Buying Advice I think this is a DK35se Is it a good deal?

[lilranch2001]

also, do not forget, in his CL posting he made the statement "asking"
Dont forget, you can make a lower offer and see if he bites

 

[engine29]

One thing aboiut this site, you will get positive info. and you will get people trying to talk you out of your thought and into their camp. Kioti is a very good tractor and will outspec and out-feature many of the others. W/ Kioti you will get more weight and more features than a comperable Deere, i.e. a 3520
or 4120. The features you will get w/ the DK35 that WILL NOT be on a Deere or Kubota are: telescoping draft links, pin adjust sway bars, a rear hyd. remote and a rear 3pt. lift control. The only thing I personally don't like on your particular DK is the gear trans. vs. a hydro. but that is preference.

Now, when you go to Deere, the first thing they will try to steer you towards will be a 3032 or 38 E or possibly a 4105. These ARE NOT comparable tractors and are under the DK35.

As far as the Kioti, they have a 4 yr. warr. which you should be able to continue. I do know there is a dealer in NE TN, @ an hour and a half a way. They
are in the corner of KY, WVA (I think) and TN. While not in town, close enough to take care of you if needed. The reliability of the Kioti is very good so you shouldn't need much. The BC dealer could do your service, same tractor.

Don't let these guys steer you away, everyone thinks they are an expert. That's why I'm just coming back on here after a 3 mo. hiatis.

See the post on here about the guy in Cleveland w/ a DK35 he just inherited. W/ Kioti, you get good value and a good machine.

 

[ohbehave]

Thanks. I'm still mulling it over. I'm thinking that the price is excellent and might get even better with negotiation (but I have to consider that he'll be delivering the thing, too).

I might be doing some rough type work. I'll be careful, but I have read about things getting damaged in the undercarriage. With that, I'm pondering the benefits of being near a local dealer!

 

[Avondale]

As mentioned earlier, I use mine in the bush. I recommend that if you will be too, get a spare hose for the longest one on your tractor. It can be used on any fitting even if it is longer and you will likely need it at the most in-opertune time. I have a job off-farm, so use mine evenings and weekends, when replacement hoses can be hard to come by. Used a long one on a short run, just tyraped surplus out of the way and was back in business. Also, most folks have spare fluids available.

 

[Misfire]

Thanks. I'm still mulling it over. I'm thinking that the price is excellent and might get even better with negotiation (but I have to consider that he'll be delivering the thing, too).

I might be doing some rough type work. I'll be careful, but I have read about things getting damaged in the undercarriage. With that, I'm pondering the benefits of being near a local dealer!

If that machine really only has 22 hours on it, then it probably hasn't had its first service. 50 hours seems to be a common first service interval. Kioti owners can correct this if the company uses a different interval.

Do you have the facilities and tools to service a tractor, preferably indoors? You will need a heavy floor jack, large jack stands, and some big wrenches at a minimum. If you need to drain the hydraulics for any reason, you will have to deal with a lot of hydraulic fluid.

Your ability to service the machine should factor into any buying decision. Like Island Tractor, I do all my own work, but I have a well lit insulated shop building, experience, and a decent set of tools to do the job. I also have the time.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying that particular machine, as some have alluded. I'm just trying to put as much information before you as I can, so that you can make an informed decision.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks. I'm still mulling it over. I'm thinking that the price is excellent and might get even better with negotiation (but I have to consider that he'll be delivering the thing, too).

I might be doing some rough type work. I'll be careful, but I have read about things getting damaged in the undercarriage. With that, I'm pondering the benefits of being near a local dealer!

Don't get the impression that these tractors are delicate or fine tools. I've been bulling through brush and taking out trees for over seven years with my two Kioti tractors and in that time have never disabled the tractors. Yes, I have broken a hydraulic hose (shut down backhoe operations for a few days) and another hose on my grapple once too. I've disconnected FEL fittings (two minutes to diagnose and reconnect), broken a rear tail light, bent the bucket level indicator into a pretzel (twice!, I no longer use one), jammed a stick into the oil dipstick tube and bent it, and busted my sunshade several times on tree limbs. I've disconnected the 4wd solenoid plug (couldn't figure that out until talking to the dealer later). However, in over 500 hours of seat time with at least half being the sort of brush removal you are planning, I have always been able to drive the wounded tractor back to the barn and make the fixes myself. These tractors may not be bullet proof but it is hard to disable them so long as you use your head. My advice would be to simply start slowly until you gain confidence in operation and familiarity with the tractor but don't worry.

Prevention is the best strategy. The only things likely to be damaged by brush under the tractor are the hoses for the FEL and grapple, the electrical connectors under the left side operator station and perhaps the HST filter. Those can all be protected by fairly simple brush shields to deflect sticks. Also, proper conservative technique in clearing brush will go a long way in avoiding incidents. For example, back into thick brush with the bush hog rather than driving though front-ways. I don't want to sound like you need to armor your tractor before heading into the woods. I have not bothered (yet) to install brush guards even though they remain on my "good idea to do someday" list.

 

[lilranch2001]

you should see some of the brush I have cleaned, 30 years of over growth on the south and west side of a woods, and my CT 235 has only a few scratches.

These Bobcats and Kiotis are tough

 

[ohbehave]

Thanks all,

I went to the John Deere and the BobCat dealer today.

He said that the only difference between Kioti and the bobcats were the hydraulic systems. Bobcat, he said, puts their own bobcat hydraulics in the tractor.

For the CT335 (or was that CT235?), shuttle shift, with FEL, I was quoted 18,428 out the door (and we pay big sales tax here). It was ~35 hp, I believe, so it may have been the CT235.

Regardless, the machines looked weathered. The paint was fine, but the darn seats and some of the plastic knobs looked severely sun bleached. One of the (two) tractors had a dead battery. They were, of course, outside.

The dealership was actually very slick looking, modern, and clean, so it was surprising to see the tractors like that.

My impression was that the tractors weren't selling.

Side note, the actual traditional bobcats were exceedingly cool! man, the attachments that can be put on the front are amazing... even a bushhog and another one that cuts trees down AND chips them! The operator, of course, if perfectly located just behind the implement for easy viewing of the work.

 

[Misfire]

My impression was that the tractors weren't selling.

Apparently, some Bobcat dealers have dropped the tractors because of various factors. I wonder if that is in the cards for that dealer.

You may also be able to get a little more off if you bring up the faded seat and knobs.

Which Deere dealer did you go to and what did you think?

 

[ohbehave]

Ritchie Tractor seems to have a monopoly on tractors in my area (Knoxville). I don't think there are any non-Ritchie John Deere dealers nearby.

Anyway, one of the Ritchie John Deere dealers is very close to my home.
The 3032e looks interesting. He gave a quote of only $1,100 off of the retail price. So it was 18,000 with a FEL.

Ritchie's has been around a while, so I suppose they are pretty good. I bought an x320 mower from them last year.

If the price was right, I think I could go for it. Unlike some of the others, that 18,000 John Deere was the same price whether I did the financing or cash. Given the lack of competitors, I can't use the "other dealer" for price comparison.... so, I'm stuck comparing one brand's price against another.