DK90 shopping

   / DK90 shopping #11  
One thing I overlooked to mention on our Kioti DK1002 which we are finding a bit of a pain is the small fuel tank with a capacity at only c.100litres .......just something to consider in day-in/day-out operations
 
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#12  
I noticed that on the Australian DK models. I believe the North American model has the 125 l tank. The Australian DX models show the larger tank... I am only going on specs from websites. It seems to me that the NA DK90 is speced somewhere between the Australian DK and DX. All of these "observations" are based on "research", LOL.

How is the fuel mileage anyway? I am spoiled to death with the Deutz air-cooled fuel mileage, which is pretty much astoundingly good (about 20hrs or better in haying ops - it has a small additional saddle tank). My old Minnies were/are very good that way too. I haven't owned many tractors, but luckily every one has been a tough machine and good on fuel. I do not want something that burns an exhorbitant amount of fuel. Period. Someone else was impressed with his DK90 fuel usage, how about you MBTRAC?

Thanks!
 
   / DK90 shopping #13  
Funny how individual market specs vary so much.

Sorry can't really give any numbers for indicative fuel usage on our DK as it's used on many tasks & with many operators - my "gut" feel from operating is it pretty much the same as the Landini 95's we worked previously @ somewhere in heavy tillage work from c. 15.5 to20litre/hour.

Unfortunately I'm yet to come across any modern tractor that sips fuel like like an air cooled Deutz - we still run a DX230 & DX140 & years ago used to run a few more D10006, 6206, DX85....etc.
 
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#14  
so, with a 125 litre tank, we're only talking about 7hrs. That is a pretty short day. I guess it should be better in lighter work. Sounds expensive for a little tractor though......

This is nearly unbelievable, but between my wife and I, we feed 50 cows for 6 months or more on about 4 fills of fuel with the Deutz (and we run it far-from-dry before filling, and we snow plow the yard and lanes too). I don't even know how many litres that is. It is so good on fuel that I have never even given it much thought, as I know it is as good as it gets. My fuel bill is less significant around here than many other bills.

I guess no matter what new tractor I get, I will be disappointed with fuel consumption. Likely very disappointed...

BTW, I have a "first right of refusal" deposit on a DK90 with the "local" dealer. He is "only" 6hrs away, LOL.

I hope the tractor comes in soon, so I can have a look at it.

MBTRAC, I was wondering how the dry clutch has held up on the higher-hour machines you looked at?

Thanks again MBTRAC!, etal
 
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   / DK90 shopping #15  
The 15 -20litres/hour I quoted was for heavy going subsoiling & pipe laying with a ripper, so if it's only "ticking over" in lighter duties I'd think it should get down to around 12LPH or maybe less - we don't really take too much notice on our sub-200hp tractors fuel usage as they're the "jack of all trades" utility machines & the fuel usage comparative is very much task/seasonal/operator dependent - we also run the A/C constantly & I would guess our high ambient temperature would impact fuel economy somewhat, there's probably also some market difference in the Kioti's cooling pack/set up (usually our local market tractors/earthmoving gear have tropical cooling packs fitted - as we have found out sometimes when we privately s/h & new import machines from other markets).

I'm unsure of the clutch durability too, so far so good on ours @ c.350hrs - some owners of the high houred machines criticised the clutch durability/some didn't (including one used on an orchard which is usually pretty tough on clutches) so the jury is out.......

As we're getting Autumn rains here today I'm catching up with some paperwork & helping out in the workshop - I should get down to our farm where the Kioti is in the next week or so to rake up a few more hours & experience with the machine prior to placing our next order.
 
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#16  
Please let us know how that goes (your trip to the other farm and driving the Kioti again).

I'm only guessing again, but those high-houred machines - and lets face it - even 4000hrs is not really "high hours" on a decent tractor, they may have the 12" clutch which has now been superceeded with the 13" ceramic clutch???

If your DK1002 proves to be a solid tractor, the dx100 may be the ticket for a good, long lasting machine. Is there any reason you got the DK rather than the DX, other than price?

I get about 3000hrs out of this Deutz clutch, and this particular clutch is not known to be really durable......nor is the rearend, unfortunately.

This Duetz has been good to me, and I need another tractor to be the same.

Thanks a lot for your continued input MBTRAC!

funny to be conversing with someone coming into winter when I am coming into spring : ) . Calving soon...I hope the snow goes away and the ground dries pretty quick. Historically, we have good cows, so we should have very few problems, but there's always something...
 
   / DK90 shopping #17  
In response:-

Please let us know how that goes (your trip to the other farm and driving the Kioti again).
Will do & I'll "quiz" our operators a little more closely, it'll be a week or so before I can provide feedback

I'm only guessing again, but those high-houred machines - and lets face it - even 4000hrs is not really "high hours" on a decent tractor, they may have the 12" clutch which has now been superceeded with the 13" ceramic clutch???
Yes 4000hrs isn't a lot but was the highest hrs around - at a guess with good maintenance practices/sympathetic operators the Kioti's should be ok without major expenditure for c.6000-7000hrs or about what we'd expect to see on most modern tractors, our "plan" is to trade ours @c.2000 -3000hrs though like everything in farming it's all dependent on the season, crop prices, trade in value ...etc... so our well laid plans may be thrown "out the door..."
Must admit we didn't delve into the cutch spec's prior to purchase - as ours is a 2012 build date it's likely a 13" - as we run these size machines as utility tractors which for us is about 1 step up from a quad bike so they cop similar abuse/reasonably quick replacement + here they come with a 24month'1500hr warranty

If your DK1002 proves to be a solid tractor, the dx100 may be the ticket for a good, long lasting machine. Is there any reason you got the DK rather than the DX, other than price?
For our first Kioti/Daedong the DK was more the value equation & the DK fitted with the "luxury" Cab pack & 4/1 FEL suited our intended operation/period of ownership for a basic workhorse fine (consider most of our "real" farming is well beyond a c.100hp machine)- the DX over here @c. a 13% premium is a little more "up spec" with some features we didn't require initially but overall should prove the more durable/saleable machine & may be my selection as a "primary" tractor - & we may choose the DX for our future orders

I get about 3000hrs out of this Deutz clutch, and this particular clutch is not known to be really durable......nor is the rearend, unfortunately.
3-4500hrs seems about the clutch life in the Deutz's we've had, never had any drama's with the rear ends, it's usually the gearbox crawler/low gears that go on ours maybe prematurely

This Duetz has been good to me, and I need another tractor to be the same.
I'm unsure if any modern tractor will give a similar life of economic service - just like vehicles now, they tend to be a throw away past a certain point - "they say sure don't make them like they used too", hence we run & keep rebuilding/running a lot of aged "clunkers" across our farms - fyi you'll find a list of our gear/scope of our operations here http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/275213-who-owns-most-tractors-4.html

Thanks a lot for your continued input MBTRAC!
No drama - I well understand the diffculties of buying the "right" commercial farm tractor, I've made a few machine "errors" in the past ( & will mostly likely again in the future ) including some expensive mistakes with Challengers & a JCB which all proved "incompatable" with our operations

funny to be conversing with someone coming into winter when I am coming into spring : ) . Calving soon...I hope the snow goes away and the ground dries pretty quick. Historically, we have good cows, so we should have very few problems, but there's always something...[/QUOTE]
Yes, hard to get my head around the seasonal "inversions" in our different hemispheres:confused:And as for farming in snow that's just beyond my comprehension - good luck with the calving, we don't generally get involved with our calving or lambing (except for "controlling" wild dogs) with nature taking its course remotely in the paddocks with virtually no intervention.
 
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#18  
have you considered Guardian dogs to looks after "nature". We have had great success with them. We used to have several hundred ewes (small flock by Auzzie standards, I know) and never lost one animal to predators, yet we live in coyote/bear/wolf and even occasional cougar country.

If you ever have a predator problem, proper dogs can easily care for the flock. Good bred ones, that is, of various ages as the young ones develop proper manners from the older ones.

Snow and cold is just something you get used to....A few aquired techniques, is all. I wouldn't have a clue how to deal with snakes and lizards.....

Looking forward to your upcoming evaluation.

And again, thanks
 
   / DK90 shopping #19  
Holeycow :-

Now sitting down to breakfast after being out & about putting the DK1002 through hard paces earlier this morning for c.7hrs, some heavy ripping, slashing (i.e Bush Hogging), a little FEL work & dug a few post holes with a PTO PHD + a Hyd PHD on the FEL, so now 381hrs:-

- the standard lights are woefull, so we'll be fitting LED bars & maybe some HID worklights (as is usual on most of our tractors)
- the standard tyres leave a lot to be desired lacking grip on really soft ground, there seems to be greater "flex" in the side walls than ideal (it could be our standard tyre spec's, pressures or it may be a ballasting issue with water in the tyres).
- slight (likely insigificant) whine in the transmission when crawling, gearbox has "freed" up as it was "notchy" when we first got it
- after an hour developed a slight RPM fluctuation/hunting at low idle, maybe a little sensitive to "dud" fuel we often have on this farm & we'll be fitting supplementary fuel filters/water agglomerator to the Kioti
- the factory FEL & 4/1 is ok with no surprises, a typical "farm biased" lighter unit & we'll be adding an industrial wear lip/teeth to the bucket, lifts a full bucket easily with reasonable speed though the static breakout force seems a little low.
- excessive harmonic vibration causing the cab door glass to annoyingly vibrate/reflect in darkness when operating under lights (looks to be just a door adjustment due to operator abuse rather than a concern with the Cab mounts), there's quite a few reflections in the Cab glass during night operations but most tractors in this size have this "quirk" until you have the lights adjusted right
- the Cab fan is noisier than most, I think there's some crud been dragged in past the Cab filters again(we'll be ditching the factory filters & going aftermarket as we don't believe they're up to our fine "dust"), the tractors has done c.50hrs in constant heavy dusty slashing recently (the Cab stayed quite clean)
- ran an 8ft extremely HD 150hp gearbox slasher fine in 2ft tall very thick grass & taller scrub, no bogging down or temp fluctations (ambient only 60F)
- good control over the PTO when bringing the PTO PHD up to speed & also runs the hyd unit fine
- the hyd's were smoother than I expected/remembered
- apart from one of our operators who detests anything that's not JD green ( & for that matter would rather be in a header year round) the general comment (from a pretty tough bunch to please ) was it's better than what we expected to be......
- we dropped the oil & hyd fluid last week & sent samples for testing, all fine/nothing evident in the filters either
- checked the air filter, seems to be keeping reasonably clean given the conditions
- no coolant usuage to date

Hope this helps in your decision.

PS - Yes guardian dogs are they way to go if practical, we use Maremma sheepdogs for stud sheep & it's worked really well. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work out for our larger sheep mobs as the sheep get then get confused with our working dogs (& scatter looking for the locked away Maremma's for protection/guidance)...but at least we don't have bears, coyotes...etc :eek: to contend with - just feral wild dogs.
 
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#20  
Sheesh. I thought I replied to your post MBTRAC.....albeit 5 days late. I was looking very forward to your expert evaluation, and didn't look in the right places, obviously.

I made a long-winded reply and lost it somewhere, so here's a shorter version, LOL.

It sounds like the tractor is living up to your expectations........meaning solid value for the dollar? The gearbox whine bothers me somewhat, although it may just be broken in now and the noise will stay the same? Gearbox whine is the reason I am looking to replace/semi retire my Deutz, as it has been increasing over the last 1500hrs. As you said; "likely insignificant?..." with the Kioti. Although in the case of the Deutz it is definately something...

Is the shifting solid and precise now, or is it sloppy and vague? Gearbox break-in is more critical than engine break-in, IMO. In short, does it feel like a nice transmission?

Are you satisfied yet to consider more of the Kioti's? Or are you still wondering?

Your opinion is very valuable to me MBTRAC, and sorry it took so long to get back to you.
 
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