New style Kioti KL130 loader - OEM improvement?

[Highbeam]

I expect product evolution in response to field discovered weaknesses. Every year the auto makers come up with a new and improved version in response to market demands. It has become apparent that Kioti may have added a substantial reinforcement to the access cutout in their loader torque tube.

It actually gives me some confidence that Kioti is on the ball. Could someone with a spankin new loader, or at least pretty dang new, check to see if they have this new reinforcement from Kioti? I'm trying to get a timeline of the improvement since mine cracked and I want the new version that should resist the same failure if there is a new version.

Dealers? Anything on your lot you could check out. Any word of this from Kioti?

Here's the old style. This is mine with the cracks extending more than an inch from the cover.

 

[Highbeam]

Here's the apparent new style. This was reposted from another thread here. The poster claimed that this is how it was delivered new from Kioti and not added by the dealer. The reinforcement is in the form of steel flatbar welded around the perimeter. The flatbar(strap) is 1/4" thick. I can see how this reinforcement would be done to greatly reduce cracking. It would be better if the corners were rounded but then the piece would have to be punched out of plate.

Anyway. Please take a look at your new or newer CK25/CK30 and see if you have this added reinforcement and report back with dates or better yet, serial# of the loader.

I am not saying the old style is universally defective, but if I'm getting a new one because my old one broke then I want the new and improved version.

Thanks

 

[Highbeam]

After reinspecting the photo of the new version it appears as though the short side pieces of strap actually have an additional piece of plate cutout with a curve welded on each side. So it is a fabricated punch out including the radiuses. Man I wish my loader came that way or was fixed that way.

For those of you that don't know, this is how my dealer fixed the cracks. Ugly as a junk yard dog.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Joe, if dealers seem to be reticent to comment, I wouldn't blame them. After all, they represent the company on the front lines, and your dealer is the one that must respond to this issue. We shouldn't expect other dealers to get too involved in this on this forum, as it may not really be appropriate for them.

The dealers didn't begin this conversation, and I don't blame them if they remain silent, in all fairness.

John

 

[Highbeam]

That's weak.

The question here is no more complicated than whether or not there is a new design out on the street. No strings attached, just look in your yard. Nothing to do with my situation or my loader. I would be disappointed in the dealers here if they were so gunshy that they couldn't discuss product improvements. Even via PM, I would of course honor requests to not disclose dealers' names.

I can report that my local dealer's KL130 loaders had no apparent reinforcement visible from the outside of the access cover.

Perhaps the photo of the improved loader was taken of an aftermarket modification done without the buyer's knowledge.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The question here is no more complicated than whether or not there is a new design out on the street. )</font>
Wow, you seem to have taken offense at my comment, and I certainly didn't mean for that to happen.

The question you're asking today, no, it's not controversial, but the questions that may come out of them responding to it may take them down a path they don't need to follow.

Simply making a comment about whether newer loaders have reinforcement or not will almost certainly lead to questions of the dealers such as, "Well then, why hasn't Kioti notified me?" and many others I could think of. Would you say then that they should be involved, or should it be between the owner of the problem and the dealer/Kioti ?

What you should be doing is making your dealer and Kioti give you satisfaction. We on this board are not capable of fixing the problem. Don's loader, obviously newer, appears to have the fix, and that's what should have been provided to you. Your dealer is responsible for what was done to your loader. It's not satisfactory, and that's who you should be dealing with. Go there and look at the new loaders. Have the dealer show you how the new ones come in, and tell him that's what you want.

It seems a waste to keep hashing it out on here and expecting dealers to be involved in what is clearly asking for derrogatory results, when your dealer should be fixing you up.
John

 

[1wheeler1]

Highbeam, With your input along with everybody elses input I just met the delivery driver who dropped off my CK25HST/FEL with two hours on the meter. Currently I'm back at work but tonight I will try and see if I can remove the access cover and check for the updated bracing under the access plate. It will be a long day knowing its sitting in my driveway waiting.

 

[Highbeam]

I'll have to repeat this post here since I've kinda taken over more than one thread with this saga....

I was awaiting a return call from my dealer and instead, I called him 5 minutes ago. The message I left him on Saturday was that I would be needing a new loader to replace the welded one. Today I started by telling him that the loader repair was unacceptable based on aesthetics, resale, and long term integrity. He had already ordered the new loader frame and it is on the way in to be replaced. Turns out that he too was embarassed by the repair quality though the weld repair was done under the direction of Kioti.

The "frame" will be replaced and that would imply to me that the various pieces will be transferred from old to new. The new frame is not improved to his knowledge so it could possibly fail in the same manner but if it does so under warranty that the warranty is still good for the year.

So far so good. In the end Kioti took a gamble with the weld and it didn't work out. If the new loader goes on without any more tricks then Kioti will have demonstrated that they....


say it with me now....

Want to be the best.

 

[Highbeam]

1wheeler1, You'll love the tractor. Take in all the information on this board and use it to maximize the fun or work. I have not broken the same thing twice so it is indeed a trick of finding limitations and then working within them. This site will demonstrate those limitations and hopefully help folks like you starting off with new machines.

Now if I could only find a way to make the chassis shiney like it was when new.

 

[Highbeam]

Due to slow online dealer participation and/or my impatience, I went to my nearby dealer and looked at several brand spanking new CK30s. Each of them had the KL130 loader and each of them looked just like mine before the cracks and repair from the outside.

I am still very interested in hearing about anyone with a loader frame improved by Kioti. Reason being that my new one might as well be the improved one is there is such a thing.

Honestly, there is no shame in a manufacturer improving their product. I bought a truck once and the next year's model had more horsepower, did I demand a new truck? of course not. Same deal here.