Blown head gasket? Can I use it?

[Gittyup]

Picked up the tractor today after 4 weeks and 3 days. I really have no quarrel with the dealer over their costs. Seem reasonable. Price included a new tie rod that was $189 of the cost. The amount of time it took to repair was bit too long. They claimed it was the machine shop that caused the delays. I have my doubts, but it is spring time. BTW, it was only the head that required machining. Of course, it included oil and filter change. Radiator flush and refill. All new radiator hoses. And the head gasket parts. Nice to have the tractor back, but the immediate need has passed, now.

I discovered the head gasket issue right after taking deliver of 20 yards of mulch. I certainly couldn't let it sit in the street for 4+ weeks. So, my wife and I moved it with a lawn trailer and wheel barrow. Reliability is everything. Not sure how long I'll keep this tractor, going forward. Maybe another 100 hours or so.

 

[conkli48]

Man, that is hard to be without for 4 weeks. Especially as spring is hitting hard. I used to have a yanmar 1500 that I used for some small stuff around our hobby farm. It went to crap on me first day of winter when I wanted to push the 12 inches of snow we got. I did want to put much money in it as it developed some electric gremlins, timing cover oil leak, and rear axle seal. Not to mention it started to get really hard to start in the winter, probably loosing compression or something like that.
I sold it as a repair project and put money towards my Kioti ck 2610. I bought last thursday, and dealer sold a couple of these in a row so didnt have them in stock so they had to get more in. They quoted me 2 weeks and I am fine with it,but knowing that tractor is coming, is driving me crazy with all the things I want to work on So I feel your pain. Ya for all that service pretty good deal. The funny thing is with all that work done, you might never have another issue for along time. The new gasket could be better quality and never give you a problem again.Along with all the fluid flushes andnew hoses and such, its probably feeling the best it has in awhile.

 

[DK35vince]

All the issues you have had with only 700 hours I would probably get rid of the thing also.
16 years and 2000+ hours on my DK 35 other than a few small items (tach cable, fuel filter bowl, radiator hose, 11 year old battery, Etc) I have had no issues