CK35 Burned Out It's Clutch AGAIN?!

[RickB]

Second to that is improper adjustment - that would be the same as riding the clutch.

I really have to wonder about that 60 hour clutch adjustment.

Perfectly understandable given the average 130 hour clutch life this tractor has. Free play is probably gone before 60 hours.

 

[airbiscuit]

Perfectly understandable given the average 130 hour clutch life this tractor has. Free play is probably gone before 60 hours.

Perfectly understandable given the average 130 hour clutch life this OPERATOR has.

 

[fried1765]

60 hours? That's like, what, 4-5 years for you?

I agree with the comment about lack of use. Dry clutches need use to stay free and clean just like brakes. Put a new clutch in it and use it! That or get a lawn mower.

My old Fords were built with dry clutches.
The 8N is 59 years old, and RARELY gets used.
THOSE dry clutches still work NORMALLY for me!

 

[RickB]

60 hours? That's like, what, 4-5 years for you?

I agree with the comment about lack of use. Dry clutches need use to stay free and clean just like brakes. Put a new clutch in it and use it! That or get a lawn mower.

There's no report of the clutch being stuck, which is the only significant potential consequence of long term non-use of a dry clutch.

 

[k0ua]

Bottom line: What in the Sam Hill cause this clutch to fail.. twice?

 

[RickB]

Operator failure; excessive slippage caused by improper gear selection and/or using the clutch pedal as a footrest. Guesses, but highly probable.

 

[ptsg]

Operator failure; excessive slippage caused by improper gear selection and/or using the clutch pedal as a footrest. Guesses, but highly probable.

Pretty much. Or trying to do delicate loader work with the engine wide open and feathering the clutch till it can't take it anymore like I've seen on Youtube. The list goes on and on.

 

[Tinhack]

There's no report of the clutch being stuck, which is the only significant potential consequence of long term non-use of a dry clutch.

I never said it was "stuck". Unused clutches form rust on the flywheel. Sometimes they stick, sometimes times they don't. Rust is like 80-grit sandpaper. That rust can wear a clutch down in no time. And it gets worse as the flywheel gets pitted.

But, suit yourself. Sounds like you bought a tractor to impress the neighbors not to do work.

Go buy a Hydra-static tractor. They cost more and would surely impress everyone.

 

[RickB]

I never said it was "stuck". Unused clutches form rust on the flywheel. Sometimes they stick, sometimes times they don't. Rust is like 80-grit sandpaper. That rust can wear a clutch down in no time. And it gets worse as the flywheel gets pitted.

But, suit yourself. Sounds like you bought a tractor to impress the neighbors not to do work.

Go buy a Hydra-static tractor. They cost more and would surely impress everyone.

60 hours? That's like, what, 4-5 years for you?

I agree with the comment about lack of use. Dry clutches need use to stay free and clean just like brakes. Put a new clutch in it and use it! That or get a lawn mower.

Go play word games with somebody else, Mr. Hack.
It isn't my tractor, and sitting parked didn't fail his clutch.

 

[AGTtactical]

So, I am just going to bite the bullet and trade it in on a John Deere or Kubota, which is what I should have bought to begin with! So any thoughts from anyone on which tractor is decidedly better or is it pretty much just a toss up? Thanks for any input.

I have a Kubota Grand L6060 HST with 3 hydraulic remotes, and no bucket. Its the first tractor I ever bought new (0% financing), and I absolutely love it, and so does my wife. In fact, its so easy to use that she does nearly all the mowing now. I have a large flail mower and lots of hills, so the horsepower is perfect. And its a joy to move around trees without the bucket (I have a Kubota SVL-95 for bucket work). I got the canopy/open cab which I much prefer on a tractor here in GA...no windows to clean, and I can see better all around the tractor. With zero % financing, I get my money invested and earned far more buying new than what I would have saved buying used. Watch some of the videos on JD vs. Kubota. I WANTED to buy a JD, but after lots of research, settled on Kubota, which was really an easy choice in the end.

 

[massey240]

I have broken many small and large tractors apart for clutch replacements. The Kioti and Belarus usually don't wear out the clutch but sheer all the rivets that hold the center section to the clutch itself. They don't like sudden impacts and will snap easily with a clutch dump or implement hitting something and suddenly stopping the tractor. It's a poor design and weak

 

[milligan36]

I get my clutch parts from www.tractorjoe.com They show several Kioti parts

 

[jabelding]

I have a 2014 tier3 CK35 400+ hours on it and haven't need to adjust the clutch yet. Yes it does have a hook that will allow you to disengage the clutch for long term storage. The biggest issue is if your in a humid environment the flywheel will rust and can build up large rust areas in the slots between the clutch disc pads. Then when you use the tractor these act like a cheese grater for your clutch discs. Where if the clutch is left disengaged the flywheel will rust lightly all over and less chance of having a severe area of rust. Is the tractor stored outside?

 

[dannoGT]

Bottom line: What in the Sam Hill cause this clutch to fail.. twice?

Exactly....... Why did it fail?...... I had a co-worker that had a brand new Ford Taurus SHO and Ford replaced the clutch 6 times under warranty ......everybody on the planet accused him of abusing clutch! Dont know how to shift! ....finally Ford warranty people sent Ford engineering to look at car while it was getting clutch #6 and they discovered that when engine was machined that the surface for bell housing was not at right angle to crankshaft so the whole thing was tipped just enough to eat clutch! Ford replaced engine and transmission under warranty. Had nothing to do with how it was being operated! It wasn't machined correctly! Find root cause of problem!

 

[joe48]

Just put a new clutch in it. See if there’s a heavy duty one available. Then you will be good for another 10 years, at the rate your currently using it... Dutchy

If you're going to repair take the old clutch to a repair shop that rebuilds clutches for race cars have them analyze it and rebuild it. Could be weak springs, poor or soft facings. The other thing is why didn't you adjust it , 15 minute job in your yard, sounds like you have knowledge to do that.
Next and don't take offense but it really sounds to me like operator abuse too. I know you've gotten 25yrs on your truck, but driving a truck and doing loader and and other work with a tractor are completely different animals of clutch use. Tractor work just naturally requires some slipping the clutch. Now just to clarify my experience I started driving tractors at 8yrs old on the farm did ever farm job you can think of including much loader work with hand clutches and foot clutches. We never had to replace a clutch. We didn't have any tractors with torque converters or hydro's( weren't invented yet, IH was just starting to experiment with hydro).
To finish Don't blame the Kioti ( I have 2 and would buy another one if in market) just trade for a hydro model. You'll be able to get the best tradein with a Kioti dealer than you will any other make.
Good luck.

 

[jimfx]

26 years of dealership work here. It's not a matter of what the OP does WITH his tractor. It's all about what he does TO his tractor.

It’s hard to say what is going on here without actually watching how it’s used.
I had a new 4 wheel drive Toyota truck that start grinding gears at 30,000 miles. The dealer said is was due to how I drove it. I never went 4 wheeling and always drove it gently.
I did the repair myself.
Then at 60,000 it happened again.
I did the repair again.
I sold it before it hit 90,000.

My point is it may be you or it could be something else is going on.
The question would seem to be what is more meaningful, the money to fix it again... being less than a new tractor or the satisfaction of getting something different that may be both more suitable and reliable.

 

[lilranch2001]

If Kioti, (and Bobcat ) tractors had bad clutches, you would be reading these stories daily....

How often have you heard such stories above and beyond Kioti and Bobcat?

I am quite sure there is something about this particular instance causing the issue

 

[rScotty]

I have a 2014 tier3 CK35 400+ hours on it and haven't need to adjust the clutch yet. Yes it does have a hook that will allow you to disengage the clutch for long term storage. The biggest issue is if your in a humid environment the flywheel will rust and can build up large rust areas in the slots between the clutch disc pads. Then when you use the tractor these act like a cheese grater for your clutch discs. Where if the clutch is left disengaged the flywheel will rust lightly all over and less chance of having a severe area of rust. Is the tractor stored outside?

That's what I was going to say. I have seen that clutch disengagement hook on all our compact tractors (4 of them now over the last 40 years). I've never used and never had a problem. But our climate is dry desert.

There has to be a reason why all the manufacturers put that hook there to disengage the clutch when parked. If you don't use it, the clutch stays engaged when not being run and maybe that leads to rust.

rScotty

 

[ArthurHA]

I last posted in 2012 about this same issue so I just wanted to post again to warn future buyers of small Kioti tractors that my model stinks. Here's a synopsis: in 2012, my 2009 CK35 had 122 hours on it when it suddenly stopped moving. Turned out the clutch shredded itself but it was under warranty so it was a free repair job. Fast forward 8+ years later and my tractor now has a whopping 235 hours on it. But sadly, the clutch burned up in it today, AGAIN! And no, I do not ride the clutch. I've had stick shifts for 46 years and my 25 year old truck still has its original clutch! Anyway, unfortunately, this time I have to pay the repair bill. So, I am just going to bite the bullet and trade it in on a John Deere or Kubota, which is what I should have bought to begin with! So any thoughts from anyone on which tractor is decidedly better or is it pretty much just a toss up? Thanks for any input.

That can be expensive repair, I have been in the construction and woodland farming for over 50 years, and I have never had a clutch problem, I found with the forward/reverse levers, I did not have to use the clutch very often, The tractor I have now, a Yanmar 359, has a clutch, but after putting 200 hours on it, I have never used the clutch, so if and when your next tractor comes along, make sure you have a forward/reverse lever to use.

 

[hvacbilly]

Sounds like a bad pressure plate?