As far as breakdowns or repairs:
Severe: A seal popped out while parked during a severe cold spell between the HST and rear axle which caused it do dump 10 gallons of oil on the ground and the tractor was unable to move. It required a split at the dealer to repair. They had to do it 2x because it leaked after the first try. It still drips maybe a few drops a week but I wasn’t going to make them do it again for that.
Medium: The starter relay stopped working intermittently. This was a real struggle because we didn’t know what was wrong and it wouldn’t stay broke long enough to test everything with the meter. Finally figured out the glow plug and starter relays were the same and swapped them out. Starter worked after that and I got a new relay. The pins that hold the pivot pins in place on the loader get knocked out and if you don’t catch it you lose the pivot pin as well. Have had this happen maybe 3x. I think newer ones have bolts that hold the pivot pins instead of clips. The throttle cable lever was welded crooked from the factory and it put the throttle cable at a bad angle in the dash. After the 2nd cable broke we tore it all apart and “fixed it right” no problems since. The loader joystick pivot balls have teflon on them and one wore out causing no control of the loader/floppy stick. I “made” a new ball by putting it in JB weld then “turning” it in the drill press to make a new round ball. Ordered 3 new replacements for the spare parts box but the JB weld has been working no issues for a year now. The seat has worn out 2x now. The seat suspension system broke and collapsed because it was welded upside down originally and water/rust collected in the parts. I rebuilt it with various steel parts all welded up and no issues. One front axle seal leaked when we bought it. I fixed it and no issues for years and now both sides started leaking but seems less now after a front axle oil change so maybe the oil was too thin.
Minor issues: Both sides of the 3 point adjustable stabilizers have broken where there was a stud welded in a U-shaped bracket. I ground the stud out and put a bolt through the hole - problem fixed. One of the ears welded to the ROPS for the same adjustable stabilizer bracket bent but hasn’t caused and problem. The PTO shaft cover needs tightened cause it falls down while you are hooking up the shaft. Something on the main hydraulic pump leaks a small amount but not enough to worry about. One engine cooling hose got a pinhole leak near the oil filter. I was able to have the guys at NAPA take it to the back and find one with a similar curve to cut out to replace it. The hazzard flashers have quit working only on the right side but I found you can turn on the hazards and the right turn signal and then you have all 4 flashing. The engine fuel stop solenoid has quit working after a struggling bout with the jump start box/dead battery. You have to pull the emergency fuel stop lever out to kill the engine now which is kinda handy because it won’t throw you over the steering wheel if you bump the key anymore. The rear brake lights stick ON quite a bit which causes the rear lenses to get soft and melt/warp due to bulb heat. I tried to cross the bulbs to some LEDs but don’t think I found the right ones. The headlight lens yellowed so bad the lights were dim - replaced with new headlight assembly. The “C” shaped links on the loader all 4 bent one time possibly due to a fence post collision. The loader frame is also twisted to the right due to ex destroying a different post with the bucket while mowing. The 6 square bale
grapple is very heavy and has caused several O-rings to blow out at the loader hydraulic block. I got some better O rings and they are holding up.
Misc Annoyances etc: The ignition key is in a HORRIBLE spot. Driving over bumps causes you to bump your knee onto the key which immediately shuts the engine down and almost throws you over the steering wheel (location changed on newer models?). The rear three point lift/lower lever is too short which I fixed by adding a 6” piece of flat stock bolted to it and put the rubber handle back on. The high/medium/low gear changer will occasionally be hard to get into the gear you want requiring you to drive forward and back a bit sometimes to get it in. Luckily 2nd is a good all-around gear. 1st is only used if you really need to ram the loader in to get a full scoop of gravel or dirt. 3rd is highway only gear. There has been an intermittent bearing race noise possibly from the alternator for YEARS guess that is just how it sounds. The hydraulic oil fill tube is small and short. Luckily it is NPT pipe threads (everything else is metric???) so I got some pipe parts and made a longer/larger spout just to use for filling. Some of the grease fittings for the brake pedal are angled bad so you can’t grease them.
Good Stuff: Engine has plenty of power. It only bogs in deep grass mowing up a steep incline in 2nd gear or if you take too big of a bite with the loader while in 4x4 with good traction. The HST transmission seems bulletproof. The clutch works very nicely. The 3 point can lift a ****-ton of weight. The tractor is SOLID - I have a Case-New Holland 9 ft 59C backhoe that I made mounts for to use on the CK30. This backhoe is for a 40 horse minimum tractor. I’ve broken the backhoe 2x and the tractor 0 times with it. Tractor ground clearance and traction in 4x4 is good - never gotten it stuck even in deep mud. Pulling power in 1st is impressive - pulled a loaded freight liner box truck out of the mud effortlessly. Also pulled a loaded F250 with 24ft loaded hay trailer out of the mud. The HST and loader are quick easy and precise for any tight quarters loader work. Got a steering wheel spinner knob and it is awesome. Engine starts and runs great. Only overheats when doing hard work in high temps if your radiator screens are dirty.
Keep in mind this is all on an 18 year old tractor that is worked regularly. 100% happy with it. If I had a choice of a do-over I would go one or 2 sizes bigger 35 or 40 only for the higher front loader weight capacity. Whatever you do make sure you get an HST. Will post more if I think of anything else.
