My shiny new DK35SE HST

[manganos]

Very nice. I love Asheville! I really like that brush guard too! Congrats!

 

[Mousefield]

Congrats on the shinny new machine. Be safe using it and may it never break down. Post some pics of the backhoe at work.

 

[Starks]

A day and a half into ownership, 8 hours on the clock, a couple of noob learning experiences and plenty of light pucker moments. After cleaning out a couple of ditch / culvert junctions just to at least get the backhoe bucket a little scratched up I decided to go ahead and tackle removing the BH for the first time. Slow going with "adjust this, tweak that, pull pins, ease forward, tweak this, adjust that to get her on the ground", shut tractor off, disconnect lines. Start the tractor back up and there's a light rattle that wasn't there before. Idle up slightly and rattle goes away, loader works fine so ease on down to next task. Get off and run the Husqvarna for a couple minutes and then get back on to move log and suddenly remember the rear hydraulics lever....DUH, hadn't put it back to neutral thus the light rattle from the system. Lesson learned.

Then I ran down to the house to attach the boom pole for the first time. After removing the BH I had raised the 3PT but now that I'm standing here trying to lower the links....the darn things won't go down. WTH? Idle up, try the front and rear controls, trying playing with the draft control and rear hydraulics lever.....nothing. Even tried tapping them down with a rubber mallet. Holy cow, I've broken the darn thing and they're going to have to split her open to fix it....with 8 hours on the meter. Not freaking out and not looking forward to calling my dealer on Monday but just slightly stressed. So's being a bright guy and all I check to see if there's a troubleshooting section in the Owner's Manual. Gee....maybe if the 3PT lowering speed knob were anywhere other than all the way toward Slow / Stop it might work. Relief.....I didn't break it. Leason learned.

Other than those two "I could have had a V8" moments I've gotten a pretty good feel for "this is making my butt tingle and it's probably for a good reason". Backing down a very soft and steep drive with the backhoe on, dragging the loader bucket to smooth the surface, and starting to drop into an even lower rut with the rear tires and the front is really feeling light. Perhaps better done A: going nose down the drive and using a rear blade, or at least B: without 1500lbs of backhoe cantilevered out there on the downhill side doing it's best to tip me over backwards.

Good stuff.....love my tractor.

Kinda wish I had gone ahead with the backhoe. Didn't even price it. If you don't mind, maybe you could give me an idea of what I could expect to pay for one.

Enjoy!!!

I have the 2475 and it added $6500 to my total. I knew I would be using it for digging out stumps, digging footers, planting trees, digging out culverts and ditches, etc so I had to have it.

 

[steve0413]

Congratulations! Sounds like you're having a blast and learning as you go. Removing and connecting the backhoe will become a piece of cake in no time though it seems pretty daunting the first time or two.

I'm one you can add to the list of those recommending a grapple. As many have stated, it is without a doubt the most useful implement I've ever attached to a tractor. Got mine from Markham and couldn't be more pleased with the quality, price and customer service.

 

[o2batsea]

Such refreshing honesty! Many of us would never own up to such gaffes.
When reattaching the loader, back the tractor up to the BH and attach the hydraulic lines first. Use the stabilizers and the BH to pick the implement up off the floor and get it set to the proper orientation so you can finish backing up to the (perfectly) aligned mounts. Don't sit on it until you have it attached as it could flip you out of the chair like a bronco.
A little practice removing the loader is helpful too.
Suggest you stay out of the rough terrain with a backhoe. Very easy to get hung up. If you must, then flip the wheels so they are at maximum width. Also use tree trunks to fill ditches before crossing to minimize possibility of high center or rollover. A winch on the front for self recovery will add to your confidence.

 

[Gil Case]

Do your self a favor and get a short piece of hydraulic hose and connect the in and out on the rear remote together when the back hoe is off. That way you will not accidentally burn out the hydraulic pump. With no where for the fluid to go, you can burn out the pump in no time. You can make one yourself- there are post about it on this site, or most of the dealers will make one up for you.
Try Michigan Iron or Wallace. Cheap insurance.

 

[Samandothers]

Sounds like you are having fun. When I first got the backhoe my brother and I took it out to work on putting a culvert in a creek. Man we were terrible at operating. Learned to keep idle down so backhoe would move slower until we started to get the hang of it.
Loader I think I come closer sometimes to dumb moves like almost rolling something out of the bucket onto the hood.
Saw a post here a while back that was good for me to read. It was about someone that had put a little too much weight on the front grapple. They were on a slight incline going down hill. They did not have the tractor in 4 wheel drive. Without brakes on the front nor backhoe or appropriate ballast on the back the front tires free wheeled and the back did not have enough weight to brake. They had a close call on the downhill ride and I remember until a fence caught and stopped them. In your area and where I use my tractor we face alot of inclines. I know that post helped me to realize the need of staying in 4 wheel drive or out of a situation to cause that light back end and loss of braking.
Look forward to more stories.

 

[Starks]

Thanks again for all the advice guys. Bought a 66" box blade and a 7' angle / tilt straight blade today from my Mom and Pop and Son Kioti dealer which is the exact opposite of a fancy showroom. Just glancing around the yard you can see stuff that's easily been forgotten for 20 / 40 / 60 years from old tractors to milling machines to retired fire engines to a line of brand new Kioti's. Walk into the office and there is crap that hasn't been touched in years laying around in heaps along with a big *** wood stove, family photos, and hot coffee. The handful of times I've been there however, there have always been two three or four folks coming and going, sitting by the heater eating Girl Scout cookies etc. It's like a tractor dealer / community center in the far corner of the rural mountains of North Carolina and a great place to spend my money instead of Tractor Supply etc. "Yancey County...better bring your own beer because we don't sell it here!"

Anyway.....went up today after I got home with the blades and got them gingerly removed from the F150 bed to do some more ditch clearing but it was too wet to do more than move mud and tear up the road after last night's rain so hope to get some more pics of her in action Wednesday.

As an afterthought, from what I've read here Chevy Engine Orange has been mentioned for a paint color. Anyone have any other suggestions for locally available and reasonably priced "New Kioti Orange" substitutes in a rattle can for painting attachments?

 

[Gittyup]

I've used the Chevy color on implements. But, on the tractor, I'd get OEM. It isn't really that much more $ anyway.

 

[Coyote machine]

TSC sells Allis-Chalmers(sp?) orange but I don't know how close it is to the Kioti early or late colors...
But if you want a orange implement then it might do it for you.