Kioti ck 30 gear or hst

gryphon · Nov 19, 2008

Hello, folks. i have been lurking here for over 2 years and doubting i would be in the market for a new tractor any time soon.At any rate i have been fortunate enough to come into some unexpected cash and as they say its now or never.
I am from the "old school" and have considered all of these CUT tractors as little more than large lawnmowers.My opinion has changed after spending a lot of time reading these boards.
I own a small hobby- farm in Michigan all sandy loam with some wooded ground about 50%tillable50% trees.38 acres total. I have blueberries on 4 acres and have plans to plant an additional 3-4 acres in the near future. I own an Allis d-17 that i have used for all tillage and bushhog work and will continue to use that for all heavy use.
The new Kioti would be used for mid-season spray application and finish mowing as the fruit starts coming on. The FEL would be used mostly for filling in low spots on gravel driveways and helping my mother clean up her horse pasture.
My wooded area is"clean" as i can access most of it with the d-17. Lots of mature trees without much undergrowth.But the d-17 is clumsy no power steering and really to big to get any serious work done in the woods.Cutting up dead-falls for firewood and the like.

I have never stuck a tractor on the farm and am thinking industrial type tires would be the way to go as the Ag tires are are rough on sod.

I have 2 Kioti dealers within 25 miles of my home, and 3 Kubota dealers in the same area. All the dealers have been around for years.

I am leaning hard towards the Kioti as for the money it seems like the best deal. CK30 vs.L2800. Both Kioti dealers have suggested gear over Hst for a "farming" operation. Bells and whistles for me are just something additional to go wrong, i have survived 12 years of farming with antique equiptment but its time to move up the ladder. All thoughts will be appreciated.

Gittyup · Nov 19, 2008

I have a CK25 gear. The shuttle works fine for my needs. But, since you have a "farm use" tractor already. I'd suggest going HST. Not really any more to break or less reliable with the HST. The HST gives you better, finer control of movement in and around your bush crops and will be nice in the woods. I'd say only go gear if you plan on plowing/discing with it or like to use split brakes to turn.

On the tires, I have the industrial. Wish I had gone Ag. Industrials fill up quickly with mud. But, if you plan to use it a lot on "lawn" then Indys are better. Plus they are more durable in the woods. But they are terrible in the mud.

Steve_Miller · Nov 19, 2008

For the description of use I would say get the HST and even jump up to the DK35SE or DK40SE with the better loader if you can. Your tasks sound as if they would be suited to an HST given that you are still going to use the old tractor for the heavier chores. I haven't regretted one bit from jumping to HST from gears. I agree with you on your tire selection as well even though I have R1's.

Steve

deputyrpa · Nov 19, 2008

Sounds like an HST would suit well. The ck30 or 35 would be fine, but you'd have to go with a rear mower, according to the literature. I'm not sure it will meet all of your logging needs, but if you know it's limitations, you should be fine. It would be pretty handy around the barnyard with the HST. I have a 28hp Jinma, which I am trying to sell (still), yet have used it, and continue to use it for all of those types of tasks. It's a little beast, but it has its limitations. It's a gear, and sometimes it takes a couple of 1st gear-to-reverse shifting manuevers to get all of the slippery and cleverly placed horse chit in the FEL.

But when it comes to tillage, heavy rock and logging work, I hop on the DK45 gear. My farm neighbor has an Allis D-17 and the DK will yank it around all day. I'm not diminishing the Allis, because they are great machines - they just don't quit. They bought it new when it came out in 1958, and used to be one of the primary farm machines for their large dairy operation. It's still working hard for them. Just keep that pretty orange paint on it and you'll pass it on to the next generation!

MotorSeven · Nov 22, 2008

HST for me. It is just so dang easy to use. My CK30 & my new DK40se both spin all 4 tires when driving the FEL into a pile of dirt of gravel, so more power to the wheels would be over kill. When digging my on going pond, i actually had to throttle back to try & keep the divits to a minimium.
My neighbor has a shuttle shift Deere, & i use it occasionally(he is not able due to health reasons). After being on the HST, the shuttle is just more awkward & time consuming changing the gear ratios. With HST, even in a high ratio, i can ease up to any job like changing FEL implements. Can't do that with a shuttle in high gear. Anyway, once you get used to it, you will wonder how you got along so long without it. JMHMO

RD

Egon · Nov 23, 2008

Try and spend a little time on the HST. Then consider how it would work in the woods and when using the loader as compared to the tractor you now have. Then make a decision.

ToadHill · Nov 23, 2008

I have 87acres with 60 of it wooded. My Dk35 has all the power I have ever needed in my hilly woods. I have been cutting beech for firewood for the last 3 seasons with trees from 14" to 28" if diameter. This machine hauls them out of the woods in sections as long as 20 feet.

I have the gear model and it's worked fine for my use. With almost 800 hours and the only problem I've had was a broken seat frame which the dealer took care of under warranty.

I went with the DK because I felt I wanted the beefer machine for work in the woods. A neighbor has the Ck30, he works his woods with it and it seems to do everything he wants it to.

Mark_G · Nov 23, 2008

I have a CK30 Gear and I love it. I bought it used so I had no choice, it came with what it had. That said I have no regrets. I live in the woods and it maneuvers just fine. HST probably would have some advantages but that I was willing to pay a premium for (given the deal I found). I can inch in if needed and put it where I want it. For the loader there probably would be some efficiency increase with HST. I also ended up with R4's as well since it was used and they are much easier on the lawn etc. But I can easily spin all 4 when I push even with the added weight of my BH on.

Mark

UCME · Dec 5, 2008

Out of pure curiosity, would the HST provide more power to the wheels because of the fact it is hydraulic? or is the gear model geared down to be comparable?

Mark_G · Dec 5, 2008

My understanding (so take with a grain of salt) is gear is more efficient at transmitting power. A HST loses 4 or 5 HP to internal friction that gear does not. For ground engaging work most large tractors are gear. That said if you were looking to do ground engaging work you'd be better off looking at a DK.

The CK30 gear in low 1 only moves at around .9 MPH. It is geared fairly low. I imagine however you will be spinning all 4 wheels on either (gear or HST) if pulling beyond what traction is available so I don't know that it will matter much in the end.