So, who is best? kioti, LS, or tym? Seems the tym really has diehard fans which means they must serve well and are so cheaply priced, does kioti need to cut costs to be competitive in s Korea? LS has a presence here too. Which Korean tractor is tops? I guess the best way to figure it out is to go over used sales on the internet…hold on, i got a runner on my joint…
so, we need to see who has the most used ones for sale with the highest hours, then churn through prices.
Alright, this is going to be out of my arse, but I'm generally on point. This is all based on my personal experiences with various brands, combined with what I've seen over the years I've been on these forums. So, take this all for what it's worth.
Locally, Branson (Kukje) and TYM were pretty close in price, but now they're one and all the world is a stage. I don't know what the future holds, but they're running some pretty competitive pricing right now. With their acquisition of Kukje, TYM now has their Rome, GA facility and has the ability to assemble even more machines in the United States. Add to that, they're now building their own engines in house. They're serious about the North American market, and I would expect them to be very aggressive in going after Kioti's market share.
Kioti has tried to situate themselves atop the Korean brands in terms of public perception; they, at least recently, were the 3rd largest selling brand of compact tractor in North America. Or maybe that was just in the U.S.? Either way, TYM is gunning for them. Kioti has priced themselves as the premium Korean tractor as well, and are very focused on ergonomics and features. Kioti is the export name for Daedong tractors, and that's the name on the engines. Daedong also produces the current line of Bobcat tractors, and they can often be found cheaper than their Kioti cousins- I often wonder if and of that price difference is in the differing loader and backhoe? Part of it, I'm sure, is due to both Bobcat trying to ingratiate themselves with the public, and Kioti's brand strategy.
LS is my wildcard; I just haven't been impressed with my local available dealers. The tractors are really nice, especially the premium machines. If I were buying an LS I'd probably buy a New Holland, as the dealer is an old Ford franchise that has been in business forever. CNH seems to have a better parts network, and that's something LS owners can absolutely take advantage of.
While I would argue that a good dealer is important no matter the brand, I believe it particularly true with the Korean and Indian brands. I'm less familiar with the assembly and delivery of Deere and Kubota, but I know that the Korean and Indian tractors come in broken down. There is a lot of dealer level assembly, so you want to really trust that service department. Also, a good dealer will fight hard for you in the event of a warranty claim.
For the record, I've got a great Massey dealer not 5 minutes away by truck. Why don't I have a MF? They don't have an 1825M; simple as that. From there I looked at Deere, Kubota, Kioti, and Branson; Deere didn't offer a 3025R, and I'm miffed at them over right-to-repair, so scratch that. The Kubota L2502 wasn't out yet, and I wasn't impressed with the ergonomics of the L2501. That left Branson and Kioti; I found the Kioti CK2610 to be more comfortable than the Branson 2515h, but I really liked the Kukje engine and stout build of the Branson. I liked both dealers, so I played them off one another, only to learn that TYM was purchasing Kukje. This sealed the deal in Kioti's favor because I knew the Branson dealer was going to be thrown under the bus by TYM, because they had a dealer of their own down the road. Sure enough, they were.
Anyhow, I'm a frigging nerd with these machines, it keeps me occupied.
