New DK45S Owner

[8NAcres]

I am not new to tractors, but new to the Kioti brand. Previous tractors for my 42 acres have been old Ford 8Ns and a Ford Jubilee. Got to the point I needed a more beefy tractor and after many months of research decided on the Kioti brand due to costs vs. features and owner feedback. Not worried about my purchase as far as what I finalized on, and I feel I got an "ok" price on it, but concerned I cannot find much info on it. Kioti's website appears worthless in this area.

I got a DK45S with 373 hours on the clock. It has a KL451 self leveling FEL and cab. The seller said he "thought" it was a 2007, but the serial number starts with FC49. 373 hours on a 8 or 9 year old tractor seems unrealistic to me. The tractor itself is in great shape appearance wise and runs/drives fine as far as I can tell. Is there anything on this model I should be concerned with or check out? Where can I find Owner/Maintenance manuals? Any other tips? My main real concern is a tractor this old with that low hours usually means it sat a lot - either by lack of use or maintenance issues.

Thanks all,
Dan

 

[gladehound]

Congratulations on your new tractor and welcome to the pack! :thumbsup: I am a long time fan of the DK45S and if I could have found a local used DK45S last year at the right price I would probably own one now. I ended up purchasing a "new" left over 2013 DS4510HS demo model instead because it was local and a good deal.

From everything I've read and the little seat time I have on the DK45S, it is a great tractor and in my opinion one of the best looking compact tractors ever built.

Regarding the build date of your tractor. You say the serial number starts with "F". Based on my shop manual that means it was built in 2006. According to my shop manual, the first number or letter designates the year of manufacture. 1 = 2001, 2 = 2002, 3 = 2003, D = 2004 (aparently in 2004 they realized that they would soon be out of digits :laughing. E = 2005, F = 2006, G=2007, H = 2008, (they skip "I" probably because it looks like a "1"). J = 2009, K = 2010 etc...

I wouldn't worry too much about the low hours. That's about 40 hours a year. So almost an hour per week. I noticed that I put on about 50 hours per year and I think this is very normal for people not using it for a business and not farming. If you are concerned it may be good to change all the filters and fluids to make sure there is no water in anything.

I bought my first Kioti the winter of 2005/2006. It was perfectly reliable and is the reason I stayed with the brand when going to a bigger tractor.

If you want detailed information on your DK45S, you can buy a shop manual for ~$10 on the internet. Specs are on tractordata.com (they call it a DK45 not a DK45s but the specs look right to me for that tractor). I have a PDF of the brochure for you tractor as well if you want any information from that.

In case you dont have this info - your loader specs are 2,800 full lift at pin, 4500 breakout at pin, 3,555 rollback force at ground line (I assume with original bucket as no distance from pin is specified.)

Best of luck with your new purchse! enjoy! :thumbsup:

Ron

 

[Msamt]

Welcome to the pack!

 

[8NAcres]

I could not find any sites that had the shop manual for $10 - can you point me to it? Also - I usually take the stance that I replace all fluids when I get a used machine as I do not know how strict the PO stuck to the maintenance schedules, and it gives me a known starting point moving forward on change schedules. Does anyone know the specs for the different fluids and maybe part numbers for filters so I could do this next weekend?

I will accept any documentation anyone has on the DK45S with great appreciation!

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[chuck172]

I loved my 8n. Then I got a Kioti. Sorry to say the old 8n just sits out there now.

 

[gladehound]

Dan - for $10 I'm refering to PDF shop manuals not paper copies. There are tons of these on the internet from $10 - $30. I've posted a link to one example.

Kioti DK45S Tractor Service Manual PDF Download

 

[gladehound]

Dan - you can order filters from here. They list your model.

KIOTI® Filters, Fuel Filters, Oil Filters, Glow Plugs, Relays, Light Bulbs, Ignition Keys, Starter Switches, KIOTI® Parts in Frederick Maryland

 

[murphy1244]

Order parts from MIE at Error

 

[TSO]

I am not new to tractors, but new to the Kioti brand. Previous tractors for my 42 acres have been old Ford 8Ns and a Ford Jubilee. Got to the point I needed a more beefy tractor and after many months of research decided on the Kioti brand due to costs vs. features and owner feedback. Not worried about my purchase as far as what I finalized on, and I feel I got an "ok" price on it, but concerned I cannot find much info on it. Kioti's website appears worthless in this area.

I got a DK45S with 373 hours on the clock. It has a KL451 self leveling FEL and cab. The seller said he "thought" it was a 2007, but the serial number starts with FC49. 373 hours on a 8 or 9 year old tractor seems unrealistic to me. The tractor itself is in great shape appearance wise and runs/drives fine as far as I can tell. Is there anything on this model I should be concerned with or check out? Where can I find Owner/Maintenance manuals? Any other tips? My main real concern is a tractor this old with that low hours usually means it sat a lot - either by lack of use or maintenance issues.

Thanks all,
Dan

Congrats - that's a nice looking tractor. Very stout.

 

[roadhunter]

Congrats on the new tractor!

 

[ritcheyvs]

Dan, I also have a 2006 DK45s (aka DK451). It is a rugged and heavy machine. I bought it in 2009 and now have about 440 hours. Just so you know, on this model the hour meter is actually a rev counter that reads true hours only when the engine is running at rated PTO speed (about 2500 engine RPM, there's a mark on the tach). Unlike newer models, the final drive is a coaxial planetary gear, which is stronger than the bolt-on final drives you see everywhere these days, You owe it to yourself to spend the cash and buy a real owner's manual and service manual. You can order them through any dealer and sometimes they show up on ebay. Don't worry about a parts manual; several dealers (like MIE) have online parts manuals which tend to be current (unlike an old paper parts manual). The online parts manuals are also easier to use. Something else you should know: The DK45s switched from the external (via the manual shutoff linkages) stop solenoid to the newer version (on the front of the engine block) in the middle of the 2005 build year. That means that the available DK45s/DK451 service manual will not show the correct stop solenoid configuration for your tractor and I doubt Kioti will correct this at this late date. The later DK manuals and EX manuals show the correct stop solenoid setup. I spoke with more than one dealer who expressed regret that Kioti discontinues the DK45s; they thought it was a great machine.

Replacing fluids and filters now is a good move. You would need a major service at 400 hours anyway so there is no downside to doing it now. There are several grease fittings not shown in the documentation: the aft trunion for the front axle, the outboard (I think) steering cylinder ball joints, and the depth/draft control shaft (right side, rear, behind a rubber flap). There may be others but I'm going from memory. The documentation also shows some non-existent grease fittings (like on the top lift). The fuel filter for this machine is a spin-on canister (like an oil filter). not a cartridge that sits inside a case. I have had dealers try to sell me the wrong type. Finally, if the tractor sat for a long time and the fuel is dark, drain it out and get new fuel. Fresh Diesel fuel should be almost clear with a faint straw color (except for dyed off-road fuel).

 

[ritcheyvs]

From time to time, you can find real manuals on ebay: Genuine Kioti DK45S DK451 Workshop Manual | eBay

 

[8NAcres]

Thanks a ton Ritcheyvs! I will print out your post and take it with me when the tractor is delivered this weekend. I am also relieved to hear it is a good tractor. I tried to research as much as possible before selecting a Kioti - but there just isn't much out there. I hate to sound like a newbie - but I don't know what a stop solenoid is that you mention, or its purpose. All my experience is 1939 - 1954 Ford tractors (which I am an expert on if anyone needs help). I have restored a few and have a photo log at www.(my forum name) dot com Still learning as much as possible on modern technology

What years did they produce the DK45S?

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[ritcheyvs]

Thanks a ton Ritcheyvs! I will print out your post and take it with me when the tractor is delivered this weekend. I am also relieved to hear it is a good tractor. I tried to research as much as possible before selecting a Kioti - but there just isn't much out there. I hate to sound like a newbie - but I don't know what a stop solenoid is that you mention, or its purpose. All my experience is 1939 - 1954 Ford tractors (which I am an expert on if anyone needs help). I have restored a few and have a photo log at www.(my forum name) dot com Still learning as much as possible on modern technology

What years did they produce the DK45S?

Thanks again,
Dan

I think the DK45s was made from 2005 to 2009. The DK45 was made earlier and the DK45SE was made later.

Gasoline engines are stopped by shutting down the spark plugs. Diesel engines don't have spark plugs. Diesels use compression ignition, which means the air compressed by the piston is so hot that the atomized fuel (from the injectors) burns spontaneously as soon as it's sprayed into the pre-chamber. So the only way to stop the engine* is to shut off the air or fuel (and fuel is easier). Fuel is shut off by the stop solenoid (or manual shutoff lever) which pushes the injection pump rack full aft to the zero fuel position. The injection pump rack position determines the quantity of fuel injected into each cylinder. A system of springs and a centrifugal control the rack to maintain a (near) constant RPM, even when load changes.

* I should have said the only finesse way. You can always stop an engine using high gear and the clutch and brakes to stall the engine (gear tranny only)

A few of us are working on a web site to explain these things: Kioti Information Site

 

[VictorW]

Here's a Kioti chart for lubricants and such that another member posted a while back. Hope it helps.

 

[8NAcres]

Thanks again all for the great information and taking the time to help me get up to speed on my tractor. Looks like my first weekend will be filled with replacing most of the fluids as it is right at the 400 hours scheduled maintenance.

 

[woodchipper]

Congrats on your new tractor! I hope you get as many years of good service, as you previously did with your early Fords!
I think that you are on the right track to give your Kioti much longevity, with doing all fluid and filters changes. You may also get to each and every bolt you can put a ratchet on, just to be sure nothing is loose... Your full lube exercise should include greasing all points, and perhaps draining Diff. oil.
Happy Tractoring

 

[rd_macgregor]

I bought my DK45SC in the summer of 2006; it is also a "FC49..." serial number. It now has nearly 990 hrs on it. Although I have had a number of problems with my machine, I'd say the only one that was clearly a design/manufacturer issue was replacement of the shift fork; the original was flimsy and bent...fortunately, this repair was covered under warranty.
If you are going to work in brushy areas, I recommend that you replace the spring clips that hold the lower lift arms in place, with bolts; bad things can happen if a stick pops one of these clips out.
These are really good working machines and I think you will be pleased with yours. (now you can start coveting additional attachments/implements!!)
Bob

 

[8NAcres]

It appears the shuttle forward/reverse shifter fork is a weak link in these DK45S machines. Is there any way to see if mine has been replaced under warranty with the beefier model (i.e. - does Kioti dealers have access to any warranty work done on a specific machine - or can they only see their repairs?). I would like to know if this has already been addressed by the PO or not.

Dan

 

[rd_macgregor]

If the work was done under warrantee, I bet Kioti has a record somewhere. They might or might not share the info, of course. If the work was done after the warrantee expired, you'd have to ask somebody who knew the machine's history to find out. I'm not sure that all the shift forks were bad; I suspect they just had a batch from a supplier that weren't up to spec. I make a conscious effort to assure that I am completely stopped before shifting between forward and reverse...sometimes with prolonged loader work, it is hard to remember to assure that discrete pause occurs.