Buying Advice Kioti CK3510 w/ Rotary Cutter

[FloridaTJ]

Hey yall! Im brand new to the forum but Ive been browsing a lot and doing my research into Kioti. My wife (aka the Bosslady) is finally allowing me to make the jump and hopefully Ill be signing paperwork this weekend! Ive got 23 acres. I currently have a 60 Gravely Zeroturn that I manage 7 acres with and its been about 3-4 years since the other 16 acres has been cut. My field is standing around 3 feet high but there are some heavy spots where its 4-6 feet. Ive spoken with the dealer and told him I wanted the CK3510 with the gearbox. I dont want to deal with the hydrostatic transmission and possible problems of it. I grew up on my dads old Ford tractor and just love the reliability of a good old fashion gearbox transmission. The dealer quoted me $17,500 OTD on the base CK3510 but also quoted me $18,500 on a CK3510 with the Shuttle Shift. Im not too familiar with the shuttle shift. Ive looked at YouTube videos to see how it works and it seems pretty straight forward but I wanted some feedback on reliability and maintenance on the shuttle shift. Also Im wanting to get a bushhog. The dealer sells Rhino bushhogs. I wasnt familiar with Rhino so I did some research on them and they seem to be pretty reputable. My dilemma is between the Rhino TW16 or TW25. I think a TW16 would work but I do worry a little bit about getting into the heavier brush with only a 1 cutting capacity. So I was also thinking about going to the heavier duty TW25 but I would be sacrificing a foot of cutting width. Any and all feedback is appreciated and I look forward to talking with yall!

 

[deezler]

Welcome to TBN. Where are you located? Helps to put it into your profile, so that other members can help with local advice.

Can't say I've heard of any problems with the hydro transmissions on kiotis. They are stout, dependable, and oh-so convenient. But if your primary goal is rotary cutting at a steady pace, a gear trans works just fine too (and saves you some cash).

Why would you drop a foot of width just to go with a heavier duty cutter? A CK3510 can run a TW26 just as well as it can run a TW16. The only difference is in your choice as driver of how hard you push it when cutting. I would definitely want something heavier than a 1" cutting capacity if you have 16 acres to reclaim!

 

[FloridaTJ]

Thanks for the advice. I知 in north central Florida. 10 miles south of Lake City. I値l be sure to update my profile. I seen on Rhinos website where it said minimum PTO HP on the TW26 is 35HP and with the 3510 only doing 30.9HP to the PTO I didn稚 think the 26 would be an option. I definitely don稚 want to lose out on that extra foot but didn稚 think the 3510 had the power for the 26. I could very well be mistaken though. Like I said, I was going based on manufacturers recommendation.

 

[Roadworthy]

Hi, and welcome to TBN. The general rule of thumb for a rotary cutter is five horsepower for every foot of cutter width. I've been exceeding that for perhaps fifteen years. I have mowed fields three and four feet high. The trick is to slow down a bit in tall grass. This should only be a problem for you the first time you mow. After you have things under control you can mow normally. I do like my new HST transmission - I can set the engine to PTO speed and speed up or slow down as required my simply varying my foot position. My former tractor was a standard gearshift type and speed was selected by choice of gear. Now it's easier to slow over rough areas and speed up over more gentle terrain. I only have ten acres, by the way so a 25 hp tractor (19 at PTO) seems to work fine with my five foot King Kutter.

 

[PEJ5]

From the Website...Manual transmission models feature 9F/3R speeds with synchronized 2nd and reverse gears making repetitive back and forward operation more efficient.
The other gears are not synchronized so you CANNOT shift from, say, 3rd forward to 4th forward while moving. You must stop, select 4th and start again. Also, the PTO is live meaning it is engaged and disengaged via the 2 stage clutch pedal. Press half way to disengage gear and all the way to disengage the PTO.

The 3510 that comes with a Synchro Shuttle is the SE model. You get 12 forward gears and 12 reverse gears (4 gears x 3 ranges). Confirm with dealer or someone on TBN, but I believe they are all synchronized so you can shift from, say, 3rd to 4th while moving by simply clutching like a car. If you are in a forward gear, say 3rd, then to reverse direction you brake, clutch, and stop; then simply move the shuttle from forward to reverse release the clutch and off you go in 3rd reverse. No gear or range levers to move/select. The SE comes with an independent PTO meaning it is engaged and disengaged by a button 'independent' of clutching - very nice feature that can be done from beside the tractor (handy for my PTO wood chipper). The SE comes with other nice features.

One nice feature of geared tractors is that you pick an RPM and gear and then it is foot free driving/mowing. No having to hold your foot on an HST pedal. Some HST owners purchase the cruise control option for mowing applications.

Good luck deciding.

 

[deezler]

I definitely don't want to lose out on that extra foot but didn't think the 3510 had the power for the 26. I could very well be mistaken though. Like I said, I was going based on manufacturers recommendation.

Yeah fair enough, but if the ck3510 can run a light duty 6' cutter, it can run an HD 6' cutter too. The only difference is how tall and thick the vegetation is, and like roadworthy mentioned, you can always just slow down a little. That unsynchronized base model transmission sounds dreadful to me. I mean, I always accepted stopping to shift gears on my dad's 1948 farmall, but this is the year 2020, man. I'd definitely go test drive a hydro trans model and see if you can actually find any flaws with it. The 3510HSE model comes with cruise control AND a linked-pedal option, where the engine revs up automatically as you request more hydro pedal - in essence it drives like a car. Thats what I'm hoping to buy once I clear a couple other monthly payments off my docket.

 

[prof fate]

I'v got 550 hours on my 2018 CK3510 hydro...hydro is the ONLY way to go IMO/IME. Had a kubota with gear, an old sears lawn mower - gimme hydro! As for reliability, my 1972 cub cadet hydro still runs just fine, and all skid steers and such run them.

You can vary speed from crawling to fast, handy for mowing. Get cruise control to rest your leg and it will run like a geared tractor in a gear.

I ran a 6' bush hog, heavy duty model them moved to a woodmaxx 78" offset flail. No issues. If i hit tall grass, dense as opposed to what weeds are, i have to slow down a bit. I usually most at 5-6mph (medium range) just fine.

 

[BrkMstr]

I've had no problems with the HST, very pleased with the performance, if you are considering adding a few options like rear remotes, mirrors, mat, etc, you may want to take a look at the SE for the money the options are well worth the price difference, and like deezler said, don't worry about running the TW26, it won't be an issue......

 

[3gunr]

I have gear , shuttle and hydro tractors , dont even look at gear. Shuttle work great. Hydros are even better. i have 360 acres and cut alot of tall brush . go hydro.

 

[FloridaTJ]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Seems as though the hydro is a lot more popular than I had anticipated. Haha. I spoke with the dealer today and talked to him about an SE model he has on the lot with all the bells and whistles. Im pretty sure Im going to go that route. As for the bushhog. As long as I can comfortably pull the TW26 without tearing up my new tractor, Ill definitely go that direction. Ill like the peace of mind with a heavy duty cutter when it comes to the heavier brush.