New member, new tractor, need help already

[RoMad]

Hi, I have been lurking on forums recently to help me make a decision on what size tractor to get for mowing 8 acres a few times a year and also to clean out a few pig pens occassionaly.
Well, this week my DW forwarded a craiglsist ad to me at work and told me I should check it out. It was a 6 year old Kioti CK20 FEL, 5' bush hog, 4' finish mower. The people selling it were moving to town.
Well, I looked at the tractor, drove it, ran the bush hog and FEL and everythging checked out good with my limited knowledge. I asked if the 4wd worked and he said yes, I just leave it in 4wd. It shows 188 hrs, but the hr meter is broke. the guy said he estimates another 400 hrs.
I asked him his bottom dollar and it was a very good price so I bought it.

We got it home and unloaded today and began going through it for real (like I should have before I bought it). It is evident he didn't do a lot of maintenance, greasing, changing air filter, but you can tell by looking the tractor doesn't have a lot of use. The guy had 3 acres, plain old bahai grass.
The problem is we can't get it out of 4wd or into low range. It will shift from high range to neutral and the pto works in neutral, but I can't get it into low range. I tried a sort of double clutch, with a little engine rev in the middle but no luck. It is the manual transmission model. Any suggestions?

 

[fdmars]

did you try going in reverse for a bit and then trying to take out of 4x4, sometimes it releaves the pressure in the drive train, least it works on my truck.

 

[mrutkaus]

I have a ck30 not a 20 but with any luck you are just experiencing what a lot of people have, sometimes it is hard to move those levers. Try different things, even moving the FEL up and down helps my CK30 change levers sometimes. Good luck.

Mike

 

[ToadHill]

The levers need to be lubricated every time you do an oil change. Buy some PB Blaster and follow the leavers down to the point that they go into the tranny case and lub all thefriction points, then work the levers for a while to loosen them up.

To get the tractor out of 4 wheel drive you may have to lift the front end off the groung using the bucket and work the mechanism. It's not uncommon for these machines to be hard to get out of 4wd. I have 1200 hours on my DK35 and I still have to work at it.

 

[RoMad]

okay thanks, I will try both. I am also going to change all fluids and filters, and grease everything and even take the seat off and make sure nothing is in the way of the levers. I think that the fact the previous owner never took it out of 4wd and probably never put it in low range much doesn't help either. I will report back what happens.

 

[LoPresti Lawnscape]

Are there any vacuum lines to the transmission or case or are tractors all some sort of direct locking linkage?

I know once I couldn't get my old truck out of 4WD and there was a broken vacuum line.

(Not a tractor expert) Just tossing it out there.

 

[MichiganIron]

The range selector and 4wd linkage share a rocker shaft. It's definitley in the linkage, just needs to be cleaned and lubricated.

Suggest changing all the fluids and filters in the tractor, including the front axle. If it lacked maintenance, it might not have gotton the 50 hr break-in service done.

 

[SPYDERLK]

okay thanks, I will try both. I am also going to change all fluids and filters, and grease everything and even take the seat off and make sure nothing is in the way of the levers. I think that the fact the previous owner never took it out of 4wd and probably never put it in low range much doesn't help either. I will report back what happens.

Im thinking you got a good buy, but just some stuck levers. Take it easy freeing them up so you dont bend. Getting the tractor good and warm/hot from hard work will help along with PB, Kroil, etc. If its actually been in 4wd for hundreds of hrs it really is due for a fluid change.
larry

 

[rimshot]

As I recall, one of the big things about that first inspection/maintenance service for 50 hours is changing the HST and Hydraulic fluid. I don't like the thought that this guy spent his time driving this tractor fulltime in 4WD. Drive it in 4 wd on hardpack continually in you are going to wind up all those gears making it especially tough to get out of a 4wd or a range setting.

Oh yeah, don't be surprised if when you pull the hydraulic drain plug and change fluid you find all kinds of metal shavings on the plug. It is normal.

rimshot

 

[SPYDERLK]

It's not uncommon for these machines to be hard to get out of 4wd. I have 1200 hours on my DK35 and I still have to work at it.

I dont have a Kioti but for the tractors I have it works to throttle up full going straight -- then suddenly back off. Disengage during the transition to engine braking. Works like a charm on all my 4wd tractors.
larry