My Truth on RK Tractors

[Ishkatan]

I bought an RK37HC a couple months ago. I'm a little nervous about support but figure if RK does not honor the warrantee I can at least get parts from TYM. FYI, The RK Tractor company is a subsidiary or separate from the RK stores. i.e. it could declare bankruptcy while RK stores go on. I'm hoping to get lucky and have them stay around and be able to do major service by sending a truck since I am 43 miles and over an hour away... but my doubts are growing. I could not figure out how to start the PTO, so I called the store. The guy said bring it in. I said I can't, send a truck or call back and tell me what to look for. He called back and said they may have forgotten to remove the shipping bolt. While unscrewing things looking for the bolt I looked up... there is an Auto-off-Manual switch... I remember reading that you have to shift the PTO stick, switch to Manual or Auto, and press the button... I was doing 2 of the 3 steps... Ugh. It's shift, switch, button. Why?
So far everything seems to work. I thought it was weak but then I revved it above idle and that helped a lot. The big thing is it is scary going across a 10 - 15 degree slope. Trying to get the correct 6" spacers from Bora. (They seem to have shipped the wrong ones.)

 

[rScotty]

I bought an RK37HC a couple months ago. I'm a little nervous about support but figure if RK does not honor the warrantee I can at least get parts from TYM. FYI, The RK Tractor company is a subsidiary or separate from the RK stores. i.e. it could declare bankruptcy while RK stores go on. I'm hoping to get lucky and have them stay around and be able to do major service by sending a truck since I am 43 miles and over an hour away... but my doubts are growing. I could not figure out how to start the PTO, so I called the store. The guy said bring it in. I said I can't, send a truck or call back and tell me what to look for. He called back and said they may have forgotten to remove the shipping bolt. While unscrewing things looking for the bolt I looked up... there is an Auto-off-Manual switch... I remember reading that you have to shift the PTO stick, switch to Manual or Auto, and press the button... I was doing 2 of the 3 steps... Ugh. It's shift, switch, button. Why?
So far everything seems to work. I thought it was weak but then I revved it above idle and that helped a lot. The big thing is it is scary going across a 10 - 15 degree slope. Trying to get the correct 6" spacers from Bora. (They seem to have shipped the wrong ones.)

Regardless of make and model, new tractors rarely require major service. If your tractor works OK to begin with the chances are good that it will work just exactly the same for many years.

Of course small problems are a whole different story, it sounds like you are willing to deal with those yourself and that's good.

Wheel spacers are wonderful things for working on slopes, but tractors and slopes don't go well together. 10 to 15 degrees is a whole lot of slope & scares me just to think about it. Try going straight up and backing down rather than across. Yes, it is time consuming to work that way but safer....
good luck,
rScotty

 

[arrow]

My wife is from Foster (Central Pike). We probably live not that far from each other.

Probably do if you're living in Thompson, Danielson or Killingly or even Canterbury or Brooklyn.
I see you didn't buy your tractor from Dubay's where I work.
Our stock is next to nothing anyway.
28 tractors coming and they're all spoken for.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

Killingly. I know Dale fairly well. I've bought a few things from you guys over the years.

 

[arrow]

Killingly. I know Dale fairly well. I've bought a few things from you guys over the years.

Cool beans to this small world.
Dale is a great guy. None more fair.

 

[Jstpssng]

Since they got bought out by Bass Pro, they are just another Wally world store. Not worth the time.

My employer gives us a $200 gift certificate every year. I never had a problem spending it until BassPro bought them out. Now they won't even sell ammo online...
I was at the LLBean Freeport store a couple of weekends ago and wanted to go to Cabelas 25 minutes away... they didn't even open until 10:00. I have better things to do than wait for a store to open in the middle of the day.

 

[MikeH-OH]

Wheel spacers are wonderful things for working on slopes, but tractors and slopes don't go well together. 10 to 15 degrees is a whole lot of slope & scares me just to think about it.

Must be a geography thing. I'd have about 3 of my 75 acres that I could work on if I thought 10-15 degrees was steep.
Around me, Driver nerves via Seat of the pants feel is usually much less tolerant of slope than the tractor.

A slope or grade indicator is a nice thing to have on the dash. In my experience, traction is going to be lost well before the tipping point, and wet grass and soils should be given the respect they deserve.

Lost traction on a 28 degree slope this spring. Slid down slope, over the high bank of a cross hill trail and stopped hanging over the down hill edge of the trail. Pucker factor was high enough that I think I was constipated for 3 days. Lol

Of course even the smallest of slopes should be respected when carrying a load that is elevated. For anyone that didn't grow up on a tractor, or driving any heavy equipment, remember Keep it safe and keep those CG's low on both your front arms and the 3pt hitch.

 

[MossRoad]

Must be a geography thing. I'd have about 3 of my 75 acres that I could work on if I thought 10-15 degrees was steep.
Around me, Driver nerves via Seat of the pants feel is usually much less tolerant of slope than the tractor.

A slope or grade indicator is a nice thing to have on the dash. In my experience, traction is going to be lost well before the tipping point, and wet grass and soils should be given the respect they deserve.

Lost traction on a 28 degree slope this spring. Slid down slope, over the high bank of a cross hill trail and stopped hanging over the down hill edge of the trail. Pucker factor was high enough that I think I was constipated for 3 days. Lol

Of course even the smallest of slopes should be respected when carrying a load that is elevated. For anyone that didn't grow up on a tractor, or driving any heavy equipment, remember Keep it safe and keep those CG's low on both your front arms and the 3pt hitch.

I've never seen a 2-in-1 gauge like that. Do you have link to it?

 

[5030]

I've never seen a 2-in-1 gauge like that. Do you have link to it?

Mossy... Didn't the boss, way back when off an inclinometer on this website in the store??? I like the one pictured as well. A link would be nice...

 

[MossRoad]

Mossy... Didn't the boss, way back when off an inclinometer on this website in the store??? I like the one pictured as well. A link would be nice...

Gosh, I love autocorrect.

It reads like the boss killed an inclinometer in the store back in the day. Pure gangster.

But seriously, I don't recall it off hand, but that does ring a bell. There's not one there now.