FEL repair kit

[IslandTractor]

No one is making excuses for the loader but the design flaw is just with the torque tube. The design otherwise is pretty much standard as is the construction quality.

As you point out, loaders do normally twist a bit with asymmetric loads but then they straighten out when the load is released. Yours appears to have become permanently out of balance. Do the cracks still have flush edges or is the loader so twisted that the torque tube itself is now unable to come back to it's normal unloaded level state? If the crack edges still are closely approximated to each other when not loaded doesn't that argue that the lack of level is due to something other than the torque tube flexibility? If the torque tube can return to normal after loading why don't the FEL arms?

You are correct that the weight difference with the CK25/CK30 could be a factor but the loader is not really that much undersized for that tractor. There are not many tractors at 25hp-30hp that are as heavy as the CK25 but some close matchs like the Kubota L2800 (2600lbs vs 3000lbs for the CK25) with the LA463 loader has almost exactly the same lift capacity as the KL130.

One would think that modest lift capacity would actually be protective as you are less able to exert extreme forces. Where the heavy tractor weight could have a bigger impact is if you have the bucket down "bulldozing' and hit an obstruction with one side of the bucket. The greater mass of the CK25 could be a factor with that sort of stress.

Another reason I don't buy the "undersized loader" argument is that cracks also seem to occur with about equal frequency with the CK20/KL120 which weighs about 1000lbs less than the CK25 (maybe that is a slight exaggeration I haven't checked). The CK20 loader is almost as powerful by lift capacity as the KL130 and is pretty close to the top of the heap in comparing 20hp tractor/FEL combos. If you consider a ratio of lift capacity to tractor weight, the CK25/KL130 would be relatively lower and the CK20/KL120 higher than "average" yet the incidence of cracking seems to be about the same.

I appreciate your point that the level problem occurred about the same time that you saw the cracking get worse but I still wonder if they are directly related. Has a dealer looked at it?

[laurencen]

One thing I would be interested in is the pivot pin of the arm on the tractor and the pivot of the bucket centers, are they the same, I could see one pushing and hitting a rock, the force could easily compress one arm, this would twist the arms, this was a problem on older thomas skid steers, if you hit hard with the bucket the arm bent, on the bright side crowning a driveway should be easy

[twigpig]

For those that don't believe the KL130s have cracked torque tubes here is mine with the dealer Frankenstein repair. I took these pictures about 10 months ago. I haven't checked the cracks lately.

[IslandTractor]

Originally Posted by twigpig

For those that don't believe the KL130s have cracked torque tubes here is mine with the dealer Frankenstein repair. I took these pictures about 10 months ago. I haven't checked the cracks lately.

You don't have the same dealer as Highbeam do you. He had the Mother of all Repairs done to his by some amateur bridge builder which is how we all started learning about this issue almost a couple of years ago.

[twigpig]

Yep. Same one. To add insult to injury the dealer told me that since I was not the original purchaser I was on my own. He could sell me a set of replacement loader arms he had in stock for the bargain price of $1000. They too were the old style. Not the 130B. I think the dealerships are left holding the bag on this issue too but this dealer isn't even trying to make it right.

[Gittyup]

No one is making excuses for the loader but the design flaw is just with the torque tube. The design otherwise is pretty much standard as is the construction quality.

That's a pretty major design flaw. Enough for me to say that it is NOT up to standard construction equipment quality.

The weight of the tractor can easily put much more force on the loader arms than can the hydraulics. Throw in a little momentum of motion and the force caused by weight is further amplified. Comparison to the CK20 has limited value here. From Kioti's website:

CK20
Weight 2125 lbs.
loader lift to full height 1074 lbs.

CK25
Weight 3042
loader lift to full height 1155 lbs.

The CK25 weighs 43% more than the CK20. Yet, the loader capacities differ by less than 10%. It's also interesting that the relief valves are set to much different values. Something close to 2600 psi for the KL120, but only 2000 psi for KL130. Seems like the engineers were trying to limit something a bit more on the KL130.

I agree that the Dealer's are bearing too much of the burden here. But, the real burden is on us poor owners. We are the ones stuck with an under designed loader not up to the capabilities of the tractor. I so wish I had gotten a Woods!

[Mastertech]

Pardon my ignorance, but just where do the cracks appear? On the weld joints? In the plate itself?

[HODAK]

Ahhh, a trip down memory lane.............. Glad to accomodate you with some pictures. These were taken as I was preparing to upgrade.

[kentrodngun]

No offense to anyone but I'm getting a little tired of this subject. Seems to me we should open another Kioti sub-site and call it Kioti Cracks .

I know this is an important issue to many of you but it's been beaten to death. Let's make a 2008 resolution to get back to business and start regular posting again and only revisit this issue when truly new information is available.

There, I've said it, and yes, I know I don't have to read the posts, but I do anyway. OK, so I'm donning my Kevlar and awaiting the incoming.

Happy New Year to you all.

[HODAK]

Originally Posted by kentrodngun

No offense to anyone but I'm getting a little tired of this subject. Seems to me we should open another Kioti sub-site and call it Kioti Cracks .

I know this is an important issue to many of you but it's been beaten to death. Let's make a 2008 resolution to get back to business and start regular posting again and only revisit this issue when truly new information is available.

There, I've said it, and yes, I know I don't have to read the posts, but I do anyway. OK, so I'm donning my Kevlar and awaiting the incoming.

Happy New Year to you all.

My answer with pictures were a benefit, (I hope), to someone who has not followed this topic. Can there be someone out there who doesn't know the story of these loaders? I suppose so......... I just tried to help the guy out so that he will know where to check. And yes, he should be looking.

Happy Tractoring.........