I really want an RK 24, talk me out of it. Please.

[Raines]

The MF looks to be a solid performer and have a long time dealer very close to my home. Branson looks good but no dealer is in what I consider my buying area. I was also considering a new Yanmar which I really like but my experience with Yanmar customer service lacks a little in my book.

I am still away but going home soon and hoping to order my new tractor. I've looked at all the brands that have what I want and are somewhere close to my home. My final two on the list were MF and Yanmar. I reached out to Yanmar through their website and direct to the dealer. Neither was what I would call a satisfying experience. Pretty sure the new tractor will be a GC1725MB. It would take something really out of the ordinary to change my mind at this point. I really liked the RK 24 and the Yanmar SA424 but in both cases, dealer interaction with me turned me away.

I just recieved my gc1725mb a few days ago and I am very pleased. Already put 9 hours on it digging a water line, fixing a driveway, digging out some gravel in front of my new pole barn for a concrete apron, making a swale behind barn for water runoff from the field. I am thoroughly enjoying this tractor. Backhoe came off easily even for my first time, box blade went on easily too. The dealership turned all my pins in on my implements because the 3 point arms are a little restricted from the backhoe subframe, so it's easier to connect up on the inside of the implements. This is exactly what I was wanting and expecting in ease of use, ease of switching out attachments and implements. View attachment 710645View attachment 710646View attachment 710647

 

[WADFL]

I too looked at RK Tractors when I was shopping. The first store I stopped at they couldn't even find anyone who knew where the keys were for the cabs. I feel their tractor lineup, specifically the 37/55/74 are a lot of tractor for the money, but should be purchased by those experienced in tractor ownership, operation, and maintenance.

For a first time tractor owner, get something with local dealer support who know the product, service it, and will be around to answer questions.

 

[blacktruck]

I too looked at RK Tractors when I was shopping. The first store I stopped at they couldn't even find anyone who knew where the keys were for the cabs. I feel their tractor lineup, specifically the 37/55/74 are a lot of tractor for the money, but should be purchased by those experienced in tractor ownership, operation, and maintenance.

For a first time tractor owner, get something with local dealer support who know the product, service it, and will be around to answer questions.

From what I can see, all of the RK branded tractors look to be a good value for the dollar. The method of selling them through their regular stores concerns me a bit. The times I have contacted them has left me a little disappointed. I agree with your last sentence but would expand that to cover all major purchases. Saving a nickel by buying online or at a place not convenient to your home can be frustrating when things break. I'm decades away from my first tractor purchase but still want to have someone to talk with if or when problems arise.

 

[Jchonline]

From what I can see, all of the RK branded tractors look to be a good value for the dollar. The method of selling them through their regular stores concerns me a bit. The times I have contacted them has left me a little disappointed. I agree with your last sentence but would expand that to cover all major purchases. Saving a nickel by buying online or at a place not convenient to your home can be frustrating when things break. I'm decades away from my first tractor purchase but still want to have someone to talk with if or when problems arise.

By the time you are ready to buy, RK will probably have stopped selling TYM rebranded machines and either gotten out of the tractor business all together, or picked another manufacturer. I would never, ever buy a tractor that isn't build by a manufacturer directly.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Look for a Branson dealer (whatever your location is?) TYM own them, they make heavy (weight wise) and solid tractors with license made Cummins A-series engines in them.

 

[blacktruck]

By the time you are ready to buy, RK will probably have stopped selling TYM rebranded machines and either gotten out of the tractor business all together, or picked another manufacturer. I would never, ever buy a tractor that isn't build by a manufacturer directly.

Precisely what I am afraid of.
I like the tractor but have been down that road before when I bought a new Cub Cadet/Yanmar many years ago. Three years later, they were gone and no dealer wanted any part of it. It's a great little tractor but no support of any kind from the company that built them and the dealers that sold them.

 

[Jchonline]

Yanmar makes their own tractors now, another good option for a machine if you can find a decent dealer close.

As far as I know: RK are rebranded TYM. New Holland Workmasters (Not certain of all HPs) are LS. Bobcat are Kioti.

I may be missing some big ones, others can chime in.

 

[bmaverick]

Yanmar makes their own tractors now, another good option for a machine if you can find a decent dealer close.

As far as I know: RK are rebranded TYM. New Holland Workmasters (Not certain of all HPs) are LS. Bobcat are Kioti.

I may be missing some big ones, others can chime in.

Actually, Yanmar has always made tractors. LOL Mine's a 1981.
YM, F-FX, RS, AF, EF, GC, YT, and many other series in the past 55+ years. All of the John Deere compacts from the late 70s till 2005 were all 100% Yanmar machines in JD green paint.

Should I look for another machine used, it would be the Yanmar/Cub Cadet EX3200 or EX2900.

Should I look new, then yes, the RK37C would be ideal for me.

Yanmar makes many of the engines for commercial boating and pleasure craft globally. Many of these engines in the millions are also used in the Ag machines too. So, there shouldn't any worry of getting parts for any Yanmar engine made for other tractor brands.

Does anyone know how the manufactures also change suppliers too?
Simply put, look at each decade and you'll realize that big brand names keep changing who makes their engines. There are only a handful of engine makers anymore, the field has gotten narrow. Yanmar, Mitsubishi, Kujke and a few others are the makers now in Asia. And China makes the cloned engines. So good, some bad.

 

[Jchonline]

Actually, Yanmar has always made tractors. LOL Mine's a 1981.
YM, F-FX, RS, AF, EF, GC, YT, and many other series in the past 55+ years. All of the John Deere compacts from the late 70s till 2005 were all 100% Yanmar machines in JD green paint.

Should I look for another machine used, it would be the Yanmar/Cub Cadet EX3200 or EX2900.

Should I look new, then yes, the RK37C would be ideal for me.

Yanmar makes many of the engines for commercial boating and pleasure craft globally. Many of these engines in the millions are also used in the Ag machines too. So, there shouldn't any worry of getting parts for any Yanmar engine made for other tractor brands.

Does anyone know how the manufactures also change suppliers too?
Simply put, look at each decade and you'll realize that big brand names keep changing who makes their engines. There are only a handful of engine makers anymore, the field has gotten narrow. Yanmar, Mitsubishi, Kujke and a few others are the makers now in Asia. And China makes the cloned engines. So good, some bad.

I guess a better way of putting it is Yanmar is heavily marketing their tractors in the US now. Good call.

Using a separate engine and having an entire tractor line made any another manufacturer are different in my mind. Yanmar makes great engines. Personally I would buy a Yanmar machine over most others, and I looked at them very hard. Just no dealers within hundreds of miles of me.

Kubota is still making almost all of the engines that go in their machines. I think the only ones are a few very large HP Ag tractors and the Sidekick UTV (has a Subaru engine, but recently bought out by Kubota). They really like to keep it all in house.

 

[HankinOhio]

Same boat as OP. I went back and forth for 2 years on an RK55, finally bought one. I have a 36 year old MF1040, no dealer support, they have 0 parts available for that machine. I figure RK's cant be any worse. I'm hoping they're actually better in that there are so many RK's and identical TYM's being sold maybe parts will be manufactured for a longer time. As for RK salesmen... I don't think they are too gungho to sell tractors. They have a store goal of 3 sales/ month, in our neck of the woods they're gettin that done easy. I looked at one that was finally shipped to Chillicothe, Ohio store, salesman called to let me know it was there. I stopped to look at it, saw him coming out to the tractors, when I looked again he was gone, he never came back out. I decided maybe RK aint for me...AGAIN. Then I went to Waverly Ohio store, got a better feeling from the salesman there, but he was in no great hurry to sell a tractor either. I wanted AG tires he said go ahead order one, nothing down, no commitment. He said "You decide you dont want it, somebody else will buy it", I said go ahead order it. Only took about a week and it was ready... The MF1040 has a new stable mate.