KIOTI Mechron users: Pros/Cons/Issues: chime in please....

[Buppies]

SDEF love the gun rack those people make quality stuff

In reference to hydro/electric dump bed our ranger has it and it performs flawlessly and makes wife's gardening easier too

 

[ksbrdmkr]

Easy way to up the capacity of the bed by adding a couple of feed sacks. Chips are from a woodmax 8h chipper.

 

[mmsb27]

My experience is different. My Mechron 2200ps has been in the dealers shop three times. It only has 35 hours. Back in the shop today. Huge disappointment. Takes dealer a long time to get accessories, parts etc. I'm glad others are able to use thier Mechron.

 

[Coyote machine]

My experience is different. My Mechron 2200ps has been in the dealers shop three times. It only has 35 hours. Back in the shop today. Huge disappointment. Takes dealer a long time to get accessories, parts etc. I'm glad others are able to use thier Mechron.

Please detail exactly what problems you've had with it and solutions, if any to same. I requested same from you in another thread I started in which you replied similarly about your HUGE disappointments. I, and others would like to know what your exact experience is, preferable to vague description
You can PM me if you prefer, but better to let everyone know what's happening with your machine....
Thanks,

CM

 

[mmsb27]

Please detail exactly what problems you've had with it and solutions, if any to same. I requested same from you in another thread I started in which you replied similarly about your HUGE disappointments. I, and others would like to know what your exact experience is, preferable to vague description
You can PM me if you prefer, but better to let everyone know what's happening with your machine....
Thanks,

CM

Hi

Here is more detail. Mechron was hard to start, smoked on start up, ran rough. Dealer first told me, glow it twice, fuel may have algae in it. Sold me algae biocide and new fuel filter. Fuel filter was wrong one, but I noticed leak from bottom of fuel tank, when I went to replace filter. I never used the biocide. Dealer replaced fuel tank. Took weeks to get this back.

Started and ran better, but seemed sluggish. Put a few more hours on it, and then it felt like I had it chained to a telephone pole. Engine ran, but
Mechron didn't move. Dealer took weeks to get to it, said the rear wheel bearings were "sticking". Didn't make sense to me... but....

I put another thirty minutes on it, same problem. Dealer said "not sure". More time passes, and dealer says brake master cylinder is sticking. They ordered a master cylinder. I've finally got it back at the end of summer, and it seems to be ok. I've put a few hours on it, and it's still running. The entire summer my Mechron has sat waiting for parts, or mechanics from my dealer.

I will send my experiences on ordering options/accessories from my dealer on another post. I'll give you the readers digest version. Slow to get, some missing screws/caps/any documention.

One more thing... the seat is coming apart (vinyl). Dealer has been telling me for 2 months, they are waiting for Kioti's response if it's covered under warranty, I am a huge fan of Kioti tractors, having used one, and seen a neighbor use his over several years. I was looking to buy a new Kioti tractor when I saw the Mechron 2200. As of now, I have not purchased a New Kioti tractor based on my Mechron experiences.

 

[Coyote machine]

Hi

Here is more detail. Mechron was hard to start, smoked on start up, ran rough. Dealer first told me, glow it twice, fuel may have algae in it. Sold me algae biocide and new fuel filter. Fuel filter was wrong one, but I noticed leak from bottom of fuel tank, when I went to replace filter. I never used the biocide. Dealer replaced fuel tank. Took weeks to get this back.

Started and ran better, but seemed sluggish. Put a few more hours on it, and then it felt like I had it chained to a telephone pole. Engine ran, but
Mechron didn't move. Dealer took weeks to get to it, said the rear wheel bearings were "sticking". Didn't make sense to me... but....

I put another thirty minutes on it, same problem. Dealer said "not sure". More time passes, and dealer says brake master cylinder is sticking. They ordered a master cylinder. I've finally got it back at the end of summer, and it seems to be ok. I've put a few hours on it, and it's still running. The entire summer my Mechron has sat waiting for parts, or mechanics from my dealer.

I will send my experiences on ordering options/accessories from my dealer on another post. I'll give you the readers digest version. Slow to get, some missing screws/caps/any documention.

One more thing... the seat is coming apart (vinyl). Dealer has been telling me for 2 months, they are waiting for Kioti's response if it's covered under warranty, I am a huge fan of Kioti tractors, having used one, and seen a neighbor use his over several years. I was looking to buy a new Kioti tractor when I saw the Mechron 2200. As of now, I have not purchased a New Kioti tractor based on my Mechron experiences.

I've experienced sluggish acceleration, poor engine response to throttle, jerky starts from standing still. All poor quality drive-ability, particularly when trying to back out of my barn bay from initial start of the day.

I went to my dealer, soon after buying the Mechron and told him to replace the seat-it was coming apart on the right front- there was an actual tear in the vinyl. I knew it would only get worse with time. He swapped it out for one of the extras he had in the showroom that was not damaged. He had other seat bottoms that were also damaged.

BTW, I would not grade Kioti tractors by the Mechron issues you've experienced. Totally different animal, IMHO. I've owned two Kioti DK series tractors since 2009 and they were/are excellent machines. Absolutely NO comparison.

As to your issues, the algae, then rear wheel bearing stuck, then master cylinder? What the frig? None of that makes any sense to me. Do you see evidence of the brake master cylinder having been replaced? What is their logic as to why it was supposedly 'locking up'; I'm assuming that is their explanation...
Do they say this is a common replacement issue with these?
Is your machine now running like it never has before, all start, run and smoke etc. problems solved?

I can say mine has at random times seemed like something was releasing when it finally started to move, forward or reverse...
Your further reply about your machine may help me and others figure out what's up with these sluggish 'donkeys' ?!:confused3:

 

[mmsb27]

I've experienced sluggish acceleration, poor engine response to throttle, jerky starts from standing still. All poor quality drive-ability, particularly when trying to back out of my barn bay from initial start of the day.

I went to my dealer, soon after buying the Mechron and told him to replace the seat-it was coming apart on the right front- there was an actual tear in the vinyl. I knew it would only get worse with time. He swapped it out for one of the extras he had in the showroom that was not damaged. He had other seat bottoms that were also damaged.

BTW, I would not grade Kioti tractors by the Mechron issues you've experienced. Totally different animal, IMHO. I've owned two Kioti DK series tractors since 2009 and they were/are excellent machines. Absolutely NO comparison.

As to your issues, the algae, then rear wheel bearing stuck, then master cylinder? What the frig? None of that makes any sense to me. Do you see evidence of the brake master cylinder having been replaced? What is their logic as to why it was supposedly 'locking up'; I'm assuming that is their explanation...
Do they say this is a common replacement issue with these?
Is your machine now running like it never has before, all start, run and smoke etc. problems solved?

I can say mine has at random times seemed like something was releasing when it finally started to move, forward or reverse...
Your further reply about your machine may help me and others figure out what's up with these sluggish 'donkeys' ?!:confused3:

Hi CM

Yes I do believe they changed the master cylinder. They really didn't have any logic about the master cylinder locking up. Mine still exhibits similar symptoms as yours, plus it's a shake, rattle and squeak, metallic snapping noisy vehicle. Metallic snapping is when I go over a bump. Feels and sounds like a broken front spring, or a loose bolt. I'm not sure. I got some noise reduction by tightening up the roll bar bolts. I installed the roof, glass windshield, safety kit, winch plate, front receiver, skid plate. Windshield vibrates too much in my opinion. Skid plate kit came with two pieces of plexiglass. Only found a way to mount the larger piece. Any one know where the smaller piece goes? Thanks

 

[Coyote machine]

mmsb27,

So what is it that changing the master brake cylinder did for your Mechron. I'm having difficulty understanding what has changed for the better?
Mine does make weird snappy noises at times too, - hard to track to what is the cause. Sounds to me like chassis metal plate(s), maybe exhaust shield type metal vibrating, or similar.

It's my own theory that coupling a 3 cylinder diesel Kioti engine with a CVT transmission does not work very well at all. There is enough diesel torque, and enough HP to get the UTV moving and to do tasks; the problem seems to be related to the match between the CVT and the engine's own curves possibly being out of sync. When the CVT engages with the engine's torque one ends up with the jerky movement until one is moving at a good pace for the two to get synced.
Any thoughts on this or alternative theories?

Thanks,

CM

BTW, I'll see what I can find on the skid plate- I have one, but have not installed it yet. I have the back rollbar grid plate, with Swiss cheese holes for visibility, too and the headrests, none of which I've installed. I bought aftermarket rear mirrors too for the side bars to see behind if a car/truck is behind when I turn into my drives, etc. I did install that, and it works alright...

 

[arlen4720]

mmsb27,

So what is it that changing the master brake cylinder did for your Mechron. I'm having difficulty understanding what has changed for the better?
Mine does make weird snappy noises at times too, - hard to track to what is the cause. Sounds to me like chassis metal plate(s), maybe exhaust shield type metal vibrating, or similar.w

It's my own theory that coupling a 3 cylinder diesel Kioti engine with a CVT transmission does not work very well at all. There is enough diesel torque, and enough HP to get the UTV moving and to do tasks; the problem seems to be related to the match between the CVT and the engine's own curves possibly being out of sync. When the CVT engages with the engine's torque one ends up with the jerky movement until one is moving at a good pace for the two to get synced.
Any thoughts on this or alternative theories?

Thanks,

CM

BTW, I'll see what I can find on the skid plate- I have one, but have not installed it yet. I have the back rollbar grid plate, with Swiss cheese holes for visibility, too and the headrests, none of which I've installed. I bought aftermarket rear mirrors too for the side bars to see behind if a car/truck is behind when I turn into my drives, etc. I did install that, and it works alright...

Could just be that the clutches are poorly setup. JD had that problem a few years back. There is a guy over on a gator forum that if you sent him your clutches, he would hand fit all of the components. They would come back as smooth as silk. I think the factory setup is Ok on the Gators now, but probably no where near what a hand fit one is.

 

[Coyote machine]

Could just be that the clutches are poorly setup. JD had that problem a few years back. There is a guy over on a gator forum that if you sent him your clutches, he would hand fit all of the components. They would come back as smooth as silk. I think the factory setup is Ok on the Gators now, but probably no where near what a hand fit one is.

That could certainly be an issue, I suppose- I know diddly-squat about CVTs except my wife's Honda employs CVT technology, and it screams if you punch it. It's no slacker, and technically CVT is supposed to be much faster than a 'normal' type auto transmission.

Why would numerous CVT transmissions be set-up wrong from the factory? It's way noticeable from the get-go that something is not right, IMHO. One would think if Deere had issues with this others would have noticed the remedies? No?


arlen4720, your explanation is the first reasonable one I've heard to date, and I've inquired repeatedly about any issues with the Mechrons, and very few come forward to say anything one way or another.
This makes me feel you could be on the right track and now I might have something worth looking into further.

BTW, does a 'locked' master brake cylinder make any sense to you regarding drive-ability issues with these?

Thanks,

CM

 

[arlen4720]

That could certainly be an issue, I suppose- I know diddly-squat about CVTs except my wife's Honda employs CVT technology, and it screams if you punch it. It's no slacker, and technically CVT is supposed to be much faster than a 'normal' type auto transmission.

Why would numerous CVT transmissions be set-up wrong from the factory? It's way noticeable from the get-go that something is not right, IMHO. One would think if Deere had issues with this others would have noticed the remedies? No?


arlen4720, your explanation is the first reasonable one I've heard to date, and I've inquired repeatedly about any issues with the Mechrons, and very few come forward to say anything one way or another.
This makes me feel you could be on the right track and now I might have something worth looking into further.

BTW, does a 'locked' master brake cylinder make any sense to you regarding drive-ability issues with these?

Thanks,

CM

I suppose if the brakes were dragging it would cause some issues, but that should be pretty easy to rule out.
The cvt in these machines share more with a snowmobile clutch than your wife’s Honda .
I think the little diesel should have enough power. I’m sure it’s the same hp as the little 22hp Yanmar in my gator. It’s no speed demon, but it weighs about 2200 pounds, and has AC. I’m satisfied with the power.
On mine, the clutch grabs at about 1700 rpm, and you start moving. It was a little jumpy for the first few hours, but smoothed out when the clutch parts wore in a little.
They definitely depend on centrifugal force to operate, and they have springs and weights that determine how quick they grab and so forth.
The idea is to keep the engine in the power band—like any tranny I suppose.
I think it would be worth your while to consult with the MBdiagman on gatorforums.net
He seems to be an authority on JD gator cvt setups. He may have some insight on other brands. I would think the procedure to tune them by hand would be similar.

 

[Coyote machine]

arlen4720,

Thanks for your reply and referral. What number of hours would you consider to be 'broken in' for a CVT type trans? I've probably got between 40-50 hours top on mine. I find the 22HP(?) Kioti 3cyl diesel to run erratically in comparison to my 4 cyl DK-40 diesel in my tractor. Between having to feather the accelerator and similar to get the CVT to engage without whiplash effect it's danm frustrating. It's almost impossible to back it out of the barn upon initial startup without disengaging one's neck from shoulders!
Thoughts? Anyone?

TIA,

CM

 

[arlen4720]

arlen4720,

Thanks for your reply and referral. What number of hours would you consider to be 'broken in' for a CVT type trans? I've probably got between 40-50 hours top on mine. I find the 22HP(?) Kioti 3cyl diesel to run erratically in comparison to my 4 cyl DK-40 diesel in my tractor. Between having to feather the accelerator and similar to get the CVT to engage without whiplash effect it's danm frustrating. It's almost impossible to back it out of the barn upon initial startup without disengaging one's neck from shoulders!
Thoughts? Anyone?

TIA,

CM

Mine was behaving pretty good after 10-20 hours.
It really sounds like a clutch issue.
I don't know much about the little kioti engines, but you wouldn't think they would be a whole lot different than the little 3 cyl Yanmars.
Does it seem like it has a consistent engagement RPM? If you just ease the RPM up, it doesn't just smoothly start moving? I guess that's a stupid question given your posts:laughing:
Does it seem like it's just really "grabby"

 

[Coyote machine]

Mine was behaving pretty good after 10-20 hours.
It really sounds like a clutch issue.
I don't know much about the little kioti engines, but you wouldn't think they would be a whole lot different than the little 3 cyl Yanmars.
Does it seem like it has a consistent engagement RPM? If you just ease the RPM up, it doesn't just smoothly start moving? I guess that's a stupid question given your posts:laughing:
Does it seem like it's just really "grabby"

From day one it has just been jerky, hard to get rolling, without trying to feather the go pedal. Yes, it's sounding most likely a clutch/CVT engagement issue. Nothing really affects it so far as improving it's drive-ability from MPOV. Others have tried to drive it without having the jerky-ness to no avail. I did bring it to my dealer's attention early on, and he just said that's just the way they are; didn't buy it then, don't now.
I joined Gator atv web site and introed myself and got a reply about emailing the clutch doc. I did that and await a reply about the clutch issues and possible remedies. Here's hoping for something useful.

 

[mmsb27]

From day one it has just been jerky, hard to get rolling, without trying to feather the go pedal. Yes, it's sounding most likely a clutch/CVT engagement issue. Nothing really affects it so far as improving it's drive-ability from MPOV. Others have tried to drive it without having the jerky-ness to no avail. I did bring it to my dealer's attention early on, and he just said that's just the way they are; didn't buy it then, don't now.
I joined Gator atv web site and introed myself and got a reply about emailing the clutch doc. I did that and await a reply about the clutch issues and possible remedies. Here's hoping for something useful.

CM

That's the way mine is. Dealer says "that's the way they are". I agree with Arlen, it should not be that jerky when the Clutch engages. I've made mistakes before, but buying the Mechron was an exspensive mistake.

 

[Coyote machine]

CM

That's the way mine is. Dealer says "that's the way they are". I agree with Arlen, it should not be that jerky when the Clutch engages. I've made mistakes before, but buying the Mechron was an exspensive mistake.

mmsb27, Do you still have your Mechron? I agree completely that it should not behave the way some of the units do, but there seem to be others who don't have the problem with what I refer to as drive-ability. When it goes it gets the job done. It's just the ability to finesse the corners, slow speed turns when cold, and backing up, also when cold, it's just not right. I'm determined to find out why and then fix mine. I don't really have a choice, and who's going to buy it the way it drives? Seems only fools like us, right?!:confused3::confused2:
Hang in there, it ain't over till its over....

 

[mmsb27]

mmsb27, Do you still have your Mechron? I agree completely that it should not behave the way some of the units do, but there seem to be others who don't have the problem with what I refer to as drive-ability. When it goes it gets the job done. It's just the ability to finesse the corners, slow speed turns when cold, and backing up, also when cold, it's just not right. I'm determined to find out why and then fix mine. I don't really have a choice, and who's going to buy it the way it drives? Seems only fools like us, right?!:confused3::confused2:
Hang in there, it ain't over till its over....

Hi CM

Yes I do. Like you, I'm trying to sort it out. I've had much better luck with used equipment. I splurged and bought new, thinking I'd get a great machine. Didn't happen. I'd read where Kioti used two different brands of clutches. Maybe that's why some folks aren't experiencing the same issues that we are?

 

[Coyote machine]

Say more about the 2 different clutches and where you read that- thx.
I do know whoever was supposed to supply CVT transmissions dropped out just before original go to market with the Mechron, and possibly two suppliers jumped in at last minute to cover, since Kioti doesn't make their own CVTs.

 

[ksbrdmkr]

I wonder if the flywheel is to heavy, generally don't have a problem with getting started but diffidently not an inching clutch. 75 hours on mine and when cold it is toucher than I would like. If any one gets some information on adjust the clutch pass it on. Thanks.

 

[Coyote machine]

I wonder if the flywheel is to heavy, generally don't have a problem with getting started but diffidently not an inching clutch. 75 hours on mine and when cold it is toucher than I would like. If any one gets some information on adjust the clutch pass it on. ThanksView attachment 571975.

I did an experiment today. I put some Marvel Mystery Oil I have had sitting on my shelf forever, AND some Seafoam into the diesel tank and then started her up. I confirmed with my son that he agrees today it was running smoother, noticeably, no stumbling, or hesitation such as I have often encountered up until today.
I won't know for a few days at least if this 'treatment' is a lasting change, but I'm fairly certain it likely is.

I speculate that the 'stumbling' and hesitation when trying to start up from a complete stop for my Mechron at least is more about a misfiring cylinder/injector than a clutch issue. BUT I'm not yet certain of that, and will look further into what clutch I have in my specific unit and how to tweak it performance wise, going forward.

I do have a question for any Mechron owner(s) out there: does your tailgate lay flat or do the cables that retain it allow it to open to more than 90 degrees?

Thanks, CM