CK20S HST - Hi SUX!

[crabjoe]

The tractor has 5 hours on it and I don't see it getting any stronger. The 1st time, I stepped on it like I was in low. When it stalled, I tried to feather it. The dang thing ain't moving in Hi, up any grade.

Oh.. I did check to make sure I didn't have the parking brake on. That was the 1st thing I did when it stalled. And from what others have posted, I'm now wondering if my parking brake might be stuck on.

How does one check the brakes on a tractor? Does this thing have 4 wheel drums, discs or what???

 

[bearhawk]

The tractor has 5 hours on it and I don't see it getting any stronger. The 1st time, I stepped on it like I was in low. When it stalled, I tried to feather it. The dang thing ain't moving in Hi, up any grade.

We're talking 50 hours to break in, and maybe another 50 to get to full power.

 

[IslandTractor]

I loved my CK20 but high range was a joke. Looks like it still is even with the 20S. I don't believe this is a engine break in issue. My CK20 had trouble in high range from the beginning and still did at 180hrs. It works fine with no load on very slight inclines but is useless with a BH or other load on anything but pancake flat roads.

It is time Kioti put a three range HST in this puppy before the Kubota marketing machine neutralizes Kioti's other advantages and cleans their clocks with the new B series machines. A three range or at the very least a lower high range would do the trick. I doubt there are many people driving 20hp CUTs along highways so whether they need a real high range is questionable. A range equivalent to Low and Mid would be much preferable for most users IMO.

 

[TBDonnelly]

I loved my CK20 but high range was a joke. Looks like it still is even with the 20S. .

There are several that responded to the thread that say, they have no problem with high gear. So.......perhaps there might be an actual transmission issue with Crabjoe's 20s tractor.

Don

 

[Dmace]

I wonder if it's just setup different from the dealer. Maybe there is a way to turn up the hydraulic pressure or crank up the hp just a few to help out. Either way, I know my dealer setup everything exactly the way it should be with the extra add-ons (grill guards, larger buckets, etc...) and I wouldn't doubt if they adjusted something so that this problem is lessened.

I would love a three speed range, I could use a higher HIGH gear since I do travel quite a bit down the highway to my sisters place one mile down the road. Surely not worth trailering it short distances.

I have loaded industrial tires, FEL, BH and a full metal cab and have no problem climbing hills and working on some. It's not a design problem, it must be the setup.

 

[IslandTractor]

This is a "hill" that I could not climb with an unloaded (empty FEL, raised rake on 3pt) CK20 in high range. One photo looks up hill and the other down. I don't know the exact slope but it isn't really much. It may drop 30 ft over 900ft (I'm not talking about the very bottom which is steep).

I agree that 3 ranges would be better than losing high range completely but if I had my choice, I'd give up high for a mid range setting.

 

[crabjoe]

This is a "hill" that I could not climb with an unloaded (empty FEL, raised rake on 3pt) CK20 in high range. One photo looks up hill and the other down. I don't know the exact slope but it isn't really much. It may drop 30 ft over 900ft (I'm not talking about the very bottom which is steep).

I've got about a 15ft drop over 200 ft, but it's not a consistent drop down. I tested it where, I know, it looks almost level and I could stall my tractor out in HI.

HI is useless for me, right now, unless I'm going down grade.

 

[Dargo]

I don't have a CK20, but in it's defense with a TLB setup on a Kioti, you are moving quite a bit of weight with only 20 hp. With the right gearing you can get quite a bit of work done with 20 hp, but it won't do what a DK65 will do. Most all mowers now have more than 20 hp. Twenty hp really isn't much power when you have relatively high gearing and some weight. I just wonder if the gearing in high range with the TLB setup isn't just asking too much out of a 20 hp engine with the heavy Kioti.

 

[Mike058]

It sounds like there isn't sufficient hydraulic pressure in high gear. Like Dmace said, there may be an adjustment that needs to be made to increase the pressure in the drive. What RPM are you running it at to go up the hill? Just checking. Or maybe it's just starving for fluid. Check the hydraulic tank. If the take up screen (or whatever is in there) is plugged, that could be limiting the flow. That sounds like something easy to check, I hope it is. I only know enough to be dangerous, but I'll put my money on a restriction in the hydraulic system. I believe the engine does get stronger after it's broken in a bit, but I don't think it gets strong enough to go from where you are now (only going down hills in HI) to where you want to be (charging up hills in HI). I hope you'll keep us up to date. Whatever you find out could be very useful to someone else in the future.

 

[IslandTractor]

I just wonder if the gearing in high range with the TLB setup isn't just asking too much out of a 20 hp engine with the heavy Kioti.

Precisely.