Kioti CK30 loader repair and reinforcement

Dargo · Mar 30, 2006

( Highbeam,

Seriously, the repair looks pretty darn good however.... )

Highbeam paid his hard earned money for his entire rig; tractor, implements, and trailer. I've been in and around the metal and welding business for about 35 years. To be blunt, I have to completely disagree with the above statement. No, under no circumstances does that repair look "pretty darn good". It looks like crap! Sorry. A novice metalworker and welder who has been at their occupation for a week would have been fired over such a job. Obviously Highbeam can do what he wants, it's his money and his tractor, but I don't care if the repair job was done on a $2500 dollar tractor that was made in India or if it was on a big three tractor, that jackleg excuse of a 'professional' repair would be totally unacceptable to me.

The brand of his tractor has exactly zero to do with the repair job. The repair is pathetic. My 9 year old daughter could do a better job! That kind of jackleg repair would make anyone in the future who may consider buying Highbeam's tractor turn and run, worried what other shoddy work was done to the machine that they may not see.

As said before, it's between Highbeam, his dealer, and Kioti as to whether the loader would be replaced. However, now that the dealer has done such a shoddy job doing a 'quickie - get it outta here, repair on his loader, I feel he doesn't have much choice now than demand a new loader. I'd say that it now would be between the dealer who totally screwed up his loader and Kioti who manufacturered it with a defect to begin with. Kioti ought to be upset that it looks like their loader was taken to a high school shop class to let them practice metal work on their loader. I doubt that Kioti will be very happy that their loader now has been really screwed up.

Highbeam, the best of luck to you. I'm sure that you'll do what you feel best. However, at this point I feel that it's time to let them know that you would have been unhappy with the slap together jackleg repair they did even if it were on a used $1000 dollar tractor; let alone your nice new tractor. I'm just saying that from the professional metal fabricating and welding stand point of view, they totally ruined your loader whereas before it could have been repaired nicely where it would have looked 'factory' and would have been strong. Good luck!

HODAK · Mar 30, 2006

Can we at least agree on one thing here?

Should the loader be replaced?
Don't know, maybe, maybe not.
But it should be decided upon by Highbeam, his dealer & Kioti

Becky, straight to the point. Good job. I don't think HIGHBEAM needs paragraph after paragraph of advice and negativity. He'll handle it as he sees fit. This "if it was me" stuff is getting out of hand - in my opinion.

turbo36 · Mar 30, 2006

Well said Dargo. I think there are some thin skinned Kioti believers in this Forum /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mavrik02 · Mar 30, 2006

turbo36,

I think that last comment was uncalled for. In this case the brand doesn't matter. The discussion could involve any brand and any particular decision a manufacturer makes about whether to repair or replace. Calling "some" of us "thin skinned Kioti believers" is just plain rude and immature.

Dargo · Mar 30, 2006

Thanks. There are apparently some who feel if you are not in their particular "clique", you are not worthy of offering any thoughts or advice to questions asked. For example:

( Can we at least agree on one thing here?)

I took the time to re-read the entire thread. This comment / question makes no sense.

( Should the loader be replaced?
Don't know, maybe, maybe not.
But it should be decided upon by Highbeam, his dealer & Kioti)

If it's entirely this private of a matter, why post it in a public forum????? Again, this makes no sense.

( I don't think HIGHBEAM needs paragraph after paragraph of advice and negativity. He'll handle it as he sees fit. This "if it was me" stuff is getting out of hand - in my opinion. )

Somebody apparently is not reading the same thread as everyone else. As I said, I've completely re-read the entire thread to see if I was missing something that was 'paragraph after paragraph of negativity'. Plain and simple; it is NOT here. All I see is people hoping for the best for Highbeam and offering possible solutions to his questions and concerns at hand. The above mentioned quotes are about the only thing here that can be considered "negative", and it is entirely aimed at people that that particular poster feels are not worthy to make comments. Gees!

HODAK · Mar 30, 2006

Somebody apparently is not reading the same thread as everyone else....................

Agree..........

Highbeam · Mar 30, 2006

I appreciate all of this input. I am looking for assistance in making a decision on whether to gripe or not and of course the final decision is mine. I agree that the repair and reinforcement could and should have been done in a much much more professional, clean, and permanent manner and still offered additional strength over the OEM design. I brought them a nearly new loader with cracks. I left with a nearly new loader without cracks but with chopped up angle iron scabbed onto it.

By redneck I mean something that a guy with a garage full of angle iron, a torch, and an arc welder would do in his backyard to a piece of old used up equipment he was trying to get a few more hours out of. I consider myself a bit of a redneck but even my welds look better than this.

This lousy repair is not a Kioti issue yet. The original loader cracks are a rarer Kioti defect but the fix has not been scrutinized by Kioti.

If I seek a new loader and hit resistance, I may need some help from you folks again.

Dargo · Mar 30, 2006

Since we are not talking about chain /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, hopefully you understood my comments only to be in your best interest and as agreeing with you that the dealer did not do you any favor with their repair. I agreed 100% that the repair issue had nothing to do with Kioti at all, and thought I'd expressed that. I know that you work for your money just like everyone else and was just expressing from 35 years of metal and welding experience that the dealer actually made matters worse with their "repair". I'm guessing that Kioti will most likely agree with that assessment.

Before the hatchet job, I think it could have been fixed to not only be strong, but look professional. Now I don't see that as a realistic possibility. Afterall, you did not buy something from the scrap yard and rig together to make a Frankenstein tractor.

Highbeam · Mar 30, 2006

No Dargo, I appreciate direct comments, no need to beat around the bush. Perhaps on Saturday I can stop by the dealer and have a discussion with the boss. My basic question being, "Would you be happy if your new tractor looked like this?". I am compelled to give him a chance to make it right.

turbo36 · Mar 30, 2006

If you notice my comment was made "tongue in cheek" and was expressed to see what kind of reaction I would get. Go back and survey the people that responded to Highbeams request for help and you will see that the majority of Kioti owners/dealers that responded told him to accept the fix as is while the "other brand" people told him to seek a new loader. In my opinion (often flawed I'll admit) it looked to me like like the Kioti loyalty was influencing their logic and I just wanted to have some fun.