Well, here is yet another variant on this topic. Admittedly, for me and I would imagine a high percentage of TBN viewers, buying a new machine that cannot be pragmatically justified on a profit and loss ledger IS A BIG DEAL! Obviously we all have similar motivations to acquire a CUT but our personalities affect how we go about the acquisition.
For me, a CUT/TLB had become a necessity again after many years of not having my own machine. Renting from the arrogant A$$es at the U Rent it was becoming intolerable so I began to look at used TLBs, or else the separate pieces that I would cobble together. I am a frugal woman, always have been and perhaps I am changing in my senior years...but the stuff I was seeing was not acceptable for my purchase. I started to consider new pieces. The hunt began in the late winter, and by mid May I had conditioned myself to what the ball park cost would be, and may I say, got used to it? Parting with $20K IS PAINFUL!!!! To make it even more painful I agonized over the specs for a wide variety of CUT's instead of firmly establishing my primary requirements and then filtering out all the others. Lurking on TBN was immensley useful for which I thank all who have posted in the various forums. These post became a sort of road map thru the morass of possibilities and gave me some direction in my search. This is where I first learned of Kioti, and Googled every hit on the subject. I live in a rather isolated small ranching community in Western Arkansas. The local NH, JD, and Mahindra dealers all tried the condescending "ignorant little woman" crap on me and alienated me with their attitudes, not necessarily their machinery. The closest Kioti dealer was a 2 hr trip, but I had to see a CK and kick the tires before getting any more interested. Having looked at the only CK this dealer had on the lot (a 30 gear) I was very impressed with the design, fit, and finish. I am engineering trained and qualified to evaluate farm equipment, having owned, operated and repaired same for many years while in the ranching business. I made the decision to begin seeking a Kioti dealer who was competitive and competent. My non- farmer status dictated that I buy out of state. Kioti's web page dealer search engine is only capable of going out 100 miles which did not fit my needs, and the personnel I contacted at HQ were not helpful in expanding my search radius. This put dealers with a good web presense at a big advantage. Rivera's in Donna TX won my heart hands down and got the sale based on their web site and their prompt courteous communication. So far they have met all my expectations in a fast, friendly and courteous way. I would highly recommend them even if ther location seems too distant for you. Phil arranged for an awesome 600 mile shipping deal at less than a buck a mile within a week of closing the contract. Now, after 20+ hours of loader and backhoe work I am finally at peace with this huge indulgence in a new toy. She doesn't eliminate 100% of the shovel, rake and hoe work, but she does the heavy lifting effortlessly.
In closing on topic I will say that the tough work of smart shopping for a CUT must certainly qualify us to contribute to the TBN forums. On the down side it may also harden us from being entirely open minded to the pro's and con's of all the other CUT's availabe to us. A bad experience with brand "A" or "B"'s dealership can also skew our opinion about the machinery they sell. Like team sports, we may become convinced that our team is the best simply because we worked hard in it and we won a few competitions. Shoppers who seek and find TBN will benifit greatly by lurking and querying from those who have already run the gauntlett, while at the same time remaining aware of a proud tractor owners potential for overzealous promotion of superiority in his machinery brand. Best wishes to all you who seek and agonize over your CUT purchase. My effort was well worth the work.
Jean Marie
For me, a CUT/TLB had become a necessity again after many years of not having my own machine. Renting from the arrogant A$$es at the U Rent it was becoming intolerable so I began to look at used TLBs, or else the separate pieces that I would cobble together. I am a frugal woman, always have been and perhaps I am changing in my senior years...but the stuff I was seeing was not acceptable for my purchase. I started to consider new pieces. The hunt began in the late winter, and by mid May I had conditioned myself to what the ball park cost would be, and may I say, got used to it? Parting with $20K IS PAINFUL!!!! To make it even more painful I agonized over the specs for a wide variety of CUT's instead of firmly establishing my primary requirements and then filtering out all the others. Lurking on TBN was immensley useful for which I thank all who have posted in the various forums. These post became a sort of road map thru the morass of possibilities and gave me some direction in my search. This is where I first learned of Kioti, and Googled every hit on the subject. I live in a rather isolated small ranching community in Western Arkansas. The local NH, JD, and Mahindra dealers all tried the condescending "ignorant little woman" crap on me and alienated me with their attitudes, not necessarily their machinery. The closest Kioti dealer was a 2 hr trip, but I had to see a CK and kick the tires before getting any more interested. Having looked at the only CK this dealer had on the lot (a 30 gear) I was very impressed with the design, fit, and finish. I am engineering trained and qualified to evaluate farm equipment, having owned, operated and repaired same for many years while in the ranching business. I made the decision to begin seeking a Kioti dealer who was competitive and competent. My non- farmer status dictated that I buy out of state. Kioti's web page dealer search engine is only capable of going out 100 miles which did not fit my needs, and the personnel I contacted at HQ were not helpful in expanding my search radius. This put dealers with a good web presense at a big advantage. Rivera's in Donna TX won my heart hands down and got the sale based on their web site and their prompt courteous communication. So far they have met all my expectations in a fast, friendly and courteous way. I would highly recommend them even if ther location seems too distant for you. Phil arranged for an awesome 600 mile shipping deal at less than a buck a mile within a week of closing the contract. Now, after 20+ hours of loader and backhoe work I am finally at peace with this huge indulgence in a new toy. She doesn't eliminate 100% of the shovel, rake and hoe work, but she does the heavy lifting effortlessly.
In closing on topic I will say that the tough work of smart shopping for a CUT must certainly qualify us to contribute to the TBN forums. On the down side it may also harden us from being entirely open minded to the pro's and con's of all the other CUT's availabe to us. A bad experience with brand "A" or "B"'s dealership can also skew our opinion about the machinery they sell. Like team sports, we may become convinced that our team is the best simply because we worked hard in it and we won a few competitions. Shoppers who seek and find TBN will benifit greatly by lurking and querying from those who have already run the gauntlett, while at the same time remaining aware of a proud tractor owners potential for overzealous promotion of superiority in his machinery brand. Best wishes to all you who seek and agonize over your CUT purchase. My effort was well worth the work.
Jean Marie
