Dirt Moving I think I want a bigger Kioti or something

[ron45]

While I'm not a seasoned pro I've had Kioti for several years and can dig holes and get a buck of dirt.... many times it's just about full. Sometimes not, depending on the dirt I'm in.

What I'm hoping to get a handle on is How much bigger. I will most likely buy used and try to find something local. That's hard to do in many places in New Mexico. My chief complaint is front bucket size. It's piss ant city. So `how much bigge' will probably translate into horse power. 10?, 15? I can hear the cash register...... These are not easy questions to deal with on a forum so I very much appreciate the efforts of anyone who tries to help. I apologize for the things I could not think of that might help. I'm usually in rocky dirt. I have a mile and a quarter of steep switch backs water bars to slo down the erosion.

Ron

 

[CMV]

Mine is half a yard heaped. 72" width if that helps.

 

[Tigershark]

I recently went from a CK40 with a 60" bucket to a NX5510 Cab I think it has the 72" and just the shear size of the tractor and weight was amazing. My old one was 5 ft wide this newer one measures 81 inches in the rear with loaded tires. It is a beast of a machine. pulls a 7ft bush hog with ease and air conditioning it is great when its still 90 out

 

[jeff9366]

My chief complaint is front bucket size. I'm hoping to get a handle on is How much bigger? I will most likely buy used and try to find something local. That's hard to do in many places in New Mexico.

I'm usually in rocky dirt. I have a mile and a quarter of steep switch backs water bars to slo down the erosion.

What work are you performing that frustrates you with the tractor? Road grading?

It is unusual to read comments on unsatisfactory digging with a tractor bucket; ie: creating bucket width holes in the earth. Do you have a Tooth Bar mounted on the bucket, which would make it much more efficient at digging? Or are you communicating that you are unsatisfied with how your bucket loads?

If you have SSQA FEL to bucket coupling, you can attach any size supplemental bucket to the FEL in three minutes. Do you have two-lever SSQA?
A larger bucket may not improve your satisfaction without a heavier tractor to push it.

Heavier tractors are built on larger frames with larger wheels/tires. A heavier tractor with larger diameter tires has more tractive power to push a loader bucket into dirt, pull ground contact implements and push snow. Larger wheels and tires increase ground clearance, enabling a heavier tractor to bridge holes, ruts and downed tree limbs with less bucking and disturbance operating over rough pasture and woodland.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor chassis weight is more important for most tractor operations than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.
{Kioti LK3054 = 3,170 pounds, bare tractor}

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, bare tractor weight must increase 50% before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is generally greater than depreciation on a tractor.


VIDEO: So you want to TRADE UP for a new Tractor? - TMT - YouTube


Consider a Land Plane / Grading Scraper for your road. Road work generally utilizes Three Point Hitch mounted rear implements.
VIDEO: TRACTOR LAND PLANE - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

Kioti LK3504

1999 - 2002
Compact Utility tractor

Manufacturer: Kioti (a part of Daedong)
Factory: Daegu, South Korea

Kioti LK3504 Engine:
Daedong 1.7L 4-cyl diesel
Kioti LK3504 Power:
Engine (gross): 35 hp [26.1 kW]
PTO (claimed): 29 hp [21.6 kW]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: live (two-stage clutch)
Rear RPM: 540/1000
Front RPM: 2700

Dimensions & Tires:
Wheelbase: 65.7 inches [166 cm]
Weight: 3,170 lbs
Front tire: 9.5-16
Rear tire: 14.9-24

Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x4 MFWD 4WD
Brakes: wet disc
Cab: Foldable ROPS.

Hydraulics:
Total flow: 8 gpm [30.3 lpm]


Page information:
Last update: March 23, 2018
Copyright: Copyright 2018 TractorData LLC
Contact: Peter@TractorData.com

 

[PA hayseed]

I am not sure about everything you are asking.

1) Do you have a toothbar on your current bucket? If not, you will not be able to dig as well.

2) Are you only displeased with the volume that your bucket holds or it's digging power?

3) how much would be enough? DO you need a full size backhoe or a cut? Maybe a skid steer would be a better solution if you are primarily looking to do FEL work. In my personal experience, skid steers run circles around tractors doing loader work. having said that, I own a tractor because skid steers suck at cutting fields. I also own a zero turn mower because tractors suck (with a 7' mower) getting close around houses and trees.

4) My dealer rents equipment out, maybe you can see if 15-20 more hp with a bigger bucket will do the trick for you.

 

[jrskblx125]

i had a 3054xs so i can sort of relate. basically, you dont want to move dirt with the bucket in any gear higher than 4 low. this really limits your speed when moving material. i will say that with a heaping full load of say crushed stone in the bucket on a 3054xs, with backhoe on for ballast, its at the top of its capacity. jumping up to larger frame size is a whole lot of money but not necessarily depending on how used the machine you get is.

 

[jeff9366]

No post from OP in six days.

 

[DieselBound]

I spent most of last summer doing material runs with my NX, filling (four to five bucket loads) and pulling my dump trailer (which I bought used just for this project- I could turn around and sell it, which is one consideration that many don't consider- nothing says you can't buy something and then resell when done using [even if it's for a short amount of time/work]), about 11k lbs per load on average I'd guess. I can move a fair amount in my 7' boxblade, though that's only good for short distances.

Really need to know more of the specifics in which one is facing.

 

[4570Man]

I am not sure about everything you are asking.

1) Do you have a toothbar on your current bucket? If not, you will not be able to dig as well.

2) Are you only displeased with the volume that your bucket holds or it's digging power?

3) how much would be enough? DO you need a full size backhoe or a cut? Maybe a skid steer would be a better solution if you are primarily looking to do FEL work. In my personal experience, skid steers run circles around tractors doing loader work. having said that, I own a tractor because skid steers suck at cutting fields. I also own a zero turn mower because tractors suck (with a 7' mower) getting close around houses and trees.

4) My dealer rents equipment out, maybe you can see if 15-20 more hp with a bigger bucket will do the trick for you.

A skid steer will whip a tractor. My 6 ton skid steer is better at dirt work than my backhoe that outweighs it by 2 tons. The backhoe is stronger so it has that going for it but most of the time the skid steer will still win. Comparing a skid steer of that size to a 40 hp tractor is a land slide victory for the skid steer. I also agree about the ZTR. A 72” MMM would be lucky to do 2/3 of the work as my 72” ZTR. I’ve used 60” MMMs and the cut time is close to double.