I would have to go looking again to find the specific comments, but the other night I had narrowed my choices down to the Kioti, Massey and LS. Spent a considerable amount of time in the reviews section on TBN and crossed LS off my list because of the 3 they were the only one that received comments about build quality and issues. Nothing major that I recall and owners still seemed satisfied, just something to help me narrow my list down. That being said I may still give the dealer a call tomorrow...it would be much easier if I could have one of each!
Kioti DK40SE vs MF 1635
- Thread starter lubepimp
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Coyote machine
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- 22 SANY SY 50U, '10 Kioti DK 40se/hst KL-401 FEL, loaded tires, KB-2485 bhoe, Tuffline TB160 BB, Woods QA forks, MIE Hydraulic bhoe thumb & ripper tooth, Igland 4001 winch, & GR-20 Log Grapple. Woods BBX72" Brush Mower. Diamondplate aluminum canopy
What thumb for a Kioti are you looking at that costs $1500 more than one for a Massey?!:confused2:
the old grind
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My question: Was the Massey thumb hydraulic too?
I wouldn't be swayed too much by a few negative or positive comments about OOB issues. IMO, a lot of the leaks and loose bolts we hear about reflect as much a dealer's setup as o'all build quality.
As for comments from members such as CM, GMan, & TSO, understand that these fellas really know their stuff and have done their homework on the brands they mention. (well, they've owned and still own them ...)
That said, it seems the best bang for buck tractors are what's on the table and I'm just glad I don't have to make such a tough decision. Between the several makes & models discussed herein, I hardly think a guy would be disappointed if he chose only by color at this point.
Dealer support really comes into play if you break stuff & if you do it a lot you won't be their favorite customer for long. Buy what looks & feels right. I'm all NH and Deere (have had 2 ea so far..) and it was features & ergonomics that put me there vs sage advice, or they'd be Kioti & LS. (well, that color thing, too ... ) :2cents:
(Coyote, MIE has my digging tooth ready to be picked up ... and a SSQA grapple too. Yeah, those guys are great & I'm only 1/2 hr away from them.)
I wouldn't be swayed too much by a few negative or positive comments about OOB issues. IMO, a lot of the leaks and loose bolts we hear about reflect as much a dealer's setup as o'all build quality.
As for comments from members such as CM, GMan, & TSO, understand that these fellas really know their stuff and have done their homework on the brands they mention. (well, they've owned and still own them ...)
That said, it seems the best bang for buck tractors are what's on the table and I'm just glad I don't have to make such a tough decision. Between the several makes & models discussed herein, I hardly think a guy would be disappointed if he chose only by color at this point.
Dealer support really comes into play if you break stuff & if you do it a lot you won't be their favorite customer for long.
Buy what looks & feels right. I'm all NH and Deere (have had 2 ea so far..) and it was features & ergonomics that put me there vs sage advice, or they'd be Kioti & LS. (well, that color thing, too ... ) :2cents:(Coyote, MIE has my digging tooth ready to be picked up ... and a SSQA grapple too. Yeah, those guys are great & I'm only 1/2 hr away from them.
)
coobie
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I have owned both Massey(model 1240) & Kioti (DK 40se)tractors.Both have been flawless.I would have kept the massey but no local dealer support located in my area is the reason I upgraded to the Kioti DK40se.Good luck on your choice.
Coyote machine
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- 22 SANY SY 50U, '10 Kioti DK 40se/hst KL-401 FEL, loaded tires, KB-2485 bhoe, Tuffline TB160 BB, Woods QA forks, MIE Hydraulic bhoe thumb & ripper tooth, Igland 4001 winch, & GR-20 Log Grapple. Woods BBX72" Brush Mower. Diamondplate aluminum canopy
A hydraulic thumb on a Kioti hoe would require welding the cylinder attachment plate to the dipper stick and hydraulic lines to a joystick or foot pedal to control the thumb's travel. You can't compare that to the Massey set-up unless you have them price out the actual thumb separate from the hoe price. Have you compared hoe specs side by side? breakout force, digging depth, etc.? Hydraulic hoe thumbs are not cheap, but they are great tools to have....
Why would you think the Kioti dealer would be making things up? What things?
Coyote machine
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- 22 SANY SY 50U, '10 Kioti DK 40se/hst KL-401 FEL, loaded tires, KB-2485 bhoe, Tuffline TB160 BB, Woods QA forks, MIE Hydraulic bhoe thumb & ripper tooth, Igland 4001 winch, & GR-20 Log Grapple. Woods BBX72" Brush Mower. Diamondplate aluminum canopy
My question: Was the Massey thumb hydraulic too?
I wouldn't be swayed too much by a few negative or positive comments about OOB issues. IMO, a lot of the leaks and loose bolts we hear about reflect as much a dealer's setup as o'all build quality.
As for comments from members such as CM, GMan, & TSO, understand that these fellas really know their stuff and have done their homework on the brands they mention. (well, they've owned and still own them ...)
That said, it seems the best bang for buck tractors are what's on the table and I'm just glad I don't have to make such a tough decision. Between the several makes & models discussed herein, I hardly think a guy would be disappointed if he chose only by color at this point.
Dealer support really comes into play if you break stuff & if you do it a lot you won't be their favorite customer for long.
(Coyote, MIE has my digging tooth ready to be picked up ... and a SSQA grapple too. Yeah, those guys are great & I'm only 1/2 hr away from them.
Cool.:thumbsup: Let's see pics of your MIE 'tooth' and grapple when they arrive!
And in action too. Wish I was 1/2 hr from them, they'd be very busy building me stuff :laughing:
TSO
Elite Member
I'll give ya a quick rundown in my feelings on the 3 tractor brands you're looking at, because I've owned them all!
Bought a new Kioti CK20s HST. Put about 200 well earned hours on her. Shortly in, I think within the first 30 hrs, there was a bad leak at the bottom of the steering shaft. Turned out to be an O-ring within the steering assembly. Needed to be completely replaced, tractor was out for a couple weeks but the warranty covered it. It later developed another leak at the loader couplers, another O-ring failure, but that was an easy fix. Otherwise it was a very good tractor. Sold it to buy larger.
Bought an LS R4041 shuttle. Kept it for 50hrs. Only problem was the front SSQA levers & pins were really tight and prone to getting stuck. Decided I hated the shuttle, traded it back in on...
...an LS R4047 HST. Put 150 hard earned hours on her, never had a single problem except I blew a headlight fuse twice. Turns out it needed the next size up fuse, and never had another problem. Decided I wanted a cab so went shopping again. Sold the LS and bought my ....
... Massey 1648 HST cab. I would have preferred the 1652 for the extra HP, but there were very few tier 3 Massey cabs and I got my 1648 for a great price. I've put 90 hrs the Massey in just 3 months and it's been perfect. It doesn't start as smooth in the cold as the LS did, but then again, it never fails to start either. I had thought there was a possible with the fuel pump because it makes a clicking sound, but it turns out that's normal.
My impressions: (and I understand the CK20 is smaller than the other two, but I have had some seat time checking out the DK and NX models)
The Massey feels like a bit better in quality than the other two.
The Massey loader is stronger than the LS loader. It seems underrated at 2527 lbs to 113" ... not sure if it would out do the Kioti loader, but they're close.
For open station, the Massey has the best fit/finish, but the Kioti cab seems a bit nicer than the other two.
The Massey hydraulics appear to be better than the other two.
The LS loader has the best visibility.
The Massey bucket is the heaviest duty build.
The LS feels the most "rugged"
------
Overall, I think the Massey is a better tractor than the others, now that I've spent more time on it. But, with that said, if I was buying again right now, I'd be leaning towards the Kioti NX series because their cab is really nice and they've added assume great premium features, and the price is fair.
My opinions anyhow ...
Bought a new Kioti CK20s HST. Put about 200 well earned hours on her. Shortly in, I think within the first 30 hrs, there was a bad leak at the bottom of the steering shaft. Turned out to be an O-ring within the steering assembly. Needed to be completely replaced, tractor was out for a couple weeks but the warranty covered it. It later developed another leak at the loader couplers, another O-ring failure, but that was an easy fix. Otherwise it was a very good tractor. Sold it to buy larger.
Bought an LS R4041 shuttle. Kept it for 50hrs. Only problem was the front SSQA levers & pins were really tight and prone to getting stuck. Decided I hated the shuttle, traded it back in on...
...an LS R4047 HST. Put 150 hard earned hours on her, never had a single problem except I blew a headlight fuse twice. Turns out it needed the next size up fuse, and never had another problem. Decided I wanted a cab so went shopping again. Sold the LS and bought my ....
... Massey 1648 HST cab. I would have preferred the 1652 for the extra HP, but there were very few tier 3 Massey cabs and I got my 1648 for a great price. I've put 90 hrs the Massey in just 3 months and it's been perfect. It doesn't start as smooth in the cold as the LS did, but then again, it never fails to start either. I had thought there was a possible with the fuel pump because it makes a clicking sound, but it turns out that's normal.
My impressions: (and I understand the CK20 is smaller than the other two, but I have had some seat time checking out the DK and NX models)
The Massey feels like a bit better in quality than the other two.
The Massey loader is stronger than the LS loader. It seems underrated at 2527 lbs to 113" ... not sure if it would out do the Kioti loader, but they're close.
For open station, the Massey has the best fit/finish, but the Kioti cab seems a bit nicer than the other two.
The Massey hydraulics appear to be better than the other two.
The LS loader has the best visibility.
The Massey bucket is the heaviest duty build.
The LS feels the most "rugged"
------
Overall, I think the Massey is a better tractor than the others, now that I've spent more time on it. But, with that said, if I was buying again right now, I'd be leaning towards the Kioti NX series because their cab is really nice and they've added assume great premium features, and the price is fair.
My opinions anyhow ...
The $1500 difference makes me wonder, but I'm now off my current "tractor" and have double-checked my quotes...again...and not sure if the MF is hydraulic or mechanical. Which leads me to ask about how great of a difference there is. I mainly see the application need for digging/removing field stones. I have friends that in the past have brought their industrial backhoes to remove some for me and it's like child's play. I don't expect the same from a compact tractor but definitely see some value in having a thumb. Lots of rocks around here and plan to eventually rent myself out.
Fantastic opinions! I don't want a cab tho'....can't imagine working in the good weather enclosed and I still consider myself tough enough to work in the snow. I do snowmobile and I've been clearing this driveway for the past 6 years with a 4-wheeler and walk-behind blower. I'm fine with it except for the amount of time required.
2 things I noticed about the Massey: HST seemed "whiney", and the loader control seemed to get in the way if I wanted to get in on the RHS. I discounted both because, well...it's a MF. I think maybe I'm too biased to begin with? I hate to leave it to my wife to decide.
Does anybody think the lower HP MF is going to be an issue with what I've listed as my tasks?
