Glad I found this place!

[Jaybr]

I've been tractor shopping for a couple weeks now, planning to purchase something by the end of the month. I'll be getting loader, backhoe, rotary cutter, and box blade with the tractor.

I'll be using the primarily on my 37 acre property. The property is mostly wooded, and will probably stay that way. I will use the tractor for alot of landscaping work (just finished new house), maintaining 1000' gravel driveway, some mowing around the driveway, tilling small garden, cleaning up fallen trees, etc.

I'll also take the tractor to my hunting club occasionally to mow and maintain roads.

I've been looking at the Kubota B2630 and really like the size of the tractor. I stopped by the Kioti dealer last week and was very impressed with the CK25 and CK30. I've found very little information about kioti quality and reliability (until now).

I can get the ck25 for roughly $3k less than the Kubota, and if I go the the kioti I will probably go with the gear instead of HST and use the savings to upgrade to CK30.

I've just read the long thread discussing trailers, trucks, and tractor weight. I'll be purchasing the trailer with the tractor, so if I need a 20' 5 ton trailer that's what I'll get. Truck is rated at 9400# towing, so I don't see that as a problem either.

So give me your oppinions?

I'm sure there are situations where the smaller B2630 will be an advantage, I'm also sure the opposite will apply at times.

How reliable have your Kioti's been?

 

[albmn10]

Hello Jay, welcome to TBN. In all fairness the two tractors are really not comparing apples to apples.. The ck30 your interested in is a much more heavy duty tractor then the B2630. They both have similar bells and whistles, but the ck30 will run implements a foot bigger across the board. The kubota will be a better finish mower but for brush hogging,making trails and adding a backhoe id have to say the kioti will handle your tasks with much less strain on the machine. Your 20' trailer lenth is right on.. I have a 18' dove tail trailer for my ck30 with a Woods80x backhoe and it fits , but doesnt leave much wiggle room. My total weight is around 7300lbs and you having a 9400lb capacity will have no problems. As far as reliabilty, Both machines should be excellent. My Ck30 is just over 2 years old, its been a great machine. Id suggest you take them both out for a test drive anyway, see how they feel to you. Good luck.. Matt

 

[Jaybr]

Thanks for the insight Matt.

One big question going through my head is will the extra weight of the Kioti wreak havoc on my lawn? Alot of the landscaping work I'll be doing is around the house.

I also don't planning on clearing alot of my property, but I will most likely be putting some trails in around the place to ride the ATVs on. I assume the smaller size of the Kuboto and tighter turning would be an advantage here.

After reading all the post here I'm comfortable with the Kioti brand, have a great local dealer too. I just want to make sure I'm getting the right tractor for my needs.

 

[Dodgeram]

Jay,
I cut the grass with mine w/ a Woods 72" RFM all season.
I'm almost finished moving, utilizing the FEL, 15 ton of red-barn rock to the flower beds for mulch.
I've moved about 70 pieces of 2x2 Flagstone (10 pieces at a time) across the yard.
I continually run across the lawn with the BH attached.
All with no adverse effect on the Grass.
That being said, if the lawn is wet after a heavy rain, I wouldn't even try driving on it because of the weight.
Tom

 

[kentrodngun]

One big question going through my head is will the extra weight of the Kioti wreak havoc on my lawn? Alot of the landscaping work I'll be doing is around the house.

I also don't planning on clearing alot of my property, but I will most likely be putting some trails in around the place to ride the ATVs on. I assume the smaller size of the Kuboto and tighter turning would be an advantage here.

Jay, tire selection will matter a great deal too. Personally I have AG tires because my property is hilly and I've got lots of springs (aka wet areas). I maintain long, winding, very hilly logging roads and brush hog some very challenging areas. Traction is my major concern and it is rare that I wish I had turf or industrial tires. But that's me and my needs.

Wet areas always present a problem and I've torn up plenty of grass with the turf tires on my garden tractors. Key is to stay off if you can and, if you can't, GO SLOW. Seems a number of local landscapers around me use lighter weight machines with a narrower profile so they can navigate in the residential properties they service. It don't sound like this is your situation.

Me, I like the extra power angle especially if you are using a hoe, box blading that 1000 foot driveway and dressing up logging roads but a number of guys seem to do just fine with smaller machines (wanna be really impressed? - look at what IslandTractor accomplishes with his CK20). Lighter weight too. As to reliability, I have a Kioti, work it hard and it doesn't complain. Outside of a lot of noise concerning the loader issue, I haven't seen (Kioti) complaints way out of the norm.

Just curious as to what you tow with - 350 series? dually? 9300# is an impressive towing capacity! My Quad Cab Ram 2500 is about 1100 less than that (and the 3500 is 500 less than you too). Can't go wrong with a 20' 5 ton trailer either. Wish I had one. Good luck on your decision & keep us posted.

 

[Jaybr]

I tow with an 04 Titan CC LE with the tow package.

Been a great tow rig, pulled my 21' enclosed v-nose loaded with quads, camping gear, fuel, food, etc from VA to CA and back without a hickup. Wasn't at max capacity, but it was quite a load for 5500 miles.

I plan on getting industrial tires, and the yard is pretty firm and no soft spots. House is up on top of a hill, so drainage is very good.

 

[Steverino]

Jaybr, Welcome to the forum. The one thing that you will find here are opinions galore, some better than others and all worth exactly what you paid for them including mine.
Therefore IMHO the real treasure here at TBN is everyone’s experience and technical knowledge; there willingness to share it and for the most part the collegial reasoning together that transpires. With that said, I have the CK30-HST and for my money it is a value product. I am presently though PO’d with Kioti’s customer service regarding the KL-130 loader crack issue. That aside I would suggest that what it is as important as your selection of equipment is the dealer from who you plan to purchase it, and I would weigh that decision with equal weight. Unless you are the consummate do-it-yourselfer you are going to need support as “Stuff” happens and a good dealer will go a long way in keeping you in your seat working rather than pulling your hair out looking at a manual that is “English” challenged or typing endless complaints here on TBN. Good Luck on your decision. -Steve

 

[DK35vince]

How reliable have your Kioti's been?

I have no experiance with the CK 30 you are considering.
But the reliability of my 2001 DK 35 has been great so far.
I had a seal replaced on a tilt cylinder for the loader when the machine was new (warranty). At around 500 hours I replaced a tachometer cable ($8).
Currently at 940 hours.

 

[IslandTractor]

One big question going through my head is will the extra weight of the Kioti wreak havoc on my lawn? Alot of the landscaping work I'll be doing is around the house.

I also don't planning on clearing alot of my property, but I will most likely be putting some trails in around the place to ride the ATVs on. I assume the smaller size of the Kuboto and tighter turning would be an advantage here..

I am a Kioti fan but I think that for someone who is using the machine primarily on lawn and with mowing being a big part of the job that the lighter Kubotas would have advantages that should be valued as an important part of the purchase decision. If mowing is >50% of what you are doing and the mowing is lawn rather than pasture, I would say that the Kubota's weight advantage looms large in the decision. Quality is not the issue, weight is.

 

[albmn10]

Hello Jay, as far as will the ck30 wreak havoc on your lawn , that depends on the soil condition. If its wet , both machines will rut your lawn up.. My 600lb quad wreaks havoc on my lawn without horsing it when the ground is soft and wet like spring here in the North East.. I use a garden tractor for my finish mowing, its a 25 hp Cub Cadet that i mow about 2 1/2 acres with it.. Personally i like this approach much better being that the cost of my cadet is about the same as a mid mount mower on the 2630 kubota and gives you much better mowing capabilty around tight places .. Just another option you can consider.. As previously stated , weight out all your uses, test drive all machines your intersested in and get what your gut feels is best is for you.. Good luck.. Matt

 

[Jaybr]

Thanks for the responses.

I do like the local Kioti dealer, Dubberly in Chester, VA. I used to have a JD 790 and bought all my implements and trailer from Dubberly and never had a problem. They've been selling Kioti for 10 years now, said they sold 78 last year.

I have 2 Kubota dealers on my side of town, 1 I know nothing about and the other comes highly reccomended but it about twice as far (probably 30 miles).

I have a Snapper zero-turn mower so I won't be using the tractor to mow the lawn.

 

[swampvol]

Just curious as to what you tow with - 350 series? dually? 9300# is an impressive towing capacity! My Quad Cab Ram 2500 is about 1100 less than that (and the 3500 is 500 less than you too). Can't go wrong with a 20' 5 ton trailer either. Wish I had one. Good luck on your decision & keep us posted.

What year ram do you have? My '04 1500 5.7l is rated at 9500 lbs, and I am sure the 2500 gas is rated at 12k plus.

 

[kentrodngun]

What year ram do you have? My '04 1500 5.7l is rated at 9500 lbs, and I am sure the 2500 gas is rated at 12k plus.

Mine is a 2002 Quad Cab 4x4 with the 5.9L engine. Although your Maximum GCWR is 12,500, that is not the towing capacity. Your Maximum Trailer Weight Rating is only 7,150.

It's about the same for Jay's Titan but he said he had the HD towing package installed and the spec sheet concurs that it bumps it to 9,200. Darned impressive adding 2k with that option. The Titan's payload is 1,643 vs 3,000 for my Ram but my towing capacity is only 8,150 (unless it was a diesel, then it would go up to a whopping 12k). My Maximum GCWR is 14,000.

I realize the data I'm quoting is for 2001 but doubt if they've changed significantly. Check out the specs here:
2001 RAM Pickup Payload and Towing Charts

 

[kentrodngun]

Post Script from the Dodge site itself. 2007 1500 Ram Quad Cab 4x4 has a towing capacity of 4,150 for the short bed and 6,850 for the long bed.
See it here:
Dodge - Vehicle Lineup

 

[Jaybr]

I also have a 95 k1500 with 6.5 TD, but I think it's only rated at 7000#

 

[swampvol]

Mine is a 2002 Quad Cab 4x4 with the 5.9L engine. Although your Maximum GCWR is 12,500, that is not the towing capacity. Your Maximum Trailer Weight Rating is only 7,150.

It's about the same for Jay's Titan but he said he had the HD towing package installed and the spec sheet concurs that it bumps it to 9,200. Darned impressive adding 2k with that option. The Titan's payload is 1,643 vs 3,000 for my Ram but my towing capacity is only 8,150 (unless it was a diesel, then it would go up to a whopping 12k). My Maximum GCWR is 14,000.

I realize the data I'm quoting is for 2001 but doubt if they've changed significantly. Check out the specs here:
2001 RAM Pickup Payload and Towing Charts

Hmm.. I thought all the 'towing package' means is a tranny cooler and frame hitch...standard on a 3/4 ton..


Are we talking hitch capacity or towing capacity?
swampvol is online now Edit/Delete Message

 

[sodamo]

I have the CK30 with R4's and love it after 320 hours. I've mowed (brushhogged) pasture to the point my wife now cuts it with her Craftsman rider, but if the ground is too wet even that will tear it up. I don't foresee my Kioti as a finish mower, but it is invaluable for the other tasks. As for the loader issue - well, guess I'll remove the inspection plate and look once I get the letter - up to this point it just works so I've not bothered to check. I also maintain about 1300 ft of gravel road, dug 100 plus holes so far with PHD, dug a 20' X 20' hole 6 ft deep, 100 plus feet of trenches, and lost count how many truckloads of rock moved and graded. As others have said, evaluate YOUR needs. Good luck either way.

David

 

[kentrodngun]

Hmm.. I thought all the 'towing package' means is a tranny cooler and frame hitch...standard on a 3/4 ton..

Are we talking hitch capacity or towing capacity?

Yes, I would agree with your 'towing package' definition but maybe we're wrong. The Nissan site and a number of other links (via Google) all state that the Titan's towing capacity bumps up to 9,200 with the towing package. Amazing!

If you follow the 2001 specs link I attached earlier, you will see the specs do refer to towing capacity with the follow footnote:

"These trailer tow ratings are designed to provide acceptable performance for normal conditions of temperature, grade and altitude. Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings must be decreased by the weight of: optional equipment, trailer hitch, cargo in the truck, and passengers other than the driver. Maximum engine cooling option may be required to achieve maximum trailer weight rating and GCWR."

Reading this, it appears even the published capacities need to be avoided for safety sake.

 

[Jaybr]

The tow package on the Titan includes tow mirrors, tranny temp guage, 7-pin wiring, bigger battery, and most importantly lower gearing in the rear end.

All Titan's have oil and tranny coolers, it's the lower gearing that adds the capacity.

 

[Greg - Kioti CK20 TLB]

Hi Jay,

I have a CK20HST with loader and backhoe. I only have 50 hours on it so far but I have been VERY impressed. Zero problems in the first 50 hours. I have been using it to clear trees and stumps from my wooded lot to create a gravel driveway and paths. One thing I can say is that the CK20HST feels a little light when using the backhoe. The backhoe has more than enough power to move the tractor around when digging up stumps.

The reason I mention this is because the CK20 is roughly the same weight as the Kubota you mentioned. If you will be using the loader, box blade, and backhoe the majority of the time I would choose the CK25/CK30 because of the added weight and power.