Buying Advice 2012 Kioti DK40SE HST or the LS R3039H

[Sgeary13]

I have 26 acres that i will be turning into a horse property. 16 acres of it is already cleared and will need fencing once the ground drys out a bit. I will have to clear land for a barn next to the house along with restoring the old stone walls on the property. I will be using the tractor for snow removal on my 1/4 mile driveway as well. Those are just some of the tasks i will need this tractor for. The two i am debating is the Kioti DK40SE HST and the LS R3039H. I checked out and test drove the Kioti the other day and was very impressed by it. It is the right size tractor i will need and it seemed to be reasonably priced at $25,999 with a backhoe. It has 39 hours. I have read all the other posts about Kioti and they seem like a really solid and dependable tractor. This would be my first tractor and i plan on having it for awhile. I am going to look at the LS R3039H tomorrow and everything i have read about the LS seems promising as well. The tractor is brand new with a backhoe. The dealer has it priced at $28000 right now but says there is wiggle room. I guess i will know more tomorrow when i check it out but right now i m leaning towards the Kioti. The kioti dealership is 20 miles away whereas the ONE LS dealership in NH is 1.5 hours away. He states that he will come do the service at your property but that comes at a price. I have gone over all the specs countless times on the two machines and right now it seems as though the Kioti has better numbers. I wanted to get some advice from people who were maybe in the same boat or can give some advice on how they feel about the 2 different tractors.

 

[George2615]

Welcome to TBN......

2K difference for new compared to a 2 year old (almost new) with 39 hours isn't that great for numbers IMO.
If there is wiggle room as suggested the new LS sounds even better to me.
Does the DK40SE come with a warranty from the dealer. If so, how much warr. is left.
The new LS comes with a 5 yr. warr.
Does the DK come with dual rear remotes, telescoping 3 pt arms, QA loader bucket.
How does the loader lift capacity compare.
Yes I own an LS but when I was shopping the LS came standard with more options than the other brands. My dealer is 45 miles away but I plan on doing all my own service and only take to the dealer for a warranty issue should one arise. I'm not knocking Kioti, they are a fine tractor this is just my opinion for trying to get you more for your money. And we love helping members spend their money.

 

[Sgeary13]

LS was my leading contender until i test drove the Kioti. The DK comes with a 3 year remaining warranty, has one remote but has the telescoping 3 pt arms and QA loader bucket. The DK dealer also stated that they could probably come down to 25k or do the 50 hour service free of charge. To me I would think the 50 hour service doesnt cost 1k. The DK loader seems like a beast at 2,761 and i believe the LS dealer told me the R3039 is at a little over 2200. I have some serious rocks and boulders here that i would like to move and having that extra lifting capacity with the DK is a nice selling point. I also like that the DK PTO HP is at 32.5 and the LS is at 29. I know i would be happy with both but when it comes to spending that much cash, i just want to make sure i make a solid informed decision.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

It's pretty much a coin flip, and you can't lose regardless of which side comes up. They are both excellent tractors.

The LS has bigger front tires and wheels and comes standard with two sets of rear hydraulic remotes. Does the LS have the SSQA loader? (I'm pretty sure that is standard on the LS "R" series. If not, that would steer me towards the Kioti.

The Kioti has better FEL specs and has that very handy rear lever for the 3 point hitch. It costs around $500 - $600 to add a second set of rear remotes to the Kioti.

I'd bet $5 against a hole in a donut that you'll be happy with whichever one you pick.

 

[George2615]

Then it is a flip of a coin for you. Each tractor has its benefits over the other. I didn't know the Kioti dealer had wiggle room too. You didn't mention that. The 50 hr service would probably cost you $300-400 or more depending on labor but way under 1K. My 50 hr service will cost me about $200 or so just for parts and fluids. You might ask both dealers if they will throw in a factory service manual. That's another $100 cost to you later if you need one. Best of luck in your choice. I'm sure either one will serve your purposes. Since you mentioned the Kioti loader specs it seems to compare more with the LS R4041H instead of the R3039H. Ask the dealer to let you try one of them if he has one.

 

[Blstr88]

Hey, I'm right on the other side of the Lake from you (Tuftonboro) and in a very similar situation...my wife and I just bought 26 acres too, sounds very similar to your property!

I too am shopping around for something in the 30 HP range (high 20 to low 30s most likely) and LS and Kioti are high on my list as well. Where is the LS dealer you're shopping at? The nearest one Ive found is over in Windham, ME. Would like to take a ride over to see the LS's up close when I get a chance - do you know of any LS dealer in NH?

There is a Kioti dealer just over the border in Lebanon, ME and also up the road in Conway, NH...so if I go Kioti Ill shop between them.

Welcome! Im new here myself, tons of great info on this forum.

 

[Sgeary13]

The LS dealer is down in New Boston and hes the only one in the state. I believe he only has a couple tractors on site as he says he has been flying through them. I was debating to go into ME to look at tractors but it just didnt make sense to pass up tax-free NH. The kioti dealer i went to was in Conway. They are a powersports/tractor dealer but were very informative. But if i need to have service done it would make sense to go to the much closer dealer in ME. At this point, it seems as though it will come down to which dealer will want to make the sale. Im looking forward to getting on the LS and seeing how it feels. Good luck with your search, i also started in the 20-30hp range and that has now landed me in the 40hp range.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Lift height capability. LS R3039 is 91.7 ". Kioti DK40 is 107.8". Something that might be important to you. 16" can be HUGE if that additional height is ever needed.

 

[Sgeary13]

Thats a good point. Spec wise advantage is going to the DK40 so I'm going to have to really impressed with the R3039 tomorrow and the dealer is going to have to step up to the plate. Im not sure he will even be able to touch the DK40 price of 25k and it seems like right now the DK is the better buy.

 

[grm61]

The DK loader also lifts more..2761lbs for the DK...2250lbs for the LS.

The DK is more tractor period, a thousand pounds heavier, I'd try to get them to throw in the 50 hour service, or at least the filters and oil:thumbsup:.

 

[k0ua]

Its a hard choice, but as said, you are not going to make a mistake with either one.. 39 hours is basically new. Heck I have 232 hours on my 2012 DK35se in just 2 years. The loader is more powerful, and lifts higher on the Kioti.. If you ever have to load a dump truck....just saying. I have always seen $450 quoted for the Kioti second remote. Keep in mind there are other ways to get lots of remotes on the back if you have the first one. Look here. This example starts with one and now he has 4. You just need a simple 4 way switch to select which remote is active, and you control the flow with your single factory remote lever. These valves are "stackable", add them as you need. I like the LS machines and I like blue better than orange as colors go, but we sure would be happy to welcome you to the Kioti pack!

 

[k0ua]

I would take the $1000 off, and do my own 50 hour..I did mine, and it just isn't that hard to do. I will do yours for $600

 

[Sgeary13]

thats a sweet set up for the remotes. i would like to see if they can add another one on, maybe work it into the deal. I actually went to the dealer to check out a 2010 TYM T353 with backhoe, listed at $16999. It only has 202 hours but shows the look of a tractor with 1000 hours. It was a shuttle shift but seemed pretty decent, and its 10k less. Im just thinking for the long road that tractor wont hold up and being able get parts seem like its an issue. It doesnt have the power of Kioti or the warranty so its more of a gamble but being 10k cheaper makes me take a second look at it.

 

[paulfun9]

The LS 3039 was one of the machines I looked at I was quoted 25,500 for the Tractor, loader and backhoe. It was tempting till I got the chance to test the DK40SE The DK40 is now in my garage and I have no regrets.

Price aside the LS felt a bit cramped to me and required some immediate mods to make it acceptable for me Nothing serious but I would have had to raise the seat a few inches and cut and re-weld the hydro pedals to make them a bit farther so I would be comfortable on it for extended time frames. The other thing that I wasn't impressed with was how the LS carried itself in High gear. It seemed to not be able to make good use of it and most of the other machines I tested were much smoother and took way less time/distance to get rolling and actually run in high gear.

My search started with the intent to buy between 32 to 35 HP tractor but when I sat on the DK 40 and test drove it I was all but sure it was the best overall machine for my needs. When I started getting prices on them I found the extra cost wasn't that much extra and it is the machine I purchased.

My opinion A DK 40 or the LS 3039? DK40 any day even if it cost a little more!

Good luck on your search for a new machine!

 

[hockeylover86]

DK40 is probably more comparable to R4041 as R3039 is a frame size smaller.

 

[murphy1244]

tell them you want three bucket hooks installed also.

 

[Sgeary13]

thanks for all the good information. it looks like its going to be the DK unless the LS dealer comes to the table with an amazing deal. But with him starting at 28k right now and the DK at 25k, its almost a no brainer.

 

[Blstr88]

New Boston Truck & Equipment? I didnt realize they carried LS, I'll have to go check that out.

Actually if you buy a tractor in Maine as long as they deliver it to you they don't have to charge you Maine sales tax...I was concerned about the same thing but the state allows that because they know nobody would buy from Maine otherwise. I purchased a Skidoo snowmobile a few years ago in Maine and same thing...I just showed them my NH license and they charged no sales tax.

 

[Coyote machine]

Go with the DK-40se/hst, add the second set of remotes now and get the tires filled. Have them make up a hose loop with two male QD ends to put into the rear remote circuit when the backhoe is not attached, to keep from deadheading the pump. DK-40s that are not brand new are getting rare, because all the new stock is Tier-4, and since it's new tech and more expensive than current Tier-3, the jury is out on how well it will work. So go with the used, and enjoy it.
Also make sure the dealer installs the backhoe remote kit that plumbs the return line through the hydro fill port. The kit comes with the hoes, but many dealers omit installing them for some unknown reason. The kit allows the hoe and trans fluids to run cooler and essentially better.
Personally, until warranty is over I wouldn't add any hooks on a bucket, they're not meant to be used for that purpose. Only the rear end drawbar is meant to tow, pull, drag weight.
Get the service manual, it's very detailed and a great resource.

 

[RKJeepXJ]

This isn't apples to apples. A DK40 is comparable to an R4041 or it's new teir 4 version.