What does this lever do?

[cavalcade]

Hi, I just posted on the main parts forum before I realised there was a subforum just for Kyoti.

I have Kyoti CK22 HST. One thing is puzzling me, there is a lever underneath the seat which has a picture of the tractor viewed from above. The lever seems to "detach" the front two wheels or not? The manual is too vague for me to work out what the lever actually does, and when I might want to engage or disengage it. Can anyone elighten me in terms a total tractor doofus might understand?

Also, in the CK22HST - when I'm in Lo gear, am I in 4 wheel drive? Or is the tractor 2 wheel drive only? Or is this related to the mysterious lever?

Cheers, and sorry. I'm an IT guy who left the rat race to run a farm, so it's all a learning experience to me!

 

[IslandTractor]

If I recall correctly that is the 4wd selector lever. Detached front wheels equals 2 wheel drive. You need to depress the clutch to change it and should do it only with the tractor stopped. If you have trouble engaging 4wd try reversing or even lifting the front end of the tractor off the ground by using the loader.

The other little pedal right underneath the operators seat is the differential lock which will lock the two rear wheels and can be useful when one tire is spinning.

 

[BJN644]

If I recall correctly that is the 4wd selector lever. Detached front wheels equals 2 wheel drive. You need to depress the clutch to change it and should do it only with the tractor stopped. If you have trouble engaging 4wd try reversing or even lifting the front end of the tractor off the ground by using the loader.

The other little pedal right underneath the operators seat is the differential lock which will lock the two rear wheels and can be useful when one tire is spinning.

you must have a stiff lever on yours. I just bump mine up with my heel, never used the clutch and it slips in and out smoothly.

 

[cavalcade]

If I recall correctly that is the 4wd selector lever. Detached front wheels equals 2 wheel drive. You need to depress the clutch to change it and should do it only with the tractor stopped. If you have trouble engaging 4wd try reversing or even lifting the front end of the tractor off the ground by using the loader.

The other little pedal right underneath the operators seat is the differential lock which will lock the two rear wheels and can be useful when one tire is spinning.

Ah OK, thanks.

In terms of engaging 2WD, would I only want to do this if I was driving along a tarmac road or something? I assume for general farm duties you'd normally leave it in 4WD all the time?

 

[wallace]

Ah OK, thanks.

In terms of engaging 2WD, would I only want to do this if I was driving along a tarmac road or something? I assume for general farm duties you'd normally leave it in 4WD all the time?

I'm not trying to be a schmuck here and we will help anyone that asks a question.
However if you have a operators manual I would highly recommend you read it, it will give you some do's and don'ts. It's filled with very good advise for a newbie.

 

[ulflyer]

Cavalcade: Don't know about others, but on my CK30 which is very similar to yours, just few more HP, I use RWD for mowing which is light work. When I use the front loader I use 4WD. Its a judgement call; if it spins, put it in 4WD, otherwise just use RWD. Hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed mine since it got it this past spring.

 

[cavalcade]

I'm not trying to be a schmuck here and we will help anyone that asks a question.
However if you have a operators manual I would highly recommend you read it, it will give you some do's and don'ts. It's filled with very good advise for a newbie.

I have read it many times! But it's rather vague on the practical operation of the tractor. I've spoken to the dealer quite a few times about bits and bobs, but this bit was confusing me.

 

[gauthier]

Put it in 4 wd[and just to confuse you more,4wd is really 2 wd drive!],anyways,put the lever in the postion where the picture shows both halfs of the tractor together,,when you need or are thinking you will need 4wd.And you should stop and push clutch in when doing it,,might have to roll tractor a little back or forth.

Try not to use 4wd on dry bare pavement or concrete.

You got 1 wd,next with differental locked you got 2 wd,than with the lever in right spot,you got 3 wd,you never have 4wd,,and don't use that differental lock when your turning,just use it if you need both rear wheels to turn for a short straight spell.

My owners manual is pretty good,and also,you can buy a more detailed shop manual.

 

[o2batsea]

I agree with cavalcade, the English versions of the Kioti publications are full of misinterpretations and oddball syntax. Whoever did the translations was not familiar with the language. The technical manual in particular is often mystifying.

 

[gauthier]

I don't notice that on mine,,maybe its got to do with how old?

 

[Mousefield]

I don't notice that on mine,,maybe its got to do with how old?

Mine is a 2008 (CK35) and is well written. The manuals do not explain everything so that's why we try and help one another. :thumbsup:

 

[IslandTractor]

Mine is a 2008 (CK35) and is well written. The manuals do not explain everything so that's why we try and help one another. :thumbsup:

My original maintenance manual for the CK20 was poor but the maintenance manual for the DKse series is excellent. I'd personally rate both owners manuals as fair.

 

[gauthier]

Yeah mouse we do,,and I did,,,,so whats your point?:thumbsup:

 

[Coyote machine]

I go by this line of thought. If you think you might need 4wd, as with a truck, for instance, about to encounter lots of snow, mud, etc. then engage it before you actually end up needing it. If you are doing something that can be done without it then disengage 4wd.
No sense running it if not needed, just like locking differential- use it when needed- and when moving in a straight line forward or backward.

 

[IslandTractor]

I go by this line of thought. If you think you might need 4wd, as with a truck, for instance, about to encounter lots of snow, mud, etc. then engage it before you actually end up needing it. If you are doing something that can be done without it then disengage 4wd.
No sense running it if not needed, just like locking differential- use it when needed- and when moving in a straight line forward or backward.

I used to do that but found that I was digging lots of rear tire holes in the turf due to slippage when doing anything much with the loader or even with a mower on slopes. I now tend to put it into 4wd except when transporting on a road. The tractor doesn't seem to care and it saves a lot of turf scars.

 

[o2batsea]

Remember that your tractor has open diffs. That means that even in 4WD, if one side loses traction it will spin rather than transmit power to the non spinning wheel. You'll see next time you try to cross a ditch that the wheel in the air will spin away while you go nowhere. Locking the rear diff makes the rear essentially a solid axle so that both wheels have drive. The front does not have a locking feature so no help there.

Keeping all wheels engaged on the surface is the best way to keep traction in 4WD.

 

[edameyer]

o2batsea, unlike the first post on this thread from gauthier which was very confusing, you explained it well. Due to the differentials, each axle only has as much pull as the wheel with the least traction unless, on the rear axle, you also use the diff lock (the little pedal you engage with your left heal).

As far as engaging or disengaging 4WD goes, on my CK20 I find that I can go in easily as long as no wheels are spinning. Same coming out as long as the surface is not hard. Moving much on hard surface while in 4wd will wind up tension between the front and rear drive train making it hard to get out of 4wd (and hard on the tractor). If this happens, tension can be released by backing up. If there is tension between the two, using the clutch will not help since the tension happens after the transmission while the clutch is in front of the transmission.

I agree with the post that advised using 4wd if you think you even might slip a wheel. Mine stays in 4wd all the time unless I need to move it on the paved road, and it has held up fine.

 

[gauthier]

I wasn't trying to confuse you,,,,anymore:laughing:

 

[CenTex Chris]

New owner here (less than 65 hours) of a Kioti CK35 HST. I've had to engage 4WD twice so far. First time was in the neighbor's field, shredding brush near the edge of his pond where he couldn't take his zero-turn rider. Backed up just a bit too far and got the rear wheels bogged in the mud. 4WD got me out of that jam before I could become the laughing stock of the neighborhood.

Second time, I was backing up onto the flatbed for the trip to my dealer for 50 hr. servicing. I know you're supposed to drive forward onto a trailer, but I was too lazy to take the loader off and didn't want it hanging in the air up over the hitch just so I could have the weight centered on the trailer. So I backed up onto it, so most of the tractor weight would be just forward of the trailer axles. Halfway up the ramps and the rear tires start slipping. 4WD got me the rest of the way on.

 

[IslandTractor]

New owner here (less than 65 hours) of a Kioti CK35 HST. I've had to engage 4WD twice so far. .

Don't be so shy with 4wd. The only time it hurts is when turning on pavement. It will keep you out of trouble eveb better than extracating you once you get stuck.