OrangeTractorTalks

Kioti's logo

The web is littered with Kubota versus Kioti discussions where various owners hem and haw trying to weigh the benefits and advantages of each. This post is going to step back from the fray and instead provide a bit of Kioti’s history and how it relates to Kubota because the two companies do have some history together.

An Overview
Kioti is manufactured by Daedong, a South Korean company that has been in the tractor business for about 60 years. Kioti is actually only used for their North American equipment, everywhere else, like nearby Australia for instance, they are known simply as a Daedong tractor. Daedong launched its Kioti lineup in 1986 but it was not until the early 1990s that they started to make headway in the North American market and become recognized in any serious numbers. Today there are more than 250+ Kioti dealerships in Canada and the United States compared to Kubota’s 1000+. Like Kubota they perform the majority of manufacturing in their home country and then perform final assembly and warehousing in one of three major centers: California, Texas and North Carolina.

In the Early Days
In the early 1980s Kubota from Japan and Daedong from Korea teamed up to build what is known as the Kubota “02″ series of tractors, namely the L1802, L2002, L2402, L2602 and L2802. It was a joint venture with Daedong manufacturing the transmission and Kubota providing its experience with the engine mechanics and other components. Interestingly, Daedong provided the design and fabricated the body sheet metal for these tractors which gives them their own distinctive look – no other Kubota looks like these tractors do. Despite the team effort, the “02″ tractors are still largely Kubotas with exception of their transmissions which means many parts for them are still available today. Production of these tractors lasted from the early 1980s, peaked in 1983 and then tapered off.

The L1802 - a joint venture between Kubota and Daedong

Lawsuits and Bad Blood
It is no secret that a Kioti tractor, with its orange coloring scheme, similar hood shape and decal lettering look an awful lot like a Kubota. Their names even start with the same letter, K! It seems that just about the only thing Daedong didn’t do was call their tractor a Kiboti. In either case, the bad blood started shortly after their relationship together in the early to mid 1980s. Kubota suspected its partner of stealing engineering secrets and repurposing them for its Daedong’s own gain, a big no-no. The aggression spilled over in late 2002 when Kubota filed a lawsuit against Kioti in a California district court. Kubota felt its trademark coloring and hood designs were being infringed upon and also sought to clear the air regarding confusion between Kubota and Kioti – there were strictly not one in the same.

A Settlement is Reached
The lawsuit dragged on for 5 years until August 2007 when a press release issued by both companies stated that the matter had been resolved – the amount of the settlement undisclosed. It is interesting to note however that Kioti still relies heavily on its orange color scheme much like Kubota and its hood designs and decals also look similar, so one can only speculate on what sort of agreement the two companies came to.

Kioti’s Equipment Lineup
Today, Kioti’s lineup spans the 19 through 90 horsepower range with its impressive new-for-2007 DK90 sitting atop. Not all that long ago Kioti did not have very many hydrostatic/HST models available in its lineup and they still do not have a larger TLB to compete with Kubota’s more commercial grade L39 or L48. And although they do not have as wide of product range (no answer back to Kubota’s mower or RTV models), they do have implement and mower deck support for their existing lineup – not a bad place to be.

Kioti DK90

Bottom Line
Arguments abound as to which manufacturer gives you more “bang for your buck”. Some argue that Kubota’s are overpriced compared to a similarly equipped Kioti, others provide anecdotal evidence of higher resale on Kubota’s lineup. Some take a neutral path – go with whichever dealership gives you the best deal or that is closest so you can get parts and service quickly. Kubota? Kioti? What we do know for sure is that as these two manufacturers continue to expand their product lines, the compact utility tractor landscape is going to get a bit more crowded and a lot more orange!

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Behind the wheel of Tiny Farm's B1700

Tiny Farm Blog is a comprehsive account of what a few folks with a couple acres of land, some basic tools and a Kubota can do. Tiny Farm is located in Ontario, Canada and is in its sixth season of harvest this year. The author of the articles takes its readers through the various challenges of growing organic food having come from zero farming or agricultural experience back in 2002. Based on their articles and photos, I’d say that that Tiny Farm had done pretty well for itself, the best far for us though, is getting to see some action shots of their Kubota!

Tiny Farm employs a Kubota B1700 they purchased second hand in 2003 but later upgraded with a new LA302 loader and 48″ rototiller. From their articles, we get to see some candid shots of our favorite orange tractor rototilling, suffering through a rototiller breakdown and demonstrating some other novel uses. The articles also dishes out handy loader tips for clearing beds in the preparation stages. My favorite shots are those of the spreader in action! It goes without saying that one should stay well back of that implement!

Head over to Tiny Farm Blog to see a Kubota put to good use and a healthy dose of inspiration.

Stay well back!

Remember folks, things could always be worse:

So, you’ve just discovered that you now own a gray market Kubota tractor. You may or not have known that before you plunked down good dollars for what you felt was a reasonably priced orange tractor! You thought it looked a little weird what with all the decals and instructions printed in Japanese. You did recognize that “Kubota” nameplate though, so it’s gotta be okay, right? Well the answer is not so black and white, pardon the pun – it’s a little gray!

A clean gray market L2000 from Australia

It’s a Kubota
First and foremost, rest assured that your recently acquired gray market tractor now proudly parked in your shed is 100% Kubota through and through. It was designed, engineered, assembled and shipped from exactly the same manufacturing facility as every single other Kubota tractor in the world! Kubota builds and ships their tractors to Argentina, New Zealand, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, India, Greece, Canada, Australia, the UAE, Great Britain, the USA among others. Kubota does not build a different tractor with different parts for every country they ship to! That’s worth repeating. Kubota does not build a different tractor with different parts for every country they ship to.

Part Song and Part Dance
So why is it then that your local brick and mortar Kubota dealer would like you to think that you own a “black market” tractor? As we know, it is a Kubota after all! It seems like your dealer can’t or won’t help you and may enjoy telling you that parts are “not available” because it’s a “gray market” model. You’ll never get an oil filter, water pump and good luck on a tire tube. “Buddy”, he says, “you’re screwed”!

The reason your dealer tells you this has everything to do with his franchise agreement with Kubota/KTC and little to do with his  claim that “you can’t get parts”. What he really should say is “I can’t sell you the part”, that is the truth. Your local dealer probably has a stock room full of parts that fit your gray market Kubota, the problem is he is bound by his franchise agreement to only provide parts and service for North American Kubota models.  

So What can I do if I need a Part?
Providing parts and service for gray market Kubota tractors is a cottage industry in itself. Look around your community and I’ll bet you’ll find a local resource there that can assist you in getting any thing you’d ever need for your gray Kubota. Our page sponsor Yenibiz does a brisk business selling parts to gray market Kubota owners the world over! In Canada, Acreage Outfitters has been providing parts and offering service assistance for years to owners of gray market Kubota models. Diesel Traders Inc in Australia is home to some of the most talented gray market service and parts people in this industry. Selling gray market Kubota parts and offering service to gray market Kubota tractor owners is a business all in itself. Support these businesses. They exist and enjoy success because they are filling this need and demand. There are many more service providers out there, start looking for them and support the hell out of them!

Your dealer is not the only source you have for parts either! Don’t forget your ag and auto parts stores for consumables and hard parts. The engine model number is all they need to whip up a rad cap, lower and upper hoses, a water pump, air/fuel filters, belts, gaskets, etc.

Watch the box stores for filter deals as well. Walmart has a hell of a regular price on Fram and Purolator oil filters. Who says you can’t get parts for your gray market Kubota?

Summary
The best way to put yourself in a position to maintain your gray market Kubota:

1. determine what model you have, and what its closest North American equivalent is
2. BUY a service manual, a parts manual and an operators manual, either for the original model you have or the equivalent
3. find local resources in your area, they are in business because your local  Kubota Dealer cannot help you 
4. consider other sources for your parts like auto supply and big box stores
5. learn from and educate others, participate in our forums

In the next little while we’ll be writing some articles detailing our tips and tricks to determining what your equivalent model is as well as a common “cross-overs”.

Service Department Vic

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Know your Diesel
Now that the cooler weather is here it’s a good time to look into the fuel requirements of your Kubota tractor. Often the cooler weather lands and we forget that there is a distinct difference between winter blended diesel fuels and traditional summer blends. If your Kubota tractor operates is in a locale where the temperature can drop to anywhere close to freezing, you’ll want to make sure you are not caught with a tank or a jerry can full of summer-blended diesel fuel this fall.

It’s in the Additives
So what’s the difference anyways? Well, glad you asked. Summer or warm climate diesel fuels lack the additives that prevents the diesel fuel from “gelling” when the ambient temperature drops below 30 some degrees Fahrenheit. When it “gels” you’ll know it right away. Not only will the fuel not flow, it takes on a waxy, gel-like, semi solid appearance which is truly an ugly sight when you have 500 feet of snowy driveway to clear!

Gelled diesel gets waxy and chunky

Too Late, I’ve got Gelled Diesel. Now What?
The fix is pretty straightforward:

1. get the tractor into a heated garage or shop
2. wait until the fuel liquefies
3. change the fuel filter
4. drain the sediment bowl
5. bleed the injector lines
6. add a good diesel fuel conditioner to the tank

What do you Recommend?
Adding a fuel conditioner will prevent the gel-up from reoccurring and it’s safe to use in your Kubota. Amsoil makes a good fuel conditioner called Cold Flow Improver which is available online. It’s also not a bad idea to talk to your fuel retailer to see if the diesel they dispense is blended for winter or cold climate use. Don’t forget the diesel in the jerry can either. If you bought it back in April (wished I bought all my fuel back in April!), then it’s probably not winter blended. Add some fuel conditioner to it as well and use it up.

Service Department Vic

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Some common terms and abbreviations related to Kubota, or for tractors in general for that matter, include:

• CUT – Compact Utility Tractor
  Next to their trademark orange color scheme, CUTs are perhaps what Kubota is most famous for. A CUT is a tractor that is smaller than a small farm tractor but still larger than a ride-on mower or garden tractor. They typically have power ratings in the range of 10-40 horsepower and nearly all have a three-point hitch at the rear as well as at least one power take off to drive attachments like mowers or rototillers. Despite their size, they are still very full featured pieces of equipment – being able to perform some smaller scale farming tasks like grading, cultivating, seeding, spraying or hauling bales.
  
  
  

  BX2200 with a LA211 front end loader and a mid-mount deck

  
  CUTs are most commonly found on acreages, hobby farms, orchards, wineries, golf courses or used by governments and municipalities for light duty maintenance. They are easy to maintain, easy to operate and are less expensive than their larger cousins which are considered “overkill” for a lot of tasks for small operations. Kubota is the market leader when it comes to manufacturing CUTs and has been since it began to introduce them 30-35 years ago. Other manufacturers like John Deere and Massey-Ferguson have followed suit and introduced their own popular CUT model lineups.

• FEL – Front End Loader
  The most common attachment or implement that you would find on a typical Kubota tractor. FELs are used for grading, digging, scooping and transporting loose material like soil, wood chips or gravel. They are also good candidates for add-ons themselves like pallet forks, spears for hauling bales or toothbars to give extra “bite” when digging. Many would agree that their FEL is the most useful implement they have and is typically the next purchase if you have acquired a tractor that does not have one equipped.

• PTO – Power Take Off
  The PTO is present at the rear of the tractor and serves to draw engine power to drive various implements. Common attachments that draw on the PTO include rototillers for breaking up soil, mower decks, snow blowers, pumps, backhoes and wood chippers – so very handy indeed! In addition to a rear PTO, some tractor models like the Kubota BX2200 include a mid PTO which powers its mid-mounted mower deck. A rear PTO typically turns at 540 RPM with mid-mount PTOs rotating at 2000 RPM. Obviously from these speeds and the power involved, PTOs in operation are considered highly dangerous. Be careful and mindful when in their presence!

• KTC – Kubota Tractor Corporation
  KTC is the manufacturing and distribution company for Kubota in the United States, often referred to as just “KTC” by insiders and dealers. KTC is headquartered in California but has warehouses in 3 other states as well: Ohio, Georgia and Texas. Combined with these warehouses they have an expansive dealership network of 1000+ dealers in the United States alone! [KTC's website]

• KCL - Kubota Canada Limited
  KCL is the Canadian version of KTC in the United States. The two are separate companies and have their own tractor warehousing, parts distribution systems and pricing. Kubota Canada is headquartered in Ontario with a warehouse in that province along with BC and Quebec. There are more than 150+ KCL dealers in Canada. [KCL's website]

• KCC – Kubota Credit Corporation
  Anyone who has financed a large tractor purchase knows who KCC is! KCC is Kubota’s financing, loan and credit company for the United States. Different rates and payment plans are available and your sales rep at the dealership can assist you with the details. An interesting note is that like a vehicle lease or one that is under financing, KCC requires insurance against theft or damage for your financed Kubota. Luckily they’ve thought of everything and created KTAC Insurance which provides this required insurance against flood, fire, theft and so on. The cost of this insurance is typically rolled into the installment loan itself but your mileage may vary. [KCC's website], [KTAC Insurance website]

• Gray Market Tractor
  If you hang around Kubota circles long enough you’ll eventually encounter the term “gray market” tractor. These are tractor models that Kubota has intended for use in one country or market that are being imported and used, against Kubota’s wishes, into another country. For example, Kubota’s small B-series, the B7001, was built and intended for use for the Japanese market some 20+ years ago. Importing this tractor into the United States would cause Kubota to treat your tractor as a gray market tractor. KTC has a strong policy against these types of tractors, in some cases instructing dealers to refuse service, parts or advice to those that own them. Kubota has actually made it against the law to further import these types of tractors into the United States. You can see KTC’s list of gray market tractors here.
  
  
  

  A gray market B7001 closer to original condition

  
  
  

  A gray market B7001 in restored condition

  
  
  It’s no lie that it is difficult to source parts and general service information on these types of tractors, but resources do exist. We’ll be running an article in the future that helps owners or those considering a gray market tractor, identify what type of equipment they have and where to find parts and support – after all, if it’s orange, it’s a Kubota!

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