Tractors, Mowers, Chippers, Trailers, Chainsaws, Generators, Driveway Erosion Control, ETC.

Good to know.

My thought process was this -

My x500 works for me, but doesn't have 4WD and that would be very helpful. I have four suitcase weights on the back, but even with those the weight of the blower makes it front heavy so in certain situations I have to be very careful to not get it stuck. For mowing, I have a lot of uneven terrain but getting stuck isn't an issue - there are a few spots where I use the locker and that's always plenty. I use it for mowing, snowblowing, and moving material with a dump cart.

An x700 series is the logical next step since it is 4WD. However, the price on those is pretty steep. So I started looking at subcompacts to see how the pricing compares, figuring then at least I get a loader.

The 1 series seems a little bigger than I realistically want - minimum deck is 54", for example, and it looks like the newer design ROPS is pretty tall even folded, so might pose an issue to store it in the shed. And, the price point makes it tougher to justify.

So, I started looking at competitors and the BX1880 looked to be the in-between unit. Pricing on a BX with FEL, 48" deck, and snowblower appears similar to an x739 with a snowblower and mowing deck. 90% of the use would be snowblowing and mowing, so I liked how easy the loader appears to be to remove when you don't need it. It'd just be nice to have a loader for moving mulch, small amounts of gravel or stone, things I'm currently doing by hand with a shovel and a dump cart. I only have 2/3 of an acre so I can only work it so hard.

 

Kbar said it right.

if you use a BX how its intended? they are fine & lots of people do just that with them: move some mulch, carry bags of concrete, little gravel for landscaping.
many guys have the little BX w/hoes on them. if you gotta bury a dog or plant a tree? they are great!

as Kbar said: they just dont have a lot of hydro power which is done on purpose by Kubota to not break the thin/lightweight "frame".

my neighbor next door has the 1025 JD. mows his 5 acres all the time & clears snow, landscapes & so on.

You might never even put either machine in a bind on 2/3 acre....... but we all have a tendency to love them so much that we ask more & more out of them: oh it will do this!
then you wind up with a twisted tractor that no one will take as a trade in. (experience might be talking here.)

really hard to beat 0% financing for 72 months on Kubo or Kioti though.

then again you could just find an old B7200 with front hydro for pretty cheap & it will last your whole life.

 

I'd definitely lean more heavily toward the 1-series or equivalent if I thought I'd be buying a place with more land in the next 5-10 years. But with real estate prices the way they are, we've kind of committed to keeping what we have and putting money into remodels to make it exactly what we want. House will be paid for when we're 40 - it's tough to walk away from that.

There are two JD dealers and one Kubota dealer within an hour. Kioti is about 2 hours away. Not that distance is a huge deal - if I need to move the tractor, I have a 16 ft car hauler. The 0% on the Kubota is definitely appealing - sell my x500 and my ATV that I never use to make room for it, put that money down - might as well leave the rest in the bank where it's making 4+%. The payment would be tiny anyway.

 

Added a JU fab works plate to the front bucket today. A cobalt bit and lots of cuttin fluid.

 

that looks nice & professional!

good work!

 

Thank you, I'm happy with the product and how the install went! I was going to weld some on but for the price of this plate it was a no brainer

 

I went down to the Kioti dealer today to look at the DK4520 and DK4720SE. They are running a Black Friday special on these two models. The DK4720SE has an HST trans, and I'm not a fan of the PTO power loss from the transmission so that one is out. I did like the DK4520, the extra FEL capacity is great, but its and eco version and only an 8x8 SS. To add some necessary to me options like a filling the tires, rear remote, and telescoping links would add another 1.5K to the 33k price tag. The guy working the floor couldn't give me number to trade-in my tractor, he said with interest rates on used being near 8% the offer likely wouldn't be very much. Unless he was wrong and they call back with a good number for my tractor, I think I'll keep my CK for a while longer.

 

KR,

which CK do you have?

nothing wrong with shuttle shift at all! the loss on HST is pretty small though only a couple HP. guessing you'd still have 40+ at the PTO. that is enough to do a LOT of things.

the trade in stuff is where Kioti lags behind Kubota. Kubota will give you much more than Kioti on trade ins. always have.

tell me more! i love this ck4010 HST. its an absolute beast for a midsize tractor.

 

It's all relative, you pay more for Kubota on the front end, you'll get more on the back end. I think if you had the actual numbers and ran the percentages of paid new vs resale, they would be pretty close between Kubota and Kioti.

If you think you're CK is a beast, side by side, the DK is another level up. The tires are 6" taller, 1000# more in gross wt, 600# more in the 72" bucket. I'd really like the increase in FEL lift capacity. The deal they are offering is pretty good, it's even better if you are a cash buyer at 27,900 with a 6' brush hog for the DK4520, or for 29,600 for the DK4720SE. They'd be happy to sell you a new tractor. The price is good until noon on Saturday. If you come pick it up we could meet for a beer.

I have the CK3510SE. Its got 34.9 hp and 30.8 hp at the PTO according to the Kioti website. Also from their website, going up to a 45hp HST would only gain me 2.6 hp at the PTO, vs 8.1hp with the SS. Now there could be an error in the website details, but IDK, I can only go by what they have printed. You've got 5 more hp than me but only 2.5 hp at the PTO, but 5.3 over the CK35 HST. Another issue for me with the DK is my Taco won't pull it. The CK puts me right up to the gross maybe a bit over, the DK would be way over gross. If I finish paying off the CK (5 more checks to go). I'd have room in my budget to buy an older 3/4 ton truck, and I could retire the Taco from doing hard work duty and just make it a play toy.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIjhxrbotTg

 

KR,

yeah man great info!!

YES been super happy with the CK4010. was looking at the 3510 when bought the 4010. he had 25,35 & 40 all right next to each other & when i bought mine they were exactly the same except the motor. frame, trans, tires & so on was all interchangeable. it was only $800 more for the extra HP.... so thats the reason i got it instead of the 35. 1 more payment to go!

size wise a DK is way bigger & heavier than our CK's...... so thats too heavy for the yard. im rolling around about 4800lbs with tires loaded & ballast box. if its not dry out? its already a yard destroyer.

definitely dont wanna go bigger or heavier & actually need a smaller/lighter tractor for just everyday putting around.

how much more lift you needing? you doing big round bails up high?

this CK picks up 2k of sand or gravel in the bucket & can get it about 2 feet off the ground. (no its not rated for that, but it does it quite regularly here.... got the oversize skid steer bucket)

gotta remember: im not a farmer. just a hobby farm. bush hogging, stump grinding & log carrying with the grapple are the main functions of my tractor. it serves as a forklift for anything heavy quite often too.

would love to get together for a beverage sometime! if you ever roll up I-35? let me know. we have one of Bob Evans' grandaughters farms, so that gives you a good idea of where we at.

 

post note:

holy crap!! you been pulling your CK with a Taco?

man i love my little Taco truck.... but pulling anything more than just a few boards on the light trailer?

nope! will stick to the SuperDuty for actual pulling/hauling.

 

What do people like for a walk behind leaf blower?

 

I don't need the lift capacity everyday, but I have found the maximum my tractor can lift multiple times. Unloading pallets off a truck once month gets a little sketchy bringing them down to the ground. I do need build a good ballast box, that would fix some of the issue. Right now I use one of the implements, but they are big and not as heavy as a good ballast box would be. I also mow with mine and I won't drive on yard if it hasn't been dry for at least 2 days. I think the DK would be okay, as the tires are larger and displace the weight over a bigger patch of dirt. But it would still be even more necessary to ensure the ground is dry before venturing across the yard.

On a side note I was also comparing R-4 tires with the new R-14. I had been planning to get the new R-14s, but after seeing them in person side by side with the R-4. I'm not so sure now. These are all DK tractors in the picture. The R-14s are considerably smaller for the frame size and the lugs are much narrower. More like the R-1s in shape, but not quite as aggressive. It would take some time, but it might be better to use a grove tool on the R-4s.

 

I like these, just not the cost. Yikes!

 

Taco's are great work trucks, and my baby has worked more than most. She's due for retirement.


The most I've ever pulled with her, was on a trip to Kentucky to get some RR ties...


It was a slow trip home.

 

leaf blowers: if its not a hand held? then i use the lawn mower and/or lawn sweeper.
not gonna do no walk behind blower here. too much ground ot cover.

KR:
yeah i got R4's too. neighbor got those r14's on his new Kubota (yes i talked mr JD into a Kubota!) he ONLY mows with it so it will be fine.

not sure those would clean out enough cause i cake up the R4's & turn them into donuts all the time on the trails if its wet.
if could keep my Kioti out of the yard? would go to AG's!!

are you gonna MOW with a DK? holy crap! thats a lot of grass smashing!

YES the ballast box is well worth it! filled mine full of concrete & it topped out about 650lbs loaded. they got em at RK & TS.
keeps that weight nice & close to you. you can even let it down close to the ground if ya get tippy.

YES again: had loads on the forks that shouldnt of been there..... but this is what was trying to get across to the guy looking at BXs earlier in this thread. we all do it. once we have these guys we always overload them.

on these CK or DKs? & not really a big deal. same on Kubota's on bigger B series. not that big of a deal as long as you stay on the ground. couldnt tell ya how many times im on 3 wheels even on the 4010. happens all the time with big logs on the grapple.

do that to a little stamped frame BX & you ruined it. bucket setting crooked & so on.

back to the yard mowing though: if i was gonna mow with it? the B2601 is fantastic for mowing/FEL & small hogging. i miss that little guy.

 

Yeah, if I got a DK I would be mowing with it. My budget can’t afford separate mower right now. I would like to have a ZT mower but Unless I score one on the cheap at an auction or something similar. I think it will be a while before get one. I’ve been looking, but no luck so far.

I’ve been thinking about building my own ballast box. I know you can buy them ready to fill, but I think it would be good practice for me to weld it myself. I’d like to have about 1100# of ballast in the back. I think that would let me get the most out of the loader.

 

KR,

hear ya on the DIY.

my welding just depends on my sugar level for the day. lol
steel prices are why i bought vs built here. steel is high here.

no mowing with mine..... the ZXT does that job way faster & cheaper than my Kioti
You are in the know= do some shopping & get ya a good ZT. You deserve one!

the fella in this thread who does all the mowers would probably help ya out.

 

I may know a guy that has 3 projects on the back burner for March.

 

I downsized to the B2601 this fall, having moved to a much smaller property.