Korean tractor dilemma

[caleb90]

The hydrostatic pump is probably a purchased assembly from a OEM MFG and bolted in on the assembly line. I came from major automation. Most things like this are purchase components. Which can lead to difficulty getting parts.

As for South Korea. We had a huge gm line over there for powertrain. It was one of the best jobs we ever had and smoothest. Plant was amazing from what I heard and was one of the fastest to get up and running. I spent 7 years traveling the world installing machines, seeing others process. I have plenty of faith in Korean built tractors. Our laws may muck them up a bit with emissions etc , support may seem distant. But they make good products and quality.

I’ve seen plenty of new parts out of the box bad. Imagine shutting down a production line for 8 hours to install a $36000 spindle only to find out it’s bad internally from new. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are lost and another shift. We all have to face the growing pains.

Friends with the local kubota dealer/owners. Seen and heard enough head scratchers from them as well.

Pick your poison and how much weight out of the wallet you care to loose and work to happiness. Unfortunate it’s that way but it happens. I couldn’t justify the $20k more for a kubota with the options I needed. These are tools and part of our jobs for some of us. So valuable consideration goes into the purchase of these units. Especially when you get north of 50k.

I think a good majority of issues are how people use them. They think Hp/implement size when that’s completely wrong. Your ground will determine your needs. I have heavy clay here and it’s abusive and hard on equipment. Eats a lot of hp ,hard to dig in etc. Always step up a bit bigger then you think you need if you can afford it. My mt5 sure has great loader specs. Stick it in this clay and you will easily bend a frame if you abuse it. Moving loose material not a problem all day.

Hopefully you will find something you are satisfied with in the end.

Korean buily gm vehicles have had a host of issues, the plants has lost money since the mid 2010's and didnt they shutdown in 2022? Not sure if they got back up n going yet or not

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I would say your experience is unique. Most owners have hundreds of hours on TYM and LS machines without a hiccup.

This is the exception

 

[tradosaurus]

So, I will defend our OP, to a limited degree; regardless of our opinions, he is voting with his money, which is 100% fine.

Now, what I won't really defend is the idea that Korean stuff is junk... That's a ridiculous statement. You realize the cea0 made in the US, Europe, Canada or pick your region. Japan makes crap too. At the same time, some "crap" 3rd world places are turning out true 1st tier stuff.

Almost everyone knows Toyota is associated with quality. The chance you get problems or a lemon with Japanese autos or tractors is much lower than GM or Korean built.

 

[sd455dan]

Not so sure on the engines that came out of toyotas factory for some truck models. Pretty big job and recall to R&R an engine on the new Toyota trucks

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/business/toyota-recall-trucks-luxury-suvs-engines-stalling/index.html

Farewell Toyota and Lexus - Over 98.000 cars Recalled for Engine Failure - here's the list of Models

Toyota is facing one of its most expensive and complex recalls after discovering a defect in the V-6 twin-turbocharged engines powering both the Tundra pickup

unionrayo.com

Just a little engine stalling- that requires an engine replacement.

I do Respect Toyota doing the stand Up thing and taking responsibility to fix the problem even though it will be expensive for the company.

I can Not say that happened for Flying Highs Father and their purchase of a new TYM.


Only a few threads on this forum make a guy feel a bit ill, that thread qualifies and TYM's handling of it and service as well.

 

[ptsg]

I would say your experience is unique. Most owners have hundreds of hours on TYM and LS machines without a hiccup.

This is the exception

Over here in Portugal, is more in the thousands of hours. A lot people use these "junk Korean" tractors on daily basis, doing some hard work.

Using all kinds of ground engagement attachments, chisel plows, subsoilers, plows. Pulling loaded trailers all over. Cutting brush that a lot of people in the US would only dare to put a skidsteer with a mulcher on that kind of stuff. Yet, they take it and keep going.

I'm sure there are some issues here and there, fixed by a competent dealer and importer, and it's good to go again. This applies to any brands really.

I've shared on forum before, LS with 7000 hours, TYM with 4500 hours, currently there is a Kioti DK6010 for sale with 2000 hours, which is nothing really. There is supposed to be a Branson with close to 10k hours, a dealer told me.

Right now it's grape harvest time. So they're everywhere on the road pulling trailers fully loaded with grapes for the wineries.

 

[newkiotiguy]

What in your mind makes you think you should be anywhere besides the bottom of the list? I would never buy a tractor from a dealer that didn't prioritize the customer that bought from them. You saved $500 by going somewhere else and this is what happens. Quit bitching about it, this is 100% on you being a cheap moron. Sorry but that's how it is

 

[caleb90]

What in your mind makes you think you should be anywhere besides the bottom of the list? I would never buy a tractor from a dealer that didn't prioritize the customer that bought from them. You saved $500 by going somewhere else and this is what happens. Quit bitching about it, this is 100% on you being a cheap moron. Sorry but that's how it is

Mmmm more like saved 4g... but thats besides the point. Shouldnt matter where you buy it. Any dealer that operates the way you say it should wont last long. Poof there goes another no name dealer. Also its being smart to shop for the best deal. A moron wouldnt shop for the best deal. More than likly you over paid and your dealer will still blow you off

 

[paulsharvey]

Ok, so, what does the LS warranty say about speedy repairs, right to get independent repairs, ect? I mean if it sits for another week or two, and the dealer hasn't atleast ordered the part, is there a way to look at your other options. If the dealer Has ordered the part, and is waiting, it could be 6 weeks before it ships on the container ship, goes through customs, gets on ground transport, and makes it's way to the dealer for install.

How bad is/was the leak? Is it catastrophic? Is it a dribble, or a small stain after a couple days?

 

[paulsharvey]

What in your mind makes you think you should be anywhere besides the bottom of the list? I would never buy a tractor from a dealer that didn't prioritize the customer that bought from them. You saved $500 by going somewhere else and this is what happens. Quit bitching about it, this is 100% on you being a cheap moron. Sorry but that's how it is

So, according to the warranty card I googled; he has to take it to the "closest authorized LS Tractor USA dealers place of business". Not the original seller.

 

[newkiotiguy]

So, according to the warranty card I googled; he has to take it to the "closest authorized LS Tractor USA dealers place of business". Not the original seller.

And they can put him on the list. Exactly like they did. He can cry all he wants is not going to help. They will get to it when there customers are helped.

 

[newkiotiguy]

Mmmm more like saved 4g... but thats besides the point. Shouldnt matter where you buy it. Any dealer that operates the way you say it should wont last long. Poof there goes another no name dealer. Also its being smart to shop for the best deal. A moron wouldnt shop for the best deal. More than likly you over paid and your dealer will still blow you off

No I didn't. I bought from a dealer that has been around almost a decade and got a better price than anywhere else. You bought specifically for price. Bad choice.

 

[ruffdog]

Almost everyone knows Toyota is associated with quality.

You haven't been keeping up with the latest issues that Toyota products have. The new Tundra engines having to be replaced (debris) and the old v-8s with major head gasket issues. The Tacoma also has issues with rear axle debris and transmissions. Quality is a perception that can be easily lost.

 

[caleb90]

Ok, so, what does the LS warranty say about speedy repairs, right to get independent repairs, ect? I mean if it sits for another week or two, and the dealer hasn't atleast ordered the part, is there a way to look at your other options. If the dealer Has ordered the part, and is waiting, it could be 6 weeks before it ships on the container ship, goes through customs, gets on ground transport, and makes it's way to the dealer for install.

How bad is/was the leak? Is it catastrophic? Is it a dribble, or a small stain after a couple days?

Calling regional rep tomorrow. Will see what he has to say. Its been a month, if they cant get some thing figured out soon i will be pushing for a buy back. Not going to be making payments on something thats sitting at the dealer for months. If it was a car or truck i could already push the lemon law

 

[D&D]

Calling regional rep tomorrow. Will see what he has to say. Its been a month, if they cant get some thing figured out soon i will be pushing for a buy back. Not going to be making payments on something thats sitting at the dealer for months. If it was a car or truck i could already push the lemon law

Good luck

Is That Tractor Really a Lemon? – Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association

www.farmequip.org

 

[polarred21]

Regardless of which dealer it is, they would be seeing my face very often and look me in the eyes when they tell me they haven't looked at it.

These are some horror stories I read here, people waiting months and months for repair, mostly waiting on long lead time parts.

But I'm enjoying this Korean thread, eye opening.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, a company I used to work for, had a fleet of maybe 12-18 1/2t pickups, and 2 Dodge-5500 trucks with vacuum excavation bodies. Anyways, the head of the office vehicle pool had a habit of just dropping trucks off at dealer (or ring power for vac truck issues), and not even bothering to talk to them. Kinda trucks in the yard, keys in the box, fix it, approach. Always took forever; and I really think it's cause they assumed we weren't in a hurry, cause if it mattered, there would be a lot more rush. Bad part, those vac trucks cost us $3500/day in revenue everytime they were down.

 

[Mud2Money]

Korean buily gm vehicles have had a host of issues, the plants has lost money since the mid 2010's and didnt they shutdown in 2022? Not sure if they got back up n going yet or not

They closed one plant yes , but they expanded the plant in Seoul. Many hear the cuts gm makes but not the growth. Over the last decade gm has closed smaller isolated plants and expanded its larger hubs. I tore out every gm powertrain line with a Comau Cnc , re tooled and installed them as new lines in Tonawanda and St cats , ont. Brazil did much the same. Closed two plants and moved it to the 3rd.

Now as of covid times everything’s lost some quality. Hence why my previous post I said pick the unit your happy with and grow through it. Even million dollar machines have issues. We have had jobs I had to go back over the course of a few years to service some random things that should not have failed but did. Eventually they settle in and run for 1000s of hours trouble free.

 

[paulsharvey]

My hope for the OP is that they get him taken care of here shortly, and he keeps the machine while looking for his perfect match. Honestly, I also hope once fixed it serves him well, and we hear back in a year or 5 that he is happy with machine despite the problem. Might not happen, but

 

[caleb90]

So to go along with how alot of these dealers are fly by night and or have no business selling tractors. There is a TYM dealer not far from me that does not even have a service department. I stopped there to get filters when i had my tym but they did not have filters in stock for the unit i had. Wonder what happens if you buy a tractor from them your sol if it breaks?

 

[ruffdog]

Different makes have different requirements to become a dealer. Normally, the big name brands require a better building, signage, parts dept, service dept, training, service tools, manuals, equipment, etc. When I was working at a dealer, picking up another brand amounted to quite an outlay of money to satisfy the requirements. I have been surprised at how little some of the off brands require to be a dealer. It is no surprise that these type dealers are not up to the task of real service work.