Both compact · Kioti against LS Tractor
Kioti CK3520 vs LS MT226
| Spec | Kioti CK3520 | LS MT226 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$24,265 | $23,970–$25,856 |
| What that price is | MSRP, base build | dealer list, not MSRP, spread across dealers |
| Size class | Compact | Compact |
| Transmission | Gear | Gear |
| Engine hp | 34.9 hp | 24.6 hp |
| PTO hp | 28.9 hp | 19.2 hp |
| Loader lift | 1,969 lbsat the pivot pin | 1,965 lbsmeasuring point not recorded |
| Three-point lift | 1,631 lbsmeasuring point not recorded | 1,808 lbsat the ball ends |
| Hydraulic flow | 11.7 GPM | 11.7 GPM |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| Engine | Daedong | Mitsubishi |
| Weight | 2,734 lbs | 3,007 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 9.0 gal | 10.6 gal |
| 4WD | Yes | Yes |
| Front loader | Yes | Yes |
| Cab available | Yes | No |
| Hydrostatic | No | No |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | No | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr / unlimited hr powertrain | 6 yr powertrain |
A highlighted cell wins its row on the rule named above the table: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price. A lift row is left unwon whenever the two makers measured in different places, or where either of them did not say — a figure quoted at the pivot pin and one quoted 500 mm ahead of it describe the same loader and differ by roughly a third, so ranking them against each other would invent a result. Prices are typical list and move with dealer packages.
From owner discussion and long-term write-ups
What owners of each one say
Kioti CK3520
What they like
- 1,969 lb at the pivot pin is the highest loader rating anywhere in the CK series, including models costing $3,000 more
- 11.7 gpm of pump flow is also the series maximum, shared only with the CK4020
- 34.9 hp with 28.9 at the PTO drives a five-foot rotary cutter or a mid-mount deck without a struggle
- Common-rail 1,826 cc engine at $24,265 is a low entry price for that architecture in a compact
- 72-month unlimited-hour powertrain term, which no Deere or Kubota compact matches on hours
What they complain about
- 1,631 lb at the 3-point is the same figure Kioti gives its 24.5 hp CK2640, so the hitch does not scale with the engine
- Kioti's page never uses the word turbocharged - only the engine code implies it - so the induction setup is not actually published
- The gear price is the headline; the hydrostatic is $25,171 and the SEH cab $36,937
- No aftertreatment detail is published at this hp point, so whether a regeneration cycle is part of ownership is unclear from the maker
LS MT226
What they like
- 1,965 lb of loader lift at under 25 hp - roughly double what a sub-compact of similar power manages, because the frame is a full compact
- Staying below 25 gross hp keeps a diesel particulate filter and its regeneration cycles off a machine that will spend its life on short jobs
- The gear build returns 19.2 hp at the PTO against 17.1 for the hydrostatic, which is most of the reason to take the clutch pedal
- 11.7 GPM total flow with 7.1 GPM to the implement circuit is generous for the class
- 10.6-gallon tank is over 50 percent larger than the MT1 sub-compacts carry
- Cab versions exist on the same frame, so an enclosed machine at this hp point is a factory build
What they complain about
- LS publishes no price at all, and the two dealer figures for the open-station build differ by about $1,900 - hence the range rather than a single number
- The MT2 and MT2E lines share the 226 model number with different engines and feature levels, which makes like-for-like shopping harder than it should be
- A 12F/12R synchromesh shuttle still uses the clutch for every direction change, which tells on loader work
- 1,808 lb of 3-point lift quoted at the ball ends will be considerably less at the end of a long implement, and LS publishes no figure further back
- No measuring point is given for the 1,965 lb loader rating on any LS model page
- A 3,007 lb tractor with 24.6 hp is heavy for its power, so ground speed under load is modest