Name: Jason
City, State / Province: Cranbrook, British Columbia
Model / Product #: CS2200 / Loader / Backhoe
This was a big investment for me, so I did a lot of research and looked at most of the major brands that were available in my area. There are a lot of good machines out there but the CS2220 had some features that were just another step up in the thought put into the design.
The control layout was more intuitive to me, and I found the hydraulic controls to be much smoother to use than the others I tried. I was so easy to move the hoe so slow you could hardly see it. The pin-less bucket quick attach is nice, and the lockouts on the backhoe also are attached to the how – so no pins to jiggle around or lose (except the pivot which has a holder for it). I found the Kioti seat to be the easiest to swivel from front to back operations.
The bucket linkage was way beefier on the Kioti than others as well, and the skid-steer style quick attach will be handy for me. The reversible pads on the stabilizers is also thoughtful, as you can have a true-flat side, and a spiked side, to give you the option to plant the hoe on pavement without cutting into it. The hoe also removes with little effort.
All the hydraulics are hard lines where possible and well protected and it just looks over-built for a smaller machine.
But like I said, there are lots of good machines and I really wanted a dealer that was going to make me feel confident in my choice. The folks at Rangeland in Cranbrook were just the right people. The owner took the time to show me his shop, introduce me to his lead mechanic and apprentice, and talk about how he has enjoyed being in the tractor business. He’s seen a lot of gear, and he chose Kioti to lead his product line. There was no pressure and he made sure I was getting a machine that would work for me. It was nice to see the pride everyone there had in their products.
After a demo and test drive, they took the machine back in and double-checked everything to get it ready for me to take home, and helped me out with transportation. We’re already talking about adding a front-mount snowblower as winter isn’t quite over yet…
Check out your local Kioti dealer, and if they make you happy, I can say that the machine they sell will make you happy as well.