Where are RK Tractors Made?

[RK Tractor Guy]

Many companies work like this - been a few decades, but there are like 2 manufacturers of major appliances - they make ALL the brands, and yes, on teh same assembly line. Washers, dryers, fridges, a/c units, etc.

I find it interesting how diverse Korean companies are - Hyundai we know for cars, but they also own kia, make large ships, elevators, construction equipment, at one time made electronics (not sure if they still do), retailing and finance.

LG is nuts - they make soap and toothpaste, electronics, appliances, chemicals and of course, telecommunications.

TYM just makes tractors.

Is this better or not that a company makes one thing these days?

TYM makes tractors, combines, rice transporters, tillers, compact excavators, loaders, backhoes, mid-mowers, cigarette filters, silverware and publishes text books and trade magazines. They are as diversified as any company and are listed on the Korean stock exchange.

 

[ptsg]

Since TYM bought Branson back in 2016 and just now are releasing tractors that combine both brands. Looks like the new TYM tractors will have the chassis, engine and mechanics of Branson while the dash, interior and exterior seems made by TYM.

What will happen with RK? Are we expecting new models with Branson's drivetrain and Kukje (Cummins) engine? Is this any good as in parts availability for the three brands?

 

[RK Tractor Guy]

Since TYM bought Branson back in 2016 and just now are releasing tractors that combine both brands. Looks like the new TYM tractors will have the chassis, engine and mechanics of Branson while the dash, interior and exterior seems made by TYM.

What will happen with RK? Are we expecting new models with Branson's drivetrain and Kukje (Cummins) engine? Is this any good as in parts availability for the three brands?

RK Tractors will not be part of any engine or drive-line consolidation related to the TYM acquisition of Kukje. Our engines will remain Yanmar and transmissions TYM design and manufacture.

 

[Tennsawdust]

I have never seen a tractor dealer do it, but there are a great many products (like photo copiers) where trade ins are welcome (and destroyed) just to remove them from the marketplace.

All dealers here do it, although the trade in ratio is pretty low. As RK Tractor Guy said, you are almost always better off to sell your existing tractor on the private market. What usually gets traded in around here are hunks of junk that are traded for a $1500 credit just to be rid of it. Outside of that the used stuff on dealer lots is pretty slim.

 

[Tennsawdust]

And ONLY, two factories, total?

I would have guessed that each brand would have had their own line, for better QC to their specifications.

Very few companies do that. There are differences in the models, but the assembly process is the same and tooling can be made flexible enough to build multiple models on the same line. From an assembly standpoint a compact tractor is a compact tractor. Speaking from 30+ years in the Quality profession, it is my opinion that flex systems tend to perform better than fixed systems, in part, because they drive out a great deal of complacency. People aren't putting the same bolt in the same fender every day for years. They actually have to think about what they are doing. It is more interesting to them and they are more engaged.

If you ever go to Nashville, TN take the time to get down to tour the Nissan Smyrna automobile plant. They make 6 models on two lines, building around 650,000 vehicles each year. They can build an Altima, followed on the line by a Rouge, followed by a Maxima, followed by a Leaf. They usually have a healthy mix of product going down both lines, which they adjust depending on sales demand. It lets them get a great return on their factory investment. As the market has shifted toward crossovers they have been able to simply build more Rouges and less Altimas (unlike GM who tends to dedicate lines and ended up laying off shifts at the car plants while they are dying trying to make enough crossovers somewhere else... At one point they were building bodies in one plant and hauling them to another for assembly just to keep up - not good!).

TYM took aim at the compact tractor market and they have continued to grow their business because they are pretty darned good at it. Korea is not the cheapest place in the world to manufacture so they have had to become very efficient to do what they have done.

 

[Dfixit1]

RK Tractors will not be part of any engine or drive-line consolidation related to the TYM acquisition of Kukje. Our engines will remain Yanmar and transmissions TYM design and manufacture.

When I talked to the store tractor sales person I asked specifically who made the transmission and he replied Yanmar makes the engine and transmission and they come as an assembly. I thought to myself that cannot be right and you confirmed it.

I would definitely like to talk to you off the forum about my tractor needs to get your opinion.

 

[RK Tractor Guy]

When I talked to the store tractor sales person I asked specifically who made the transmission and he replied Yanmar makes the engine and transmission and they come as an assembly. I thought to myself that cannot be right and you confirmed it.

I would definitely like to talk to you off the forum about my tractor needs to get your opinion.

Please send me a PM and I’d be happy to help. I’ll also want to know which RK Tractors location you spoke to regarding the transmission. Yanmar does not make the transmission in RK Tractors. Yanmar makes the engine only. TYM makes the transmission.

 

[Qapla]

I was at the RK in Gainesville, FL the other day and looked at the display of tractors

After reading this thread ... I sure hope the tractors at this store were assembled in Williston and not shipped in from Ohio

Thanks for having an assembly plant in our area - Williston really needs the job opportunities.

At our store they do not have any of the HST models ... how does RK handle the change of direction in their HTS models?

 

[Dfixit1]

I was at the RK in Gainesville, FL the other day and looked at the display of tractors

After reading this thread ... I sure hope the tractors at this store were assembled in Williston and not shipped in from Ohio

Thanks for having an assembly plant in our area - Williston really needs the job opportunities.

At our store they do not have any of the HST models ... how does RK handle the change of direction in their HTS models?

Not sure of your comment Ohio vs Williston?

HST has two pedals, one forward, one reverse. To change directions you take your foot off from moving forward and the tractor stops and put your foot on the reverse pedal and press. Hilly777 has some videos he made on YouTube of his RK55 HST.

 

[Qapla]

Not sure of your comment Ohio vs Williston?

as opposed to

Bringing the assembled tractors 30 miles to the store would certainly be better than shipping them in from 836 miles away

Thank you for the info on the pedals. The NH TC40D also uses the two pedal system. I have also seen tractors with a single rocker pedal and have used equipment that uses a hand lever to go forward and/or backward.