New Kioti vs Used Deere

[skips]

I need some of your thoughts. I am worrying the fool out of family, friends and coworkers with my constant questions of what to do.
I am selling my Mahindra 3510 HST, and buying a more powerful unit. I have narrowed my search down to a couple.
Please tell me what you think.

John Deere 4520 w/400CX FEL, 350 hrs. This was a rental unit (which concerns me, though it seems to be in excellent shape) No warranty $21,000.

Kioti DK45 w/ FEL, 0 hrs. 4 year warranty $22,500

Both dealers seem very good to deal with, and are within 5 miles.
The Deere has more HP than I really need, but I feel (in retrospect) that too much is far better than not quite enough. I cannot afford to swap tractors every few years, so whatever I end up with is going to have to last a long time.
My needs: dirt moving, tree and brush clean-up, gravel road maintinence, finish mowing, and a bit of brush cuttting. My property is very hilly pasture with perhaps an acre or two of woods/brush.
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Regards,
Chris

 

[Z-Michigan]

They are very comparable machines, though as you know the 4520 is a bit more hp (4320 would probably be a direct comparison to a DK45).

I know how I drive rental cars and with 350hrs of rental I would be very worried about how hard the 4520 had been used and whether all the grease points had been greased on schedule. I would feel differently if it had been owned by a farmer or homeowner, but as a rental I have no way of knowing how it was treated or maintained.

Having said all that, if you're going to have the machine more than 5 years or so, I anticipate it will be easier to get JD parts. Not saying you won't be able to get Kioti parts, just that delays seem more likely.

Between the two of them I personally would be inclined to get the new DK45, even though the 4520 is a bit more hp for a bit less money.

 

[skips]

Thanks Z-Michigan,
The 4520 is at a very large, reputable JD dealer, so I feel that it has been maintained well. But the fact of the matter is that some people who rent equipment like this either don't give a rip about it, or don't really know how to use it correctly.
I guess I am kind of leaning toward the DK45 for 3 reasons: warranty, HP/size is almost perfect, and I really like the dealer (bought my Mahindra there).
Again, thank you for the reply.
C

 

[kozak]

I would have to side with Z-Michigan. You never know what you get with a rental. When I was looking at a used Kabota, Dealer said nothing major had ever gone wrong with it. When I went to take a look at it late one night, all the employees were already leaving & I just happened to speak with one of the Mechanics & I quote,

"Oh yeah, we have done all the work on this tractor over the past 3 years. Had to split the tractor in half 3 times to repair a sheared PTO shaft. Tractor was being used by teens at a Golf course during the summers."

Needless to say, I had enough of that Dealership.

So I would also tend towards the Kioti. Based out of South Korea they have been Manufacturing tractors for nearly 40 years. They have a manufacturing facility in the US & 3 major distribution centers. Have been selling in the US for the past 15 to 20 years so I think they will be around for the long term. Maybe some Kioti folks will chime in with their experiences or you could post a thread in that forum.

Good Luck,

Vic

 

[skips]

Thanks Vic.
Both of you have confirmed my concerns with buying a rental. I test drove a DK45 cab model this morning (they don't have a non-cab on the lot), and it does seem like just the right fit.
C

 

[Dmace]

After test driving a new John Deere and a new Kioti within the same week, I went with the Kioti. Deciding between a used rental John Deere and a new Kioti is a no-brainer.

Join the Pack! It's almost hunting season.

 

[DmansPadge]

I need some of your thoughts. I am worrying the fool out of family, friends and coworkers with my constant questions of what to do.
I am selling my Mahindra 3510 HST, and buying a more powerful unit. I have narrowed my search down to a couple.
Please tell me what you think.

John Deere 4520 w/400CX FEL, 350 hrs. This was a rental unit (which concerns me, though it seems to be in excellent shape) No warranty $21,000.

Kioti DK45 w/ FEL, 0 hrs. 4 year warranty $22,500

Both dealers seem very good to deal with, and are within 5 miles.
The Deere has more HP than I really need, but I feel (in retrospect) that too much is far better than not quite enough. I cannot afford to swap tractors every few years, so whatever I end up with is going to have to last a long time.
My needs: dirt moving, tree and brush clean-up, gravel road maintinence, finish mowing, and a bit of brush cuttting. My property is very hilly pasture with perhaps an acre or two of woods/brush.
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Regards,
Chris

I would agree with the others that the new Kioti would be the way to go. There may not be any issues with the Deere... but to me... those first few hundred hours are the most important. If for no other reason... I'd want the piece of mind knowing I was the guy that broke the tractor in. The only reason I might go with the Deere is for the resale, but, you stated that you plan to keep the tractor for a long time... so to me the Kioti is the obvious choice.

 

[john_bud]

Was it a public rental or a corporate rental? Might be quite different.

If you are really going to finish mow, then the lighter machine may be better. Unless you LIKE ruts....

jb

 

[Z-Michigan]

Weight of the DK45S is rated at 3990lbs or so and a 4520 is I believe 3720 lbs. So approximately 270lbs difference if you believe rated weights (and likely both are wrong). That's something, but not a lot. Tire choice and whether you avoid mowing in 4wd will make a bigger difference, I think. (Hint: get R4 or turf tires and never mow in 4wd.)

These two along with the NH TC40 and TC45 are all so extremely similar you can nearly flip a coin - except that one is used and the other is new.

I stopped at my nearest Kioti dealer (40 long miles away) today while out and about, and they had a bunch of stuff including a DK65 cab and a DK45SE-HST. I took as close a look as 5 minutes would allow. I continue to think they are well designed and made tractors. The engineering is not quite as elegant as JD and Kubota in some respects, but it appears highly functional and they appear to be borrowing good ideas from all over the place. They also are packed with a lot of features for the money. As long as the dealer is good - which I think is quite important, unless you are extremely mechanically inclined and don't care about warranty - then I wouldn't hesitate to get a Kioti.

What does the dealer want for the cab DK45 you drove? Another person had indicated a quote of $25k on a DK45 cab with loader, which sounds like a steal to me. Don't know what your budget is but a cab would be so nice to have, if it were $2500 extra it would seem well worth it.

 

[jcmseven]

I would also favor the new tractor over the rental one. This saddens me because the 4520 is a powerhouse and has much more engine power than the Kioti you are considering. All things being equal I would go new if I could. I have driven some Kioti's and they seem like well made tractors. Our local dealer stopped selling them a little over one year ago due to lack of demand. I believe this to be unusual. As long as you feel comfortable with your Kioti dealer and parts/service situation I would do that though.

John M