Woods and Transmissions

To20Chris · Jul 31, 2004

Low gear, low range gives you LOTS of time to look around, admire the scenery, think about things! I've only gone into the woods a couple of times so far, but even being cautious I ended up in 2nd gear most of the time. Biggest problem with my LK in and around trees is the vertical exhaust, but that is not an issue on the new LK3054XS. On any CUT you'll want to be careful about what pokes up into the belly - I've read posts about sticks jaming HST cooling fans on other brands, holes in radiators, etc. B series Kubotas have better ground clearance due to the frame construction, which allows them to tuck more of the parts up higher. I don't see much difference between Kiotis and other brands with conventional construction.

virgil · Aug 2, 2004

How about the ck 30 with the standard transmission? It is scyncronized and about a grand less $$$.
I like gears. virgil

KiotiJohn · Aug 3, 2004

( While working around some brush I got a stick stuck up into the Hydro Fan and broke off 3 wings. ( Made an aweful noise when it happened ) Dealer says while the fan is cheap, its a 4 hour job to replace it at $75/hour because its tied into the drive shaft?. )
This is from a new thread by MikeA that I thought was appropriate to your statement. Didn't you actually originally post that the Kubotas keep things up higher and less accessible to this problem?
I think this post just goes to show that any tractor is pretty susceptible, and I don't believe the Kioti is significantly more so. John

LedgeMagnet · Aug 3, 2004

Right now I am thinking of either the CK30 (gear) or the 3054 (gear). I think the CK would be better: I just want to see how much more it is than the 3054.

I don't like the limited 3ph on the CK20, and right or wrong I buy the argument that the CK25 might be underpowered for the weight.

For me, buying one of these is a big expenditure, and I will either get something I think will be adequate for a long time or nothing at all.....or buy yet another Farmall for 2K and deploy all my cables, chains and snatch blocks. With patience, these and any loader (even a trip bucket) with manure forks, you can do just about anything, though slowly and with a lot of jumping on and off. But it would be nice to have something less clumsy and temperamental, something new.

mathey · Aug 3, 2004

( I don't like the limited 3ph on the CK20, )

Limited how?

shoppintractors · Aug 3, 2004

I don't like the limited 3ph on the CK20 

The CK20 has full category 1 three point hitch capabilities. Sometimes there is confusion between the CK20 which is a compact tractor and the limited 3 point hitch capabilities of some of the sub-compact tractors.

 and right or wrong I buy the argument that the CK25 might be underpowered for the weight.

I don't see a clear cut answer just yet. That really depends on what your planned uses of the tractor are. For the price difference, there will be alot of uses the CK25 will be more than adaquete for. I think a main difference will be, if you need the extra horsepower for the implements you plan to use on the rear PTO. For the price difference between the CK25 & 30, you could buy 1-4 extra implements. Hmmm... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Don

LedgeMagnet · Aug 3, 2004

I am suspicious about the CK20's hitch - terminology aside - because I have read here and there that some cat 1 implements do not work well with the CK20 hitch: clearance issues, scrapers that cannot be reversed, implements that cannot be raised high enough for handy use or transport. That sort of thing.

All I know on this is what I read, and this is scattered anecdotal stuff by people whose expertise I cannot know, but there it is.

Some of it might be related to the overall size of the tractor rather than to hitch-specific parameters. How am I to know?

Then there is the hard fact that the CK30 and 3054 have a 3ph lifting cap. 650 lb (more than 50%) greater than the CK 20.

I can't afford to keep buying tractors until I find the right one, and I have enough doubts about the CK 20 hitch that right now I wouldn't buy one. I'd keep an open mind about it though.

shoppintractors · Aug 3, 2004

I am suspicious about the CK20's hitch - terminology aside - because I have read here and there that some cat 1 implements do not work well with the CK20 hitch: clearance issues, scrapers that cannot be reversed, implements that cannot be raised high enough for handy use or transport. 

I have not heard any of those concerns before. As long as the Cat1 implement is correctly sized for the tractor I would not forsee a problem. I'll defer to the CK20 owners.

Don

KiotiJohn · Aug 3, 2004

( I am suspicious about the CK20's hitch - terminology aside - because I have read here and there that some cat 1 implements do not work well with the CK20 hitch: clearance issues, scrapers that cannot be reversed, implements that cannot be raised high enough for handy use or transport. That sort of thing.)
All that you say is familiar, but it was about the Kubota BX22 and 23, not the Kioti CK20
I have all the implements you talk about, and they all work fine, from boxblade, boom pole, landscape rake (that turn around just fine). The hitch can be adjusted to lift higher or lower, the top link can be adjusted to three positions as well.
It's easy, with so many posts to read, to get some of the threads running together, but I've probably read all the posts on a CK20, and none describe the problems you mention.
Try doing a search and see if you can find an example to provide. Better yet, go see a CK20 and try to put an implement on it that you can't use because of the hitch. Won't happen unless it's just too large for that size tractor to begin with. The hitch is a full category 1.
Of course, you seem to need more tractor than the CK20 so it's probably not important, but believe me, you haven't seen any hitch problem posts about this tractor, but you have about a few SUB CUTS that don't have the height and hitch that the CK20 does.
I agree with you that the CK30 is probably a better choice for you than the CK25. The extra 5 HP has to pull the larger frame better.
I hope you get to try out all of them and really give them a workout. John

LedgeMagnet · Aug 4, 2004

Yup. You're absolutely right. I checked my notes and I WAS thinking of the Kubota, which I looked at first because - well - I guess everybody does. I was comparing the two 20 hp tractors at first and reversed a couple things in my mind. Sorry for the confusion.

I still think I want a 30hp tractor and have settled on Kioti at that level. The hitch business is just an additional reason to go that way if I decide I can only afford 20hp.