FEL repair kit

[Mastertech]

Thanks Hodak. I am new to this site and hadn,t seen the pics before. I am also very thick skinned so Kentrodngun you didn't hurt my feelings. I appreciate that things can be beatened to death by rehash!

 

[IslandTractor]

Pardon my ignorance, but just where do the cracks appear? On the weld joints? In the plate itself?

With apologies to Kentrodngun, I will just add that the cracks appear in different places on the KL130 and KL120. You saw the photos from Hodak's KL130...here are a few photos of the KL120. KL120 cracks tend to appear in the corners and typically go through the bolt holes as there is no welded plate insert as with the KL130.

For what it's worth, I agree with Kentrodngun's frustration but this topic will clearly not go away until Kioti resolves the issue. The continued bantering has much more to do with Kioti's lack of communication on the subject than anything else. It is an issue that affects a substantial number of TBN members so boring as it may be it is more relevant than "which hydraulic oil" should I use etc.

 

[laurencen]

If they would step up to the plate and offer a exchange I think everyone would be happy but they have wasted tons on this issue that could have been solved day one by Kioti, I think everyone who ownes a CK20 or CK30 is happy with the tractor just not the loader, it is a small cost to replace at the factory level, Kioti's cost would be less than 30% of what us as owners would pay so less than $200.00 and we would all be happy owners, Kioti should be bending over to help resolve this one instead of sitting around, have to feel sorry for the dealers, so have no idea or answers for customers

 

[rmahlert]

MY former dealer gave me a kit, the kit for the 120's when I have a 130. I returned it and now they are no longer a Kioti dealer(Harvard Power).
My cracks are now at the edges and I'm watching closely to see if they start up the sides.

I'm at 250 hours. The loader is used for spreading loam and mulch mostly.

Has anyone seen them up the sides?


Just wondering what the dealers are being told on the 130 repairs. Rick or the REAL Boss at Wallace(the Mrs.)??

 

[IXLR8]

Just wondering what the dealers are being told on the 130 repairs. Rick or the REAL Boss at Wallace(the Mrs.)??

I have talked with Dave at Upper Valley Tractor in New Hampshire and he has said he has put some of the kits on the 130 loaders. You might want to give him a call.

 

[IslandTractor]

If they would step up to the plate and offer a exchange I think everyone would be happy but they have wasted tons on this issue that could have been solved day one by Kioti, I think everyone who ownes a CK20 or CK30 is happy with the tractor just not the loader, it is a small cost to replace at the factory level, Kioti's cost would be less than 30% of what us as owners would pay so less than $200.00 and we would all be happy owners, Kioti should be bending over to help resolve this one instead of sitting around, have to feel sorry for the dealers, so have no idea or answers for customers

I doubt it is quite that cheap ($200) for Kioti. They get the parts in Korea and have to ship and distribute them here. It is a fair amount of metal too which is not cheap at close to 1$/lb retail. Still, they would be smart to offer some sort of interim compromise to KL130 owners given the protacted delays in coming up with a repair kit. Offering the new style arms at a substantial discount (like 50% of list or $300) and sharing the cost of replacement would at least be an option some people would take and would be evidence that they were actually interested in helping their customers.

This two year "head in the sand" approach by Kioti is truly an example of astonishingly bad business leadership. For a company that has its sights set on Kubota's market share, they are shooting themselves in the foot. They need to do more, not less than what Kubota would do. Witness Hyundai and it's success in the USA gaining market share from the big Japanese companies...they offer more not less. This loader issue is just setting Kioti up for years of whispering campaigns by Kubota and JD dealers who will legitimately be able to say "yeah they look like nice tractors but did you hear about the cracked loader issue and how Kioti handled it?". Doing the right thing for their customers in this setting would be far more valuable and positive for their image and market potential than all the new glossy ads and other marketing they are doing.

 

[laurencen]

My dealer offered to exchange my arms on a 120 for $500.00, take $100.00 for labor I figured the cost to be 2 to 300.00, dealers are still selling the old 120s without the kit on new tractors, at least Kioti should have weeded the old stock out of sale or put the kit on

 

[RexB]

... they would be smart to offer some sort of interim compromise to KL130 owners given the protacted delays in coming up with a repair kit.

Offering the new style arms at a substantial discount (like 50% of list or $300) and sharing the cost of replacement would at least be an option some people would take and would be evidence that they were actually interested in helping their customers.

This two year "head in the sand" approach by Kioti is truly an example of astonishingly bad business leadership... This loader issue is just setting Kioti up for years of whispering campaigns by Kubota and JD dealers who will legitimately be able to say "yeah they look like nice tractors but did you hear about the cracked loader issue and how Kioti handled it?".

Doing the right thing for their customers in this setting would be far more valuable and positive for their image and market potential than all the new glossy ads and other marketing they are doing.

I admire your well thought out and constructive reasoning about this serious problem, IslandTractor. It makes good sense for Kioti to replace a manufacturing error or at the least dramatically reduce the replacement cost. And it's the "right" thing to do, while building a reputation for backing up their products.

Thankfully mine are the new strengthened FEL loader arms, praise Neptune! (I'm a retired sailor). You're much calmer than I would be.

 

[IslandTractor]

I admire your well thought out and constructive reasoning about this serious problem, IslandTractor. It makes good sense for Kioti to replace a manufacturing error or at the least dramatically reduce the replacement cost. And it's the "right" thing to do, while building a reputation for backing up their products.

Thankfully mine are the new strengthened FEL loader arms, praise Neptune! (I'm a retired sailor). You're much calmer than I would be.

As an old sailor I'm sure you understand the futility of "P-ssing into the wind". We've been making constructive suggestions for two years and to my knowledge Kioti head office hasn't responded to one of them. There is an underground feedback loop via some of the active dealers but even they haven't seemed to be able to change the basic attitude or speed of management in dealing with this business.

 

[BTI]

Dealer discounts are taken from list price.
The list price on the new style loader arms.
Not including shipping is $1233

BTI