Buying Advice Kioti ck 20s hst ck27hst

[Maritime Matt]

Looking for my first tractor/loader for my business. I started looking at used on CL. Masseys, Yanmars, Fords for starters. Then looked at used/new Kubotas. Then found this site and clicked on the Kioti Advertising Header and started learning about another name in tractors. Found out my dealer is about 40 minutes away, across from the Bota dealer and gave him a call. He has a New CK 20s HST o hrs and a CK27 HST with 150 hrs on it for around the same price. 4yr. Warranty. Around 14K
I will be using it at a marina mostly but want to include snow removal/plowing outside as well. At the marinait will be used for:

1 Putting a clamp-on 2" receiver on the loader for various drawbars to move/and/or launch trailered boats around the property.
2 Occasionally lifting outboards off/away from transoms for steering cable replacement.
3 Snow plowing
4 Anything else I can throw at it. At a marina the more tools you got, the easier the job.
What do you all think?
Great site by the way.
Thanks.
Matt

[wallace]

Matt the CK20 will be under powered and to small for your needs.
I would be looking more at the CK27,30,35 or if you want a much better sized tractor for you current needs with growth possibilities in the future I would be looking at the DK35.

[mx5guy]

I have a CK27HST, and 14k with 150 hour is very resonable, it's a very capable tractor, I have a front end loader and backhoe, and it has done evrything I have asked of it so far. had one Hydraulic hose leak on FEL replaced under warranty. In Low range I can pull anything I have tried, and climbed some steep inclines on the property.

[Maritime Matt]

Thanks mx. I'm hoping to see the trac tomorrow. How many hours on yours? Any pics I can see?
Thanks
Matt

[mx5guy]

If memory serve me right around 72 hours, I really like the way I can take a stump out in hours that would take the hole weekend nearly killing me, I now enjoy removing stumps now.My wife like driving it to move and pile firewood.That rock was very heavy, use side of hill and forward motion and fel to get it off the ground to move. It's now sleeping for the winter under its own tarp building.

[KiotiDave]

Looking for my first tractor/loader for my business. I started looking at used on CL. Masseys, Yanmars, Fords for starters. Then looked at used/new Kubotas. Then found this site and clicked on the Kioti Advertising Header and started learning about another name in tractors. Found out my dealer is about 40 minutes away, across from the Bota dealer and gave him a call. He has a New CK 20s HST o hrs and a CK27 HST with 150 hrs on it for around the same price. 4yr. Warranty. Around 14K
I will be using it at a marina mostly but want to include snow removal/plowing outside as well. At the marinait will be used for:

1 Putting a clamp-on 2" receiver on the loader for various drawbars to move/and/or launch trailered boats around the property.
2 Occasionally lifting outboards off/away from transoms for steering cable replacement.
3 Snow plowing
4 Anything else I can throw at it. At a marina the more tools you got, the easier the job.
What do you all think?
Great site by the way.
Thanks.
Matt

Hi Matt,
Take it from someone who ran a marina for years. You want weight if you are lauching boats. Especialy if you have a steep ramp.
We used to use a TC40 new Holland and a 20' stern drive full of fuel and gear would pull that backward on a wet ramp. You will want someone in the seat all the time. We had an asphalt ramp with a mild slope and our tractor almost went into the water several times.
I would get into the DKseries as Rick Wallace suggested, not so much for the HP, but the weight and size. Everything else on your list is easily handled by any of the larger CK models.
Dave G.
KiotiDave

[IslandTractor]

I usually agree with both Rick Wallace and KiotiDave but it is not so clear to me that a CK20 couldn't handle the tasks you outlined. It depends IMO on what size boats you will be launching. Any of the loader activities could be done by either the 20 or 27 as there isn't that much difference in loader capacity. Ballast is more of an issue for the 20 but that is easy to deal with once.

If you have a small marina and are launching boats less than 25ft I'd think the 20 might be nice because of the smaller footprint and better manuverability. The 20 is a brute in low range with loaded tires. Much bigger boats and you are into DK size machines. I just don't see what the extra five or six HP gets you with the 27 for this application.

[TBDonnelly]

I just don't see what the extra five or six HP gets you with the 27 for this application.

I'd want the three range HST in the 27 vs.the 20......

Don

[IslandTractor]

I'd want the three range HST in the 27 vs.the 20......

Don

We'd all prefer a three range HST on the CK20 but it wouldn't make much difference in a boatyard IMO. You'd need low range for trailer towing anyway and high range for moving the tractor itself from place to place in the yard. The real use of mid range is mowing or traveling up hills neither of which is so likely for a boatyard utility tractor.

[TBDonnelly]

We'd all prefer a three range HST on the CK20 but it wouldn't make much difference in a boatyard IMO. You'd need low range for trailer towing anyway and high range for moving the tractor itself from place to place in the yard. The real use of mid range is mowing or traveling up hills neither of which is so likely for a boatyard utility tractor.

I'm going to respectfully disagree. Boat time is a limited seasonal business and time is of the essence. Medium range would be indispensable in my book for speed of service. Low (and slow) would have seldom use, (for extreme pull situations only.) Medium is necessary for moving boats around the yard, low is to slow and high is a road gear, not for pulling loads.

Don