Re: Kioti Isn\'t Worth the Risk
Well, I asked my original question some time ago and it didn’t get much of a response. I only checked back recently and was surprised to see all the comments. When asking my original question, it was based on comparing the hydrostatic Kubota’s against the “old” (i.e., not DK series) Kioti’s. For example, comparing a B series against the 25 or 30 series Kioti.
Most of the comparisons above conveniently compare the “new” DK to the “old” L series, which is being phased out I think. I see nothing in the Kioti line that compares to the Kubota B series. With the Kioti’s, the tractor’s looked like they were designed 50 years ago. Admittedly, the new DK series is better but they still don’t have hydrostatic transmission’s, which is very handy for loader and mower work.
I looked at resale value, and while I didn’t apply a purely scientific method to the process, I was left with the impression that the Kubota’s retained their value much better than the Kioti’s, at least in my area. This may be in part due to the higher original sales price.
Finally, I looked at the dealer network. In my area, there are 2 Kioti dealers and both of them appear to be very unprofessional in comparison to the Kubota dealers I have visited. I will agree that some Kubota dealers are very arrogant because the product’s reputation sells itself. However, the Kioti dealers appear to be undercapitalized. I had the impression that anyone who could qualify for a few tractors on a floor plan could be a “dealer.”
All of these observations are just that….observations. I have not analyzed the situation in great detail. That’s why I asked the question in the first place. Frankly, I’m the kind of person who already suspects one is paying a significant premium for the Kubota “brand” that is not justified. I WANTED to find that I could get a Kioti for a significant discount. However, if one wants hydrostatic drive and a “professional” dealer network, in my area at least, I haven’t found these attributes with Kioti. Too bad.
