New pack member - CK35

[George in Spokane]

This thing is amazing. I got an HST with FEL and R1s for $15,995. I had the dealer add a toothbar and a set of rear hydraulics for another $700. I want to say thanks for all that I've learned from you all and also share my impressions so far.

First of all I'm coming from a 1956 35hp Ferguson w/o power steering so I'm moving up over 60 years of technology. What may be Shazam! to me, may be "What does he mean by Shazam!" to you.


Pros:

1. The HST is truly a joy. Brushhogging is much easier. Whereas before if I missed a few weeds on a turn I usually let it go since fighting the clutch and the wheel was just too much work. Now with HST I just push on my heel and the weeds are gone.

Considering it is narrower (by 13") and has a higher center of gravity than my Ferguson, I am surprised how stable it feels on my hilly land. Of course with tractors there is never any warning so perhaps I'm just imaging this. I'm still planning to get wheel spacers and fill the tires.

2. Fuel use is much better than my old gas tractor.

3. Seems VERY well made.


Cons:

1. The 5' KL-130 loader doesn't seem to hold very much and the metal is thin.

2. Twice I've turned off the tractor when going over a big bump. At first I couldn't figure out what was happening but then I realized that my knee was bumping into the starter key. This is a minor point but now I have to slide the seat farther back than is comfortable.

3. I've started to wear sneakers when using the machine. Normally I wear boots for safety but I find that operating the HST pedal in reverse requires too much dexterity (podterity?) for boots. Again, a minor point but annoying.

4. The owner's manual is inaccurate. I spent ten minutes feeling like a dipstick while looking for the oil dipstick before I realized the manual was wrong and the dipstick was on the other side. Also stickers on the machine give service intervals that are different from the manual.

5. I may be wrong on this, but to clean the radiator screen you have to lift up the FEL so the screen can slide by it. I don't like standing under a raised FEL.


George

 

[IXLR8]

George,
Welcome to the PACK!
Cons:
1- I have the LK3054 bucket on mine... it is suppose to be larger and I can load it up enough so that the machine can't lift it!!
2- I did that once when getting off the tractor on that side. What do you have for a key fob? Maybe something smaller is in order, or nothing.
3- I still wear boots, I pick my heel off the platform and then step on the reverse pedal. It certainly is harder to 'rock' the foot on the pedal with boots on.
4- Owners manual, and shop manual have errors in them... BE CAREFUL... when in doubt, post your question. One part of my shop manual says to torque the rear wheels to 210 ft lbs, another part says 68 ft lbs. Somebody else here torqued theirs to the 210 ft lbs and broke some of the studs!! Dealer/Kioti made good on it after he showed them the manual.
5- On my CK30, one screen comes out the top, other screen slides over into the empty slot and then out the top. No need to raise FEL. After 50 hrs of use... mine still looks clean, but I don't do any mowing.

 

[Dmace]

Welcome to the Pack!

I am sure you will find some great uses for that tractor. Maybe putting a tilt-meter on will let you know when you are at too much of an angle.

 

[George in Spokane]

Oh well it was fun while it lasted.

So much for "No, no honey, the Korean's have really come along."


Does anyone know if a glass bowl is available?


Thanks,


George

 

[DK35vince]

Yes the plastic fuel bowls are availible.
The clear fuel bowls (like in your photo) had a history of cracking. There was a thread on cracking fuel bowls recently.
The new replacement bowls are white.

 

[George in Spokane]

Thanks. I've now read up on the bowls.

Since my tractor only shipped last week why is Kioti still using the old bowls? Saving a few dollars is foolish. I sang Kioti's virtues to my John Deere neighbor but now I'm embarrassed to say anything to him or anyone else.

 

[IXLR8]

I would think since it is only a week old... that Kioti will cover it, at least I hope they would. You may have had it for only a week or so, I suspect it left Korea months ago, before the new bowls came out.

 

[BJN644]

Mine was brand new out of the crate and my bowl cracked the first week I had it. I was promptly given a new white plastic one by my dealer. I also bent the crap out of the bucket level indicator, they had a bad batch of those too. Other than those 2 things approaching 30 hours and life is good.

You'll be happy with your new tractor.

 

[Gittyup]

Don't let a little thing like that cracked bowl scare you off. You got a good tractor there. Just get an updated bowl and then go brag to your neighbors!

 

[Gittyup]

on the radiator screens: I think they go in and out better if you reverse the screen positions (left to right). Remove the right one first, then slide the left over to the right and remove (referenced from front of tractor). There's no need to raise the FEL to do this. I think there was a post about this (reversing order) on here once upon a time.