LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — KIOTI has given several upgrades to its CK compact tractor lineup, debuting the CK40SE model at the 2026 National Farm Machinery Show.
And one of the biggest changes is right before your eyes — if you’re in the operator’s seat, that is.
The CK40SE swaps out the backlit analog gauges for a new 10.25-inch color LCD display. This change means that, when paired with the brand’s KIOTI Connect system, the user can now get alerts and other information directly on the screen in front of them.
But while the overall styling didn’t change much from pervious versions of the CK series, folks familiar with those previous machines will surely recognize even the little the changes. For example, the right-hand single brake pedal is gone, replaced with two pedals on the left side, providing a differential brake if needed. Also in the cab, the older tilt steering has been replaced with a telescopic steering wheel, which offers more fluid placement than ever before.
All of this is a nod to improving cab comfort, something that manufacturers across the industry are prioritizing.
The steering wheel “is now a stepless design,” explained Joel Hicks, KIOTI product development manager for tractors. “Before, you would have steps in that it would lock into set positions. But with a a stepless design, you’ve got pretty much anywhere in the range of motion you can set it.”
Hicks pored over many of the details of the machine, including the revamped fuel tank with a repositioned filler neck, plans to locate climate and infotainment controls along the right-side door in cab models, and some major updates to the loader. Those new loaders have a quick-release pinless design, rerouted hose connections for improved sight lines, and a kit that offers a mechanical self-leveling option.
At the rear of the 40-hp machine, KIOTI added a new four-point backhoe, providing a durable, ridged mount.
“But one of the things where the four-point mount is, a lot of times it takes up space where the three-point hitch is,” Hicks said. “So we’ve tried to be creative so that you can keep the lower links on the machine, just like you would be hooking up to a box blade or a rot, a rotary cutter, or something of that nature.”
The backhoe operator station is bigger than ever, so it’s easy to get on and off of — and it’s more comfortable. And underneath the operator station, there’s sizable toolbox where the operator can store lift rods, the center link, or a host of tools.
The new KIOTI CK40SE and the other models in the CK40 lineup can often be seen as tailored toward large-property owners and small farms, though the applications are even broader.
”It can appeal to the farmers that need a small tractor to get in tight spaces and do smaller jobs,” Hicks said. “Maybe they need to clean up around barns, get into buildings more easily, maybe moving a little bit of dirt and sawdust or something out of a horse barn. But then it also appeals to customers who are coming out and getting more into that rural lifestyle, that hobbyist, they’ve got some acreage.”
