Should I Regret Buying A Kioti?

[Texasmark]

Ordinarily I'd agree but from what i've seen and heard, these batteries are not sealed well at all. After I fixed my external damage and put in a better battery, i have never confronted the problem again and it's been a year out.

One of the reasons for the comment in this instance in particular is the location of the excretion. Looks pretty fool proof to me that it came from the cap vents which means what I said. If it were a seal problem I would think it would emanate from the interface of the top (cap) to the tub since the tub is one piece.

 

[dave1949]

Hmm, this is a good example where a minor problem causes some major hassle. I think the dealer is focusing on the minor aspect (battery) and not caring about the major hassle (cleaning up the rust and repainting). He should care.

Any dealer that tried to blow me off over this would be getting rained on from the BBB, state consumer protection, and Kioti corporate. It's their freaking battery that they installed on the tractor prior to sale. That means they assume some basic level of responsibility that the battery won't destroy your tractor. They need to step up and take care of their customer.

I'd say start with Kioti corporate and then consider working with BBB and your state's consumer protection department.

I'm leaning this direction. You don't want to run around with your hair on fire but I think the dealer's response was a brush off. Damage is damage and you are not to blame for a defective battery or responsible for inspecting it continually. Quality control and inspection are supposed to be done before you ever see the tractor.

NH TC Boomers were well known for charging the battery at such a high rate only certain brands would take it--with resulting battery tray corrosion. I remember Jinman's post about that, replacing his tray well after the warranty period, and know that mine over-charges too.

FWIW I don't think your post title is out of line with your honest feelings on the matter. I'll gladly take honesty. I may have gone with, "Does My Kioti Dealer Suck?"

 

[murphy1244]

"Does My Kioti Dealer Suck?"

That was the correct title.:thumbsup:

 

[SCWOOD]

This may be why the dealer I am looking to buy a Kioti CK2510H from puts gel batteries in all the tractors he sells!

 

[murphy1244]

This may be why the dealer I am looking to buy a Kioti CK2510H from puts gel batteries in all the tractors he sells!

That won't protect you from a overcharge.

 

[JMER817]

1) take battery out. 2) print out pics 3) drive over to dealer and park right next to sales door entrance. 4) set battery on tailgate along with pictures. 5) bring your lunch and sit on the tailgate while new customers come strolling up 6) watch how quickly you get a new battery to be on your way

 

[DK35vince]

1) take battery out. 2) print out pics 3) drive over to dealer and park right next to sales door entrance. 4) set battery on tailgate along with pictures. 5) bring your lunch and sit on the tailgate while new customers come strolling up 6) watch how quickly you get a new battery to be on your way

They have already offered him a new battery.
Its the damage from the leaking battery the OP is concerned with.

 

[KRBrouwer]

:thumbsup:Good for you Guy, for recognising the thread title might have been a bit harsh.

I would not worry too much about the battery or damage. But I realise I don't have a huge concern about the aesthetics of my equipment and vehicles. I keep them maintained but accept the imperfections that come through use. I do think the dealer should have at least offered some kind of assistance to repair the damage to your tray, even if it was just some free paint for you to do it yourself.

I recently punctured my battery and damaged the battery tray. I cleaned it up and replaced it with the same brand (Interstate) after researching online. I see others have said good things about Interstate. If the voltage checks others mentioned turn out OK, perhaps you just got a battery lemon or someone(most likely the dealer) damaged it when they installed it.

Your dealer's uncaring attitude certainly unfortunate. Hopefully he was just having a bad day. My dealer experience is just the opposite. I bent my top link (through improper use) shortly after getting my tractor. I took it to the dealer and he straightened it as I waited(including repairing the threads) for no charge.

This may be a bit off-topic but....it is important to take the little maintenance items such as checking for loose bolts seriously. I find the small bolts holding the pivot pins on my DK35's loader have a tendency to loosen. I lost one(luckily the large pin stayed it) and find one or two slightly loose when checking them. I just tightened a couple last week and will reinstall all of them with blue LocTite.

Kioti's are good tractors and chances are it will give you mostly trouble-free service. Hopefully your dealer will do the same.

Cheers

ADDITION TO ORIGINAL POST:

Adding this after seeing photos on my PC (they did not display on my Android). The damage is much more severe than I originally imagined and can relate to your original concern. Your dealer should have been much more helpful in cleaning it up. The problem is the dealer, not the tractor.

I also see your battery is not an Interstate. Mine came with an Interstate and I think all Kioti's here (at least at my dealer) have that brand. That is what my dealer sells as replacements. Perhaps your dealer put in an old or damaged battery.

I second checking the bolts that hold down the battery. My NH T2220 was delivered with one loose battery bolt, and after about 2 months of use, the vibrating battery rubbed through the coolant lines located next to it. What a mess! The NH dealer (Graham, NC) came out, replaced the battery, coolant line, and the radiator all at no charge to me. He has a customer for life.

Ken

 

[arrow]

One of the reasons for the comment in this instance in particular is the location of the excretion. Looks pretty fool proof to me that it came from the cap vents which means what I said. If it were a seal problem I would think it would emanate from the interface of the top (cap) to the tub since the tub is one piece.

To me, the leak seems to be coming from the top cap and tub. The posts in my battery seemed to be installed poorly. My leak seemed to be emanating from these points. Some sealer on the bottom along with battery felt discs to prevent oxidation solved the problem for me until I replaced the battery after a few months (unrelated to initial problem) . Mine was leaking badly enough to take the paint right off the chassis before I caught it. None the less, if my tractor is now fine for over a year, I'm putting blame on some badly constructed batteries the factory put in..

 

[AchingBack]

I went through two incidents of a leaky battery. I thought I'd done my best to make sure the caps were completely tight. Twice, I cleaned and repainted the battery compartment. This was with two different batteries over a nine year period. After it happened the last time, I decided it would be the last time.

My tractor now has a beautiful, sealed, OPTIMA battery. Now, unless some freak accident happens, I will never have to remove the battery to clean leaked acid. I do wonder if a lot of front loader bucket and fork work causes excess vibration to the battery compartment. Perhaps those chores could just take their toll on the battery.