Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

[markie61]

Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Communication with my salesman was excellent - called me this morning to setup delivery. Delivery company owner/operator Mike took great care in loading (many, many straps and tie-downs) and unloading in the barn lot. Brought his family along for the ride - pretty cool!
It was dropped off about 2:30 and by dinnertime we had already put two hours on the clock. All four grandkids went for rides around the fields and in the woods; the older ones mastered the backhoe (especially the 8-year-old).
Some first impressions:
-Good fit and finish
-Cab really cuts out noise
-Solid, tight driving feel
-Backhoe operator platform is tall and a little difficult to mount - like it needs a step. Used the 3PH lift arm as a step and the stabilizer and fender for handholds, but that was slippery (and the fender flexed)
-The backhoe (my first) is super-heavy/top-heavy feeling on the back and makes it bumpier ride than my NHTC40D. Once I remove it and put the finish mower on, I anticipate it will be a smoother ride.
-Cold a/c felt good on this 90-degree, humid day
-Found a loose, never-tightened nut on the backhoe
-Front right tire rubs the loader hoses significantly when turning right - that needs to be addressed soon.
-LOVING the auto-throttle!
-Grapple control/3rd function on the joystick (my first) is super intuitive
-Lots of extra pieces not attached - 4 in fact. One is a plastic toolbox with a heavy-duty bracket (not sure where it is supposed to go), one is a drawbar and one is a swinging drawbar mount (I think they had to be removed for BH...?), and one unidentifiable metal piece (will post pic later)
-It rained, so got to use the wipers - one speed but a good pace - and washer fluid pumps.
-Super easy shift in and out of 4WD
-Range changes require a little more pedal modulation than my NH
-No temp gauge on dash - have to re-read manual to see if there's an idiot light
-I did not engage PTO yet (have to unbolt a cover first)
-Backup beeper is not as annoying as I thought it was going to be
Only took one picture (below) and a video (screenshot since I don't see how to easily upload to TBN), but more will be forthcoming in days ahead.

Bottom line: VERY happy with both our decision to go RK and the hardware quality.

EDIT: Here's a couple more pictures - Old NH hanging out with the new RK. RK's tires are bigger that NH's.

 

[hawkeye08]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Congrats! enjoy making memories! My 5yr old grand daughter decided she wanted to do big things on tractor, not small stuff (she has rode with me steering in the past). After some instruction, she manned the go pedal. I was in low range with throttle about 1500 so even with go pedal down all the way we were not going very fast.. she loved it.

 

[japody]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Very nice. Looks like you're going to have lots of fun for many years to come.

 

[bridge4]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Looks great! What a wonderful way to break it in, enjoy!

 

[gunny0628]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Awesome awesome awesome. No better feeling than delivery day. Congrats!

 

[gunny0628]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

The tool box goes on a ledge just behind the lower small glass on the outside or the cab. I’ll take a picture of it and post it in a few.

 

[jayincmh]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Congratulations! I love my RK55. Amazed at the power it has and what it can do. Very happy with my decision so far.

 

[markie61]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

The tool box goes on a ledge just behind the lower small glass on the outside or the cab. I値l take a picture of it and post it in a few.

Thanks! I looked at the parts diagram and saw that it went behind the cab left side. But on mine, the washer fluid reservoir is there. I'd love to see what yours looks like.

 

[markie61]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

C
-Lots of extra pieces not attached - 4 in fact. One is a plastic toolbox with a heavy-duty bracket (not sure where it is supposed to go), one is a drawbar and one is a swinging drawbar mount (I think they had to be removed for BH...?), and one unidentifiable metal piece (will post pic later)

Gunny is gonna help me with the toolbox mounting (from the parts diagram, looks like it conflicts with my washer fluid tank). The drawbar just has to be removed for the backhoe.
The mystery of the other spare partswas solved by reading the backhoe and loader manuals: in the exploded parts diagrams, there is a forward cross-member for the loader that is replaced to become both cross-member and front-mount for the backhoe subframe. Likewise, the stock swinging drawbar mount is replaced by a different drawbar mount that serves as the rear-mount for the backhoe subframe.
I guess when you get both a loader and a backhoe from RK, they give you the extra bits, like the OG cross-member and drawbar mount.

 

[markie61]

Re: Nobody has "a case of the Mondays" at The Farm - RK55HC delivered this afternoon!

Some first impressions:
-Good fit and finish
-Cab really cuts out noise
-Solid, tight driving feel
-Backhoe operator platform is tall and a little difficult to mount - like it needs a step. Used the 3PH lift arm as a step and the stabilizer and fender for handholds, but that was slippery (and the fender flexed)
-The backhoe (my first) is super-heavy/top-heavy feeling on the back and makes it bumpier ride than my NHTC40D. Once I remove it and put the finish mower on, I anticipate it will be a smoother ride.
-Cold a/c felt good on this 90-degree, humid day
-Found a loose, never-tightened nut on the backhoe
-Front right tire rubs the loader hoses significantly when turning right - that needs to be addressed soon.
-LOVING the auto-throttle!
-Grapple control/3rd function on the joystick (my first) is super intuitive
-Lots of extra pieces not attached - 4 in fact. One is a plastic toolbox with a heavy-duty bracket (not sure where it is supposed to go), one is a drawbar and one is a swinging drawbar mount (I think they had to be removed for BH...?), and one unidentifiable metal piece (will post pic later)
-It rained, so got to use the wipers - one speed but a good pace - and washer fluid pumps.
-Super easy shift in and out of 4WD
-Range changes require a little more pedal modulation than my NH
-No temp gauge on dash - have to re-read manual to see if there's an idiot light
-I did not engage PTO yet (have to unbolt a cover first)
-Backup beeper is not as annoying as I thought it was going to be

Second day and another 3 hours added:
-Removed the backhoe: pretty easy, but lots of hydraulic fluid came out of the connectors (maybe a 1/8-1/4 cup). Need to have rags handy. Even without the backhoe, the ride still feels bumpier/rougher than my NH - maybe the Rimguard/beet juice...?
-Removed PTO cover and installed 84" finish mower; mowed a couple acres. Somehow, the mower feels "closer"/"tighter" to the back end. PTO selector switch to "auto" and pushed the button to engage. Pleasant experience being cool from a/c and listening to my favorite band Fountains of Wayne connected via Bluetooth to the stereo.
-Used the cruise control for mowing - the push-button is a slow to respond when turning off (have to hold it more than just a "punch"). Same with the "cruise control speed switch" - have to hold it more than a "tick" to get a change.
-No temp gauge - it's an idiot light
-The owner's manuals - all of them backhoe, tractor, loader - are marginal translations. Often, I have to read something several times to understand what is actually meant. Here is an exact quote from the Draft Control Lever: "...By mounting the lever forward, the depth increase.<sic>" The Introduction & Description says the engine is "manufactured by Perkins".
-Removed the grapple to try on my old heavy-duty bucket - again, I was surprised by the amount of fluid that came out of connectors. Reinstalled it, but had to relieve hydraulic pressure in order to reconnect by turning the ignition on (but not starting engine) and cycling the 3rd function. Sight-lines make it very difficult to see where the SSL/QA plates on the loader align with the bucket, grapple, and pallet forks. With the grapple's hoses, have to be extra careful since the lock arms have to be vertical when unlocked (can snag hoses).
-Load sensing button would not stay on - pushed it, but indicator light went out after a second or two. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has experience with this anti-stall feature.

Still loving the new tool. The grandkids and I power-washed the New Holland to prepare it for sale. Looks really good. Someone will end up with a nice, well-loved, used tractor.