Off to a good start

[Zxyrthe]

While putting the first seven hours on my new CK20, I've managed to run a nail (clearly designed solely to puncture tires) into my front left tire and dump a couple pieces of firewood behind my bucket onto my hood. :mur:

I learned how to plug the tire and bought a bunch of extra plugs and jar of rubber cement. Hopefully I never run a nail into the fluid-filled back tires.

It's the dents that are costing me sleep though. I've a variety of rubber mallets but one of the three dings is right on the crimped ridgeline just forward of the perpendicular reinforcement piece (seen under the hood).

When I'm done with this latest barrage of projects, I plan to take the hood off the hinge and try to hammer the dings out with a piece of wood behind the impact point.

Anyone done this before? Warnings for me? Advice?

(BTW - props to Tony LaVoie for taking time out on Saturday to point me in the right direction AND selling me the CK20 to begin with).

 

[Mousefield]

Well at least you are getting some use out of the CK20. Bummer about the dents on the hood, every time you drive it there they are looking at you. You could also look at taking the hood into a body shop, depending on how bad it is they may do a better job than you. If they don't have to paint it the cost may not be much, just a thought.

 

[VictorW]

It's nice that you are getting some work done with your new tractor. A hole in the tire is just one of those things that happen. I've heard of people putting that slime stuff in the tires that can plug up smaller holes in the tires but it does make a mess when you have to change a tire. I'd rather know when I have a hole and fix it like you did. A big hole needs the tire taken off and patched from the inside. Sorry to hear that your new toy has it's first battle scar. Dents are tough because the metal gets stretched ever so slightly and pounding them out can stretch the metal even more if not done correctly. The one you mentioned will be tough because of the inside brace. Unless you have prior experience and if you want it to look almost perfect, I think the body shop as mentioned might be your best bet. If you try it yourself, only advise is go gently with the mallets and slowly work it back. Start from the outside edge of the dent, going around the shape and sometimes the center of the dent will follow and not need to be worked.

 

[Gittyup]

I dropped some CnR on the hood of mine. No dents, but was disappointed that just a little bit (less than a regular shovel full) of small stones dropped from less than 3 feet above without any sliding action resulted in several pin-hole scratches all the way through the paint. This is one difference I see between the Kioti and my John Deere: the paint on the JD is much thicker. I doubt that it would have even left a mark on the JD. And even if it did, it wouldn't be all the way through the paint like it is on my Kioti.

I forgot one day and left my HST JD set on a slight slope without the park brake set while I went to get some fuel at the gas station. The tractor had a garden trailer behind it. When I got back, the tractor had drifted into a jackknife with the trailer scrapping hard across the fender above the right rear light. It left some pretty serous gouges that were quite deep. But, there was still enough paint that the surface was not fully penetrated through to the metal. I see the same quality of paint work on my JD mower deck. It's been rubbed up against more rocks than I care to count over the 16+ years of use and still hasn't broken through the original paint.

The Kioti finish is smooth and shiney. But , it sure could be thicker and bit tougher.

 

[Zxyrthe]

I guess because it was wood, the paint held up. Nothing can save me from my own jackassery but I wonder if something doesn't exist to protect the hydraulics, hood, operator, etc. from FEL backspill. Lessons learned, I suppose.

 

[Gittyup]

Ssome guys put hinged removable screen guards over their hoods. Good thing to do if you know you are lifting to such heights a lot. Even when you are aware that it can happen and you try not to roll the bucket back too far, it still can happen quicky by just inadvertently hitting the joystick in the wrong direction. Or you can look at it as just a routine battle scar. Tractor still works even with a few dents and scratches, doesn't it?

 

[sweettractors]

If it bothers you a lot, I would vote for body shop. Paint will match good because the tractor is still new. Ken Sweet

 

[kattywumpus]

Just take thing slow and easy, as I keep reminding myself. This is especially important when you just start out with a new tractor or attachment.

A couple things I learned with my new DK40SE.

The first surprise was when the FEL hooked a large root. The loader on the DK40SE is pretty strong and easily launched the rear wheel and box blade in to the air, not cool. After that I adjust my technique to curl the bucket and then pull away before lifting when digging in ground that could have roots. This technique can still lift the rear-end but not very high. Previously I was curling and lifting at the same time.

The second surprise was then I working a large loam pile that had grass and other plants all over it. Initially any loam that had plants and roots in it I used to fill a hole in a future lawn, but once that was filled I decide to just move this root material to the back of the pile. The clean loam I used for the lawn. The first time I went to the back of pile, which had tall grass all over it and at the base, one front wheel dropped into a hole as I drove up to pile and was lifting a loaded bucket. This caused the tractor to tilt to that corner and lift the opposed rear wheel. My mistake here was I didn't check the level of the ground on that side of the pile and I didn't have the box blade on was a counter weight. I also did not run into this issue previously because after loading the bucket I always tried to keep the load close to the ground

In both cases I didn't panic, I carefully and slowly let the bucket down and then back out. But the incidents got my attention. If I would have been rushing the outcomes could have been worst.

 

[lakngulf]

In both cases I didn't panic, I carefully and slowly let the bucket down and then back out. But the incidents got my attention. If I would have been rushing the outcomes could have been worst.

I am in full agreement with you. A few times on my CK30 (tires are not filled but will be soon) I have been working around roots, run up under some dirt, lift and WOW that rear end can go up quickly on the opposite side of the root.

For the OP, I symphathize with you. My tractor is in tact, but a couple of years ago I purchased a brand new Sea Doo GTI, red and black, shiny and new. My wife and I took it to the nearby marina on its second day to get some tie-up ropes, etc. I went to dock it at the marina area, did not notice the portion of the marina's dock that was uncovered. My brand new sea doo met some uncovered metal, and I got a quarter size chip on the side.

Dealt with it that year, as the season was almost over, but had body shop put it back to "as good as new" during the winter. I had to pay for it but I cannot tell where it chipped now. Lessons learned.

 

[CowwFace]

I guess because it was wood, the paint held up. Nothing can save me from my own jackassery but I wonder if something doesn't exist to protect the hydraulics, hood, operator, etc. from FEL backspill. Lessons learned, I suppose.

Hey ZX,

I feel your pain brother. When My tractor was a few days old I took the seat out to drill a extra hole in the slide for the PERFECT seat height. Brilliant move I thought.. but when putting the seat back in I slipped and dropped it on the left fender ... GIANT scratch / gouge in the paint.

I sanded it down and used some red primer, and then some Chevy Orange and it matches pretty darn good to my eye. I think it was duplicolor 1620 .. I'll double check that.

Tractor on,
PLK