My wife wants to get a tractor with a hydro trans, so she can use it more. Our Kioti CK27 has a man trans with shuttle.
The Kioti has done everything we've needed a tractor to do & done it well. For that reason, I looked 1st at the Kioti models. BUT, I eliminated them, because of the brake pedal location. It's not as bad as some, but still requires picking your foot up off the HST pedals, raising it up high enuff to get on top of the brake pedal, then mashing down on the pedal far enuff to brake.
Will ONLY consider those models with side-by-side HST pedals & the brake pedal/pedals on the left side.
After quite a bit of online searching & video watching, I have only found 3 models with this pedal arrangement. One of these is a Branson 2515H. It's my 3rd choice, because it only has a single brake pedal, for both rear brakes. As most tractor owners know, there are rare times when you need to lock only one rear wheel. Can't do this unless you have separate pedals.
Of those I've found, that only leaves 2 choices. And from what I've learned, they are exactly the same tractor, with different name brands. One is a New Holland Workmaster 25. The other is an LS MT225HE.
I've checked the prices of both, in my area. The LS is more than a thousand dollars cheaper. Plus, the LS dealer offered a decent trade-in for our Kioti. So, we have decided to accept his deal. So, I'm not posting to ask anybody's opinion, so PLEASE don't post saying you'd choose a different brand.
Here's why I'm posting. Neither the NH nor the LS dealer has any of these models in stock. They haven't had for several months. They've both had some ordered for months. But have not received any.
Now, here's the really strange(to me) thing about this. I discovered that there is an LS assembly facility only about 100 miles from me. There are 2 factory outlet retail lots close by that facility. One of those lots has this model in stock. And, a guy there said he could have another one put together for me, in one week. BUT, my dealer is only about 150 miles from the assembly plant & has been waiting for months on several LS tractors he has ordered. And, he is a decent size dealer, having sold over 100 tractors & over 200 zero turns last year.
Also, there is another big dealer in MS, about 50 miles from the plant. They have several of these in stock & seem to have no trouble getting more. Therefore, I have to assume that there is some sort of politics going on here.
I've gone online & see that there are lots of these models available, in different areas of the country. So, one of my questions is: Why is it so hard for my local dealers to get any of these blue tractors, when they seem to be available to SOME dealers, in SOME locations ???
For you guys who have the time & wouldn't mind doing it: Would you check with your local LS dealers & see if they have any MT225HE tractors in stock & their price for tractor with loader, & post the results here ? The big LS dealer in MS said this was by far their biggest seller.
After giving it some thought, the only logical reason I can think of, for the assembly plant to not wanna ship to dealers is because they don't make near as much profit selling to a dealer as they do selling thru their retail lots. Maybe some of those in charge of who gets what & when are getting some sort of compensation for sending tractors in certain directions. Stranger things have happened.
Anybody here have any insight into this situation ???
The Kioti has done everything we've needed a tractor to do & done it well. For that reason, I looked 1st at the Kioti models. BUT, I eliminated them, because of the brake pedal location. It's not as bad as some, but still requires picking your foot up off the HST pedals, raising it up high enuff to get on top of the brake pedal, then mashing down on the pedal far enuff to brake.
Will ONLY consider those models with side-by-side HST pedals & the brake pedal/pedals on the left side.
After quite a bit of online searching & video watching, I have only found 3 models with this pedal arrangement. One of these is a Branson 2515H. It's my 3rd choice, because it only has a single brake pedal, for both rear brakes. As most tractor owners know, there are rare times when you need to lock only one rear wheel. Can't do this unless you have separate pedals.
Of those I've found, that only leaves 2 choices. And from what I've learned, they are exactly the same tractor, with different name brands. One is a New Holland Workmaster 25. The other is an LS MT225HE.
I've checked the prices of both, in my area. The LS is more than a thousand dollars cheaper. Plus, the LS dealer offered a decent trade-in for our Kioti. So, we have decided to accept his deal. So, I'm not posting to ask anybody's opinion, so PLEASE don't post saying you'd choose a different brand.
Here's why I'm posting. Neither the NH nor the LS dealer has any of these models in stock. They haven't had for several months. They've both had some ordered for months. But have not received any.
Now, here's the really strange(to me) thing about this. I discovered that there is an LS assembly facility only about 100 miles from me. There are 2 factory outlet retail lots close by that facility. One of those lots has this model in stock. And, a guy there said he could have another one put together for me, in one week. BUT, my dealer is only about 150 miles from the assembly plant & has been waiting for months on several LS tractors he has ordered. And, he is a decent size dealer, having sold over 100 tractors & over 200 zero turns last year.
Also, there is another big dealer in MS, about 50 miles from the plant. They have several of these in stock & seem to have no trouble getting more. Therefore, I have to assume that there is some sort of politics going on here.
I've gone online & see that there are lots of these models available, in different areas of the country. So, one of my questions is: Why is it so hard for my local dealers to get any of these blue tractors, when they seem to be available to SOME dealers, in SOME locations ???
For you guys who have the time & wouldn't mind doing it: Would you check with your local LS dealers & see if they have any MT225HE tractors in stock & their price for tractor with loader, & post the results here ? The big LS dealer in MS said this was by far their biggest seller.
After giving it some thought, the only logical reason I can think of, for the assembly plant to not wanna ship to dealers is because they don't make near as much profit selling to a dealer as they do selling thru their retail lots. Maybe some of those in charge of who gets what & when are getting some sort of compensation for sending tractors in certain directions. Stranger things have happened.
Anybody here have any insight into this situation ???
