New style Kioti KL130 loader - OEM improvement?

dfkrug · Apr 5, 2006

Highbeam:

I and a thousand other CK owners have been watching your
threads closely. Thanks for all the updates.

The CK30 I use was purchased in the early summer of 05
and its loader is reinforced! I just took off the cover plate and
I was starting to plan my own hidden reinforcement. The
thickness of the 2 reinforcement plates, as well as the
cross-tube itself is about .235" (5.5mm). I also noticed
that several tablespoons of coarse black sand fell out of the
cavity. Maybe foundry scale that flaked off?

Anyway, my loader sn is 50322130.

coasterez · Apr 6, 2006

Highbeam,

I just checked mine. It is also reinforced. Good news for all! As I said, I just took delivery in March. Sorry, I forgot to get the S/N.

Highbeam · Apr 6, 2006

This may be an odd question but is the reinforcement visible without removing the cover plate? Or is it all beneath the thin plate that makes up the full Xmember. We have folks that have seen the new and folks that have seen the old but none have seen both to know that it is in fact an upgrade. Do you see what I'm saying?

Yes, good news though. I'll look under my welded one after the busy weekend to see if I ever had the 0.25" thick boss.

Dodgeram · Apr 6, 2006

I didn't take the cover off to check mine. From the picture, it looked like it should be visiable without removing the cover.
I will re-investigate this weekend.
Tom

TBDonnelly · Apr 6, 2006

The re-inforcement is not visible from the outside. The cover must be removed.

Don

Highbeam · Apr 6, 2006

Oh cripes. This is a big deal since I wasn't out taking covers off at the local dealer. So does anyone not have a 0.25" thick mouth around but under their access plate cutout? I will need to remove my plate tonight to see.

Seems the CK20 photo of the cracks didn't show the thick wall boss.

Highbeam · Apr 6, 2006

Here's a photo of the CK20 loader without the reinforcement. I suspect my cracked loader will look like this under the plate.

Steve_Miller · Apr 6, 2006

<font color="red"> Seems the CK20 photo of the cracks didn't show the thick wall boss. </font>

That would be mine and no it is not very thick, maybe .125" thick.

Steve

wallace · Apr 6, 2006

I did get a chance to check a couple of the kl130 loaders and they were all reinforced.

gbick · Apr 6, 2006

Square corners bad at stressed area. Radiused corners better.MMMMMMMMMMMMM, bisquets and mustard.

dfkrug · Apr 6, 2006

So both the CK20 and CK25/30 loaders that do not have
reinforcements use only .125" steel for the cross-tube?
The .235" steel is only on the reinforced loaders?

Steve_Miller · Apr 7, 2006

Greg,
It was cracking from the bolt holes, not the corners. The cross tube is a preformed "C" shape, then a piece of flat bar welded to fill in the rest of the "C" shape. Not sure if you can visualize that from my description, but Highbeam reposted the picture earlier.

Steve

DirtHauler · Apr 13, 2006

Well after following this thread for quite awhile regarding Highbeam's situation and the "mysterious" cracking problems with the CK20/25/30 FELs curiousity got the best of me, so when the rain quit for a couple hours out here the other day, I went out and pulled the cover off to see if my new CK30 loader had the re-inforcement and I beleive it does. I don't remember my CK20 having this as I had the cover off of it a couple of times. Here's a photo of my KL130 loader.

DirtHauler · Apr 13, 2006

A closer view......

Highbeam · Apr 13, 2006

That picture really tells the story. With the great response and photos I would like to see a similar photo or a story of a KL130 loader without the reinforcement. We have established that the CK20 loader does not have the reinforcement. We have established that late model CK30s have the reinforcement. We have not established that there was a revised/upgraded/modification made to either loader.

So does anyone have non-reinforced KL130 loader or a reinforced KL120 loader?

I still haven't opened mine up. I am still suffering from monkey butt after this weekend's desert racing and we are supposed to get torrential rains this weekend.

Steverino · Apr 13, 2006

Just wondering if this is not a quality control issue. Perhaps all the loaders are suppose to have the bracing and a few got out of the factory by mistake without it. I have not checked my kl130 loader yet as it is still buried in the back of the shelter. As soon as I get it out I will.

unhappykioti · Apr 13, 2006

I think the reason for the cracking is because they didn't continue the weld to the end. They stopped short to make room for the cover.

DirtHauler · Apr 15, 2006

I remember the "seams" on my KL120 loader being welded all the way and where the cover fit, it was ground flat. I remember this because one of the welds wasn't ground down enough a caused the cover not to lay flat on that seam, so I took the cover off and did alittle more grinding and alittle paint touch up. Now why they don't do that on the KL130's is beyond me and from what I understand is that the 120 and 130 loader frames are the same, just bigger rams, true??

unhappykioti · Apr 15, 2006

Don't know if the frames are the same. I have about 2" on each seam that are not welded.

MotorSeven · Apr 15, 2006

HB,

Arggg, couldn't get much cell signal in the TN pasture, so i didn't know to take the cover off. There were no cracks now at 35 hrs. I did get in alot of seat time-moved 22ton of rock, fixed a levee break(flooded pasture), and several other "lifting" of items(yes, grade 70 chain /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)It will be july until i get back there, but since the tractor had to be ordered in Oct, it hopefully is reinforced.

RD