CK20

RSKY · Feb 2, 2011

Been looking for a year or more. May retire this spring and need a toy to play with. This forum seems to have more knowledge and experience that anywhere else I have found.

Three questions I need answered.

Will a CK20 pull a subsoiler? If not will a CK27?

Has anyone put a grapple on a CK20 or a CK27?

Shuttle Shift or Hydro?

See, just three simple questions, LOL.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

lockhaven · Feb 2, 2011

I would look at gear CK30, size is good in the woods and has enough power. If you look at some of the threads about the hydro being fast in high but no power and very slow when not in high, I'm happy I have a gear driven tractor.

Dmace · Feb 2, 2011

RSKY said:
Has anyone put a grapple on a CK20 or a CK27?

Shuttle Shift or Hydro?

I can't answer your question about sub soilers but a user on here (IslandTractor) had a grapple on his old CK20 and loved it. I'm sure he'll chime in with some great action photos.

As far as the transmission, the HST is great for loader work where you are back and forth a lot and in situations where you need to inch forward or back very carefully as the speed variable is infinite. With that said, it sounds like you will be doing more ground engaging work like running a sub soiler which is a better job for a manual tranny like the shuttle shift where you set the gear and let it run. You will get more HP from the PTO as well vs. the HST.
450 hours on my CK20HST and it's still an amazing machine! :thumbsup:

jimmyj · Feb 2, 2011

CK20 is a great tractor! I am not sure about the subsoiler but I think it may depend on your soil to some degree.

What are you going to do with the tractor? Certainly the CK20 can do a lot but the more you share the better the TBN'ers can help.

RSKY · Feb 2, 2011

I only have an acre lot that my house is on. But my two daughters need work done on their places and both my mother (150 acres on two farms) and father in law (40+ acres) have work that needs done. I have access to a larger tractor, 50+ hp, for bush-hogging and cultivation. What I need is a plaything to move limbs, till small gardens, move dirt and mulch, and generally play on. Some retirees buy bass boats or Harleys and there is nothing wrong with that. I think I can get a small tractor with implements and a trailer to move them for less money. And in five to ten years I can sell it and get most of my money back.

What I don't want to do is get something that is too small to do the work I want to do. And I don't want to tie money up in a tractor larger than I need, so big it will tear up yards and be too bulky to get in the places I need to get into.

I have priced a DK20 with FEL, tiller, box blade and trailer. I have also priced a Kubota B2320 with the same implements. The Kioti won out because of: (1) price, (2) higher FEL capacity, and (3) weight of tractor.

This will be a retirement toy. Not a money producer.

JDL538 · Feb 2, 2011

I agree with the ck 30 very good all around tractor, can't beat them.
Subsoiler you could easily pull one with the 20.

fcamillieri · Feb 2, 2011

I made a ripper that my CK20HST has no problem pulling though rocky NE dirt. But big rocks and roots will stop it. I find the CK20 a nice size to get around in the woods, much better than my Ford 3000 and it doesn't tear up my lawn too much with industrial tires.

NOTV8 · Feb 2, 2011

Did you look also on a Bobcat to compare? They are twins but... check it out.

RSKY · Feb 3, 2011

No Bobcat dealer around that I know of. NH dealer two miles from my house but he is pricey on his small tractors. Large JD dealer five miles away. They sell combines and 150+ hp tractors by the dozens. They aren't too interested in selling a CUT. Three Kubota dealers within 25 miles. They are very proud of their tractors. The Kioti dealer is about 35 miles away and I believe he sells more than any other dealer in the U.S.. Very good reputation for dealing and service.

I probably won't go any larger than the CK27 or 30. Just don't want to tie up too much money especially since I will (hopefully) soon be taking early retirement.

Also will be towing tractor around with a Toyota RAV4. It's not rated to tow much more than the 20.

What I really want to do is talk to CK20 owners and find out what they can and can't do with their tractors. Then I will decide whether or not to pay the extra bucks to get the CK27 or CK30.

RSKY

Dmace · Feb 3, 2011

RSKY said:
What I really want to do is talk to CK20 owners and find out what they can and can't do with their tractors. Then I will decide whether or not to pay the extra bucks to get the CK27 or CK30.

RSKY

Besides lifting more than about 1200lbs in the bucket, there is nothing I can't do with my little CK20. It may take a little more time vs a larger machine like using a 4ft boxblade instead of a 5 or 6ft and a 6.5ft backhoe vs a 7.5 or 8ft but it will do everything I need it to.
I can set the teeth on the boxblade as low as they go and the only thing that stops my tractor is a large rock or root and even then I can sometimes just lift the 3pt hitch and rip the rock or root right out of the ground! The 5ft rear snowblower will eat through the toughest snow banks I can find and the backhoe is so powerful that I strap the tractor to a tree or my truck so it doesn't pull me into the hole.

This little tractor is tough as nails and will run an 8 hr day on about 4 gallons of diesel or less!