Should I defect from Kubota

[CJONE]

Kubota was the only one in the running when I bought my tractor. They were about 4-5K more with lighter duty specs. As far as Kioti holding their value I could find nothing that was reasonably priced. I was better to go with a new unit. So I would say they hold their value. John Deere was not even in the same ballpark with their pricing. I also found out they are ASSEMBLED in the US [maybe not a good thing anymore] with parts from other countries. There was a few other reasons I went with the Kioti, cab layout and room with alot of standard options. But to be honest it was a hard decision and the dealer played a big part in it. CJ

 

[Mousefield]

I paid less for my Kioti than the kubota or John Deere's I looked so stands to reason I will get less for it when I sell it, the percentage (of new) when I sell it should be somewhat comparable to Kubota or John Deere. I did spend about 6 months looking at used then new before buying. I suspect this will be my only tractor so I had to get it right the first time.
Been very happy with my almost 4 year old Kioti. :thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

Nothing wrong with either brand. Kioti has built a very solid reputation and is in the same place kubota was 15 years ago. I imagine in another 10-15 years (or less) the kiotis are going to cost just as much as kubota, deere, CNH, MF, etc.

Just make sure you have a good dealer whichever brand you go with. Talking a tractor that size, you are probabally looking at spending 25-30k. (IF FEL and 4WD), so 5k really isnt that much if you have just gotten a quote and thats it. A little negotiating could close the gap, or it could open it. IF you like BOTH tractors, start the negotiation process. Once you get their bottom dollar, look at the difference. And again, you are not just buying a tractor, you are buying the dealer as well. SO, trying to save 4k "may" sound good, but if it is a crappy dealer that wont support you "if" you have issues, it could cost you more in the longrun.

Likewise, dont spend 4k MORE just to get a Kubota if the dealer aint worth a hoot. There are bad dealers and good dealers for EVERY brand. Get to know them before you make a decision:thumbsup:

 

[kiotiken]

Nothing wrong with either brand. Kioti has built a very solid reputation and is in the same place kubota was 15 years ago. I imagine in another 10-15 years (or less) the kiotis are going to cost just as much as kubota, deere, CNH, MF, etc.

Just make sure you have a good dealer whichever brand you go with. Talking a tractor that size, you are probabally looking at spending 25-30k. (IF FEL and 4WD), so 5k really isnt that much if you have just gotten a quote and thats it. A little negotiating could close the gap, or it could open it. IF you like BOTH tractors, start the negotiation process. Once you get their bottom dollar, look at the difference. And again, you are not just buying a tractor, you are buying the dealer as well. SO, trying to save 4k "may" sound good, but if it is a crappy dealer that wont support you "if" you have issues, it could cost you more in the longrun.

Likewise, dont spend 4k MORE just to get a Kubota if the dealer aint worth a hoot. There are bad dealers and good dealers for EVERY brand. Get to know them before you make a decision:thumbsup:

100% agree

 

[charleyfarmall]

I have had Kioti, Deere, and Kubota. All three are very good tractors. The Kioti is the value leader, but at the same time, no frills.

I assume that since you are looking at the mx5100 you are looking at an open station HST tractor. In the Kioti lineup that would translate to the DK50 HST.

Either tractor is going to be a very good tractor for you. You need to drive and compare both to see if the Kubota is worth more. Look at the build quality.

More importantly, look at the dealer. Can you live with them? In my case the local Kubota dealer was good,nice parts and service department, but unwilling to deal on the price. They were very similar to a car dealership. My local Kioti dealer was an old time farm family dealership. They still farmed. No BS. Good mechanics, and willing to work hard - like your local mechanic. I went with them even though they were further away.

The last two machines I bought were Deere. Excellent machines but the dealers were night and day. May nearest dealer is like a car dealership. They are 5 miles from my house at most. The one I choose to use for everything is farther away, but have been in business for 50 years and are a farm family and are great to deal with.

Depending on what your needs are, consider the DK55. It is a very capable well positioned tractor, but only available with a 12x12 shuttle transmission. I've been in the DK55 Cab and it is an extremely good value.

 

[Gittyup]

It is simple math, but not the way you put it... It has everything to do with "real" quaility, as well as "perceived" quality. Easy numbers - tractor #1 sells for 20K and 5 years later is worth 15K while a comparable machine, tractor #2 sells for 15K and 5 years later is worth 8K. Which tractor has better resale value?

Do not get me wrong, I am not bashing Kioti or any other machine out there, but please know a little about the manufacturers you are referencing, at least in regards to their reputations... Bobcat was sold several years ago to a South Korean conglomerate and at the time had absolutely no presence in CUTs. McCormick is an old farm name and just that - a name. They were out of business for decades and were re-introduced when another tractor company had to divest itself of a manufacturing plant due to EU rules. They had a brand new plant opening and they sold off an old plant in England which became the "new" McCormick. At that time they manufactured old design machines and have only recently become involved with CUTs. Exactly what reputations are they staking their association with Daedong on?

To suggest that a deere only depreciates 25% while the Kioti depreciates nearly 50% clearly indicates you aren't making statements rooted in objectivity. It's just an absurb comparison. Just as suggesting that because BC was bought by a Korean company they are somehow now less concerned with their reputation and quality is also plain not good common sense. Must be the green paint talking, or trying to justify the outrageous price paid for green. Around here, 9 out of 10 skid loaders are BC; they aren't going to put their good name on something that doesn't uphold their values. I love green - well engineered and very reliable. My next GT will most likely be a JD. But I'm not foolish enough to give them thousands more for less tractor.

I've had my Kioti for almost seven years now. I've been offered (and turned down) a price that is about 84% of what I paid for it. And from what I'm seeing the used asking price is similar for most modern Kiotis.

 

[Gittyup]

Further, the quality difference between Kioti, JD, Kubota, New Holland, and MF isn't distinguishable.

 

[LastSTRAW]

It is not just sticker price. I looked at both but found out that rear remote, cruise control (about $800 each), and other options were standard (and free) on the Kioti. The Kitoti cab was a very good deal that I wouldn't have been able to afford on the Kubota.

So far only 40 hours on the Kioti but love it. I probably would have loved the Kubota too.

 

[CPM]

Nearly everyone is mentioning the Dealer. I don't know anyone to ask about the Dealer for either brand, and they're both in the same town, so it's no factor for distance. However, there's a whole lot more Kubota Dealers within travelling distance compared to Kioti, so I'd be stuck if the Kioti Dealer's no good.

How would I found out what sort of reputation they have?

The Models compared are the MX5100 and the Kioti EX50 HST, btw.

 

[IslandTractor]

Nearly everyone is mentioning the Dealer. I don't know anyone to ask about the Dealer for either brand, and they're both in the same town, so it's no factor for distance. However, there's a whole lot more Kubota Dealers within travelling distance compared to Kioti, so I'd be stuck if the Kioti Dealer's no good.

How would I found out what sort of reputation they have?

The Models compared are the MX5100 and the Kioti EX50 HST, btw.

You would need to ask around to learn more about the local dealers. That plus just interviewing them yourself.

I don't know what the situation is with dealerships down under. In the US there is no question at all that Kubota has a vastly superior network of dealers. Kioti is still having growing pains with regard to dealerships as they initially signed up anyone with a pulse and now are culling the herd (but with brain dead policies that have driven some excellent dealers to leave as well). Eventually I imagine they will have a good network of dealerships but there is simply zero question that Kubota has the advantage in that department now.

I have owned two Kiotis. One was purchased used from a local dealership that was pretty new and was primarily a outdoor power equipment and skidsteer company. They tried hard and were easy to deal with but were one of the "too small to fly" dealerships and Kioti dropped them a year or two after my purchase.

When I decided to upgrade to a DK I simply called a dealer that I had interacted with here on TBN. He was 300miles away but a superb businessman and very easy to work with. Bottom line I bought the DK sight unseen on the basis of specs and his reputation. Best decision ever. He delivered the tractor and supported me by phone (In my situation I am so "remote" being on an island that a local dealership would not be of great benefit). Sadly his was one of the excellent dealerships that got caught up in Kioti's weird culling process and he chose to switch to Bobcat (selling the same rebadged and repainted tractors). I still go to him for support as I am now off warranty.

I should note that these tractors are so basic and have such mature technology that there is very little other than little stuff that goes wrong. My service needs have been limited to a seatbelt retractor, a fuel bowl, advice on tightening of bolts and sleuthing to find the disconnected wire when brush disconnected the 4 wheel assist. Other than that is has just been oils and filters. Point here is that if you can change your own oil and talk to a mechanic by phone, it really doesn't matter very often whether your dealer is 4 or 400 miles away.

Regarding the value/trade in of Kubota vs Kioti. The analogy that works very well in the US is Toyota vs Hyundai. Toyota is the established brand and extremely well regarded. Their cars are more expensive for what you get than most other brands but they are very reliable and hold their resale value well. Hyundai is relatively new to the market in the US and their initial products were rather drab and dealerships had growing pains. Five or ten years down the road now Hyundai is growing much faster than Toyota and is more than competitive in the marketplace. They offer more value up front and a longer warranty as a trade off for the (still) greater resale of Toyota products. Bottom line: Hyundai/Kioti offer more car/tractor for the buck up front. As this means they are selling well their dealership network is growing and the brand recognition is improving so resale is also improving. As others have noted, a ten year old Kioti does not have the resale % of a ten year old Kubota but that gap has narrowed considerably when looking at three to five year old tractors.