KIOTI buyer beware

[ckengine03]

So this is a 10 month review of my Kioti DK5310 se cab tractor, and some hard lessons that I have learned. My background was dairy farming in my youth an then a sub compact Kubota owner for many years so I have run machines from 200 hp to 25 and everything in between.
To start out I got the KIOTI for a decent price other than all the dealers hidden fees. The tractor has performed ok with the exception of the bucket, which is the weakest most cheaply built bucket I have ever seen as well as a few other issues I will discuss later. I unfortunately bought the tractor from a dealer that only offers services at there shop and has no transport or onsite repair. So I have to arrange a trailer any time I want to bring the machine in for service as I don稚 own one myself. Luckily as a mechanical engineer with a well stocked shop I was able to repair all the issues myself but if you buy one of these machines be ready for repairs. I have had to repair the diff lock, the brake springs, the loader stick the HST return springs, several plugs that have become disconnected and weld the bucket cracks after removing several rocks. The machine for a 50hp unit runs much more like a 40hp tractor, torque is poor and the tractor bogs down on any hill even in medium speed with no PTO(3 speed HST). The horsepower weight and lift capacity seem to have been slightly exaggerated on the spec sheet, from my experience. The worst part of this is that now that I致e realized I need a larger machine or something different and looked to other dealers for trade-in value I致e literally been quoted a trade-in value half of what I paid 10 months ago with only 99 hrs.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm sorry that you've had such bad luck with your tractor. Like most major tractor brands , Kiotis generally leave the shop and never go back until they are tired and get traded. Unfortunately every brand has it's lemons... even Kubota if the rumors I hear are true.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Aside from that, selling any low hour tractor is usually an eye opening experience.

 

[grsthegreat]

Yes, very odd. My dk45 cab has had very, very few problems. Some sort of rodent ate thru the fuel tank, the horn had to be replaced with something that did not sound like a vw bug. Hmmm, let me see now... the tow hook had to be rewelded. I had to replace the stop solenoid under warranty.... and thats it. I have about 1,400 hours on it. I could sell it for more than i paid for it as i got it at a great price and theres no tier4 garbage on it.

I have routinely dug and hauled all sorts of junk with it and have lifted over 2,500 pounds with it with the use of a rear ballast box and filled rear tires.

No broken welds, have retorqued loader 1 time. I marked bolts and marks have not moved.

 

[paulfun9]

Sorry to hear about your problems! Seems very odd that the majority of Kioti Owners have had little to NO issues with thier machines!
Myself after owning most other brands before going with Kioti, I would lean heavily toward the Kioti again and most likely wouldn’t even bother looking at a kubota or JD if I was to purchase a new tractor. Yes it has been that good of an experiance with zero problems and it’s been used as hard and in many cases harder than the tractors I owned before it. Power wise it’s right there with everything else and if I was to guess at the things like lift capacity, as my friend put it when he operated it back to back with his JD “this thing has some balls” that’s because his comparable JD could not get that boulder out and onto his trailer no matter how hard he tried but my Kioti simply picked it up and set it right where he wanted it. My best guess on it is the lift spec is it may actually lift a little more then they say it can.

 

[ckengine03]

I appreciate the feed back, I bought the KIOTI originally because of all the good reviews that I read many of them here I guess I just got a problem child.

 

[coobie]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Aside from that, selling any low hour tractor is usually an eye opening experience.

Yes you do.I have had small issues with my Deere & Kubota products.But NONE with my Kioti.

 

[5030]

So this is a 10 month review of my Kioti DK5310 se cab tractor, and some hard lessons that I have learned. My background was dairy farming in my youth an then a sub compact Kubota owner for many years so I have run machines from 200 hp to 25 and everything in between.
To start out I got the KIOTI for a decent price other than all the dealers hidden fees. The tractor has performed ok with the exception of the bucket, which is the weakest most cheaply built bucket I have ever seen as well as a few other issues I will discuss later. I unfortunately bought the tractor from a dealer that only offers services at there shop and has no transport or onsite repair. So I have to arrange a trailer any time I want to bring the machine in for service as I don稚 own one myself. Luckily as a mechanical engineer with a well stocked shop I was able to repair all the issues myself but if you buy one of these machines be ready for repairs. I have had to repair the diff lock, the brake springs, the loader stick the HST return springs, several plugs that have become disconnected and weld the bucket cracks after removing several rocks. The machine for a 50hp unit runs much more like a 40hp tractor, torque is poor and the tractor bogs down on any hill even in medium speed with no PTO(3 speed HST). The horsepower weight and lift capacity seem to have been slightly exaggerated on the spec sheet, from my experience. The worst part of this is that now that I致e realized I need a larger machine or something different and looked to other dealers for trade-in value I致e literally been quoted a trade-in value half of what I paid 10 months ago with only 99 hrs.

My only comment is.. Kioti like Kubota and Deere, off different buckets for different applications and I always by the excavation bucket, not a material bucket. Difference is night and day. Your bucket issues stem from buying a light duty bucket versus buying a substantial one.

 

[John Skull]

I have had to repair the diff lock,

Can you elaborate on the diff lock problem and the repair? thx

 

[ckengine03]

The pin that holds the diff lock foot pedal to the lever fell out causing the pedal to become disconnected. It was an easy fix to replace the pin but it is in a hard to reach spot up under the machine.