King Kutter

[Dougster]

I compared the remaining KK implements with the new Farm Force on the lot at my local store. The FF landscape rakes use the double bolted tines and look very straight compared to KK. The rotary mowers, however, look lighter to me. The KK mowers have the heavy 'I' beam sides, but the FF have a lighter gauge metal (by appearance). I was looking for a heavy duty KK box blade but they are phased out already with none available.

Are your local "Farm Force" implements made by Tarter Gate or Hawkline?

Yeah, one lucky guy had managed to order a 6' KK HD box blade in April (before ordering closed?) and it was still sitting there in the TSC lot on its pallet. I tried to convince them that I was that guy! Too bad the name on my license didn't match the name on the rain check! It didn't work and I had to settle for a 6' FF standard-duty box blade... the biggest and last one they had in stock. Had no choice due to client timing issues. I sure hope it holds together.

There are clearly subtle (and a few not-so-subtle) differences between the KK and FF products... and it will be interesting to see how those differences play out in terms of strength and reliability. I was not able to compare the 6' FF rake I bought (yes, a foot too short... but again, the biggest and last one they had in stock) against KK rakes as there were no KK rakes left. I do remember looking at a Challenger MR207 rake (by Taylor Pittsburg/KK) recently and it was clearly a different design. Whether better or not I really don't know.

It's interesting that some New England tractor dealers stopped carrying KK when TSC moved in because they could not compete item for item on price. It will be interesting to see if KK returns to the independent dealer's yards now that TSC seems to be phasing them out.

Dougster

 

[bjr]

The Local Western wear/ Tractor Parts Store sells somethin' called "Five Point". It's painted brown kinda like the XB series KK. The stuff seems to work okay. I've got a yard full of there stuff. For the money it gets the job done and I spend what ever I've left on fuel for the tractor. bjr

 

[vrman]

I couldn't find anyone around me that had the KK brand. TSC or Farm & Fleet. Most of the dealers around me handle the high end woods, bush or land pride. I ended up ordering some howse equipment from Northern Tool online. Cost a boat load of cash to have it shipped though. Didn't have much of a choice though.

 

[Dougster]

The Local Western wear/ Tractor Parts Store sells somethin' called "Five Point". It's painted brown kinda like the XB series KK. The stuff seems to work okay. I've got a yard full of there stuff. For the money it gets the job done and I spend what ever I've left on fuel for the tractor. bjr

My new 6' FF (by TG) rake may be a bit short, but I'm sure it will get the job done. I am far more concerned about the 6' FF/TG "standard-duty" box blade. The KK heavy-duty was much better built... way more steel... in critical high stress areas; although, ironically, the welds were clearly better on the FF/TG! But there was no way I could wait on an open-ended, no committment, no schedule order.

Folks have warned me to dig deep and "over-buy" for any Mahindra when it comes to 3-pt hitch implements. The day may come when I can afford the time and money it takes to order Woods, York or Land Pride, etc... but for now it seems I am stuck in the land of King Kutter/TSC/Farm Force-grade products.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

I couldn't find anyone around me that had the KK brand. TSC or Farm & Fleet. Most of the dealers around me handle the high end woods, bush or land pride. I ended up ordering some howse equipment from Northern Tool online. Cost a boat load of cash to have it shipped though. Didn't have much of a choice though.

Yeah, shipping costs can mess you up bad. It's a pity because Northern Tool offers their KK items at otherwise very competitive prices... including some items I want that are NOT available from TSC.

Dougster

 

[bialecki]

In general I found KK's overall quality not to be the same as Woods, Midwest Landspride or First Choice. KK seems to be an implement with cost cutting in mind from its design. That said I do not know how well KK holds up, but my 6' Midwest rake is excellent and is holding up great, glad I spent the few extra bucks for a very sturdy & well built implement.

 

[JoeinTX]

The King Kutter line was never intended to match-up with the like of Bush Hog, or M&W, or Rhino, etc.

It's a low-end budget choice for those who need an implement for casual use, on the weekends, and on the cheap. Does that necessarily make them bad? No. A whole lot of people have gotten their money back and then some with the KKs of the world. Many of their units will last years and do lots of serious grunt work if maintained. Some others will fail due to poor build or abuse that higher dollar brands may withstand.


I almost bought a KK but instead went with their primary rival in the budget market, Howse when buying a shredder. I've cut everything from yard grass to 1'' roots and limbs with it and it seems to hum along without a complaint. A few weeks ago, after a pretty darn good storm, I had several limbs down. I cut most everything over an inch up for firewood but was left with a large amount of left over branches. I thought about burning them or making a pile, but, I decided to "mulch" them as best as I could with the Howse. I now have a large distribution of thumb-sized remnants spread over an acre or so that are slowly drying and decaying and will ultimately become fertilizer.

Anyway, if anyone is looking economy on equipment I would recommend Howse due to history and support. I broke the PTO guard not long after I bought it.......emailed them from their wed ordering form and got it within a week or so. Not too shabby.

 

[Dougster]

In general I found KK's overall quality not to be the same as Woods, Midwest Landspride or First Choice. KK seems to be an implement with cost cutting in mind from its design. That said I do not know how well KK holds up, but my 6' Midwest rake is excellent and is holding up great, glad I spent the few extra bucks for a very sturdy & well built implement.

You've got more tractor dealers and a much broader range of brands & choices down there in Southern CT than I've got up here in Eastern Taxachusetts. Everything up here is either Woods or Land Pride and cost megabucks... and even at that, almost nothing can be seen in person or bought off the lot. Everything must be ordered in sight unseen. Believe me, I've done my shopping near and far... and at the end of the day, there is just nothing economically sensible and readily available to me in between the megabuck prestige brands and KK/FF. I really do wish there were some practical, readily available middle ground!!!

Dougster

 

[bialecki]

Hi Dougster, I feel you nailed it right on, there isn't too much in between the high end and the economy lines such as KK (which sounds like it really is not too bad in quality based on some responses). Trying to buy an implement via the internet or Ebay I found just doesn't pay due to shipping costs, it drives the cost right up there as if you were to buy a name brand from a dealer who has the item in stock. So in close TSC has a niche market for the non-professional such as myself that needs an implement to get the job done. Once the job is done the tool may sit, but that a topic for another thread.

Dennis Bialecki

 

[Dougster]

Hi Dougster, I feel you nailed it right on, there isn't too much in between the high end and the economy lines such as KK (which sounds like it really is not too bad in quality based on some responses). Trying to buy an implement via the internet or Ebay I found just doesn't pay due to shipping costs, it drives the cost right up there as if you were to buy a name brand from a dealer who has the item in stock. So in close TSC has a niche market for the non-professional such as myself that needs an implement to get the job done. Once the job is done the tool may sit, but that a topic for another thread.
Dennis Bialecki

Hi Dennis - Well, Lord knows I am trying hard to *BE* a pro... but it ain't exactly happening at light speed here!

Yes, some of the KK stuff is actually quite good. Even the prestige name brand salesmen will admit (after checking for the boss overhearing) that KK's gear-driven tiller and some of their heavier-duty stuff is actually pretty darn good. Everyone hates their welds and I think some of the lighter-duty stuff that gets bent up by the big tractors tends to give them second class citizenship in the 3-pt equipment world. It doesn't help that discounters TSC and Northern Tool sell them.

As a wannabe pro... I was really searching hard for that middle ground. I specifically wanted to be a step above KK... even if for no reason other than good marketing... but I didn't want to go broke buying Woods and Land Pride from the local Kubota "Yuppie" palaces. I did find some leftover, semi-affordable, name brand stuff down your way... been rusting on the ground for up to 3 years in some cases... but I couldn't bring myself to buy them. I have a hard time paying out perfectly good money for rust. Same with some used stuff I found. So much rust that after sandblasting for hours or days I worried that I there wouldn't be enough good metal left to saturate in rustoleum paint.

Where the heck is that middle ground? Why can't I find it (other than out in the midwest through eBay with those MEGA-shipping charges)?

Dougster