King Kutter quality plummeted

[BigBlue1]

I have a King Kutter tiller and box blade purchased around 2017-2019. They are fantastic and well made. However, looks like they have gone far, far downhill lately. I was at the local farm store yesterday where they have a bunch of KK stuff in stock. The welding is just disastrous. So is the painting. My Titan forks are head and shoulders better on the welds than this and everyone ******* about them. See for yourself some examples from box blades and tillers:

This is just sad. Their stuff was very well made in the past. To top it off, prices have SKYROCKETED! I paid $1500 for a 60" KK Professional tiller in 2017. Today it sells for $2500. The 5' box blade I bought around 2019 for under $500 now costs $1000. I know the prices are more about the economy and steel costs than KK itself and apply across other manufacturers, but the whole situation is just a mess. I'd hate to be trying to buy equipment these days.

 

[hayboy48]

Been to a KK factory in Winfield, AL. Buying parts only. Guys super nice. I have an older 7 ft finish mower I like.

 

[DarkBlack]

Those welds look like something someone would do on their first day of learning how to weld.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

Ive never thought of them as anything other than a domestic Chinese level company.
i’m sure they churn a profit. Wonder if the owner lives in a huge glass house on the lake?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Anyone who thinks KK was EVER top shelf, has NEVER seen top shelf!!

I've seen a couple of their older tillers with blown drive gears, not something I'd ever want to own.

SR

 

[Locoweed]

Some people can't resist cheap sh_t

 

[TCowner]

Two weeks ago I picked up a new King Kutter carry-all. As others have said, the welds are awful and the paint rubs off if you walk by it. Now, it was $229 and doesn't have to do much. The plan is to make a platform to carry the chainsaws, gas, oil, etc to the woods to cut. So for what it is designed for will work okay. The local high school shop class (if they even teach that anymore) could have done a better job.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have a King Kutter tiller and box blade purchased around 2017-2019. They are fantastic and well made. However, looks like they have gone far, far downhill lately. I was at the local farm store yesterday where they have a bunch of KK stuff in stock. The welding is just disastrous. So is the painting. My Titan forks are head and shoulders better on the welds than this and everyone ******* about them. See for yourself some examples from box blades and tillers:

View attachment 867473View attachment 867474View attachment 867475View attachment 867476View attachment 867477

This is just sad. Their stuff was very well made in the past. To top it off, prices have SKYROCKETED! I paid $1500 for a 60" KK Professional tiller in 2017. Today it sells for $2500. The 5' box blade I bought around 2019 for under $500 now costs $1000. I know the prices are more about the economy and steel costs than KK itself and apply across other manufacturers, but the whole situation is just a mess. I'd hate to be trying to buy equipment these days.

Looks like it was painted with a mop.

Try buying quality used stuff. I have found this to be a great way to go and have built my business with maybe 3 or 4 new pieces and probably 25 used pieces.

FBM has thousands of used quality pieces from Bobcat, HLA, etc.

 

[nyone]

I had one of there sub soilers about 8yrs ago, it broke. I had one of there rear blades, it bent...but they both had decent welds and paint so that's good.

I'm sure the company needed to crank out more profits so they hired cheaper welders. Theres plenty of other american made attachment components out there buy hell buying a used attachment is prob better.

 

[paulsharvey]

The real issue is going to be what you Can't see. I would much prefer quality gear box, ugly welds, and red oxide primer; over pretty welds, good paint, and crap mechanics or crap steel. The issue is, you can't realistically know the important things. I would Guess that if the appearance of paint/welds are bad, they probably cut corners where it actually matters. You can always reweld or repaint; but if you bend a frame/trash a gear box, it's a lot harder/more expensive.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Production welders with squirt guns.

 

[bmaverick]

I have 3 KK products. Both are durable and the price was right. They have held up to my heavy demand at times and not fail. My only grip is their paint. No primer under it. KK is sold in many of the farm stores in the region.

I went with KK on the 5ft straight blade cause the used ones sold on CL or FB were beat up and wanting more money.

The KK disc harrow has impressed me more than a few times. Again, the used and abused stuff out there was the same price.

Lastly, the brush mower has taken so much of a beating, I'm surprised it's still all in one piece. It's a stump jumper too. No failures from PTO shaft, gearbox, blades and the stump pan. Yep, it too has the flaky paint.

Otherwise, if their paint held up, I would recommend their products more often. If I repaint, it will be red like the tractor.

 

[bmaverick]

The real issue is going to be what you Can't see. I would much prefer quality gear box, ugly welds, and red oxide primer; over pretty welds, good paint, and crap mechanics or crap steel. The issue is, you can't realistically know the important things. I would Guess that if the appearance of paint/welds are bad, they probably cut corners where it actually matters. You can always reweld or repaint; but if you bend a frame/trash a gear box, it's a lot harder/more expensive.

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.

 

[Hay Dude]

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.

Geeze if I can’t weld it I have a dozen better at it than me to chose from.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Geeze if I can’t weld it I have a dozen better at it than me to chose from.

But are they production factory welders getting paid probably around $20-25 an hour ?

I know people talk welders make sooo much money their drowning in it but a lot of the production welding jobs(building trailers, rail cars etc), that out number pipe fitting jobs don't pay that great.

 

[ruffdog]

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

Same here. I have a KK tiller, rotary cutter, and carryall and they all have functioned as expected and at a good cost.

 

[nyone]

But are they production factory welders getting paid probably around $20-25 an hour ?

I know people talk welders make sooo much money their drowning in it but a lot of the production welding jobs(building trailers, rail cars etc), that out number pipe fitting jobs don't pay that great.

Home depot and harbor freight are paying $17hr here starting pay for a entry level job. That's why theres nothing made in southern NY.

 

[jmc]

But are they production factory welders getting paid probably around $20-25 an hour ?

I know people talk welders make sooo much money their drowning in it but a lot of the production welding jobs(building trailers, rail cars etc), that out number pipe fitting jobs don't pay that great.

I've seen trailers where they used a torch to blast holes in the frame for wiring to pass thru. Metal splatter and no rubber grommet. Ship it!

It was reported that up in the RV/house-trailer industry that blueprints have a note to flag certain features: PTF,PTM. "Pound to fit, paint to match"

 

[BigBlue1]

Same here. I have a KK tiller, rotary cutter, and carryall and they all have functioned as expected and at a good cost.

Me too. I have a tiller, box blade and subsoiler from KK. I've been very happy and I've been a chief advocate for KK for years. That ended when I saw the state of their current products. If they can fix their issues I'll be back supporting them. But this is such a drastic shift in quality I felt people should know.

 

[ruffdog]

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