[ponyakr]

Here's the best pics of the LS MT225HE pedals I've found.

They're laid out exactly like I want 'em. 2 brake pedals on the left side & the side-by-side forward & reverse HST pedals on the right side.

Elec PTO switch on the dash. It's laid out just like our JD lawn tractor. Simple. Easy to use. Right side is for go, Left side is for stop. Has brake latch for park & HST pedal latch for cruise control.

[ponyakr]

Well, I tried to replace one of the pics right before my hour ran out. But it appears that 4 pics were deleted, instead.

So, here are 5 pics of the LS MT225HE tractor.

[ponyakr]

Here's 5 more pics of the LS MT225HE.

[ponyakr]

Just read that Cliff chose his tractor. Glad he was able to find something he likes that will fit his needs !

Sure wish there were some of the models I'm considering, close enuff to me so that I could take a test drive on 'em. Will probably just wait 'til I can do that, before making a final decision.

I'd looked at the model Cliff chose, & decided it wasn't the right one for me, because it's too small, has the brake pedal high up over the HST pedals, & has the fuel filler on top. But since Cliff has had seat time on it, he knows how all the controls work. Hope it works out great for him.

The TY235 looks like one I'd consider, IF I was gonna buy one with enuff engine to require the DEF. Brake pedal is on the left. Nice seat
& handy loader stick location. Has some nice features. This video shows a close-up view of all the pedals, just past the 30 sec point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwgXwDWfTK8

BUT, besides the DEF, it looks to be about $6k or so past our budget.

[ponyakr]

"... both blue tractors have 2 brake pedals that can be locked together. Both Blue tractors look very similar. So, I assume they ARE made by the same company..."

I've watched this video several times & THOUGHT I'd posted a link to it in this thread. But I just skimmed thru & didn't see a link to it.

SO, here's a link to a video which shows the pedal operation on a Workmaster 25 tractor. It will be exactly the same on the LS MT225HE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnwSsnHXhao&t=340s

[Jack P.]

Whatever you do, make sure you sit on it and drive a bit if you can.
I made a chart with all the good and bad. I chose Kioti but LS was my second choice.
Because I am not a tall person I had to have tilt wheel. The Kioti 2610 had it but even with
the wheel down it was just not comfortable for me, I needed it to go down a bit more.
The Kioti 2510 tilt fit much better for some reason since they are almost the same tractor.
It was the size I wanted anyway but the slightly bigger unit was almost the same price so
I looked hard at it.

[ponyakr]

"...the slightly bigger unit was almost the same price so I looked hard at it."


I just posted this on 3 different tractor forums.

" I'm about to buy a new tractor. Was wanting an LS MT225HE, which is the same as a NH Workmaster 25.

My local dealer has had LS tractors ordered for month's & can't get one.

But, I've found another dealer who has an LS MT235HE in stock, for a good price. BUT, as ya'll know, it has the DEF system. I have never used a tractor with that system.

BUT, I've read only BAD things about it. So, for some of you guys who know, what would be the downside, or the "cons", if you will, of buying the 235, rather than the 225 tractor.

Is having the DEF system going to make me wish I hadn't bought a tractor with it ?

Sorry for the dumb questions. But I'm totally ignorant of this subject."

So, can any of you guys help me to understand this system & to know whether to even consider a tractor with it, or not ?

https://lstractorusa.com/tractor/mt235he-35hp/

[Jack P.]

"...the slightly bigger unit was almost the same price so I looked hard at it."

In my case, the 2610 was a next bigger frame, over 100ci motor but still rated at 24.5hp.
It weight more, lifted more, but was told it is really a 30hp motor rated at a low RPM to beat
DEF laws. Much like the car companies did back in the day. Kabota is at the other end with the smallest CI engines that's why they need 3200RPM to operate the PTO when mine and others
operate at 2600RPM.

[ponyakr]

Just got off the phone with Bruno's.

The LS MT225HE tractor a salesman told me they had in stock is actually a shuttle shift model, & they are not expecting to get any HST models in any time soon.

But, the salesman I talked to said they do have a Massey 1526 HST in stock, for $18,500. And it has free delivery & NO tax, since they'll deliver it to an out-of-state buyer.

It does have a single brake pedal, on the left side & side-by-side HST pedals on the right side. Looks like something that would work for us. But, it's not as big as I'd like. It's said to be sort of a "mid-size" between a compact & a sub-compact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smctuEInJvQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqMkPlOj0oE&t=24s

My local dealer is about 60 miles away. So I called them. They don't sell the small Massey tractors. And, he said that they would absolutely NOT do any warranty work on a tractor that they didn't sell.

So, it appears that I am just stuck here, & will have to wait 'til LS sends a tractor to my LS dealer. It will be very interesting to see just exactly how long it takes, since the assembly plant is only 100 miles from me. .

[Jack P.]

They look nice but,,, no tilt if you care, no arm rests, I use mine often, that cow pusher on the front does nothing and once you break a $300 headlight you will fix that, and last is something I could never live without, the skid steer quick detach front bucket. Unless you never use pallet forks, or anything else. I hear good things about the auto throttle, Bobcat also has it but Kioti does not and they are the same.

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Jack P.

They look nice but,,, no tilt if you care, no arm rests, I use mine often, that cow pusher on the front does nothing and once you break a $300 headlight you will fix that, and last is something I could never live without, the skid steer quick detach front bucket. Unless you never use pallet forks, or anything else. I hear good things about the auto throttle, Bobcat also has it but Kioti does not and they are the same.

I've never had arm rests or tilt on a tractor, as far as I know. So, that wouldn't be a factor.

I did notice that low front bumper. Would rig up something better. I punched out a headlight & busted the light panel of my Kioti. Don't use it at night, so I just removed the entire panel.

BUT, the main deal against buying a Massey is that I wouldn't have any local dealer that would do warranty work, if needed. That's a deal breaker.

If I could swing a bigger tractor, the Mahindra 2638 looks like a really nice choice. Has just about everything, including side-by-side HST pedals & side-by-side brake pedals on the left side. I could really live with one of these ! A local dealer has 6 of 'em, in stock. BUT, the total price is about $25k. Can't do that right now. ;(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBMKYCIUy7k

[Sirrotica]

I had never heard of LS before until this thread. Googling it says it's actually tied to LG, the company in S. Korea that makes appliances. Learn something new everyday.

[ponyakr]

TJ & I decided to take a tractor trip today. Went to our local LS/Mahindra dealer, about 60 miles away. Was a very pleasant trip. We spent about half of it riding along eating the breakfast croissants we bought along the way, @ BK.

We went there to let TJ see the 2638 Mahindra, set in the seat, & work the controls. That model is about $5k out of our price range. But I just wanted her to see what would be my pic, if we could swing it. She was also impressed with it. It's nice, ya'll.

Next, we headed for Sicily Island, LA. There is an LS dealer there that told me over the phone that he had the LS model we wanted, in stock. So, we wanted to check it out, especially the operators station & controls.

I'd also been told that there is an LS tractor assembly plant, somewhere in that area. Well, what the guy told me was true, sort of.

Turned out that the assembly plant was right behind the retail store, "Big B Sales". And, the building used to assemble the tractors is just a long extension of the store front.

Well, there were quite a few tractors inside the building, in various stages of completion, as would be expected. BUT, most everything else we saw, I was not expecting.

We told the onwer of the retail store what tractor we wanted to check out. He said they had one inside, with no tires, just wheels. He was sorta right. The "wheels" were actually what appeared to be solid metal discs, as seen in pic #3. Also it was a shuttle shift model, not an HST model.

But, we did a little seat time in it, anyhow. I asked if he had an HST model TJ could sit in. He said that there were a couple still in a crate outside, & that she MIGHT be able to get into the seat of one of 'em.

So, as he headed out the back door of the long building, we followed him. I was NOT ready for what I saw. There were row after row after row of crates full of partially assembled tractors. Hundreds of tractors, of various sizes.

In my mind, I'd pictured the tractors as being in many small pieces, needing complete assembly. But, that was not the case, at all. I'd say they were MOSTLY, assembled, but all needed some wheels/tires mounted on 'em, & the loaders mounted.

The guy said that although they have lots of tractors, the hold-up is that they don't have any wheels/tires for most of 'em. Said LS just didn't order enuff tires, soon enuff, or something like that. Of course I can't verify that. But, apparently, most of the tractors are shipped from Korea without tires/wheels, so those must be purchased elsewhere.

I'll post 5 pics on this post & 5 on the next post, so that all you guys who have never seen a tractor assembly facility will have a better idea of what this one is like. It was certainly an experience we'll never forget.

The guy said they send tractors mostly to dealers in the South & mid-South, from TX to AL, MO & Ark. Said they had occasionally sent 'em as far as Wyoming. But they don't send 'em to the Northeast or Atlantic coast states.

The 1st 2 pics are of the model we wanna buy. The 3rd pic is of the same tractor, in a shuttle shift version. It's the one with the solid disc wheels.

The guy said they had 6 of the model we want. They were all outside still in crates. There were 4 in one crate & 2 in the other. The crate with only 2 in it is the one TJ was able to get into, to sit in one of the tractors.

[ponyakr]

Five more pics

In pic #6, there appear to be a couple of stacks of wheels/tires. Don't have a clue what size tractors they fit.

[ponyakr]

Just thought I'd post a copy of the post I put on 3 different tractor forums, & see if by chance any of you guys could help me locate this part.

"Looking for KIOTI Tractor T2185-69517BB Head Lamp Assembly for CK25 27, 30, 35 model tractors, built between about 2004-2014.

There's a new one on Ebay for about $350.

I live in North central Louisiana. Anybody know of a tractor salvage yard in the mid-South that might have some of these Kioti models with a decent assembly ?"

So, anybody here have any help or suggestions ?

Why do I need this part ? Mine got punched out when I ran into the end of a tree, while moving a pile of brush & small trees. I don't use the tractor at night, so don't need lights, for my use. But, since I'm trying to sell or trade it, it would look better & probably be worth SLIGHTLY more, if it had the light assembly in place, rather than just an open hole.

Below are 2 pics I found online of the front of a Kioti, with the assembly in place. It includes the lights & black piece under it.

[ponyakr]

For anybody thinking of buying a new compact tractor, in the $25k range, I just noticed this one. It has the side-by-side HST peddles & the left side brake pedal. Also has a 10-year powertrain warranty ! Looks like a tractor I could definitely live with.

https://www.yanmartractor.com/about/...rain-warranty/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7IWhLnWDfc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8_G_-v6FA&t=525s

Some dealers are selling it for a round $25k + tax. Some are higher.

https://www.tractorhouse.com/listing...40-hp-tractors

Here's a video of one that was delivered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGvmP-GYX4U

So, If $27k-$28K was in our budget, I'd definitely consider this model as well as the 2638 Mahindra I mentioned, as well as this one. Each has it's advantages.

[ponyakr]

Well, it ain't the 1st time, but my 1-hour limit on edit time ran out again, just as I found something I needed to edit.

One thing was minor, so I won't even mention it.

But, I noticed that one of the videos I posted a link to showed a tractor that had a shuttle shift trans. I'd copied that link, before I noticed it. I thought I'd copied another link, after that. But I suppose I didn't do the copy correctly, so I posted the last thing I'd copied.

Anyhow, here's what I meant to link, rather than parking brake safety switch video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwgXwDWfTK8

[ponyakr]

No, we didn't get a tractor yet.

I went to Monroe to check out 2 brands I hadn't looked at yet. Went 1st to look at a Yanmar YT235.. It looked great. Looked to have everything we want. Side-by-side HST pedals, left side brake pedal, cruise, arm rests, & more.

But then I climbed on it & sat down in the seat. The salesman was short, so I assumed he had the seat pulled up part way. But when I tried to put the seat back farther, it wouldn't go. I asked the salesman to look & see if it would go back any further. It would not.

With both feet flat on the floor, @ aprox a right angle bend of the knees, both feet were UNDERNEATH the pedals. In order to get either foot on top of the pedals so that I could operate 'em, required me to pull my feet back farther, then raise 'em straight up, then back down on the pedals, It was VERY uncomfortable. Even if I modified the seat brackets to allow the seat to go an inch farther back, it wouldn't be enuff.

So, for me, the Yanmar is out. Looks like a good tractor for a shorter person.

Then I went about a half mile away to the green tractor dealer, just to verify everything I've read about the JD 3025e. They didn't have a 3025e @ that location. But, they did have one of the same platform, with a slightly bigger engine. Said the operator's station was exactly the same.

So, I took a test spin. I finally got my 1st chance to actually drive a tractor with an HST trans. I was in for a surprise. Everything was going fine. I was cruising in the vacant parking lot next door. Decided to stop & go backward for a while.

So, I put my foot on the brake pedal & was prepared to mash on it. Then I let completely off the forward pedal. Just before I mashed on the brake, to my great surprise, the tractor INSTANTLY stopped. I was NOT prepared for that ! My upper body lurched forward, with the head wanting to go a little farther than that.

I assume that if it had been in loose gravel the back tires would have slid. Looks like we won't be needing any brakes, except under extreme circumstances. Now I know. Learned something new today !

And, as I've read, JD is proud to charge thousands more, because of their name & large network of dealers. There's a dealer, owned by this same co, in most every decent size city in my area. The salesman said I could get my warranty work done at any one of 'em.

Also said I could get an extra 5 years of warranty, past the initial 5, if I'd pay them to change the oil & filter once a year. Current price is $162, + $100 to pic up & return it.

Get $200 off because we bought our JD mower there last year. Another $200 military discount. And, what he claimed is the current $2000 rebate. But, with all that, the totally price is about $24.5k. NO, JD, I don't think so !

But they know that they can get away with the higher prices. The salesman I talked to said he personally sold 110 tractors last year, not counting lawn mowers.

Not counting dealer support & resale value, there are MUCH better deals out there. The 3025 has no cruise & the alum rear end housing. The salesman told me that JD did that to keep the fluid temp lower. Can't verify.

[Jack P.]

How far are you from this guy. He has many choices in stock and makes
some good deals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXpVO21HMhg

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by Jack P.

How far are you from this guy. He has many choices in stock and makes
some good deals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXpVO21HMhg

I'm nowhere close to him. I live in North central Louisiana.

It's no problem finding a tractor out of state. I've found plenty, online. Like I posted, a big dealer in Ark has really good prices, free delivery in the lower 48, & charges no tax for anybody who doesn't live in Ark.

There are 3 reasons why I haven't bought from him & probably won't.

(1) He doesn't have the model I want, right now.

(2) If I buy from him & need warranty work, I'll have to pay to have it shipped back to him, in Ark, since I don't have a rig to haul it on. No dealer in my area will touch it, if I buy from him. My local LS dealer told me out right that he would not do any warranty work on it.

(3) Unless/until I can sell my Kioti, I can't buy a tractor from anybody. So, until that happens, I'm stuck with somebody that will take my Kioti in trade, for $10k difference.

Right now, there's only one dealer who says he'll do that. And, so far, he hasn't been able to get the new tractor we want. Says he MAY be able to "confiscate" one, whatever that means. I assume it means talk some other dealer into transferring one.

There's only one dealer within 150 miles of me that I've found to actually have any of this model in stock, they say. They say it's their very best seller. So, I can't see them giving any of 'em up to another dealer, as hard as they are to come by, nowadays.

But, maybe my dealer has enuff clout with somebody at LS to force that MS dealer to let one go. I have no idea. But, I find it very interesting. Seems there is a lot of "politics" going on right now, in the compact tractor industry.

Don't know if the LS backlog will get cleared up this year, or not. I suppose it's not really that big of a deal. Our Kioti, will do everything we need a tractor to do. So, if it's later in the year, or next year, we'll make it, just fine.

Would just like to get the HST model, so TJ can start using it some. She has driven the Kioti some, but says she is just not comfortable with all the controls AND having to use the clutch & select the right gear. The HST will make it easy to use.