Opinions on Kioti's long term stability/viability in the US market?

[GManBart]

This goes against my style of buying and selling. I always consider resale value and demand prior to purchasing since I tend to buy, use for a relatively short time and then re-sell. I guess it probably comes from working in retail sales of large ticket items for a living for a long time. Purchase price is the most important part of that equation but buying a machine that has a decent pool of potential future buyers matters as well. And nothing will put a damper on resale value like a company going under in the target market area.

Well, if you're not planning on keeping the tractor for very long you really shouldn't worry about Kioti going out of business soon. They've been here for 30 years, just invested a boatload in the new NX line, expanded all of their other lines to include the larger Utility machines, and generally increased the number of models and options they offer. Those things aren't the sign of a company remotely close to closing their doors.

I don't recall anybody here posting about dealers dropping the Kioti line with any frequency at all, and quite a few people have reported new dealers adding them, so it seems their dealer network is expanding....a good sign. The few folks that report selling Kiotis here have had good luck selling them, and gotten a good price for them. Sure, more folks are going to be familiar with Deere and Kubota, but those same folks are going to be equally familiar with the additional $5-10K out of their pocket the Deere or Kubota is going to cost them to get the same size/capability machine.

The reality is, almost every time we have a thread like this the OP is going to do what they're going to do, regardless of what anybody says. None of us have insider information that can prove anything, so for every point, you're going to have a counter. At some point when I read these I often wonder "why are you even asking?" because it's nothing but opinions that can't be supported.

 

[Threepoint]

[snip]
Sure, more folks are going to be familiar with Deere and Kubota, but those same folks are going to be equally familiar with the additional $5-10K out of their pocket the Deere or Kubota is going to cost them to get the same size/capability machine.
[snip]

I think GManBart must have been reading my mail. :laughing: I've been a Kubota guy for 23 years, starting with my B2150HST in 1993 (which is still going strong and has paid for itself many, many times over). When I started thinking seriously about adding a bigger tractor 2-1/2 yrs ago, I don't think I'd ever even heard about Kioti! Once I started investigating, I realized that I was quite late to the party. Was just about to stroke a check for a Kubota Grand L4760HST Cab when I drove an NX4510HST Cab. Now I'm a Kubota and Kioti guy. :thumbsup: In my case, the price differential was about $8K, and the L4760 had 2 more ponies. It's hard for brand loyalty to compete with that size price spread, as Gman says. And my wife and I even liked the cab interior and controls a bit better on the Kioti.

Come to think of it, when I bought my B2150 in 1993, Kubota had only been importing tractors to the U.S. for 24 years, six years less than Kioti today. I'm sure there were plenty of tractor folks back then who wondered if Kubota would have long-term staying power here.

 

[WesternMN]

The reality is, almost every time we have a thread like this the OP is going to do what they're going to do, regardless of what anybody says. None of us have insider information that can prove anything, so for every point, you're going to have a counter. At some point when I read these I often wonder "why are you even asking?" because it's nothing but opinions that can't be supported.

The reason that I asked is because I'm not very well educated on new tractor inventory and was concerned about new 2014's being on the lot. Seemed like an indicator that the machines weren't selling, which could lead to dealers dropping the line and the brand ultimately going the way of the Dodo. Doesn't sound like 2 year old new inventory is a big concern in the tractor world, they must have some friendly floor-plan financing to allow machines to sit that long.

 

[FatTire]

Which Kioti's have (or do not have) parking brake indicators? My Kubota MX5100 does not, and it drives me crazy. Next winter I'll add my own, but its ridiculous not to get one on a modern machine, and if I were a manufacturer trying to take market share, I'd pay attention to the little things too.

 

[k0ua]

Which Kioti's have (or do not have) parking brake indicators? My Kubota MX5100 does not, and it drives me crazy. Next winter I'll add my own, but its ridiculous not to get one on a modern machine, and if I were a manufacturer trying to take market share, I'd pay attention to the little things too.

My 2012 DK35se has a big fat red Parking brake indicator. I am pretty sure the Newer NX line does also. I don't think the CK line does, however the light and even some of the wiring is there in the panel, but no switch and final wiring. Others please correct me if I am wrong.

My DK35se even has a "split brake" indicator that lights when the brakes are split apart. The idea is that if you have the brakes split and are driving down the road at speed, as you know this can throw you into a ditch by only activating only one brake causing the tractor to swerve. Most manuals warn of this, but Kioti actually provides a warning lamp in the instrument panel.

 

[kbsd]

My DK 5010HS has the red parking indicator in the dash, it also turns the rear brake lights on when its set.

 

[Illini22]

My 2012 DK35se has a big fat red Parking brake indicator. I am pretty sure the Newer NX line does also. I don't think the CK line does, however the light and even some of the wiring is there in the panel, but no switch and final wiring. Others please correct me if I am wrong.

My DK35se even has a "split brake" indicator that lights when the brakes are split apart. The idea is that if you have the brakes split and are driving down the road at speed, as you know this can throw you into a ditch by only activating only one brake causing the tractor to swerve. Most manuals warn of this, but Kioti actually provides a warning lamp in the instrument panel.

Yep, that split brake light scared me a few weeks ago. I parked the tractor till I found out what the light was for. Amber/orange wouldn't of scared me as much. Never found a reference in the book that explained what the light was for.

 

[k0ua]

Yep, that split brake light scared me a few weeks ago. I parked the tractor till I found out what the light was for. Amber/orange wouldn't of scared me as much. Never found a reference in the book that explained what the light was for.

It is sort of ominous isn't it? Did you have thoughts of "splitting" your tractor?.

 

[GManBart]

The reason that I asked is because I'm not very well educated on new tractor inventory and was concerned about new 2014's being on the lot. Seemed like an indicator that the machines weren't selling, which could lead to dealers dropping the line and the brand ultimately going the way of the Dodo. Doesn't sound like 2 year old new inventory is a big concern in the tractor world, they must have some friendly floor-plan financing to allow machines to sit that long.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. It's totally understandable having questions about standing inventory, especially because there was the big issue with dealers ordering as many tractors as they could to avoid the Tier IV final machines.

I was more directing that comment to the question about long-term stability of brands (any brand). None of us really know, and we're all guessing based upon various factors, so it's one of those questions that doesn't really have an answer.....just opinions. I'm sure some brands showed signs long before they pulled the plug, but nothing remotely like that his happening with Kioti.

 

[Illini22]

It is sort of ominous isn't it? Did you have thoughts of "splitting" your tractor?.

I let a friend use it and when I went to use it, the red light was illuminated. I never found an explanation showing what the light pertained to.