Asssment of Korean Tractor Manufacturers

[TSO]

Certainly yours qualifies!

Lol, no I didn't mean it like that ... Just wondered what you meant by "larger." For some, that would mean utility & up

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I sincerely doubt Kioti is going to go bottom up and vanish anytime within your lifetime.

 

[GManBart]

Locally, we have a dealer that sells both LS and TYM tractors. Another dealer sells only Kioti.

Both Kiotio and LS have a good following, but Kioti are consistently better-priced..and LS have durability issues in hard service. Kioti gets my vote... Better prices, better attachments, better cabs. Weakness is that Kioti have a weaker dealer network.

I like KUBOTA best of all. Durability is best. Prices, not so much to brag about

In the U.S. Kioti is consistently more expensive than a similar machine from LS (usually like $2K or so). There are very few reports of parts failures or durability issues with either brand when you read what people are reporting here. The worst I recall are a sticking HST peddle on some of the Kiotis and a couple of LS have broken a steering knuckle (think that's what it was...it was a steering component).

 

[TSO]

In the U.S. Kioti is consistently more expensive than a similar machine from LS (usually like $2K or so). There are very few reports of parts failures or durability issues with either brand when you read what people are reporting here. The worst I recall are a sticking HST peddle on some of the Kiotis and a couple of LS have broken a steering knuckle (think that's what it was...it was a steering component).

Don't forget LS has had some issues with cracking frames at the front loader mounts, and bending/breaking 3pt stabilizer links and mounts. Not catastrophic issues by any means ... But for the purposes of this thread, they bear mentioning.

 

[GManBart]

Don't forget LS has had some issues with cracking frames at the front loader mounts, and bending/breaking 3pt stabilizer links and mounts. Not catastrophic issues by any means ... But for the purposes of this thread, they bear mentioning.

The frame issue was certainly valid, but it appears it was limited to the R3039, and was corrected. I really think it was caused by putting a loader capable of lifting over 2,200lbs on that size frame, but it still counts either way.

I don't count the 3pt stabilizer link issue because reading the descriptions of how they happen most appear to be operator issues. I bent a 3pt stabilizer on my LS, but it was because I bounced the side of a 700lb mower off a stump....my fault entirely.

Hopefully my wife won't read that I admitted ever making a mistake!

 

[paulfun9]

In the U.S. Kioti is consistently more expensive than a similar machine from LS (usually like $2K or so). There are very few reports of parts failures or durability issues with either brand when you read what people are reporting here. The worst I recall are a sticking HST peddle on some of the Kiotis and a couple of LS have broken a steering knuckle (think that's what it was...it was a steering component).

With the exception of one dealer who had prices jacked up compared to all the other Kioti dealers, My experience with the price quotes from 3 LS dealers were all between 2 - 2500 more for the LS than the Kioti. I wonder why that is because all the prices I saw advertised online from the dealers out of state had prices about 1500 to 2000 less listed.
All my price quotes included an FEL and backhoe for every tractor I looked at.

 

[GManBart]

With the exception of one dealer who had prices jacked up compared to all the other Kioti dealers, My experience with the price quotes from 3 LS dealers were all between 2 - 2500 more for the LS than the Kioti. I wonder why that is because all the prices I saw advertised online from the dealers out of state had prices about 1500 to 2000 less listed.
All my price quotes included an FEL and backhoe for every tractor I looked at.

I have seen folks comment that the LS backhoe is more expensive than the similar Kioti model....that and maybe shipping distances could be enough to cause the difference you've experienced....just a thought.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

When I bought my Kioti, the comparable LS was a little bit less expensive.

And keep in mind that Kioti comes with one set of rear remotes and the LS comes with two, so you've got to add that cost to the Kioti to be apples to apples.

 

[paulfun9]

The cost of one extra rear remote is not going to cover a two thousand dollar difference.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Of course not. My point was simply that you have to make sure you are comparing the prices of equally equipped machines.

As I said, in my case the Kioti was a little more expensive AND I had to add the cost of the 2nd remote.