//View
@(Html.Kendo().TreeList<WebApplication1.Models.SerialModel>()
        .Name("treelist")
         .Toolbar(toolbar => toolbar.Create().Text("New Level"))
        .Columns(columns =>
        {
            columns.Add().Field(e => e.RecordID).Width(280);
            columns.Add().Field(e => e.SerialNumber).Width(160);
            columns.Add().Field(e => e.Name);
            columns.Add().Field(e => e.Location).Width(200);
            columns.Add().Field(e => e.ParentID).Width(140);
            columns.Add().Command(c =>
            {
                c.CreateChild().Text("New Child");
                c.Edit();
                c.Destroy();
               
            }).Width(250);
        })
        .Editable(editable => editable.Mode("inline")).Filterable(true).Filterable(f => f.Extra(false))
        .DataSource(dataSource => dataSource
            .Read(read => read.Action("TreeListData", "Home"))
            //.ServerOperation(false)
            .Model(m =>
            {
                m.Id(f => f.RecordID);
                m.ParentId(f => f.ParentID).DefaultValue("0");
                
            })
        )
        .Height(540)
)

//Controller code: 
public ActionResult TreeListData([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request, int? id)
        {
            var source = Enumerable.Range(1, 5).Select(x => new SerialModel()
            {
                RecordID = x,
                SerialNumber = x,
                Name = "Name " + x,
                Location = "Location " + x,
                hasChildren =  true,
                ParentID = x < 5 ? 0 : (x / 5)
            });
            return Json(source.ToTreeDataSourceResult(request, e => e.RecordID,
                e => e.ParentID, e => id.HasValue ? e.ParentID == id : e.ParentID == 0, m => m));
        }