Originally Posted by
Dave Lehnert
I have a Kioti dealer about 45 min from me.
What made you buy the Kioti over another brand?
We were looking at Deere, Kubota and Kioti (basically the three brands within 1 hour). I had done my research and from what I could tell, all three were about equal in quality. Ultimately, the decision came down to the dealership.
We were looking in the 30 hp range. The Deere guy kept only showing me 40-50 hp tractors at a significant higher price point. The Kubota guy (who was one of the owners) was a racist a-hole (he was actually kept trying to tell me ethnic jokes).
The Kioti guys were great. They talked me through what I was primary going to do (bush hogging, light property work and road maintenance). They offered to sell me a larger tractor, but recommended the size that I bought (as in all things, I would mind a bigger tractor, but really don't need it). My wife went separately from me. They walked her through a bunch of the features of the different tractors, had her drive different ones. They treated her with respect and did not patronize her (she drives the tractor almost as much as I do).
In terms of quality, I have not had any issues with the Kioti (just routine maintenance-it is shed kept), but I only have 400 hours on it and it is the only the tractor I have ever owned.
I would highly recommend getting a front end loader (FEL). With a couple of hooks welded on the bucket and some chains, it is the most useful tractor tool you can own. Aside from moving material, I use it to pull, yank, and haul all sorts of stuff. Using the FEL and a strap is how I moved the pallet with table saw into the shop.
In terms of other implements, I have a box blade, dual beveled box blade ( aka land plane--best tool for road work), bush hog, finish mower, and a rake. Lots guys swear by their grapples, but I do not do a lot of brush clearing, so it would not be used often (we have 30 acres and my wife has horses).
I would like a back hoe, but the $5-8K price tag makes me pucker up.