KIOTI buyer beware

[ckengine03]

So this is a 10 month review of my Kioti DK5310 se cab tractor, and some hard lessons that I have learned. My background was dairy farming in my youth an then a sub compact Kubota owner for many years so I have run machines from 200 hp to 25 and everything in between.
To start out I got the KIOTI for a decent price other than all the dealers hidden fees. The tractor has performed ok with the exception of the bucket, which is the weakest most cheaply built bucket I have ever seen as well as a few other issues I will discuss later. I unfortunately bought the tractor from a dealer that only offers services at there shop and has no transport or onsite repair. So I have to arrange a trailer any time I want to bring the machine in for service as I don稚 own one myself. Luckily as a mechanical engineer with a well stocked shop I was able to repair all the issues myself but if you buy one of these machines be ready for repairs. I have had to repair the diff lock, the brake springs, the loader stick the HST return springs, several plugs that have become disconnected and weld the bucket cracks after removing several rocks. The machine for a 50hp unit runs much more like a 40hp tractor, torque is poor and the tractor bogs down on any hill even in medium speed with no PTO(3 speed HST). The horsepower weight and lift capacity seem to have been slightly exaggerated on the spec sheet, from my experience. The worst part of this is that now that I致e realized I need a larger machine or something different and looked to other dealers for trade-in value I致e literally been quoted a trade-in value half of what I paid 10 months ago with only 99 hrs.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm sorry that you've had such bad luck with your tractor. Like most major tractor brands , Kiotis generally leave the shop and never go back until they are tired and get traded. Unfortunately every brand has it's lemons... even Kubota if the rumors I hear are true.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Aside from that, selling any low hour tractor is usually an eye opening experience.

 

[grsthegreat]

Yes, very odd. My dk45 cab has had very, very few problems. Some sort of rodent ate thru the fuel tank, the horn had to be replaced with something that did not sound like a vw bug. Hmmm, let me see now... the tow hook had to be rewelded. I had to replace the stop solenoid under warranty.... and thats it. I have about 1,400 hours on it. I could sell it for more than i paid for it as i got it at a great price and theres no tier4 garbage on it.

I have routinely dug and hauled all sorts of junk with it and have lifted over 2,500 pounds with it with the use of a rear ballast box and filled rear tires.

No broken welds, have retorqued loader 1 time. I marked bolts and marks have not moved.

 

[paulfun9]

Sorry to hear about your problems! Seems very odd that the majority of Kioti Owners have had little to NO issues with thier machines!
Myself after owning most other brands before going with Kioti, I would lean heavily toward the Kioti again and most likely wouldn’t even bother looking at a kubota or JD if I was to purchase a new tractor. Yes it has been that good of an experiance with zero problems and it’s been used as hard and in many cases harder than the tractors I owned before it. Power wise it’s right there with everything else and if I was to guess at the things like lift capacity, as my friend put it when he operated it back to back with his JD “this thing has some balls” that’s because his comparable JD could not get that boulder out and onto his trailer no matter how hard he tried but my Kioti simply picked it up and set it right where he wanted it. My best guess on it is the lift spec is it may actually lift a little more then they say it can.

 

[ckengine03]

I appreciate the feed back, I bought the KIOTI originally because of all the good reviews that I read many of them here I guess I just got a problem child.

 

[coobie]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Aside from that, selling any low hour tractor is usually an eye opening experience.

Yes you do.I have had small issues with my Deere & Kubota products.But NONE with my Kioti.

 

[5030]

So this is a 10 month review of my Kioti DK5310 se cab tractor, and some hard lessons that I have learned. My background was dairy farming in my youth an then a sub compact Kubota owner for many years so I have run machines from 200 hp to 25 and everything in between.
To start out I got the KIOTI for a decent price other than all the dealers hidden fees. The tractor has performed ok with the exception of the bucket, which is the weakest most cheaply built bucket I have ever seen as well as a few other issues I will discuss later. I unfortunately bought the tractor from a dealer that only offers services at there shop and has no transport or onsite repair. So I have to arrange a trailer any time I want to bring the machine in for service as I don稚 own one myself. Luckily as a mechanical engineer with a well stocked shop I was able to repair all the issues myself but if you buy one of these machines be ready for repairs. I have had to repair the diff lock, the brake springs, the loader stick the HST return springs, several plugs that have become disconnected and weld the bucket cracks after removing several rocks. The machine for a 50hp unit runs much more like a 40hp tractor, torque is poor and the tractor bogs down on any hill even in medium speed with no PTO(3 speed HST). The horsepower weight and lift capacity seem to have been slightly exaggerated on the spec sheet, from my experience. The worst part of this is that now that I致e realized I need a larger machine or something different and looked to other dealers for trade-in value I致e literally been quoted a trade-in value half of what I paid 10 months ago with only 99 hrs.

My only comment is.. Kioti like Kubota and Deere, off different buckets for different applications and I always by the excavation bucket, not a material bucket. Difference is night and day. Your bucket issues stem from buying a light duty bucket versus buying a substantial one.

 

[John Skull]

I have had to repair the diff lock,

Can you elaborate on the diff lock problem and the repair? thx

 

[ckengine03]

The pin that holds the diff lock foot pedal to the lever fell out causing the pedal to become disconnected. It was an easy fix to replace the pin but it is in a hard to reach spot up under the machine.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Trade up to a larger Kioti. Sound like you are expecting more than what the tractor will handle. Your dealer is probably the one thats going to give you the best trade in. Ask for a 30 day trial. Return if not happy.

Very happy with my Kioti. Getting close to 850 hours on it. It does everything I ask it to do. I have learned what the tractor limitations are and dont ask it to do more.

I think we all would like a bigger and better one.

 

[DieselBound]

A reasonable take-away here is to make sure that your dealer has transport. That the OP's does not seems like a rather big warning sign. Granted that one doesn't expect to have a new machine to have issues, but reality often trumps expectation. I've had issues with my NX but they've, mostly, been fielded by the dealer: I only once had to foot a transport fee (which they reduced); I now have a capable setup to shuttle this tractor around if need be, so That cost is not there (but it's then/now my TIME). With 500hrs my tractor still does everything as it did when new. If I were to consider another Kioti given the history I've had with mine I'd say that I'm probably 80%+ on the YES side: problems I've had were somewhat made worse by the dealer, though eventually things have ended up in the acceptable category. Would another manufacturer's product, when considering actual value, be any better? Perhaps. But it could always be worse. Support, esp dealer, is a big part.

 

[Alien]

Mine is only a CK30 HST but it has been brilliant since I bought it new in 2006. A relay on the glow plugs stuck when it was new and flattened the battery. It was replaced and no problems since except for a split oil cooler. Should have been warranted but just too old.
I haven't had a problem with my bucket and I give it heck pushing and digging tree stumps etc. I have heard some bend their buckets but I can't complain.
I repaired my joystick for the FEL yesterday as I jumped off the tractor and the stick went up my shorts and it snapped the ball in the controls at the bottom of the stick. Only to be expected.
Sorry you are disappointed with your Kioti. I will be getting a larger machine in the future but I will not part with my CK30. I have lots of brush to push and some is just to big for my little bloke. I also need a 4 in 1 bucket badly.

 

[WoodDuck]

I looked at two Kioti dealerships in my area when I was tractor shopping. One was strictly a sales center, and did no service on tractors at all. Also told me they charged by the mile to deliver any tractor I bought from them. Pass. The other Kioti dealer was an actual legit sales and service center. They were able to answer all my questions, worked with me on pricing and attachments, and delivered it free to my driveway on a rollback flatbed truck. About 26 hours into using it, I lost all forward motion while working in the woods. Reverse worked fine, but there was no way to get it out of the woods in reverse; I needed to drive forwards to get out. Went through some troubleshooting over the phone with my dealer, on a Sunday afternoon no less, and deduced it was a faulty servo inside the transmission case. The next day, he came with another tractor to pull me out of the woods, then we loaded both tractors onto the flatbed to go back to the dealership. After the new servo arrived and was installed, he brought it right back to my driveway. All warranty, no cost to me. When my Kioti 3rd function valve came in, he brought it over, and we installed it in my driveway. Needless to say, I really like my dealer! I think that's the hardest part of buying your first tractor; finding a good servicing dealer that you really like. Find a good dealer, then buy the brand of tractor he sells. I looked at a Kubota dealership while tractor shopping also, but didn't get a great vibe from them. Good tractor with a so-so dealer wasn't going to work for me. Ended up with the Kioti NX5510 HST at considerably less cost instead. Having a dealer that gives you his personal cell number the day you buy the machine, gave me a lot of confidence too! All brands of machines have problems from time to time, it may not be so much you bought the wrong brand of machine, but the wrong dealer. If there's another dealership in your area with great service feedback from their customer's, I'd be tempted to switch to whatever their brand of tractor is. Sucks that there's no good way to do it without taking a big hit on the machine you have now though.

 

[Jstpssng]

I looked at two Kioti dealerships in my area when I was tractor shopping. One was strictly a sales center, and did no service on tractors at all. Also told me they charged by the mile to deliver any tractor I bought from them. Pass. The other Kioti dealer was an actual legit sales and service center. They were able to answer all my questions, worked with me on pricing and attachments, and delivered it free to my driveway on a rollback flatbed truck. About 26 hours into using it, I lost all forward motion while working in the woods. Reverse worked fine, but there was no way to get it out of the woods in reverse; I needed to drive forwards to get out. Went through some troubleshooting over the phone with my dealer, on a Sunday afternoon no less, and deduced it was a faulty servo inside the transmission case. The next day, he came with another tractor to pull me out of the woods, then we loaded both tractors onto the flatbed to go back to the dealership. After the new servo arrived and was installed, he brought it right back to my driveway. All warranty, no cost to me. When my Kioti 3rd function valve came in, he brought it over, and we installed it in my driveway. Needless to say, I really like my dealer! I think that's the hardest part of buying your first tractor; finding a good servicing dealer that you really like. Find a good dealer, then buy the brand of tractor he sells. I looked at a Kubota dealership while tractor shopping also, but didn't get a great vibe from them. Good tractor with a so-so dealer wasn't going to work for me. Ended up with the Kioti NX5510 HST at considerably less cost instead. Having a dealer that gives you his personal cell number the day you buy the machine, gave me a lot of confidence too! All brands of machines have problems from time to time, it may not be so much you bought the wrong brand of machine, but the wrong dealer. If there's another dealership in your area with great service feedback from their customer's, I'd be tempted to switch to whatever their brand of tractor is. Sucks that there's no good way to do it without taking a big hit on the machine you have now though.

That's the best advertising that any business can pay for.

 

[Peter 315]

Mine is only a CK30 HST but it has been brilliant since I bought it new in 2006. A relay on the glow plugs stuck when it was new and flattened the battery. It was replaced and no problems since except for a split oil cooler. Should have been warranted but just too old.
I haven't had a problem with my bucket and I give it heck pushing and digging tree stumps etc. I have heard some bend their buckets but I can't complain.
I repaired my joystick for the FEL yesterday as I jumped off the tractor and the stick went up my shorts and it snapped the ball in the controls at the bottom of the stick. Only to be expected.
Sorry you are disappointed with your Kioti. I will be getting a larger machine in the future but I will not part with my CK30. I have lots of brush to push and some is just to big for my little bloke. I also need a 4 in 1 bucket badly.

You learn you lesson about jumping off the tractor could have been a very bad situation with the joy stick and broken balls.........:laughing:

 

[Alien]

It was close Peter, very close.

 

[ckengine03]

rebeldad1

I did exactly that, I called another KIOTI dealer a bit farther away, That does offer service about stepping up to a RX tractor but he told me he was not interested in any trades on that model. So looks like I’m stuck unless I take a huge loss.

 

[bh10]

So this is a 10 month review of my Kioti DK5310 se cab tractor, and some hard lessons that I have learned. My background was dairy farming in my youth an then a sub compact Kubota owner for many years so I have run machines from 200 hp to 25 and everything in between.
To start out I got the KIOTI for a decent price other than all the dealers hidden fees. The tractor has performed ok with the exception of the bucket, which is the weakest most cheaply built bucket I have ever seen as well as a few other issues I will discuss later. I unfortunately bought the tractor from a dealer that only offers services at there shop and has no transport or onsite repair. So I have to arrange a trailer any time I want to bring the machine in for service as I don稚 own one myself. Luckily as a mechanical engineer with a well stocked shop I was able to repair all the issues myself but if you buy one of these machines be ready for repairs. I have had to repair the diff lock, the brake springs, the loader stick the HST return springs, several plugs that have become disconnected and weld the bucket cracks after removing several rocks. The machine for a 50hp unit runs much more like a 40hp tractor, torque is poor and the tractor bogs down on any hill even in medium speed with no PTO(3 speed HST). The horsepower weight and lift capacity seem to have been slightly exaggerated on the spec sheet, from my experience. The worst part of this is that now that I致e realized I need a larger machine or something different and looked to other dealers for trade-in value I致e literally been quoted a trade-in value half of what I paid 10 months ago with only 99 hrs.

I have the same tractor and I run it up and down the steepest mountains on the east coast and I dont have those problems. Sounds like you have a lemon or more a dealer problem, which sucks and Id be mad as well.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I am going to chime in and say I feel the pain of a new KIOTI. I bought a DK4710 about 16 months ago.It has about 225 hours on the clock. I like the tractor size and strength. I find it comfortable and well laid out. Here are some of the things I dont like.
Front axle guard fell off and was hit by mower first week.Had to bend it back in shape and reinstall.
gearshift knob fell off week 2
grill guard has to be released so the hood will open(lacks 1/2 inch clearing)
tractor runs a bit hot and radiator is quick to clog. (the radiator screen has holes that allow seed to go right through)
The grill guard opens enough to contact the cross member on the loader. (guess how I know)
tractor will just die after starting once every 10-12 starts. Cycle the key and it starts right back up.
I have had a couple hydraulic leaks at couplings that I had to remove and reseal. I have found this to be commonplace one most of the tractors I have had.
The bottom edge of my loader bucket is bent , but that might be on me.
The regen system is just weird. You can work it hard for 10 hours and when you load it on the trailer, the regen light will come on. Work with the loader all day at low rpms and never a regen warning.
every now and then, the throttle is totally unresponsive.
Who designs a seat that will not flip forward without a drain hole.

These are not big things and some could be on me, but seems like a lot of trouble from a newer tractor. I may be the guy that can tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer but I am disappointed.I am just not feeling the quality.