King Kutter quality plummeted

[bmaverick]

Just like what many manufactures have been saying for years...."It's sure hard getting good help nowadays".

We can't find CNC and welds up my way. Even with pay over $40/hr, there are no takers.

Local colleges pre-2020 had no openings to training for certify welding. After the lock-downs, the local colleges have empty teaching shops. Rock Valley College was a long wait to get in, not anymore. Seems the youth had a year or two to re-think what to do in life. Welding, CNC and robotics literally dropped to the basement for enrollments.

I don't understand why the youth had quickly abandoned skill trades like this. And it's not just around here either. I've gone on business trips and see signs nearly every place for those open positions.

There are a few good YT channels to learn how to weld as well. We don't manufacture too much here, but weld does join things together for assembly. I got a nephew who took up welding, but preferred driving the forklift instead.

We lost so many of those three positions when the boomers retired. We can't get them back either.

 

[ruffdog]

We can't find CNC and welds up my way. Even with pay over $40/hr, there are no takers.

Local colleges pre-2020 had no openings to training for certify welding. After the lock-downs, the local colleges have empty teaching shops. Rock Valley College was a long wait to get in, not anymore. Seems the youth had a year or two to re-think what to do in life. Welding, CNC and robotics literally dropped to the basement for enrollments.

I don't understand why the youth had quickly abandoned skill trades like this. And it's not just around here either. I've gone on business trips and see signs nearly every place for those open positions.

There are a few good YT channels to learn how to weld as well. We don't manufacture too much here, but weld does join things together for assembly. I got a nephew who took up welding, but preferred driving the forklift instead.

We lost so many of those three positions when the boomers retired. We can't get them back either.

Agree. At one time I worked at Beloit Corp down by you. The place was full of hard working skilled workers making a living. It is all gone now. Sad.

 

[spruce Deere]

I own a 60'' KK tiller and a 60'' landscape rake.

Landscape rake is lighter duty, but what we use it for, cleaning up after processing firewood and rake'n the driveways, it should last the rest of my life.

The tiller was bought back in 2010 iirc. Paint was lousy but the tiller has been very reliab!e. Run the snot out of it in the fields preparing for planting in the spring, don't use it as much in the fall. Welded a hitch on the back of it to drag a packer behind it. Also welded trash guards on the tine tube on the gear drive end after wrapping twine into to seal causing it to leak. I use 00 grease in the gear drive now with zero issues. Tines are showing some wear. I need to rotate outer tines with some not as worn inner tines. Did have one u-joint wear out last year on the kk tiller... I keep spares u- joints of that size on hand because other implements I own use the same size.

I must have got a good kk tiller. Everything that has happened to mine was due to me. Twine wrapped around it, not clicking the kick stand back in its holder and pretzeling some metal. Other than my own abuse and normal wear and tear, I cannot complain about my kk tiller.

Not so sure I would go with a KK tiller nowadays though. LOTS of not good reviews it seems.

 

[kneedeep]

The supply chain is broken in many ways by either materials or talented people. To find a good welder these days is very very very difficult. Who wants a job like that 8 or more hours a day. It's a tough life day-in and day-out.

Robotic welders are an option too. Yet, finding the talented people to program the robots and deal with the variables as the climate changes in the factory can be a chore too.

I'm just pleased my KK stuff is durable and works. It has not let me down either.

Robotic welders are very expensive and cheap steel is soft.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Robotic welders are very expensive and cheap steel is soft.

You can buy used ABB robots for less than $50k.

The 2 robots I work on are cheap compared to the price of employees to do their job 24/7

 

[BigBlue1]

I own a 60'' KK tiller and a 60'' landscape rake.

I must have got a good kk tiller. Everything that has happened to mine was due to me. Twine wrapped around it, not clicking the kick stand back in its holder and pretzeling some metal. Other than my own abuse and normal wear and tear, I cannot complain about my kk tiller.

Not so sure I would go with a KK tiller nowadays though. LOTS of not good reviews it seems.

There is nothing abnormal about your experience. For many years KK has been good quality and very reliable. Tons of happy customers. It's the primary implement brand I see (and have seen) at farm stores around MN for decades. You just don't hear complaints about them. Only now, with the crappy welds I found and posted, is there something changing that is worth worrying about.

 

[kneedeep]

You can buy used ABB robots for less than $50k.

The 2 robots I work on are cheap compared to the price of employees to do their job 24/7

I have been corrected!