Asssment of Korean Tractor Manufacturers

[Maka]

LS stands for Leading Solutions. The GS division is Global Solutions. LG was Lucky Goldstar but went to LG and the branding of Lifes Good. I believe thats is all correct. Just calling from Memory.

 

[TSO]

Absolutely. Just responding to a post saying Kioti isn't a tractor name. When I was looking at LS I was wondering what it stood for (like JD or MF). I hope Kioti is the best Korean (or any) tractor around, since that's what I have. And I'm happy with it so far.

I didn't say it wasn't a tractor name, just that I didn't like it. Actually, had it been spelled correctly, "Coyote," I would have preferred that to Kioti. I mean, your actual parent company name is already "Daedong"... if you're gonna call it something else in the US, might as well spell it in English.

I also don't like the moniker "LS" , er... I should say, I don't like the name "Leading Solutions." Sounds like a consulting firm. I'd prefer if it was still called LG, or if LS was an acronym for something related to the company itself, like "Lg-Systems" or similar.

JD, MF, Ford, Allis Chalmers, kubota, etc... Those are odd names, but they stand for the people behind the company. (Neat history on the Kubota name here: Kubota Corp - RitchieWiki.)

 

[KiwiBro]

I think the tractor makes the name, not the other way around.

Agreed. Frankly, I couldn't care less about the name. As long as the tractor, value, and after sales support stack up then they could paint the darn thing fluro pink and call it Shirley for all I care.

 

[GManBart]

And for what it's worth, from my own personal experience, I feel that the Massey (Iseki) compacts are better than any of these 4 brands we're discussing. I feel that Kioti is closest at this point, but needs to step up their materials quality, especially inside their cabs. The plastics feel really thin and cheap compared to the Massey. And the tiny little buckets they throw onto the loaders needs an up-sizing. (And ironically, my tier 3 Massey has an in-house Iseki diesel which I'm really happy with, while they now install tier 4 Mitsubishi engines in their new tractors ... Time will tell how that will work out)

Anyhow, those are my thoughts

Kioti could make their interiors nicer, with better plastics, and still cost thousands less than an equivalent Massey, so that comparison isn't really fair. A tractor that costs a significant amount more should be nicer...no secret there, but I doubt there's any significant difference in mechanical quality between the two.

 

[TSO]

Kioti could make their interiors nicer, with better plastics, and still cost thousands less than an equivalent Massey, so that comparison isn't really fair. A tractor that costs a significant amount more should be nicer...no secret there, but I doubt there's any significant difference in mechanical quality between the two.

Agreed, just pointing it out to say that there are still improvements that could be made when compared to the Japanese manufacturers, if indeed Kioti sits atop of the Korean manufacturers.

 

[TomSeller]

I would place them

best
1. LS
2. Kioti

A distant few
3. Branson
4. TYM

 

[cford36]

Wow. That would be interesting. They have been at least 3 years at the R&D to produce their Mtron engines, if my understanding is correct. The impression I had was they were not keen on using the Mitsi design under license at the new plant. But perhaps i got my wires crossed, and they just spent 3 years designing the actual plant rather than engines and were always going to keep making Mitsis under license?

I stand corrected. The article was about them using their engines starting next year. Not sure how fast they will phase them in.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I would place them

best
1. LS
2. Kioti

A distant few
3. Branson
4. TYM

LS doesn't offer a large frame HST machine. Looks like they have an incomplete range. Meanwhile, Kioti has added more heavy-framed CUTs to their line-up just this fall. As I understand it, Kioti believes there is an opportunity to do a "land-grab" of market share in the CUT space even as the industry sales volume collapses which is why they successfully have added dealers this year while increasing their parts distribution even in the face of falling industry sales. My tractor was 20k less than Deere, 12K less than Kubota, and 6K less than Massey while offering the best interior cab layout and while building their own equipment (if only they'd go to Delphi weatherpack electrical connectors, sigh). Anyway, good on Kioti.

 

[KiwiBro]

I stand corrected. The article was about them using their engines starting next year. Not sure how fast they will phase them in.

Thanks for the clarification. Just what, if anything, their own engines do for the quality and value of their tractors, and which models get which engines in 2015 and beyond will be good to understand. The new plant almost completes the in-house build option, capturing more control and margin within LS instead of farming some of that out. Here's hoping it's a success for them and the Mtron engines prove reliable in real-world use by the masses.

Editing to note that here in Australia and New Zealand at least, the bigger of CaseIH Farmall B series tractors (40/50/60B) use the LSMtron engines. It would seem the LS equivalent of the Case Farmall 60B, for example, would be their U6020 or U6030 model, neither of which I think LS tractor in USA carry.

Perhaps here 'down under' we have been the early adopters, the test market for the Mtron engines? Can't say I've heard anything bad about the Case farmall 60B series engines, so perhaps no news is good news?

 

[Maka]

Not sure about pink but the name Shirley for a tractor would be cool.