When considering Kioti----DON'T

[dadndadn]

I purchased a new DK55S in Oct 2008. I love the tractor. There support after the sale is ridiculous. The 2nd day of use, one of the pins that keeps the 3 point hitch from swaying broke, I ordered one in Oct 2008, still haven't recieved it yet. In Dec 2008 I ordered a front grill guard, still haven't seen it yet. I was mowing and a rock broke the back glass on 6/13/2009. I ordered the replacement glass from Greene's Equip(my dealer) on 6/15/2009, I told him I didnt care about shipping cost, to get as fast as possible because of the heat and rain. Still haven't seen it yet, been a week. As I call him each day he has a different reason as to why I do not have my back glass. It is always something that Kioti has done. Finally, this afternoon I call Kioti in NC to try and get an answer. They will not sell direct to me, but I must go through a dealer. I explain that is my problem. She acts like she is helping for a bit, says that the glass is on it's way, but it takes a while for a trucking company to deliver. I worked in LTL with Averitt Express for 12 years as a center manager, I know how long it takes to cover 300 miles (2 days). Yes, I am in East Tennessee, 370 miles from Kioti. So, now I am at the cross roads of what to do. I have a tractor that cost over $30,000 that has 78 hours on it, that I can't get parts for. I am going to trade it for a Kubota so I can have a tractor with a real warranty and service. So, when considering your new tractor purchase, and Kioti seems like it is a good deal, DON'T. When the options and price are so tempting, DON'T. When the dealer says he will support you after the sale, DON'T. When it looks like there is no way it is a wrong decision, DON'T. I wish someone had been honest and told me that when I bought the tractor that if anything happened I would be on my own, but they didn't. I am here to tell you, DON'T buy a Kioti, you will be happier in the long run. You may save 3 or 4 thousand over a Kubota, but you will pay it in the long run if you have just one incident where you need parts to finish a job, and you cant get them. Remember...DON'T!

 

[dking]

wow - sounds like a crappy dealer to me. I understand how you would feel though but still, are there any other Kioti dealers in your area you could try?

 

[TBDonnelly]

Sorry for your frustration but sounds like dealer issues to me also. Perhaps a missing link in the lines of communication.

Don

 

[coobie]

First I want to say sorry that you are having problems getting parts.I have a great dealer here( Michigan Iron & equipment)they have worked with me to get any part that I need within 1-2 days.As far as your Kubota comment be careful for what you wish for.I have waited longer for my kubota parts for my Kubota RTV 900 and ZTR than my Kioti parts.I think you have dealer issues not Kioti problems,just my humble thoughts.Good luck.coobie

 

[tommu56]

Check the dealers on here I think they would drop ship parts to you in a reasonable time .

tom

 

[jim_n_nh]

Hey,
I have walked in your shoes... Well sort of. Eventually Kioti came around and made me content. Part of the reason was I happy was that I end up with a good dealer. Best of luck.

Jim

 

[DK35vince]

Try ordering parts from a differant dealer.
I've owned my Kioti for 8 years and any parts I have ordered were mailed to my door within days.

 

[Dmace]

I don't care what color your tractor is, when you get a crappy dealer you think you get a crappy tractor.

It's pretty ridiculous that these people come on with a hand full of post and no helpful technical advice what-so-ever just to say one brand of tractor is junk and no one should buy it.

Anyone who takes advice from one of these clowns should think twice, caveat emptor...

 

[LTEnterprises]

I have a dk50c....took me 2 months to get a curl cylinder for the loader. I pulled a piston retaining nut off of the end of one, fixed it twice ( the nut breaks loose at the weld ). I got the new one ( they ALWAYS have bled down- only the curl cylinders). pulled the good one off...the piston nut was loose and no washer between the nut and piston. pulled the new one apart...yup loose piston nut. I MADE a back glass for mine outta lexan. PHD shattered it ( my stupid ). I've owned NOTHING but Kiotis since 93 ( lk3054 w/kelley loader, now an 03 dk50c with a kl1590 loader ) LOVE the tractors, the dealers are something else. I understand the OP's complaint. I too have thought about a Kubota HST cab. Kubota's downfall is EVERYTHING is an option that comes standard on the Kioti's....JMHO

 

[phyxer]

So is it such a great deal if you have to go through all these "inconveniences" then? I have nothing but good to say about my lil bota, land pride implements and dealer

Troy

 

[Patches]

So is it such a great deal if you have to go through all these "inconveniences" then? I have nothing but good to say about my lil bota, land pride implements and dealer

Troy

Your satisfaction is due, mainly, to one factor: your dealer

 

[BTI]

Bad/slow dealers in all brands.
Occasionally things get back ordered, this is color-blind also.
We work on everything, we are at times the consumer, so we know it happens.
LTE-
The KL1590 was made by KMW in Kansas, they OEM loaders for other companies also.
Your bleed down may be the valve. We had one do that. It is a Walvoil valve.

BTI

 

[jimmyj]

Dealer dealer dealer. Very frustrating to hear about your problems.

I have to say my dealer has been great. Any problems (of which there really have not been many), he fixes them immediately and once lent me some tools so I could do some nut tightening myself.

The only thing that took a bit of time was when he ordered me a second backhoe bucket it took about 6 weeks because he wanted to wait to have it added to another shipment so he did not have to pay separate freight. I was fine with that.

 

[KBEAT]

I agree, I have been very happy with my CK30 as well as my dealer. You need both to keep happy, a tractor purchase should be the start of a long term relationship and you need to know that the dealer will be there for you when you need them. One of the reasons I ended up with the Kioti was the attitude/impression of my dealer when I was looking and that has held true since.

 

[jimmyj]

I will add one more thing, the Kubota dealer is actually closer to my home but I did not really like his approach to me. One of the most influencing reasons I bought Kioti was the dealer reputation. I have stated before that I would be thrilled to have a Kubota too, but I just liked the Kioti dealer best.

 

[spanky8N]

So, when considering your new tractor purchase, and Kioti seems like it is a good deal, DON'T. When the options and price are so tempting, DON'T. When the dealer says he will support you after the sale, DON'T. When it looks like there is no way it is a wrong decision, DON'T. I wish someone had been honest and told me that when I bought the tractor that if anything happened I would be on my own, but they didn't. I am here to tell you, DON'T buy a Kioti, you will be happier in the long run. You may save 3 or 4 thousand over a Kubota, but you will pay it in the long run if you have just one incident where you need parts to finish a job, and you cant get them. Remember...DON'T!

Sound like you have had some bad luck. Your "Don't" rant is your opinion of course and in my opinion FAR what my expierence with my Kioti has been. 4 years ago I drove about 6 different brands of tractor before selecting my DK45s. I picked it because I liked it the best period. I have been very happy with my purchase and the one time I needed parts for it I got them in less than a week.
By the way, the only tractor I did not get to sit on prior to my purchase was a Kubota. I went to a total of four different Kubota dealers in my area and begged them to let me spend my money at their dealerships...all of them did not have the time of day for me. No returned phone calls, ignoring me at the lot etc. Does this mean Kubota is a bad tractor and I should tell everyone "DON'T"? Lol No in my opinion it doesn't. I think they make a fine tractor but I did expierence a handful of poor dealers.
I do understand why your frustrated though...I would be too. Best of luck in your situatiuon. It sounds like it can only get better!
Dan

 

[dadndadn]

Well, I just got home from work tonight. Still no windshield. I called Kioti factory again today to talk to the lady in NC that was going to call me back yesterday. They said I was not a dealer, therefore I could not talk to her. I guess I am not really complaining about my tractor, it is the best tractor I have ever had, and I have had several, including the green ones. But, no matter how good a tractor is, if you cant get parts when it breaks, and it will break, then is it really a good tractor. You all are right, it is a bad dealer, but now, after talking to Kioti in NC (the distributor), I am even less impressed than I was before. But, like you say, it is just my opinion. I have read rants on a lot of things. To the person who doesn't like the rants, without them, how do you make things better. If you act like all is okay when it is not, then the level of service you get is going to be lower, because the incompetent people act as thought they are doing an adequate job. I am going to Lowes tomorrow and get some plexi-glass to make a window for my tractor. I guess it will be my badge of honor for having bought a tractor from a company without any concern for the end user after the sale. I really dread the thought of having to get warranty work done if something should ever happen with this tractor. I will quit complaining now and drive my tractor with the rigged up back window...

 

[Dmace]

I guess it will be my badge of honor for having bought a tractor from a company without any concern for the end user after the sale. I really dread the thought of having to get warranty work done if something should ever happen with this tractor.

How does this mean you bought a tractor from "a company without any concern for the end user after the sale"...? Go call Kubota corp or John Deere corp and see how quickly they get a rear glass replacement for a cab. Sure you might get it a little quicker but it's 3x the price. I just saw a thread where a fuel pump for a JD was over $4,000.

And about that warranty, I would rather wait an extra couple of days or even weeks to get the warranty work if it means I get 4 years of warranty coverage instead of 2 like the others and that 4 years doesn't change if I buy it through a business name for commercial use either like it does for the others.

I understand your rant and don't think it should go untold, but this BS about running the Kioti name through the mud and telling people not to consider it is ridiculous and unnecessary.

 

[spanky8N]

To the person who doesn't like the rants, without them, how do you make things better. If you act like all is okay when it is not, then the level of service you get is going to be lower, because the incompetent people act as thought they are doing an adequate job.

Never said I don't like "rants". I was simply stating my very positive Kioti expierence when you were generalizing everything with "dont's".

I understand you were sharing your opinion. I thought it was fair to share mine. Good luck...I hope you have a positive outcome in the end.
Dan

 

[Gittyup]

I think the OP should say what he thinks. That's is what this forum is supposed to be about. Kioti needs to see such comments, because they need to do better. Kioti is horrible with customer commuications, we've all seen it. It is most likely a big waste of time and frustrating to continue to try to correspond directly with Kioti. Not sure, but the glass may actually be a Kioti issue. I don't suspect that replacement glass for any model is in good supply state-side.

Now to his problem. Go visit your dealer in person and talk to the owner. Express your frustrations and ask what can be done. In the case of the glass, ask the owner to give you the glass out of a stock tractor, if he has one.

If after trying all can, if your dealer isn't working for you, cancel the order(s) with him and call another dealer. There are plenty of good dealers that will do all they can to get you the parts you need as fast as they can. But, I wouldn't anger your old dealer. You might need him for warranty work later on.

In the meantime the plesiglass will at least lower your blood pressure while you wait..... as long as you don't think about it.