SMALL TRACTOR REVIEWS
R Farms & Farm Machinery looks back at some of its most popular reviews from the last decade. This month, four of our best small tractor reviews
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eureka moment Mark Fouhy experienced an epiphany when he tested Kioti’s smallest tractor, the CS2610, in 2014
Above: The 24.6L/m hydraulic pump, provides plenty of power for loading jobs
Kioti sub-compact tractor CS2610 Engine
Three-cylinder, 1,131cc Shibaura
Power
26hp (19.4kW) @ 3,000rpm; 20.5hp (19.3kW) power take-off
Trans
Two-speed hydrostatic; 2WD/4WD/rear diff-lock
Speed (max)
16.6km/h forward/11.2km/h reverse
PTO
540rpm rear, standard; 2,200rpm mid, standard
Hyd
24.6L/m hydraulic gear pump
Linkage
318kg lift capacity, Cat I ball ends
I
travelled to Eureka, near Waikato on New Zealand’s North Island, to test the Kioti CS2610 – a Swiss army knife-type machine for the lifestyle block owner, or a handy addition for some of the smaller jobs on a bigger farming operation. Its three-blade, 60-inch (152cm) mid-mounted mower deck made for some serious cutting in the back orchard where I tested it, with steel that would appear to be twice the thickness of your average lawn tractor, and replaceable wear plates on the front, for years of mowing. The Kioti can also operate the deck independently of the rear linkage, with the adjustment mechanism located on the left-hand guard. One improvement I could see was the addition of castor wheels on the front of the deck, which moves the most when locking around tight corners, preventing it skidding over the ground. Given the dampness of the ground and tight corners I was mowing through, the little Kioti made minimal mess with the industrial tyres fitted. Being fitted with a loader I would certainly see no real advantage in fitting turf tyres. After completing the lawn service, we removed the cutting deck, which is easily enough done but would be much faster the second time around, once you know what you are doing. Ground clearance with the deck on is good, but I had a shed site to start preparing, which involved shifting some soil, and digging out a couple of tree stumps. The Kioti is fitted with a front-end loader, with some bigtractor features built in, including stands incorporated into the frame with quick-release hydraulic couplers, making loader removal quick and simple. You can grade with the back of the four-in-one bucket, powered by the loader’s third service valve, instead of wearing the cutting tip down, or use it to pull posts (within
reason), as well as a variety of other jobs. The only problem I had was resting my hand on top of the joystick loader control, which activates the third service, but that was just the operator not used to the different placement of the function. The low range of the two-speed hydrostatic transmission works best for digging work. With the industrial tyres and mechanical four-wheel drive and rear diff lock, it is a handy little loader tractor — not a 10-tonne excavator, but certainly better than a spade and shovel. Controls are well laid out, with an almost flat operator platform. Lights, horn and indicators are included in one unit on the left of the steering wheel with the hand throttle on the right. The illuminated dash shows fuel/temp/rpm etc. Adjustable seat, loader controls and twin forward/reverse pedals are features to offer a comfortable driving position to suit the operator for repetitive work. Being a new machine, some of the controls, such as the throttle and forward engagement, were stiff, as you would expect. One feature I think could be improved is the park brake. I found it hard to tell when it was on or off – a dash light may help with this.
ENGINE Kioti has fitted a three-cylinder Shibaura 26 horsepower (19kW) diesel to the CS2610, providing 19.1kW of power at 3,000rpm. The main job of the engine on this machine is to power the 24.6L/minute hydraulic gear pump, which will drive the two-speed hydrostatic transmission, rear linkage and loader functions. The little diesel engine is an economic option as it’s fairly frugal on fuel, with a 25-litre tank you won’t be filling up after two hours’ work.
Looking for a Kioti? Search for ‘Kioti’ on TradeFarmMachinery.com.au or type the TA or DIY code shown here into the keyword search field
44 TradeFarmMachinery.com.au
FFM2012_391 editorial.indd 44
$21,995
TA483112
KIOTI CS2610. FWA, 26hp diesel, 2 range hydrostatic drive, FEL. • QLD 07 3073 8164
$20,600
DIY1051994
2015 KIOTI CS2610. 380hrs light use since mid 2015. 26hp diesel FEL. • NSW 0433 986 298
$21,995
TA873797
2019 KIOTI KI-CS2610 ROPS.3cyl 26hp, unique hobby farm tractor. • VIC 03 8373 7292
THE TRACTOR YOU WANT IS NOW EASIER TO FIND
22/10/2020 12:53:26 PM
