Buying Advice Kioti CK35HST vs. Kubota B3200 and L3200 types - Price and power?

[techgeekfarmer]

Hello everyone,

First of all .. i'm a newbie in the Farm world. My Wife and I just recently built a house on 10 acre lot in Northern Indiana (Middlebury), I'm looking to get a nice reliable compact tractor that will help with some of the things we do and plan to do. We have a pony that my daughter rides, we plan on eventually getting some steer and a goat. Last summer we built a chicken coop and we have 12 chickens and plan on getting a few more in a few months. We have a wood burning stove in the new house and would like to utilize the tractor to ease the workload of getting and hauling the wood we gather. My wife is big into gardening so we will have a fairly large garden as well and we plan to use the "Back to Eden" concept of cardboard/mulch etc for the garden. And lastly we plan on planting hay in about potentially 5-6 acres of the land that we have that is cleared as it was a field 15 years or so ago... so eventually I will want some kind of a smaller scale baler we can use to get our own square bales. -- We also get a fair amount of snow and i have a 150ft drive that I plan on using a back blade to plow. SO these are some of the things i'm sure a compact tractor will help us out with.

I've borrowed my father-in-law's Kubota B3200 and it was a great size tractor, seems like a decent size for most everything we'd need or want to do. After doing some research online and getting a few quotes we have a local Kubota dealer about 10 mins away that quoted us a L3200 for $14,700 and loader with bucket for 4200 ($18900), or the B3200 for $14,600 and loader with bucket for $3800 ($18400). After looking online I started seeing more and more on the Kioti Brand tractor. I personally like what I see with the Kioti a bit more, I looked up and found we have a Kioti Dealer 20 mins from us and Had them quote me on a CK35HST with the Free FEL program it came out to $19573 ... a CK30HST was $18465 with the Free FEL.

I'm not sure how these prices compare to the market but looking on paper it seems to me that the CK35HST is a far superior tractor, in weight, lift capacity and power in the models i'm looking at. And if I round them up a bit it's basically 3 trailers that are roughly $20k. It seems the smartest decision woudl be to go with the Kioti, just seems like i'd be getting much more tractor for the price. We would need to finance it to a 3-5 year deal as well.

I've visited this forum reading other posts and what not the past few days, and just hoped I could get some of this communities opinions and advice. I appreciate any help and guidance.

FYI, I do plan on getting a back blade for sure, I do not plan on mowing with this tractor so a mid-mount PTO isn't uber important to me as I have a John Deere Zero-Turn that handles the lawn (that we are still trying to establish in this awesome sand we are in.... ) I also will prob just look for a used bush hog or hay cutter not sure on that part yet.

 

[finspop]

If you're gonna be putting up any quantity of hay, I'd highly recommend the Kioti. Even a small square baler can really throw around a light tractor. You'll definitely know it's back there on the Kioti, but you'll REALLY know it's back there on the L3200. Frankly, I wouldn't even consider the B3200. Nice tractor, just far too small for what you're talking about.

 

[art]

To purchase and store hay equipment for even ten acres much less five is not the most economical move. The costs to keep it in shape and the initial purchase price to put up good quality hay would make it difficult to justify. Many people do have neighbors help them with baling when they get through with theirs although they often have trouble finding a farmer to do it on such a small scale.

Like most things the more weight you move with an engine the more it costs in fuel. How much do you really need?

 

[murphy1244]

Weight is your friend when doing work.

 

[Bluegill2]

We have a lot of property here and some good hay fields, but the price of hay equipment & upkeep is just too high for what little we need. In the past we just got a neighbor to cut our hay on halves and end up with more than we need. Best if he maintains the hay equipment.

Now for the tractors, us Kubota guys like our Kubotas. Those Kioti guys like there Kiotis. Buy which ever one you like best!

 

[aginn]

If you are going to have cattle on that small of a plot you won't have much area to hay. I think you might want to see how many bails you might get of that ground and do some math about how much per bale it would cost over say- 10 years to see what the economics would add up to. Our neighbor just contracts to a local farmer to cut and bail and they feel it is a much better solution for small plots. Not trying to be a downer but it is something to seriously think about.
I have the L3200 and it is a nice tractor and very dependable. HST is definitely a must for me though. It is a joy after having run geared tractors. The Kioti will have more weight and a lot stronger FEL if you plan on doing really heavy work with it. I have bug a half acre pond with the L3200 FEL alone. Time for a backhoe so I can add to it and have a new toy to play with. The difference in backhoes was what prompted me to get the Kubota. The Kioti seemed to be a better tractor in some ways (weight/strength of FEL) but the backhoe impressed me more on the Kubota.

 

[techgeekfarmer]

I have dug a half acre pond with the L3200 FEL alone.

Haha Nice!

Yea I will have to see what I can find for local farmers that we could work out a deal ... as I did not plan to get a baler right way or anything. I saw a JD 14T Baler for $1500 on craigslist but just looking at the options really.

 

[art]

Most haying equipment starts off at 30 PTO horsepower and of coarse that is more then you are looking at. I do have a fellow that baled a 5 acre piece with a BX-24 but I wouldn't recommend it!
To hay you would need a mower, tedder, rake, baler and at least one wagon.

 

[Hdoilcan]

I was looking at the Kubota B3200-B3300 but after being educated from this great website TBN I realized I wanted something with position control so that deleated the B3200-B3300 and so I started looking at the L3200-L3800 and then we went to look at the Kioti CK35 and decided that Kioti was the way to go because you are getting more for your money. But then we tried out the Kioti DK40 and figured for a little bit more money we would go with it. But deep down it was a little to big physically and so then we seen a Kubota L3540 cab and it seems like its between the CK35 and the DK40 in physical size. So that what we are going with.... just been sick for the last month so we put things on hold for now. I kept bumping up in size from the start as I learned more because I need something with a strong loader but as small of a foot print as possible.... and there are only a couple brands that I am interested in.
For me if it came down to the L3200 vs the CK35 I'd go with the CK35.

 

[Hdoilcan]

I received a price of $18,600+ for a CK35 HST with Loaded (rimguard) R4 tires and two rear remotes installed, delivered (2 hours from dealer) and everything for the first 50 hour service or bring it back to them and they will do it.
So make sure you negotiate!!

 

[alia176]

Here's a L3200 in Indiana for $14250 with FEL: For Sale -- 2012 Kubota L3200 4x4 tractor/loader package - OrangeTractorTalks - Everything Kubota

 

[TripleR]

We have four Kubotas and really, really like them, but given these choices, I would go with the Kioti for the additional weight, position control 3PH, extendable lower lift arms etc.

 

[GManBart]

we have a Kioti Dealer 20 mins from us and Had them quote me on a CK35HST with the Free FEL program it came out to $19573

Of the models you've mentioned, the CK35HST is the one that best seems to fit the jobs you mentioned. I'm a big fan of Kioti tractors, and I won't say anything bad about them, but in that particular model/size, you can spend roughly the same amount of money (under $20K) and get more machine with an LS R3039HST. It would weigh a couple hundred pounds less (not necessarily a positive), have similar extendable 3pt lift arms, and stabilizer bars, lift a touch more on the 2pt, have the same basic wheelbase, and overall length, comes with two remotes standard instead of one, has 3.5hp more at the PTO, and it has an FEL that can lift 1,100lbs more than the KL130 on the CK30....literally double the max lift to the same height (within an inch). For moving firewood/logs, that would be a big plus in my book. The loader is what really sets the R3039 apart from machines in the size range of the CK30....which is odd, because if you go up one size, the Kioti loader is a bit more powerful, and has more lift height than the comparative LS loader. :confused3:

The good thing is, you can't really go wrong with any of the machines you've talked about....one might be faster, or slower, than the other, but it'll let you get the job done.

 

[techgeekfarmer]

Appreciate all the feedback everyone! -- thank you.

Something else I have to factor in.. As i mentioned we need to finance it. Kubota seems to have 0% financing for 60 months. Kioti is 5.5% interest financing for 60 months. (Unless you don't take the free FEL option)

So figuring at the $20k mark .. that's $333.33/mo @ 0% ($20,000) and $382.02/mo @ 5.5% ($22,921.2)

I was thinking with the Kubota 0% financing I may wanna get a quote on a L3800 or a Grand L40 - L3540 as wouldn't those be a more apples-to-apples comparison to the CK35HST?

GManBart ... I've never heard of a LS Brand tractor? it looks like there is one dealer by me and it's about an hour and a half away.

 

[GManBart]

Appreciate all the feedback everyone! -- thank you.

Something else I have to factor in.. As i mentioned we need to finance it. Kubota seems to have 0% financing for 60 months. Kioti is 5.5% interest financing for 60 months. (Unless you don't take the free FEL option)

So figuring at the $20k mark .. that's $333.33/mo @ 0% ($20,000) and $382.02/mo @ 5.5% ($22,921.2)

I was thinking with the Kubota 0% financing I may wanna get a quote on a L3800 or a Grand L40 - L3540 as wouldn't those be a more apples-to-apples comparison to the CK35HST?

GManBart ... I've never heard of a LS Brand tractor? it looks like there is one dealer by me and it's about an hour and a half away.

Good idea to compare financing. Right now you can beat Kioti's finance rate by going with AgDirect, as it looks like they're 3-5 year rates vary from 3.3-3.7%, so that would make up some of the difference if you decide to go that route.

The world of who makes what in tractors right now is pretty complex! Daedong is Kioti's parent company in South Korea. They make tractors sold under a couple of different names, with Kioti being their own "house brand." In a similar fashion, LS makes tractors for a number of companies (New Holland, and Case) and in 2009 started selling under their own name here. LS is a spinoff of LG, the electronics company, and is owned by the same family...they have a pretty good breakdown of their history on their website. They also just started offering 0% financing as well....unfortunately, after I bought mine!

Right now, Kioti and LS offer the best bang for the buck (my opinion anyway) going. If you compare apples-to-apples, feature to feature, nobody can touch their prices. If TBN owners are roughly representative of what's out there in the world, it would seem both brands are doing well from at least initial quality standards (not likely to find either brand with many thousands of hours on them at this point).

The L3540 is definitely a closer matchup to the CK35, but it's actually a bit larger (5"+ in wheelbase), and a couple hundred pounds heavier. The big difference there is you're looking at a big jump in 3pt lift capability (about 1,000lbs more), so it's obviously meant for more serious work with ground engaging implements etc. The curious thing is that the FEL has about 300lbs more lift capacity than the CK35, but still 900lbs less than the LS, which I don't get, as it's larger, and heavier. There is one plus to having a lower FEL capacity...it's hard to do something really dumb with it! Once you get into the Grand L series, it opens up a whole bunch of new comparisons, since you can get the HST+ transmission, which (my opinion anyway) is the biggest positive for going with a Grand L. There are some other nice features as well that go along with the Grand L series, but the tranny is definitely at the top of the list. I think you're going to find a significant jump in price...whether it's worth it will be for you to decide.

If you decide to seriously consider a Grand L, you might as well compare a few other brands, because you're into a price point where something like a Massey Ferguson 1600 (outgoing) or 1700 (incoming) series will fit into the budget....really nice machines as well. You'd also be able to look at a number of Mahindras (heavy for their size, but powerful loaders, and solid machines), and probably Yanmar as well. I'd skip Case and New Holland, as you can buy the same machine from LS for a lot less money. Looking at a comparable Deere will usually bump up the price point a bit, but you can't argue with their track record.

Yes, I know, that didn't help, and it only makes things harder, but the good thing is any singe one of those companies makes a machine that will do anything you want for many years.

The most important thing is for you to get some seat time in the models you're thinking about, and see how they feel to you. Things that bother you might not bother someone else at all, and that's what will make the difference in how happy you are with your purchase. I will say if you figure out what size machine seems perfect, buy one size larger....they shrink at home, and your list of tasks with them almost always seems to grow after you get some seat time.

 

[techgeekfarmer]

I found a dealer who was about 2 hours away from me who happened to still have a NEW 2012 Model Kioti CK30HST .. I got it for $16,895.00 (before tax) with the FEL. I couldn't pass it up as I was looking at the 2013 model (which to my knowledge is exactly the same) but it was at $18260 with FEL. I contacted AgDirect.com and got 3.7% financing for 60 month loan ... (Thanks for the recommendation GManBart!) I was going back and forth between CK35HST and CK30HST ... but when I was able to find this NEW 2012 model, I couldn't pass up the savings... Everything is approved and good to go, just waiting on some final paperwork from AgDirect, and I'll work on getting the Tractor home. -- EXCITED!


Question for you guys, i have about a 150-200ft driveway that I will need to plow .. is it best to look at a box blade, or a 72" rear blade for that?

 

[GManBart]

I found a dealer who was about 2 hours away from me who happened to still have a NEW 2012 Model Kioti CK30HST .. I got it for $16,895.00 (before tax) with the FEL. I couldn't pass it up as I was looking at the 2013 model (which to my knowledge is exactly the same) but it was at $18260 with FEL. I contacted AgDirect.com and got 3.7% financing for 60 month loan ... (Thanks for the recommendation GManBart!) I was going back and forth between CK35HST and CK30HST ... but when I was able to find this NEW 2012 model, I couldn't pass up the savings... Everything is approved and good to go, just waiting on some final paperwork from AgDirect, and I'll work on getting the Tractor home. -- EXCITED!


Question for you guys, i have about a 150-200ft driveway that I will need to plow .. is it best to look at a box blade, or a 72" rear blade for that?

Very cool....we'll need pics, of course! My neighbor has a CK30 and loves it. He parks his car outside, and the Kioti in his garage

A box blade won't do much for moving snow, so you either want a back blade, or a plow blade for your FEL. It really depends on how much snow you tend to get. Seeing how you're just west of Chicago, I can imagine you get some decent snowfalls there. There are long threads, and much debate on what works best for moving snow. Probably the overall "best" is a front mounted snow thrower, but they're expensive, can't be used for anything else, and not all machines are set up to use them. The nice thing is that they get the snow out of the way, so you don't wind up with big berms of snow on the sides of your driveway like you will with a plow or scrape blade after repeated snowfalls. The second best is probably a rear-mount blower (they have both push, and pull style)....also pretty expensive. After that you have plow blades that attach to your FEL SSQA (both manual adjust, and hydraulic adjust are available) and rear scrape blades. A manual adjust plow blade for your FEL will run ballpark $2K from places like Everything Attachments. They're nice because they'll push deeper snow a bit better than a rear blade, and you can see where you're going, but they don't work as well on uneven surfaces. The scrape blade is the simplest, cheapest, and has an advantage in that it can be used to move dirt as well as snow, and it works well on uneven surfaces that will cause a plow blade to dig in, and trip the springs.

I have a plow on my truck, and use my new EA 8' XTreme blade for pulling the snow away from my garage, around my barn (rough ground since just finished building it, and haven't poured any concrete aprons) and when we get smaller snowfalls. If I didn't have the plow on my truck, I probably would have considered a snow thrower, or a plow for the FEL.

For your Kioti, I would consider a 7' blade rather than a 6' blade. You machine is roughly 55" wide according to the specs, and when you angle a 72" blade 30* to either side, it's effective width is 62", so you only have a couple of inches of blade extending outside the tire tracks. An 84" blade would be effectively 73", and give you 9" or so on either side of the tire tracks. If you get a blade that offers offset, you can use that to extend the reach outside the tire tracks, so a 72" blade would be a good fit there. There might be a thread in the Kioti section on scrape blades to see what other folks are using on their CKs...worth looking/asking.

 

[mguitas]

Might want to look at a Mahindra 3016, the lift on the FEL at the pins is about 1650lbs. Even more then the kioti ck35 or the dk35, according to tractordata.

 

[alia176]

I found a dealer who was about 2 hours away from me who happened to still have a NEW 2012 Model Kioti CK30HST .. I got it for $16,895.00 (before tax) with the FEL. I couldn't pass it up as I was looking at the 2013 model (which to my knowledge is exactly the same) but it was at $18260 with FEL. I contacted AgDirect.com and got 3.7% financing for 60 month loan ... (Thanks for the recommendation GManBart!) I was going back and forth between CK35HST and CK30HST ... but when I was able to find this NEW 2012 model, I couldn't pass up the savings... Everything is approved and good to go, just waiting on some final paperwork from AgDirect, and I'll work on getting the Tractor home. -- EXCITED!


Question for you guys, i have about a 150-200ft driveway that I will need to plow .. is it best to look at a box blade, or a 72" rear blade for that?

I was looking at AgDirect as well so tell me about your experience with them. If you got a 5 yr for 3.7%, what did your APR interest rate ended up being?

 

[engine29]

You made a good decision going w/ a Kioti. More tractor than a comparable Kubota. Who is AgDirect through? Did you do it yourself or did it have to go through the dealer?