First Damage Report!

[Kioti4me]

Guys, this past weekend I was working on removing a few more stumps on the ATV trail as I was working my way to the food plot to see how my plants were doing. Well, I did not make it there because as I begun removing a 10 incher with the Sub-soiler, one of the root branches under my CK35 sprang up and broke off the transmission filter. I didn稚 realize something was wrong until I had drove over the filer and saw it lying in the dirt. (Where did that come from??) I jumped off and spotting the HST fluid pouring out, as I shut of the tractor. I lost about 1-2 gallons and I hope it did not damage the transmission.
I called the dealer and I will have the new filter holder thingee today. Removing it was a snap. (Good job Kioti engineers)The entire thing is made out of some sort of aluminum alloy. Which is not very strong.
Has anyone else had issues with this filter? It hangs pretty low and I can see it being a problem for those of us working in the north woods of Minnesota. Are there shorter filters or a guard of some sort to help protect it?

I am going up north this weekend to put in the new part and finish what I started last weekend. CK35HST is one powerful tractor; remember to wear your seat belt.

 

[IXLR8]

Sorry to hear of your damage, hope it is nothing more than replacing parts and fluids. Seems to me that one of the dealers who posts here came up with a protective shield for that filter. I usually have my Backhoe on, so the frame for it protects the filter fairly well.... except when I do a bone headed move and smack the filter when I am putting the Backhoe on.

 

[LD1]

I have crawled under many tractors in my day and non of them are protected well on the underside. Most all tractors have the filters and hyd lines exposed somewhere on the underside. It is usually right near a rear tire, where sticks can be picked up with ease and rip lines and filters appart.

Sad thing is that it usually takes until something like this happens before we make a skid plate for it.

Only loosing a couple of gallons before you shut it down right away shouldn't hurt anything. After you fix it, I would make some sort of skid-plate to cover all your filters and hyd. lines underneath. It only takes one event like this to have paid for the material and time to protect it.

 

[Highbeam]

Ha! no problem dude. I've completely broken two of those filter mounts and had one smashed filter. The mounts are easy to replace as you said and fluid loss will be minimal since the pump can only suck so much out of the sump before it stops pumping. There seems to be a lot of "dead" storage in the sump.

How did you move the machine? Both of my incidents resulted in a dead tractor within seconds of noticing the breakage. No steering, no tranny power, no hydrualic power, just the engine running. I had to come-a-long the tractor onto the trailer both times and then fix the tractor on the trailer.

My filters were all broken by a branch or stick on the ground popping up and spearing the filter. Both times while mowing with the brush hog.

You've got to be quick to line up the tractor for towing before you run out of steering.

 

[Kioti4me]

How did I move the machine? I didn't move it. It's right where I broke it. All alone in the woods waiting for my return.

Ha! no problem dude. I've completely broken two of those filter mounts and had one smashed filter. The mounts are easy to replace as you said and fluid loss will be minimal since the pump can only suck so much out of the sump before it stops pumping. There seems to be a lot of "dead" storage in the sump.

How did you move the machine? Both of my incidents resulted in a dead tractor within seconds of noticing the breakage. No steering, no tranny power, no hydrualic power, just the engine running. I had to come-a-long the tractor onto the trailer both times and then fix the tractor on the trailer.

My filters were all broken by a branch or stick on the ground popping up and spearing the filter. Both times while mowing with the brush hog.

You've got to be quick to line up the tractor for towing before you run out of steering.

 

[Highbeam]

Oh, I didn't have that luxury, the tractor had to go home with me. On all of my breakages the threaded filter snout is what snapped off. When you put everything back together there is nothing special to do but to just run it and top up the fluid level.

The last time I bought a new mount it was sold as a kit with the new filter. Kioti probably noticed that these items were being sold in pairs!

The filter is the super expensive one of course.

 

[TBDonnelly]

Skidplate 'homemade' by RedRocker:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1362029-post19.html

Don

 

[Gittyup]

I think it was Michigan Iron that had fabricated a very nice skid plate for one or more of his customers. It was very well done, as I recall.

 

[Kioti4me]

Update:
I picked up the filter support bracket last night and was truly supprise by the cost of the new filter it was $48.90. and the part was $47.80 WOW! Somone is making money. I'll be shopping around next time.

Guys, this past weekend I was working on removing a few more stumps on the ATV trail as I was working my way to the food plot to see how my plants were doing. Well, I did not make it there because as I begun removing a 10 incher with the Sub-soiler, one of the root branches under my CK35 sprang up and broke off the transmission filter. I didn稚 realize something was wrong until I had drove over the filer and saw it lying in the dirt. (Where did that come from??) I jumped off and spotting the HST fluid pouring out, as I shut of the tractor. I lost about 1-2 gallons and I hope it did not damage the transmission.
I called the dealer and I will have the new filter holder thingee today. Removing it was a snap. (Good job Kioti engineers)The entire thing is made out of some sort of aluminum alloy. Which is not very strong.
Has anyone else had issues with this filter? It hangs pretty low and I can see it being a problem for those of us working in the north woods of Minnesota. Are there shorter filters or a guard of some sort to help protect it?

I am going up north this weekend to put in the new part and finish what I started last weekend. CK35HST is one powerful tractor; remember to wear your seat belt.

 

[Kioti4me]

Ok, I called the Bobcat dealer a few miles from me and asked him about these filters. I read somewhere on TBN that the filters are the same. Well, they are. The Bobcat CT235 (CK35HST)Hydro filter cost $31.44. I called my Kioti dealer questioning the higher cost. After a few minutes of discussing facts he refunded me $15.03.
One thing that surfaced during our discussions was the fact that there are a lot of Kioti dealers upset with Kioti factory because of they are undercutting dealer prices to get rid of current tractor overstock and what is happing with Bobcat tractor sales and crossover part sales. Wow! There must be more to this, but it was clear he was not a happy camper.

Update:
I picked up the filter support bracket last night and was truly supprise by the cost of the new filter it was $48.90. and the part was $47.80 WOW! Somone is making money. I'll be shopping around next time.

 

[JoelD]

I know wallace also does some forestry prep work on machines.

Joel

 

[Highbeam]

I just bought that low hanging grey filter yesterday for 37$. All three for 68$. I know they're not cheap but I want Kioti labeled filters from a real dealer. Some folks have found that they can source NAPA filters that "fit" or maybe are equivalent for much cheaper.

You shouln't have to replace these filters very often. That is, unless you use your machine around trees!

 

[dfkrug]

You shouln't have to replace these filters very often.

You must have set some kind of record, HIGHBEAM, for knocking off
that filter! Do you have protection now? At least your hyd oil is
always really clean.

Mine is well protected by my always-mounted hoe subframe. This
filter design is one of the biggest reasons I think the DK series is
superior to the CK series.

I have done one of these repairs, BTW, for the other CK30 I bought for
a friend. His is still unprotected, but he has been really careful for the
past few years.

I wonder...has anyone damaged the hyd line in this photo? It looks very
vulnerable, too, so I welded an ear on my subframe.

 

[LBrown59]

I have crawled under many tractors in my day and non of them are protected well on the underside. Most all tractors have the filters and hyd lines exposed somewhere on the underside. It is usually right near a rear tire, where sticks can be picked up with ease and rip lines and filters appart.

Why do they do that?

How did I move the machine? I didn't move it. It's right where I broke it. All alone in the woods waiting for my return.

Hope someone don't steal it.

I know wallace also does some forestry prep work on machines.

Joel

 

[LD1]

Why do they do that?


That is the very same question I have been wondering for a long time.

I think it is a conspiracy to sell more filters, filter housings, and Hydraulic fittings/lines

In all seriousness, it would cost what, $100, to make a skid plate to prevent damage. $100 extra on a $15,000+ peice of equipment in nothing.

 

[Highbeam]

You must have set some kind of record, HIGHBEAM, for knocking off
that filter! Do you have protection now? At least your hyd oil is
always really clean.

Mine is well protected by my always-mounted hoe subframe. This
filter design is one of the biggest reasons I think the DK series is
superior to the CK series.

I have done one of these repairs, BTW, for the other CK30 I bought for
a friend. His is still unprotected, but he has been really careful for the
past few years.

I wonder...has anyone damaged the hyd line in this photo? It looks very
vulnerable, too, so I welded an ear on my subframe.

Ho ho ho, I've done a custom clearance modification to that particular hydraulic line. Mine now wraps up and behind the loader block so that it can't snag on any more branches. Seriously, the way it ended up couldn't have been better and a mechanic thought I did it on purpose!

I don't run protection for the belly. I've been doing less pioneer work and certainly have become more careful. I frequently check the filter for dents though and find that it is always dragging through the grass as I mow and likely knocking down dirt piles and such.

I priced out buying just the BH subframe from woods for a skidplate mount but it was too expensive like every other part of a BH.