KIOTI is giving its 66- and 73-hp utility tractors a stylish and functional facelift for 2024: A prototype of the brand’s RX40 Series was on display at the 2024 National Farm Machinery Show.
This is the kind of machine that will fit in well with a variety of producers, including livestock and hay farmers — it’s small enough to be mobile but big enough to carry its weight on larger operations.
While there are clear similarities under the hood compared with the RX6620 and RX7320 models — for example, they have the same power plant and the same basic transmission — the RX40 series delivers a taste of more modern design with some creature comforts.
“A lot of those components that were already proven, that were rugged and reliable, we’re utilizing the same ones, just working on improved styling, improved visibility, and creature comforts of how you relate to the machine inside the cab,” said Joel Hicks, KIOTI’s product line manager.
The new series has a more rounded hood and curvature in the loader, which sits a bit lower and allows better visibility for the operator. And whereas the 20 series had a six-pillar cab, the RX40 has five pillars, which allows for a wide door on the right-hand side (which you don’t go in and out of too often) that is also easy to see out of.
The cab is also now equipped with a sunroof, aiming to make working with a bucket or any other attachment on the front of the machine that much easier.
“If you’re stacking hay, for example, it’s very easy to transition between the top of the window and the sunroof, so you never lose visibility of the loader,” Hicks said.
The left side of the cab allows for an optional instructors seat. And it has a new switchpod on the right-hand side that controls work lights for the cab all in one convenient area. The HVAC system is now below the cab, so operators get more roof height.
A standout change with this tractor is that it has an electronic three-point hitch, while the ones on the RX20 series were mechanical. Now, operators can set the range they want it to operate in and change it at the click of a button.
“Whenever we improve something, we try to improve on the ergonomics,” Hicks said. “These changes make it a lot more convenient.”
In addition to the design change, the loader has a few new features, including a soft ride kit that can be selected straight from the cab — so the loader can move independently and doesn’t create as much shock load. Operators also have the option to more easily add a third function because the joystick in the cab is already prewired for it.
The RX40 Series comes out later this year, with a cab version as well as a ROPS version.