Kioti vs Kubota Quality - No Empirical Evidence

[dodge man]

A trend I see is a push for mega dealers. John Deere might be the worst. Dealers are going from a regional dealer with maybe a few stores to ones with 20 or more. A local longtime Kubota dealer had it taken away because they also started selling Fendt. So far I haven’t seen that with Kioti. I don’t plan on replacing my JD soon but if I do I’ll probably take a hard look at Kioti. The nearest dealer isn’t that close but no more than 2 hours drive.

 

[lilranch2001]

I looked at Kubota with one of the first Kubota dealers in the area when I bought my bobcat, and to be honest with you, I was not impressed with the fit and finish of the Kubota, along with the fact that the controls shook like they were trying to give me a massage.
In any case, I ended up going with Bobcat, and it wasn’t too long afterwards that Kubota took away the dealership from the very long-standing Kubota dealer just because their dealership was not up to the physical aspects that Kubota expected from each dealership.

I am all about having a nice facility to walk into and do business with but then you have a dealership that has sold your product for a very long time and it was good enough for all that time but all of a sudden not good enough, I have an issue with

 

[Too many Kubotas]

...keep a close eye on all hydraulic lines and fittings that the dealer may have touched...

Ironically, just the other day I had to tighten several JIC fittings on a small Kubota as it had started to leak. Everything I've checked on my Kioiti has been fine.

In my case, the Kioti dealer was further away and had a fly by night appearing operation, while the Kubota dealer was long established with full service availability. I’m sure this varies by location.

For me the Kubota dealer is only 150 miles away, and has free delivery and there's no sales tax.

Still, after comparing prices I hooked up the trailer and drove some 500 miles north to buy a Kioiti. Glad I did as the Kioti has several things I like better than the comparable Kubota.

 

[ncridgerunner1]

Stopped by the Kioti dealership today to check progress. Wasn't sure of the procedure of how their new machines were put together. With this dealership they have a separate building and crew that only puts new machines together. I hope that means they can put everything together without guessing or referring to the instructions for each step.

For installation of the 3rd remote they move the machine to a guy who specializes in hydraulics.

The hydraulics guy is a little behind schedule so it looks like a delivery of Saturday or next Monday instead of Thursday.

Thanks deezler! Good advice about checking bolt torque and fluids up front. With my previous tractors(2 used & 1new) and my new Kubota RTV I started off by giving the machine a bath even if they are relatively clean. It seems when hand washing I find more possible issues than a walk around. My next step is with the grease gun to make sure everything is well lubed and then on to fluids and wheel lugs.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'm a fan of both companies overall, they both produce quality machines. I'd argue, like much of the above, that going with the dealer you feel comfortable with ought to guide you.

There are plenty of stories on here of what should be excellent experiences ruined by failed pre-delivery inspections, or poor after sales support.

That said, I grew up with Kubota and own a Kioti, and I've got great things to say about both.

 

[ncridgerunner1]

I'm a fan of both companies overall, they both produce quality machines.

Agree! I continue to enjoy my Kubota RTV.

 

[cioti]

They are both well established brands with good service history. As has been mentioned so many times before, at lot boils down to your local dealer support. In my case, the Kioti dealer was further away and had a fly by night appearing operation, while the Kubota dealer was long established with full service availability. I’m sure this varies by location.

I'm not sure what it takes to be a Kioti dealer, but it does seem like they have low standards to qualify.

I've got two within an hour of me, but Kioti is supplemental to their business. One sells mainly garden equipment, the other is powersports. Neither will return my calls for a price on a field cab or about the recall on my loader. Meanwhile the Kubota dealers have showrooms that would make a Cadillac dealer envious.

 

[anomad]

My first Kioti is a CK4020HST Cab that is to be delivered next week. Hopefully I will be touting a positive opinion of the quality of Kioti soon.

You are going to enjoy the cab. The only time I don't love it is when I am doing something that requires me to get in and out a million times. Would be interesting to compare to my 3510 and see if you can feel the extra 5hp?

 

[jk96]

A trend I see is a push for mega dealers. John Deere might be the worst. Dealers are going from a regional dealer with maybe a few stores to ones with 20 or more. A local longtime Kubota dealer had it taken away because they also started selling Fendt. So far I haven’t seen that with Kioti. I don’t plan on replacing my JD soon but if I do I’ll probably take a hard look at Kioti. The nearest dealer isn’t that close but no more than 2 hours drive.

My longtime dealer also lost their Kubota line this year because they were also a Case dealer.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'm not sure what it takes to be a Kioti dealer, but it does seem like they have low standards to qualify.

I've got two within an hour of me, but Kioti is supplemental to their business. One sells mainly garden equipment, the other is powersports. Neither will return my calls for a price on a field cab or about the recall on my loader. Meanwhile the Kubota dealers have showrooms that would make a Cadillac dealer envious.

I actually looked, albeit briefly, into what was needed. At the time you had to have an existing business to carry Kioti tractors, which is how so many dealers went from snowmobiles, ATV, and lawn mowers to carrying tractors.

My dealer started out as a used car lot, ran it as long as was necessary, and while the flagship location is still called Manchester Motors it hasn't sold automobiles in ages.

A good dealer will build off their existing business, and a bad one will treat it as an aside. I'm sorry you've found the latter.