came with cassette and not CD stereo. Tractor is worked hard but not abused. Cleaned and greased regularly and all maintenance is scheduled. Overall very pleased with it and it is lease expensive and weighs more than similar brands. Also the casting are more refined and finished than others - actually found overall finish to be very good.
Pros: AC is great. Cab is comfortable for 5'7" frame.
Cons: No Cup holder or sun shade or enough 12v plugs in ca
Model Year: 2008
Considering that I moved up from a 1957 tractor this was a huge improvement. The heater in the cab is not the greatest - just barely keeps you warm in -15 celsius weather with the wind blowing - but it's better than no cab. There were a few warranty items but they were fixed. It is great on diesel - run it 10+ hours haying and only burned 1/3 tank - around 1800-2000 rpm. Came with cassette and not CD stereo. Tractor is worked hard but not abused. Cleaned and greased regularly and all maintenance is scheduled. Overall very pleased with it and it is lease expensive and weighs more than similar brands. Also the casting are more refined and finished than others - actually found overall finish to be very good.
Pros: AC is great. Cab is comfortable for 5'7" frame.
Cons: No Cup holder or sun shade or enough 12v plugs in ca
Kioti DK45SE HST
Model Year: 2008
What I have: 2008 Kioti DK45SE HST (hydrostatic transmission, 3 range) with matching loader (KL401), a bale fork and quick change bucket, a 6' rotary mower, 7' dirt/snow blade, side-bar mower, and 6' box scraper. What I use it for: Mostly moving 3x4 and 3x3 hay squares, moving manure, dirt, and snow. Very little draft work, just dragging a harrow or small disc around. My neighbor used it to run his hay rake last cutting. I have fluid in the tires, and we almost always have the dirt blade or the box scraper on the rear if we are moving 3x4 hay bales. The 800 lb 3x3's can be moved with ease. The 1200 lb bales will make the tractor a bit light in the rear and one needs fluid or wheel weights, plus an implement on the rear to keep the rear tires firmly planted. We have moved 1400 lb bales, but they require even more caution. We have also moved a few 1600 lb bales, and they are definitely the max for this tractor... it is just too light for anything bigger on the end of a bale fork. (A fully loaded bucket can be a handful as well.) The hydrostatic tranny is a perfect fit for how we use the tractor. My daughter (in picture) does most of the work with this tractor, and she really likes the one-pedal-in-each-direction method of zipping in and out of pens, hay stacks, dirt piles, and snow banks. Since we don't do heavy draft work, I really like the hydrostatic tranny for its ease of use as well. The slow speed control is amazing; which you quickly come to appreciate when loading heavy items into or out of the back of trucks and horse trailers with the loader. It is very convenient for plowing the road; the HST pedals are much easier to work than running the clutch and the shuttle levers while driving backwards all afternoon. I'd like to publicly thank my dealer, Ron Lonneman of Ron's Equipment in Fort Collins, CO, for not selling me on the shuttle shift he had on the lot, but rather recognizing that the HST was a better match for what I wanted. The HST works great, and seems to have plenty of power to the ground for our needs. The All wheel drive works very well too. When the rear tires start slipping, just hit the switch and the front end starts working and the tractor just goes. No stopping, clutching, or jerking. I don't know that Kioti's AWD is better or worse than any other, but AWD is definitely a huge win when pushing snow, dirt, or hauling heavy loads on the front (where the rear tires tent to get light and lose traction). I think someone said AWD makes your tractor push like something 3x heavier... I believe it. The tractor is easy to service, except you'll want to use an auto-tranny fluid funnel to add engine oil. It starts well until somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees F (above zero). Below that point, it must be plugged in. However, I had no problem firing it up at -20 degrees F when it was plugged in. Of course, at these temps, the power steering, the tranny, the loader, and the 3 point all need to be warmed up and carefully cycled a few times before starting work. It overheated one day when I was mowing weeds and completely (and I mean completely) plugged the screen in front of the radiator with 'lint' from the weeks. Otherwise, it has never gone above normal, and never missed a beat. I've had no major issues, but the following things have gone wrong or required attention: a) The seat belt bolt keeps coming lose. Needs a new 'locking nut', but I haven't asked for one yet. b) The PTO is electrically engaged, and right off the truck I discovered the PTO would not turn off once it was engaged until you shut the engine off. The dealer fixed it immediately. c) The 3 pt lift will oscillate at certain combinations of implement (weight), temperature, and setting of draft & position controls. This phenomenon was written up by someone in 2008 on the 'help' forum. My dealer's mechanic says he can adjust the bleed down valve for the 3pt to make this stop happening. I have so far been able to avoid any issues by just re-adjusting the draft control. However, it can be a rather violent shaking when it occurs, and particularly un-nerving if you are currently working a post hole digger. If I take the tractor back in for some reason, I'll give the dealer a shot at adjusting things. d) The headlight switch just recently quit working on 'low beam'. All I have are high beams at night now. I'll ask the dealer for a warranty switch replacement part (love that 4 yr warranty). e) As often cited in the local forums, the throttle linkage, and the 3pt control levers seem to start binding soon after delivery. I have sprayed a few key places with WD40 and the problem gets better for a while. Ultimately, I think the linkages in question could have been better designed ; hopefully the factory will respond with improvements. f) the quick release lever for the loader attachment (to the bucket/fork) doesn't like to stay in the full 'unlocked' position. When swapping the bucket for the fork, the lever will fall halfway down when you move the tractor to the new implement. It's annoying to have to crawl down and re-open the lever. I've gotten pretty good at getting it set 'just right' so that doesn't happen so much anymore. A bungie cord would probably also work.... Overall, I'd buy another Kioti.
Pros: Strong for its size, heavy frame , HST tranny is easy to use in tight quarters. Starts and runs flawlessly.
Cons: Would prefer smoother throttle and 3pt control linkages. Concerned the 3pt oscillations are unpredictable.
Photo Uploads:
Model Year: 2008
What I have: 2008 Kioti DK45SE HST (hydrostatic transmission, 3 range) with matching loader (KL401), a bale fork and quick change bucket, a 6' rotary mower, 7' dirt/snow blade, side-bar mower, and 6' box scraper. What I use it for: Mostly moving 3x4 and 3x3 hay squares, moving manure, dirt, and snow. Very little draft work, just dragging a harrow or small disc around. My neighbor used it to run his hay rake last cutting. I have fluid in the tires, and we almost always have the dirt blade or the box scraper on the rear if we are moving 3x4 hay bales. The 800 lb 3x3's can be moved with ease. The 1200 lb bales will make the tractor a bit light in the rear and one needs fluid or wheel weights, plus an implement on the rear to keep the rear tires firmly planted. We have moved 1400 lb bales, but they require even more caution. We have also moved a few 1600 lb bales, and they are definitely the max for this tractor... it is just too light for anything bigger on the end of a bale fork. (A fully loaded bucket can be a handful as well.) The hydrostatic tranny is a perfect fit for how we use the tractor. My daughter (in picture) does most of the work with this tractor, and she really likes the one-pedal-in-each-direction method of zipping in and out of pens, hay stacks, dirt piles, and snow banks. Since we don't do heavy draft work, I really like the hydrostatic tranny for its ease of use as well. The slow speed control is amazing; which you quickly come to appreciate when loading heavy items into or out of the back of trucks and horse trailers with the loader. It is very convenient for plowing the road; the HST pedals are much easier to work than running the clutch and the shuttle levers while driving backwards all afternoon. I'd like to publicly thank my dealer, Ron Lonneman of Ron's Equipment in Fort Collins, CO, for not selling me on the shuttle shift he had on the lot, but rather recognizing that the HST was a better match for what I wanted. The HST works great, and seems to have plenty of power to the ground for our needs. The All wheel drive works very well too. When the rear tires start slipping, just hit the switch and the front end starts working and the tractor just goes. No stopping, clutching, or jerking. I don't know that Kioti's AWD is better or worse than any other, but AWD is definitely a huge win when pushing snow, dirt, or hauling heavy loads on the front (where the rear tires tent to get light and lose traction). I think someone said AWD makes your tractor push like something 3x heavier... I believe it. The tractor is easy to service, except you'll want to use an auto-tranny fluid funnel to add engine oil. It starts well until somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees F (above zero). Below that point, it must be plugged in. However, I had no problem firing it up at -20 degrees F when it was plugged in. Of course, at these temps, the power steering, the tranny, the loader, and the 3 point all need to be warmed up and carefully cycled a few times before starting work. It overheated one day when I was mowing weeds and completely (and I mean completely) plugged the screen in front of the radiator with 'lint' from the weeks. Otherwise, it has never gone above normal, and never missed a beat. I've had no major issues, but the following things have gone wrong or required attention: a) The seat belt bolt keeps coming lose. Needs a new 'locking nut', but I haven't asked for one yet. b) The PTO is electrically engaged, and right off the truck I discovered the PTO would not turn off once it was engaged until you shut the engine off. The dealer fixed it immediately. c) The 3 pt lift will oscillate at certain combinations of implement (weight), temperature, and setting of draft & position controls. This phenomenon was written up by someone in 2008 on the 'help' forum. My dealer's mechanic says he can adjust the bleed down valve for the 3pt to make this stop happening. I have so far been able to avoid any issues by just re-adjusting the draft control. However, it can be a rather violent shaking when it occurs, and particularly un-nerving if you are currently working a post hole digger. If I take the tractor back in for some reason, I'll give the dealer a shot at adjusting things. d) The headlight switch just recently quit working on 'low beam'. All I have are high beams at night now. I'll ask the dealer for a warranty switch replacement part (love that 4 yr warranty). e) As often cited in the local forums, the throttle linkage, and the 3pt control levers seem to start binding soon after delivery. I have sprayed a few key places with WD40 and the problem gets better for a while. Ultimately, I think the linkages in question could have been better designed ; hopefully the factory will respond with improvements. f) the quick release lever for the loader attachment (to the bucket/fork) doesn't like to stay in the full 'unlocked' position. When swapping the bucket for the fork, the lever will fall halfway down when you move the tractor to the new implement. It's annoying to have to crawl down and re-open the lever. I've gotten pretty good at getting it set 'just right' so that doesn't happen so much anymore. A bungie cord would probably also work.... Overall, I'd buy another Kioti.
Pros: Strong for its size, heavy frame , HST tranny is easy to use in tight quarters. Starts and runs flawlessly.
Cons: Would prefer smoother throttle and 3pt control linkages. Concerned the 3pt oscillations are unpredictable.
Photo Uploads:
Best darn tractor inthe 45 HP range.
Model Year: 2005
Heavily researched the big three (Deere, Kubota, and Kioti). Looked at all the other and after reviewing features settled on Deere, Kubota, or Kioti. After three months of driving, comparing options, and reading internet feedback I made the plunge and bought a new DK45 tractor with Rhino 2409 FEL. The rig has performed flawlessly. Used mostly for field mowing with 60" brush hog, discing for food plots, and moved over 100 yards of rock to line my pond plus various dirt moving and log cutting tasks. Purchased from Van Paemel Equipment Company known for their excellent service. Have since bought 25' SureTrac gooseneck, disc, grader blade, spring tooth rake, and 60" brush hog.
Pros: All the features I wanted. Adjustable 3 point hitch.
Cons: None so far.
Model Year: 2005
Heavily researched the big three (Deere, Kubota, and Kioti). Looked at all the other and after reviewing features settled on Deere, Kubota, or Kioti. After three months of driving, comparing options, and reading internet feedback I made the plunge and bought a new DK45 tractor with Rhino 2409 FEL. The rig has performed flawlessly. Used mostly for field mowing with 60" brush hog, discing for food plots, and moved over 100 yards of rock to line my pond plus various dirt moving and log cutting tasks. Purchased from Van Paemel Equipment Company known for their excellent service. Have since bought 25' SureTrac gooseneck, disc, grader blade, spring tooth rake, and 60" brush hog.
Pros: All the features I wanted. Adjustable 3 point hitch.
Cons: None so far.