g8erh8er
Silver Member
Let me preface this by saying I wasn't in the market for a tractor until about a month ago when I saw some sitting outside our Rural King and looked at the prices. I have a 2013 MF 1532 (32HP HST) that does just fine for my needs, but I've always wanted a cab with A/C, just never thought I'd be able to afford one. Additionally, a little more power couldn't hurt as my Massey's 25 PTO HP does struggle at times in our tall grass with just a 5ft finish mower. I want to upgrade to a 6ft, but I'm concerned it will slow me down that much more having to baby the throttle in the thick spots.
That said, I've been looking at the HST RK37 and RK55 with cab models. The RK55 is slightly out of my price range, but there are things on that tractor I prefer over the RK37 which I'll mention below. Hopefully some of the insights I provide may help someone else trying to decide on which RK is right for them.
Fit & Finish
Both models appear to be made of quality components with a good layer of paint on the hood and side panels. I saw very little rust spots on those sitting in my local RK parking lot. However, one of the RK37s clearly had touch-up paint applied around one of the loader's pivot points. It was the only tractor that exhibited this condition among the three RK37s on the lot (and exhibited it on both sides of the loader). Touch-up concerns me on a brand new machine. What went wrong with that component that required touch-up? A bad weld around that boss that had to be redone? Who knows. Anyway, as shown in the pics below, the touch-up appears to have been completed by someone with an itchy trigger finger on the spray gun. There's also what I think to be adhesive residue (glue/tape?) in this same area, maybe from taping off the touch-up spot. Personally, I would not purchase a tractor that exhibited this trait. I just can't see paying that amount of $$ for shoddy paint work, much less what the touch-up implies about the specific history of that tractor. It wouldn't deter me from getting an RK37, just not this particular one.
Plastics
My Massey has a steel hood and side panels, and plastic rear fairings. The RKs appear to have all plastic body panels. The hood and side panels are a nice thick plastic that appears to be painted, while the rear panels are colored plastic like the Massey has. The rear plastics on the RKs are much thinner than those of the Massey, and have a cheap, almost brittle feel to them. Not a deal breaker, just something I noted. The plastic hood and side panels of the RKs seem just as stout as the metal versions on my Massey so no complaints there. I actually prefer plastic over metal in these areas for corrosion issues down the road, just personal preference.
Differences between the RK55 and RK37
Currently, I seem to be stuck on what I perceive to be the poor hydraulic routing of the RK37. With the creative use of a combination of fittings and extensions, I may be able to alleviate that concern. If not, is it worth an extra $5k to me to upgrade to the RK55? When you factor in some of the additional options you get with the RK55 (that I may never use), maybe. I'm sure there's other things I'll note when I get a little seat time in one of these tractors. As of now, these opinions are based upon a brief walk around of the units. If anyone who owns an HST RK55 or RK37 has any comments to make regarding my likes/dislikes, I'm all ears.
Thanks for reading.
That said, I've been looking at the HST RK37 and RK55 with cab models. The RK55 is slightly out of my price range, but there are things on that tractor I prefer over the RK37 which I'll mention below. Hopefully some of the insights I provide may help someone else trying to decide on which RK is right for them.
Fit & Finish
Both models appear to be made of quality components with a good layer of paint on the hood and side panels. I saw very little rust spots on those sitting in my local RK parking lot. However, one of the RK37s clearly had touch-up paint applied around one of the loader's pivot points. It was the only tractor that exhibited this condition among the three RK37s on the lot (and exhibited it on both sides of the loader). Touch-up concerns me on a brand new machine. What went wrong with that component that required touch-up? A bad weld around that boss that had to be redone? Who knows. Anyway, as shown in the pics below, the touch-up appears to have been completed by someone with an itchy trigger finger on the spray gun. There's also what I think to be adhesive residue (glue/tape?) in this same area, maybe from taping off the touch-up spot. Personally, I would not purchase a tractor that exhibited this trait. I just can't see paying that amount of $$ for shoddy paint work, much less what the touch-up implies about the specific history of that tractor. It wouldn't deter me from getting an RK37, just not this particular one.
Plastics
My Massey has a steel hood and side panels, and plastic rear fairings. The RKs appear to have all plastic body panels. The hood and side panels are a nice thick plastic that appears to be painted, while the rear panels are colored plastic like the Massey has. The rear plastics on the RKs are much thinner than those of the Massey, and have a cheap, almost brittle feel to them. Not a deal breaker, just something I noted. The plastic hood and side panels of the RKs seem just as stout as the metal versions on my Massey so no complaints there. I actually prefer plastic over metal in these areas for corrosion issues down the road, just personal preference.
Differences between the RK55 and RK37
- Hydraulic Routing - The hydraulic hose routing on the RK37 is just poor design in my opinion. The hoses jut out 90 degrees from the tractor and make for a nice big target for anything the front tires may throw up (large branches and such). The RK55 keeps the hoses parallel to the tractor body like my Massey, which I wholeheartedly prefer. If you're going to be operating on ground with little to no debris, this may never be an issue for you on the RK37, and may not even be an issue in debris laden areas. I'm not that lucky, and this kind of hydraulic routing is a real concern for me on the RK37. Pics provided below for reference.
- Cab Steps - The RK55 has steps on both sides of the cab, the RK37 only on the left side. Interestingly, the RK37 open models have steps on both sides. There is a slight change to the mounting area on the cab models that does not permit the installation of the step on the right hand side. Even more interesting, the open station RK37 models use different lengths for the loader hydraulic hose fitting extensions than the cab models. Actually, they may be the same lengths, just used in a different order. See below. The red hose uses the longest extension on the open station model, allowing it to be turned vertically and tucked behind the other hoses. On the Cab model, the red hose uses the shortest extension, requiring it to be turned out almost 90 degrees from the tractor body and being the basis for my gripe above. I assume this is simply because adding an extension to the red hose on the cab model long enough to enable it be turned vertically would likely place a lot of stress on the fitting and could lead to leaks. To sum it up, the hydraulic routing on the RK55 is fine, on the open station RK37 marginal, and on the cab RK37 poor (IMHO).
- 3rd Function - The RK55 comes standard with a loader handle with 3rd function trigger and front remotes, while the RK37 does not. It will cost roughly $1k to get this option installed on the RK37, so just something to think about if you plan on using a grapple or other front mounted attachment that requires a 3rd function.
- Tool Box - The RK55 comes with a small "utility" box mounted on the back, while the RK37 has a similar box mounted under the left step. I would have to replace this on either tractor because it's just a cheap plastic unit similar to something you'd keep fishing lures in. I need something with a latching top to hold tools. I wouldn't trust this one to stay closed on my rough land.
- Windshield Wiper Tank - I love the clean design of the RK37 cab that hides the washer fluid in the rear right cab pillar. The RK55 slaps the washer container on the back in what appears to be an afterthought in my opinion. Not a big deal, just looks kinda funny hanging off the back when compared to the RK37.
- 3-Point Hitch - The RK55 has a really beefy 3pt with telescoping arms and quick sets on the sway links like my Massey where you just move a pin to a new hole when you need to adjust the left/right sway. The RK37s sway links are threaded rods you have to screw in/out. I'm not sure what the benefit is of the telescoping arms on the RK55 so someone will have to school me on that, but if you change rear implements regularly, I can see the threaded bars on the RK37 becoming a pain. On the other hand, they do provide infinite adjustment so some may prefer that over the pin/hole setup on the RK55. I typically use a mower year round that stays on the tractor, so this isn't a huge decision factor for me.
- Rear Remotes - The RK55 has two, the RK37 one. I haven't needed rear remotes up to this point and may never, so this is another non-factor for me, at least current day.
- Cabs - The RK55 has a rear lower window that allows you to get a better view of the inside of your rear tires. I find this to be helpful to check that your sway is dialed in correctly and the sway links aren't biting into your tire lugs during sharp turns. Granted, I haven't sat in the seat so I'm not sure how easy it is to look through once you're in the cab. If you can look out of it while driving - that's a great addition.
- Power Plant - The RK55 has a turbocharged engine while the RK37 does not. I'm a big proponent of the KISS method (keep it simple stupid). The more components there are, the more stuff there is to break. I understand in this power category some of the big brands use turbocharged power plants as well. Hopefully the engine components of the RK55 will last as long as those on the RK37.
- Gas Mileage - I currently use about 10 gallons in my Massey mowing our 8 acres. I'd love to know if there's a big difference in gas consumption between the RK55 and RK37. However, if I could use a bigger mower on the RK55 (84") that could make up for it.
- Gas Tank Filler Location - The RK55's tank is located under the left side cab step. The RK37's tank is located in the back. Makes no difference to me. Either is easily accessible, and both are in a much better location than my Massey's tank filler (top of hood) that requires you to have the loader all the way down to access and gets diesel everywhere if it comes out of the can wrong. The only disadvantage I can see with the RK55 tank is that it may be more susceptible to damage from branches and other debris. I did not check to see if it has any type of protection on the bottom.
Currently, I seem to be stuck on what I perceive to be the poor hydraulic routing of the RK37. With the creative use of a combination of fittings and extensions, I may be able to alleviate that concern. If not, is it worth an extra $5k to me to upgrade to the RK55? When you factor in some of the additional options you get with the RK55 (that I may never use), maybe. I'm sure there's other things I'll note when I get a little seat time in one of these tractors. As of now, these opinions are based upon a brief walk around of the units. If anyone who owns an HST RK55 or RK37 has any comments to make regarding my likes/dislikes, I'm all ears.
Thanks for reading.
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