Branson or Kioti ?

[iwanta]

I may yet be able to buy a new tractor [ if my little yanmar sells quick] and the 2 choices in my price range are the kioti KL30 or for $2000 more the Branson 3820. Kioti has been here in Australia and seems popular and there is a well established dealer close to home. Branson is a new player here so I know nothing about them, the dealer is 120 miles away so not as convenient. I assume both have been in the States for a while so was wondering how both have stood up to the test of time, do they fall apart or are they reliable work horses, which ever tractor I buy has to outlast me which I figure is about 20 to 25 years so which is the most likely to last the distance. On paper both have there +, the Branson is 8hp more, has little niceties such as telescopic linkage arms 12 gears, in fact on paper beats the Kioti in all ways except in the Hydraulic pump, the branson is 8.4gpm as opposed to Kiotis 12.4gpm, big difference. Hoping you good folk know a lot more about both an can share any advice

 

[Charlesaf3]

you might want to post in the Kioti forum. My take, and I know little but what I've read here, is that Kioti is a more serious brand - just under red blue orange in penetration etc. Bobcat now rebadges them as bobcat tractors. I'd thus tend to assume they have more support etc. etc.

The kioti owners here seem well pleased with them as well. If the kioti is cheaper, strikes me as the way to go (but take my ignorance into account)

 

[greggh]

I have not owned either one of the tractors but I have heard others on the site talk well about both brands. Branson just not being as well known as kioti here as well. I am not sure about the individual tractors but I would asssume that if they make one good tractor the rest of the line should be good as well. All brands have a lemon from time to time as an exception.

The only thing that would raise a red flag in my opinion would be the pump. However, Branson might have some other feature that assists the lack of volume on the pump. More horsepower is always a plus. If you went to a $2000 more expensive Branson, would you receive a larger volume pump?

I know that I haven't answered your specific questions, but hopefully I have given you something to think about? Good luck and let us know any new information.

 

[greggh]

My error you said that the Branson was $2000 more. It seems that the Kioti would be the better choice.

 

[Gittyup]

Here in the states the CK30 has telescopic three point arms. If you go HST in the Kioti you get three infinitely variable ranges.

Both brands are good. Do you need the extra hp of the Branson? The Branson is also heavier and probably has greater lift numbers on the FEL. Are these extras needed as well?

Can't go wrong with either brand. I have the CK25 gear. Never wanted for more than the 8x8 that it gives you. The HST sure would be nice though. The pump capacity of the Kioti was a deciding factor for me, but then I needed it for a backhoe. You may not. But if you are doing a lot of heavy loader work while turning, you'll notice the difference in performance.

 

[ToadHill]

When I bought a couple of years ago I looked at both brands. I went with Kioti for several reasons.
1. The platform and seat was a better fit for someone my size. 6' 245 lbs.
2. Dealer network was better with 2 within 40 miles of me. The only Branson dealer was 15 miles away but he was a guy who sold chainsaws, wood stoves and lawn tractors. I just didn't think the service on a tractor line he'd only had for a few months would be good.
3. Much better deal on the Kioti they would work with me on price and Branson would only talk list price with no discounts for cash.

I've been very happy with my choice, I have over 700 hours on my unit and the only problem I've had was a broken seat mount which the dealer replaced under warranty. By the way the Kioti warranty was better than the Branson.

 

[artp]

I have a CK30HST which I bought 2 months ago and have about 30 hrs seat time. I am very well pleased. Tractor does a good job on ground work as well as mowing. I have done some FEL work in my brief time with this tractor (still learning) and it is a dream to work with.

I looked at Kubota & Mahindra as well as JD & NH. The Kioti package was very competitive with the Kubota & Mahindra and much less the JD & NH. If you are planning on doing any FEL work the HST is definitely the way to go. Another plus for me was the operating platform. Like Toadhill I am a big guy and I really appreciated the leg room and control layout. In any case be sure to carefully think through all the work you are planning to do now and things you might need to do in the near future. Buy a tractor with the hp and features you know you will need now and maybe up the hp a bit just to cover your future needs.

Check out your local dealer thoroughly and ask lots of questions. Listen carefully for not only what he says, but how he responds to your queries. A good dealer makes all the difference in the long run. I found a top notch guy who I really felt will stand behind what he sells. Finally, get as much seat time as you can before you make your decision. Good luck!!

 

[coobie]

I don,t know much about the branson tractor brand.I recently bought a Kioti DK40se and love it.Like others have stated dealer support and service is VERY important.coobie

 

[PAB_OH]

I looked at Branson a couple years ago when I was also looking at Kioti. JD & NH were ruled out due to price. I was impressed w/ the Branson's but I'm glad now that I didn't purchase one. In our area they have not taken hold. The dealer is still there but he doesn't appear to move much stock.

When I was finally able to buy new (this past April) I already knew what I wanted. I could have probably gotten a green or blue one but based on dealer help (Jeff Brown and Wallace) way back two years ago, combined with the fact that Kioti is spreading here in Ohio I already knew what brand I just had to figure out what model.

I haven't looked at numbers recently but if the 3820 is heavier and has more HP I'd be looking real hard at them. That's one of the things you'll hear us Kioti owners talk a lot about. The other orange tractors are somewhat lighter but the argument is you can add the weight when you need it and pull it off when you don't. That doesn't work for me though and it seems to be a non-issue for a lot of others as I see them talk about liking the extra "heft" of the Kiotis. I'm getting ready to load my tires to make it even heavier!

Anywho, double check those hyd. pump #'s. Kioti's inlcudes the power steering circuit and the Branson's might not. I'm all but certain the flow for the work circuit on the Kioti is lower than the 12+ gpm you quoted. I might be wrong about that so double check.

As for longevity, that's anyone's guess. Being these things have so many electronics on board (compared to the ol iron) you would be hard pressed to get me to say my tractor will last 25+ years without working around the inevitable electronic failures. How long will any of the mfg's provide parts for these tractors which are sure to change over the years? My guess is only as long as the law requires them to. Hydro drive pupmps fall into this category too. From what I understand some of the relatively newer pumps are already suffering from low parts support. Perhaps another argument in favor of gear drive. The old classics have great parts support and almost no electronics to throw a monkey wrench into things. I still want an old Farmall, bad. I know I can get parts for them all day long (same for a bunch of other bands).

That said, the mechanicals on my Kioti are ridiculously over-engineered in my opinion (that's a GOOD THING, I like it). I was told the rear axle bearings are pretty oversized and rival that of some much heavier tractors. I've never had mine apart or any other tractor for that matter so I can't say I seen it with my own eyes but the guy who told me is a straight shooter. So I guess if you're asking will a Kioti be falling apart in 25+ years, I'd say no more so than the old JD/IH/NH/Ford/Case/Farmall/Oliver/Cockshutt's that were taken care of during their day. Just be careful of all the fancy electronics, simple stuff is no big deal. Anything can be made to work it just depends on how well/refined it has to be for your liking.

Good luck. I don't think you will be unhappy with either tractor initially. Trying to figure out how things will play out 20 years from now is rough though. I hope I made the right choice. In the end that's about all you can do.

 

[polo1665]

Seems like you've heard alot from Kioti owners here.

As a Relatively new Branson owner, and someone who was completely new to tractoring, I'll throw my two cents in.

I bought a Branson 3510H back in January. I presume that I purchased it from the same dealer that PAB_OH is talking about (I also live in Carroll County). I have about 70 hours on it and I have not been unhappy in the least. The dealer is still there and has been helpful when needed. It is well built, heavy tractor, which is what led me to buy it.

You have to make the decision that suits your needs and situation the best. I looked at several different brands and opted for the Branson. I may regret that someday, but for now I'm happy as can be with my tractor.

By the way if the Kioti is $2,000 less for the same/comparable tractor, and the dealer was close to home and known as reliable, I would buy if I were you.