Strengths This is a great small tractor. It has done everything we have asked it to do. The 4 way bucket is great for pulling fence post and picking up trees that have been cut down. I have picked up and moved to the brush pile trees that were over 20 feet long with out a problem.

Weaknesses As stated before the dif. lock is in a bad location, could be longer, and the PTO cover is a problem. No rear hydraulic connections although they can be added.

Overall We purchased a used 1996 LB1914 with 114 hours in the fall of 2008, March of 09 it has 200 hours, to use on the small farm my son purchased in eastern VA. We needed to clear saplings and trees to make pastures for the horses. This small diesel has done what we have asked and more. Dealing with Tractor Hill Equipment has been great. They held the tractor for 3 weeks with only a hand shake. I have recommended a Kioti to many people and would purchase one again.

Strengths Great ground clearance, 4 year warranty, cheaper than several more popular brands yet better specs.

Weaknesses Operator area a bit tight for big guys. I see that I wasn't the only one with rodents, rats in my case, building a nest behind the dash above the fuel tank.

Overall I bought this tractor new in January 2007. I've only put about 30 hours on it in just over a year but it's been reliable so far. I've lifted some pretty heavy Ozark rocks and dug many a rock filled hole with the backhoe. Dealer was always helpful and just over $2K cheaper than a competing Kioti dealer. Local Kubota dealer would hardly give me the time of day and the BK series just didn't have the ground clearance I needed on my rocky Ozark acreage. If I bought another tractor it would be for more tire width to deal with my hilly property. I also would like a bit more reach in the backhoe department which would require a bigger tractor.Other than that this tractor does what I need it to do.

Strengths Value - it is hard to beat this tractor for capability for the dollar. Weight. Heaviest 19 hp tractor I know of. 50% heavier than a JD or kubota of this class. Nice low gears for pushing int piles without slipping the clutch or digging ground. Strong 3pt lift capacity. narrow (4ft bucket covers the tires, nice for making trails in the flower garden and woods). To correct a previous review that commented that the synchronizer on the forward reverse shuttle doesn't work well - There is no synchronizer for the shuttle. If you know this when you buy the tractor then you wont be dissappointed by how it works. The 4 on the floor are synchronized and work very well for shifting on the fly, just as well as my stick shift truck. The synchonized gears combined with a foot throttle allow you to control speed very well. I really like the transmission. It's not a hydro, it's not a power reverser, it now a synchro reverser, but if you know what it is it works exactly as it should. Good ground clearance (~12 inches)

Weaknesses The loader is weaker than I expected it to be. Although rated at 1600 pounds at break out (850 full life at pin) it does not life as much as the rear 3 pt. rated at 1300 @ 24 inches behind the link ends. I calculated that it should have 1200 pounds of break out at the bucket cutting edge. It may be less than that. I often can lift something with the rear forks that I can't lift with the bucket as I should be able to, but the difference seems more than 100 pounds. But no problem lifting a bucket full of gravel. Only have problems when trying to move boulders.

Overall Great small tractor. I've had it for 6 months and put 60 hours on it. It does everything one could expect a tractor of this size to do. Much less expensive than JD, Kubota, or New Holland of the same capability, and more capable than most other 19 hp tractors. If you go by size, not HP, it's about the size of most 25 hp tractors. With proper technique, it can pop the ball of an 8 inch diameter tree out of the ground in about 2 minutes (tree type and soil will be a factor here). Works great for grading dirt with at 6 foot blade. Has no problem towing a 7,000 pound trailer with 1,200 pounds of tung weight (although I wouldn't try much of a hill without breaks on the trailer). Dug out a driveway, no problem after the ground thawed. Forget it if it's not thawed.

Strengths Reliability, fuel economy, flexibility, cost versus Kabota, speed in high gear. Starts in all weather, summer or winter, 90 or 0 degrees.(I use fuel additive in the winter and a marine Interstate battery.)

Weaknesses Synchros not great making shuttle difficult and requiring double clutching sometimes and still I get grinding. i.e., The faster I work the more grinding of frd and rev. gears. chattering power steering if moved to fast. Weight capacity of front bucket surpasses lifting power. A bit light for plowing but I manage . Differential lock is in difficult position. Rear PTO guard is more a hindrince than help. I took it off. Engine access is a bit restricted with loader on. Mice love nesting on top of fuel tank, behind dash. Wish it had a mid mower and spring seat available.

Overall Great tractor,seems to be better value than new CK series and certanly better than Kabota. My local dealer is very good. After 480 hours in 4 years it has never failed me. AMSOIL deisel oil seems to agree with the tractor.

Strengths Nice size for small jobs, powerful for the size, so far reliable, good price, bought used from auction 1995 with 86.5 hours (very clean).

Weaknesses I live in upstate NY, has trouble starting when cold maybe (glow plugs). still working on solution.

Overall Happy with every aspect of the purchase, looked for 3 years comparing what I wanted to what was offered.