brand new Kioti tractor with issues

[ironman1952]

Thanks to all for your input, I am new to tractors and Kioti. I have read many great reviews and some not so great. Mostly about waiting 3-6 months for their tractor to be repaired or for parts. I ordered a shop service manual about a month ago right when i purchased the tractor and just now find out it is on back order.
This concerns me and scares me a bit as this was a major purchase for me. I did hours of research and was originally going to purchase a Yanmar but was swayed at the last minute. I hope I made the right decision.

I guess only time will tell. I contacted the NC office today to see when the manual will be available, hopefully they reply.

Anyway thanks again to you all, You are really the best source for accurate info and answers.

 

[rScotty]

I think you are worrying too much. Those are minor issues which we all have and pretty much ignore.

Besides, I've been around tractors a long time and don't even know the answer to your quesions on my own tractors. How does it calculate hours? I'm not sure.

As for heat, cars are kind of constant heat - but diesels don't get hot unless working hard. That piece of cardboard blocking a little of the flow past the front of the radiator in winter is common. But if the cab is warm, your doing fine. Some commercial diesels will have a set of shutters in front of their radiator to do the same thing.

As for spares and dealer and stocked parts, get a parts manual and order online. That is what most of us do. If you do your own maintenance, you will find that trips to the dealer are going to be very, very rare. Tractors don't tend to need much other than the routine maintenance. Most never see the dealership again.
A few years and a few hundred hours from now you'll be less concerned.

rScotty

 

[rockinbbar]

It had 2 hours when i got it. I will time it next time it turns. and yes it is a C on the left and a H on the right. Seems like at 50+K it should have a real temp gauge with numbers digital or analog.

Your tractor has the same type temp gauge mine does.

Mine is an $80k msrp tractor, and I had not thought I was shortchanged by the gauges... ?

I guess I just don't need to see the specific degrees it operates with, or have it count down the gallons of fuel I have left.

Instead, I just pay attention to what temperature it operates at, and get to know my equipment as I use it. I've not found the hour meter lacking, and do depend on precise time measurement because I invoice accordingly at times.

After verifying the hours/time used, if you feel the hour meter isn't correct, I'd contact your dealership service dept and explain how you know this.

You could always put in a temperature gauge to your liking as well. May check your coolant level too. Most temperature gauges won't work if their is no coolant in the engine. Had a friend fry an engine because of that... He thought it was okay because his temp gauge stayed on "C"... Until he locked the engine up because it had no coolant.

 

[ericm979]

Sometimes there can be an air bubble in the cooling system where the temp sensor is. The gauge will stay on cold even when the coolant is hot. Sometimes the cooling system needs to be bled. I'd hope a tractor with a simple cooling system compared to modern cars would be self bleeding, but it's always possible they didn't do it that way or it's not working.

Modern temp gauges are often really three stage idiot lights: "below operating temp", "at operating temp" and "above operating temp". Even if there are numbers on the gauge. The sensor is reporting a linear value, it's the gauge that is interpreting it.

If you remove the radiator cap to check for flow when the coolant is cold, be aware that many cooling systems have a bypass that allows a smaller amount of coolant to go to the radiator. So there would still be flow with the thermostat closed, just less.

Back in the old days the hour meter was driven off the tachometer. It would show an hour when the engine was run at PTO speed for an hour. Less if it was at a slower RPM. Most modern tractors have an electric hour meter. Many of those simply count time while the ignition is switched on. Of course if you leave the ignition switched on, the hour meter will count that time.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I’ve been on tractors since I was 6… I’ve never seen a temp gauge with numbers on it. EGTs, sure… not coolant temp

 

[ironman1952]

Thanks to all As I have mentioned several times I am completely new to this world. Lots to learn !

I have run all kinds of rented equipment but when its your own equipment your more vested and you pay closer attention.
I did some work with it today and the temp gauge acted like a normal gauge so like you have said a diesel engine is a different duck.

I do need to add a 2 cameras 1 for the front (to see the forks etc...) and one for the back.
So far still getting used to it. A skid steer is so much more reactive to controls but then its apples and oranges right
Regards, Joe

 

[bearthebruce]

Skid steer has much higher hydraulic flow.. so yes, it will be far more responsive.

Apples and oranges - correct.

Vision out front of the tractor is tough when compared to a skid steer. Been operating our forks now for going on 3 years and still learning the tricks to know what's happening.

I'm better now than I was when I was a supernewb... with only 400+ hours in the seat, I still consider myself a newb. Learn every time I hop up on Missy.

And now the boss bought Lil Blue... a LS MT125 with a back hoe. Huge difference from the Massey... Got to learn all over again -hydro versus gear.

 

[troverman]

I'd check your coolant level. I've bought multiple new tractors and a couple of them must have had an air pocket in the system. When I took delivery, the coolant level (in the overflow tank) was at cold full. After a few hours of use, there was no coolant in the overflow bottle, even with the warm engine. Eventually, the cooling system does self-bleed like a car. If you are low on coolant, that could be affecting the reading of the temp gauge.

As for the temp gauge itself, most tractors I have seen just have a needle gauge that moves between Cold and Hot. However, I think the gauge is accurate - not a cold / normal / hot only reading. Modern electronically controlled tractor diesel engines need to know engine coolant temp for a few reasons, including operation of the EGR cooler valve, and high idle control. In cold weather, my 60HP Kubota cab tractor takes awhile to warm up, even to provide heat in the cab. In bitterly cold conditions (less than 0F or so), the temp will only come up to normal (halfway on the gauge) if the engine is run under load at higher RPMs nearly continuously. These engines usually take quite a bit of engine oil - proportionally much more than a car - which takes quite awhile to heat up, which affects coolant temp. Not to mention, most of the smaller tractors do not have a clutch on the cooling fan, so they blast cold air through the radiator at all times. Here, a partial cover over the radiator would help majorly. I don't know how many quarts of oil your tractor takes - yours is more HP than mine, although both are turbocharged 2.4L 4-cylinder engines. Mine takes 8.7 qts. That's a ton of oil for a 2.4L 4-cylinder.

 

[pwhite42]

I have only had this tractor for about 2 weeks. It is a Kioti RX 7320 with powershuttle and cab I noticed today that after running for about 1/2 hour the temperature gauge is still on cold although there was heat in the cab. I also notice that the hour gauge seems off. It is on 6 hours and I know i have not had it running for 6 hours. I bought this tractor for the construction trade so i am not running it for hours on end brush hogging or ....

I had read an article about someone who added a cab and had a similar issue. The tractor came with the cab already installed. I did contact the dealer but have not heard back yet.

Any thoughts?? Regards, Joe

When my Kubota came back from repair it's temp gauge didn't work. Users on this site pointed me in the right direction and I found a disconnected ground wire on the top of the engine. That was it.

 

[metalbender]

Petty simple to check operating temp. Grab a non contact temp gauge from where ever is close. Run the tractor then check various points on the engine.