Kioti serial number decoded?

[DieselBound]

Model year production need not follow the calendar year. That's been the case for automobiles, trucks and tractors for decades. Nothing new there. Nothing in the serial number indicates any unit of time other than the first character designating the model year.

"Tractor Tom" (see post #10) mentioned that 2014 serial numbers start with "P." "Q," would then be for 2015 and "R" would be for 2016, which would then have 2017 being "S."

The model number, if I'm reading what others are stating, is the second field.

 

[RickB]

"Tractor Tom" (see post #10) mentioned that 2014 serial numbers start with "P." "Q," would then be for 2015 and "R" would be for 2016, which would then have 2017 being "S."

The model number, if I'm reading what others are stating, is the second field.

Model designation encompasses characters 2,3 and 4.

 

[DieselBound]

Model designation encompasses characters 2,3 and 4.

Thanks. (I kind of figured I got the right tractor -NX5510CH just wondering about the manufacturing date.)

 

[ritcheyvs]

Model year production need not follow the calendar year. ...

I think it is more accurate to call it the build year, the calendar year some milestone in the build process occurred (like the paperwork hitting the floor or the engine mounted to the transmission). I don't know what, exactly, Daedong uses. The next three digits are the basic model, which typically spans several build years. But there are configuration changes during each model run and these can be major (like a whole different engine) or minor (like going to all 5-pin relays). When you go to the parts book (paper or online) you may need the full series number to identify the right part.

IMO, the model is important but the build year isn't. A recently built tractor is no better than the same model built a year or two ago. Condition and proper maintenance are very important for previously owned machines; age ... not so much. It's not unusual to find a new tractor on the dealer lot "built" 1-2 years ago.

 

[DieselBound]

I don't think that I'd want a machine that has been sitting one to two years. As a matter of fact, I KNOW that I do not. I got one such machine, Polaris Brutus (demo), and it's got a main seal leak that I'm positive is because it sat for so long (fortunately it's a hydrostatic and not a clutch, otherwise it would be killing the clutch): I'm hoping that use will help restore its distortion, but I'm not counting on it (it's the price for paying for a heavily discounted machine- the risk one takes). Rubber breaks down over time, especially exposed to UV.

There are changes between years, improvements. My Kioti has rear window defrost whereas ones a year or so older do not.

 

[RickB]

I don't think that I'd want a machine that has been sitting one to two years. As a matter of fact, I KNOW that I do not. I got one such machine, Polaris Brutus (demo), and it's got a main seal leak that I'm positive is because it sat for so long (fortunately it's a hydrostatic and not a clutch, otherwise it would be killing the clutch): I'm hoping that use will help restore its distortion, but I'm not counting on it (it's the price for paying for a heavily discounted machine- the risk one takes). Rubber breaks down over time, especially exposed to UV.

There are changes between years, improvements. My Kioti has rear window defrost whereas ones a year or so older do not.

Please explain how a rear main seal is subjected to UV degradation.

 

[DieselBound]

Here's what I said:

"it's got a main seal leak that I'm positive is because it sat for so long"

and then further qualified with

"I'm hoping that use will help restore its distortion"

Seals can deform if sitting in the same location for extended for long periods of time. And if equipment isn't run then they can also dry up: seals in AC systems are one of the more extreme examples of this; it's why people are encouraged to run AC system regularly.

And THEN as a general statement I mentioned UV as it's own issue (not tied into the rear seal):

"Rubber breaks down over time, especially exposed to UV."

And "rubber" is a general catch-all for petroleum-based components.

Here's info on rear seal failures and their causes:

https://gobdp.com/blog/rear-main-seal-leak-2/

Excerpt:

A lack of use is one of the silent killers of the seals and gaskets in the engine of your vehicle. Regularly driving your vehicle will keep the oil circulating though the engine and this will help keep all the seals soft and conditioned. Without a regular oil bath, your rear main seal can become dry and hard causing it to not seal properly around the rotating crank shaft. Also, when your vehicle is not running, the crank shaft will sit down on the bearing surfaces they ride in. This very small movement stretches the rear main seal opening just slightly, but if left for a long time, can permanently deform your rear main seal causing a leak around the crank shaft.

 

[ritcheyvs]

The "age" concern may be theoretically valid, it's exaggerated. Folks own tractors for decades so an extra year or two of chronological age at the front end is no big deal. Even on a dealer's lot, tractors get run periodically to re-position them and for test drives. All of these machines come from Asia so they are already many months old they get to a dealer. Finally, depending on climate, it's not unusual for a tractor to sit in the barn for months at a time. Bad seals happen, but I suspect installation errors, manufacturing errors, and old stock are the main problems.

 

[DieselBound]

People are free to do what they want. After personally experiencing the "theoretical" I don't figure that I'll be looking to snag up anything that's sat for an extended period of time.

Back to the subject, I still don't know what Kioti's serial number scheme is. Based on what I have it seems that they start their manufacturing years early; if this isn't the case then whatever was thought to be known is incorrect (or has changed).

 

[RickB]

People are free to do what they want. After personally experiencing the "theoretical" I don't figure that I'll be looking to snag up anything that's sat for an extended period of time.

Back to the subject, I still don't know what Kioti's serial number scheme is. Based on what I have it seems that they start their manufacturing years early; if this isn't the case then whatever was thought to be known is incorrect (or has changed).

What has been offered regarding Kioti serial number decoding is valid.
The first character is the model year, the next three designate the model itself, the rest are the individual tractor serial. Some of us here have dealership experience and work with this information on a daily basis. Kioti provides a comprehensive chart within the dealer manual that lists all year and model information, and updates that chart periodically.