I posted the thread a year ago about interest in CD based Kioti service manuals, and to date have had little positive response. Around 100 or so interested TBNers, so I have not yet made my case to Kioti Corp.
Without tooting my own horn, I will say this; if I'm inclined to want something to happen, I can be pretty persistent and persuasive. I was able to cut through the front line telephone que of corporate nonsense and get to the backroom engineers, to insist they find a solution to the DK squeal in reverse issue, and with that success, I believe when there is enough interest expressed in online/CD/DVD data about Kioti tractors, maybe, just maybe we can collectively move the 19th century culture forward to at least the 20th, if not the 21st century.
Daedong and Kioti Corp may have their own imbedded way of doing things that they feel work without being fixed. I see it differently. A service manual on paper is antiquated, if not downright obsolete. It costs money to make, stock, ship and inventory. And as soon as it is printed it's basically useless, unless periodically updated, revised, etc.
And if you think what's available today is wrought with bad or erroneous information and butchered English, you have no idea how bad the manuals used to be. From what I've seen here and heard about the older manuals were absolutely atrocious!
A major dealer for Kioti tells me personally that the dealers like the way it is in general, for reasons that are somewhat incomprehensible, except that they can make money selling the paperbound service manuals. Ok.
I look at it as, they could make more $ and Kioti could sell more tractors, parts, and other services if everything were streamlined and better than anyone else offers currently. Why follow when you can lead is my philosophy?! If Kioti wants to live up to it's trademark of Leading the Pack, then put it to the test and actually offer something that's cutting edge.
I'm more than willing to bring the need to the deciders; but I do believe we need more turnout on my original thread to get the numbers way higher before submitting to Kioti. Otherwise, why would Kioti change it's currently, working for them, don't fix it if it ain't broke, status quo mindset?
I forgot to mention that I believe the dealer mindset is to keep the public, the tractor owner, in the dark about servicing their machines so that the business will be like magic and only end up in dealer shops.
Technical service bulletins are closely held to the dealer's accessing them, but sometimes get out, in the auto industry, in particular.
The problem with this type of thinking is an us against them concept that keeps the consumer behind the 8 ball.
BUT, in today's world of most things being available online the consumer can, with a little research be as knowledgeable as the tractor salesman or even more so in many cases. This ought to be seen as a good thing because an informed consumer is likely going to buy the best value for their money. OOPS! Can't get what I want if I want to service my own tractor, and leave the warranty or big issues to the selling dealer? Well then, maybe I should buy from Xyz manufacturer who DOES offer what I want in service data for me to do what I want to do as a DIYer.
This is where Kioti and everyone else in the tractor industry is MISSING the POINT!
Get on board or be behind the curve. Every Kioti would be better kept, or able to be kept better, and the Kioti owner would feel more assured in the product, if the necessary information were readily available, regularly updated, and available for an annual subscription fee, for example. Pay if you want to continue to get the info, lapse the subscription at any time to halt it. Make renewal available for a additional fee, etc.
If it were my company that is what I would want: set the bar, don't follow antiquated, unworkable and likely to frustrate the retail customer business practices just because it's always been done this way and no one else does it any differently.....
