Looking 2 buy a Kioti CK30HST or Kubota B3030HSD

Awert · Mar 23, 2006

Hello to all! Well I've been shopping tractors and reading everything I can find on these 2 bad boys and now I'm really stuck. Would appreciate any info or guidence on which way to go. I'm in Alberta Canada and have Dealers nearby for both brands. Is one brand much better than the other or does it boil down to just buyer preference, or are there some red flags I should be looking for? The Kioti people are saying they have a better front end and are more durable. They also priced in within a few $ of each other. The Kioti CK30 HST is costing $18,300.00 CAD and the Kubota B3030 HSD priced out at $17,800.00 CAD (Tractors only). I thought Kioti products were supposed to be less expensive? Or was I just dreaming? Am i getting a good deal? The Canadian $ is worth about 87 cents USD at the moment, so we pay about 13% more than the USA consumers. I plan on a little frontend loader work and some grass cutting but nothing too heavy. Would appreciate any input.

PS. WOW! Great Forum and really learning alot from you all!! Where were you guys when I was shopping a wife? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BigDogues · Mar 23, 2006

I too, looked at both of these tractors when I was first shopping. I think that you will find the CK30 a much larger, more capable tractor than the B3030. The B3030 was significantly more money here than the CK30 (FWIW, I ended up with a CK25 and am quite happy with it) are you sure you are comparing apples to apples here? I really liked the B3030, especially the cab version, but the cost was just too much for me to justify. I think that if you get package pricing that includes loaders etc. you will find the Kioti to be a bargain, especially after you give it a test drive.

Bob_Skurka · Mar 23, 2006

Its been said dozens of times on this forum but the two tractors are not very similar other than they have similar engine sizes. The B3030 is an "ultralight" ladder frame design and the lightest 30hp tractor on the market; the CK30 is probably the heaviest of the 30hp tractors on the market. The CK30 has more lift capacity. The B3030 has a superior mid-mount finish mower, and is available in 72" width.

Awert · Mar 23, 2006

Good point! I wasn't aware of this specific difference. Was planning on a 72" 3 point finishing mower with rear discharge. Are you saying that the heavier design of the Kioti accounts for the extra $? Or do you think a little more shopping is in order? TKS

Awert · Mar 23, 2006

Yup pretty sure I'm comparing apples to apples! That's if both tractors are apples. I price shopped the FEL and the Kioti FEL KL130 came in at $4250 and the Kubota FEL A403 was $250 more. The B3030 cab is a wopping $8000.00 to add it. I don't think I need it quite that bad but it would be nice.

Bob_Skurka · Mar 23, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Good point! I wasn't aware of this specific difference. Was planning on a 72" 3 point finishing mower with rear discharge. Are you saying that the heavier design of the Kioti accounts for the extra $? Or do you think a little more shopping is in order? TKS )</font>

Pricing is very regional, but I can tell you that the added weight will not be the cause of the price being higher. More often than not, Kioti seems to be priced a little lower than Kubota, but there are frequent reports on TBN that show the opposite. Each area is different.

Based on your first post, if you are doing light FEL work and a lot of mowing, then I would go with a Mid Mount Mower. JMO. But I've owned both mower types and strongly prefer the Mid Mount Mower, at least I strongly prefer it if I don't have to take it off very often. The new ones come off very easily but not as easy as a 3pt mower. On the other hand, a MMM is often far easier to use when mowing around landscaping, up against a house, fence, etc. The 3pt mowers will "gator tail" behind the tractor at each turn. If you are mowing a field that is no problem at all, but if you are using it next to your wife's prize roses then you better be able to drive forward while watching the back of the tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Personally I think the B3030 with a 72" MMM is the best mowing tractor of any brand on the market today. The loader and 3pt capacities cannot match the capacities of the CK30 but if you don't need all the power of the CK's lift then it is not an issue. If rutting of the soil is an issue then the the lighter tractor is better. It really depends on YOUR needs, especially since these are so differnet in their characteristics.

Figure out which tractor is better suited to your tasks (rank your tasks by how many hours you will spend on each of them and then let the suitability to the tasks choose the tractor for you).

Mavrik02 · Mar 23, 2006

My choice also came down to both of these tractors. Prices are very regional and here the Kubota was about $4k more than the Kioti. The tractors are similar yet different. The 3030 will be easier on the lawn and has a tighter turning radius. The CK30 is much heavier and might be more convenient for more heavy duty work (expecially a lot of loader work). The Kioti front end axle parts are a lot thicker than the Kubota but I'm not sure if/how that equates to more strength.

They are both nice tractors...it depends on which of the small differences between them fit your needs more closely. Said a different way, you won't go wrong with either brand but you might go wrong with buying the wrong features.

Good luck!

KiotiJohn · Mar 24, 2006

Feature for feature, I think you get a good bit more with the Kioti, but as has been said, only you can decide if you want the heavier tractor. I personally don't think you'll have much rutting with the CK30, but that depends so much on soil and its condition.

Higer loader capacity and a platform frame would make enough difference to me.

I feel you should be able to get the Kioti dealer to at least match the Kubota price.

John

MotorSeven · Mar 24, 2006

Awert,

How much grass are you cutting? Acerage? Terrain? If you fill out your profile it will help with the answers. Both are good tractors....how are the dealers- are they reg tractor dealers with a full service dept? Do some investigating on the dealers to see what kind of customer satisfaction they have because it is an important part of the final decision. Also price both within a 300 or so kilometer radius, that will give you some barganing power with the local dealer(that is if you find a lower price). Just a couple of thoughts...............

RD

Highbeam · Mar 24, 2006

They are both nice tractors, pretty much apples to apples. I actually compared the 3130 to the CK30 when I was buying since I wanted the larger frame size and larger tires for ground clearance. Couldn't get over the roller skate wheels of the B series Kubotas. The CK30 is much heavier. It's not that they add slabs of lead, that weight is from additional material used thoughout the tractor and tells me that there is likely additional strength.

I realized several thousands in savings by going with the CK30 vs. the GL3130. I suspect that the quotes you have recieved are either bad Kioti quotes or good Kubota quotes or a combination of both.

If you are after an overbuilt lawn mower with some very good other capability for a smaller portion of the time AND the cost was as you described, then the B3030's light weight and wide belly mower will make for a great machine. Kubotas have a fantastic reputation and the B3030 would fare very well in a mostly finish mowing application. It is a high quality machine.

I am not calling the 3030 a lawnmower but it has qualities (light weight, tight turns, wide MMM) that make it very well suited to finish mow.