Tractor Wars…The Battle Rages on. Branson 3515R vs. Kioti CK3510

Welcome back to “Tractor Wars” everyone. This continuing series matches different brands of compact tractors to see who has the best machines in the fields.

First off, I want to thank everybody for the kind words of encouragement. I also want to thank my competitors for donating their time and tractors to help me put this series together.

This round it’s Red vs Orange.

We put Kioti Tractors’ CK3510 against Branson Tractors’ 3515R. Both companies have a similar background, so this should be very interesting!

Here is a quick run down….

[Kioti is the trade name for Daedong tractors in markets outside of Korea. Daedong was founded in 1947, producing its first tractor in South Korea in 1968. In 1993, Daedong expanded into the US market with Daedong-USA, and the Kioti tractor brand] courtesy of Daedong IND.

[Branson Tractors, Headquartered in Rome, GA. is a trade name for compact tractors built by the Kukje Machinery Company of South Korea. Kukje has been building agricultural machinery since 1968, and has supplied components for Yanmar, John Deere and engines for Cummins] courtesy of Kukje IND.  

Here we put both machines head to head & the the winner in each category is in bold.

                                              BRANSON 3515R                              KIOTI CK3510
Engine                                35 HP 3 cyl diesel                               35 HP 3 cyl diesel

PTO horse power             30.0                                                         31.8

Tier 4                                  NON Computer/ NO re-gen            common rail/re-gen

Weight                               3079 lbs.                                              2679 lb.

Transmission                   12×12                                                   9×3

Shift Operation                Fully Synchronized Shuttle         Manual Gear Drive

Clutch                                Dry single stage                                 Dry dual stage

Hydraulic Total                13.4 gpm                                            11.7 gpm

PTO Speed                         2 speed                                               1 speed

PTO Type                           Live & Independent                        Live

Seat                                     Reclining suspension                      Suspension

3PT Hitch                          2420 lbs. @ 24″                                 1631 lbs. @ 24″

Steering                              Hydrostatic                                        Hydrostatic

Warranty                           6 years 2000 hours                           6 years no hour limit        

Optional Loader               2,200 lbs. Lift at 104″                     1,835 lbs. at 98.84″

Rubber Floor Mat            Standard                                            Optional

Side Mirror   Kit               Standard                                            Optional

Dual Air Cleaner              Standard                                            Optional

Arm Rest Kit                     Standard                                            Optional

Safety Horn                       Standard                                            Optional

The Kioti CK3510 has a base price of $20,800. I could not get the participating dealer to commit to an actual sales price though. The Branson 3515R sells at MT&T and other  Branson dealerships I checked with for the same $20,800.

Both tractors, in my opinion, have a nice offering for the money. Easily blowing away the green and blue competition.

I’ve summed up the main points and added my personal thoughts below. I hope you found this test helpful. Thanks!

• The CK3510 has an advertised 1.8 + PTO HP.
• The Kioti warranty does not count hours.
• Branson has a advertised 400 lb. advantage over the Kioti
• The steel hood and fenders on the Branson were a big plus.
• The Branson lifts 2,200 at 8.5 ft. where Kioti lifts only 1835 lbs at 8 ft.
• The 3515R 3PT lifts almost 800 lbs. more than the Kioti.
• Branson offers 5 standard features that are optional on the Kioti.
• Branson does not rely on a computer or re-generation system. That will make for a much easier engine to service.

1.  The Branson was able to pull more due to its heavier weight.
2. The higher hydraulic GPM allowed the Branson to lift more.
3. More standard features on the 3515R made for a more enjoyable tractor to operate.

Thanks for following along and I’ll talk to you all soon!