dk-50

treesawer · May 1, 2003

My 1st time on this site. Lots of research on Kioti brand,serious about a dk-50(no cab),need to finish mow & work around my sawmill. Will it pull 25" oak logs from the woods ok? A local seller has 1 in stock for $16K. What kinds of advice can readers give me pro & con by all means.

Paul

Anonymous Poster · May 2, 2003

How large of a diameter are the logs, typically. also how steep are the hills ? Makes a big difference. The power should be there for the job if the traction and stability are. This depends greatly on how steep the slopes are. Do you have a logging arch ? If not you might want to check into one, they make the job much easier and safer.

markie61 · May 2, 2003

Talk to this guy woodmills . He apparenly logs for a living using a much smaller Kioti (like the 25 or 30hp LK). Check out some of the pictures he has posted.

There have been quite a few posts over the past 6 months on skidding logs. Do a search and you will find some great tips.

BTW, the DK50 was high on my list for tractors when shopping. It is big, powerful, and I love the sound of the turbo whine.

Mark

treesawer · May 2, 2003

I am in central NC so no real steep hills here for log pulling & I am familiar with log arch hauling but don't own 1 yet,may make one myself though.
I guess my main concern is, is this Kioti brand & model Dk-50 a good value for my dollar. I am a buyer who likes to make an informed purchase & don't want to buy 3 tractors to finally get what I really should of bought to start with. This brand looks as weel made as a Kubota too. I am also looking at the R-4 commercial tires,any comments on their traction ability,thought they would be better on my fields lawn when finish mowing.
All comments welcome.
Paul

markie61 · May 2, 2003

It is a VERY good value - BUT: it depends on your dealer. I had a couple Kioti dealers quote more than the big 3 tractor companies. I had small dealers quote great prices, but didn't have a shop to work on them. Dealer is VERY important.

You are in a unique position, since Kioti's main US office is in NC. Parts and support are physically not very far away.

To nit-pick what I looked at in Nov/Dec: I think the seat could be better quality. I think the tilt-wheel adjustment handle is suspect. Other than that, I don't remember anything that wasn't world class. I could nitpick and find other problems with ANY brand, but if you like the tractor AND the dealer AND you get it for significantly less than other brands, you will probably be happy.

As far as the tire debate: Ags definitely mark up the ground, but provide good traction. R4s mark up the ground too, but to a much less extent. They will slip and dig in when under load, but I rarely run out of traction. I am still playing with air pressure to find a happy medium. If you fill them with liquid, R4's hold more and therefore more weight.

Hope this helps,
Mark

woodmills1 · May 3, 2003

here is a load of pine that the kioti and the stihl had no problem with.

RedDog · May 3, 2003

treesawer,

I think the Kioti brand is an excellent value /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. The way they look had a large part in my decision. They look very well made, and beefy.

I ordered mine with the ag's, but ended up with the r-4's. The R's are terrific,, very good traction and in my opinion more puncture resistant. I use mine to finish mow also.

If you are worried about traction,, look at the DK65. The front diff lock makes a big difference!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

RedDog <font color="orange"> Kioti DK65 </font>