Rk service experience

[ovrszd]

If a person was a class A diesel tractor mechanic, would you be working at a big-box store or a Deere/Case/Kubota/Bobcat dealer?

Good point.

In this instance the mechanic didn't need to be a highly skilled technical expert. He just needed to "want" to be a mechanic and to be "detail" oriented. This would be a good skill set for stocking the shelves in the store as well.

He displayed some technical skill in the fact that he replaced what would be considered a technical piece. Maybe he just needs experience to hone his skills.

When I walk into a technical place of business it is apparent to me quickly what level of service I can expect. That's the part of this that RK has to develop with their tractor sales/service. Hopefully they can/will devote the resources to it that is required.

 

[Fordman98]

I just picked up my RK55HC from its 50 hour service and some warranty work tonight. Tractor was at Rural King from 12/21 to 1/3. I was told the work would take a week, so not too far off from the estimated time.

Before I discuss my experience, let me preface this by saying I NEVER take my equipment back to a dealer unless it requires warranty work. I always perform all maintenance service on my vehicles/tractors and once the warranty expires, I perform all work short of pulling an engine or splitting a case (except for my motorcycles, on which I do split cases). The reason behind all this is that I've never met a mechanic that had as much respect for the equipment they were working on as the individual who spent big $$ purchasing that equipment, plain and simple. Maybe I've just never met the right mechanic or I'm just too darn picky.

That said, my RK55 developed a hydraulic leak at one of the steering shafts. Since I assumed it would be covered under warranty, I did not wish to bother with it myself. The leak was small so I monitored it during the mowing season and added hydraulic fluid to the tractor when needed. Considering the cold season and my 50 hr service coincided with one another, I decided to take the tractor in to have the steering cylinder assy replaced (seals are not replaceable, must replace the whole unit) and since it was already going to be there, I figured I'd give them a shot at my 50 hr service.

First, my impressions of what I assume to be the service area. The space Rural King moved into used to be a K-Mart, so I think they are working with the cards they were dealt as best they can. Here's a few pics of the back area where my tractor was stored when I went to pick it up. My tractor was sitting next to the yellow air compressor tank in the second pic, and several pallets of product had to be moved from behind it in order to back it out. I think if they had to have a couple of RK55's in there at once, it could start becoming a little cramped. Prior to the tractor being accepted for service, it was pulled into the bullpen area on the side of the store which is protected by chain link fence, but not covered from the elements.

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My thoughts about the service are as follows, I'll give it 3 stars out of 5 for several reasons, listed below. Overall, I am mostly satisfied with the work performed. The steering assembly no longer leaks, my 50 hr service is done, and I got the tractor back in generally the same condition in which it was dropped off. That’s what truly matters. Consider everything below to be the nitpickey observations of an overly protective tractor owner.

1. Mechanic was a little heavy handed with tools when replacing the steering assy, so paint chipped off several components (pics below). Not a huge deal, but avoidable in my opinion. I wrap my wrenches with electrical tape to keep from marring painted finishes when necessary.

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2. Oil residue is apparent on several components where it was either spilled when filling or emptying and not completely wiped up. To be expected I guess?

3. Whomever greased the loader zerks, used a LOT of grease. And, unless a completely different and totally fastidious individual greased all the zerks on the underside of the tractor, none of them got greased at all because the fittings are all bone dry. Pics below for comparison. I prefer all of my zerk fittings to be cleaned thoroughly after greasing so they don't attract dirt, so this is probably a blessing in disguise as I have quite a bit of cleanup ahead of me on the loader.

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4. One of the hood panels was not installed correctly as shown below.

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5. The grill guard in front of the hood wasn't secured at all with the lever bolts. My grill guard is really tight without the lever bolts being fastened so not a big deal but I've felt other tractors at RK that moved quite freely when the lever bolts are loosened and this could be a huge deal if the guard moved and you attempted to operate the loader as they will interfere with one another when the guard is not in the fully closed position.

6. I requested from the mechanic that the 3 point hitch up/down lever be adjusted or greased because it is extremely stiff to operate to the point where it feels like something is going to break or bend when operating. Apparently, this request was forgotten, because there is no evidence that anything was performed to remedy this issue.

Overall, the items I listed above may be considered minor in nature by most. Unfortunately, I'm really particular about most everything in life, so things like these stand out to me. One of my fatal flaws I guess. In the end what ultimately matters is that the tractor had an issue and a $400 component was replaced at no charge to me.

Thank you for sharing your experience! The grease zerks being over looked is kind of concerning but overall it sounds like a typical service to me. Like you said the mechanics are never as careful as the owner.

 

[CoyPatton]

There are some issues you raise that are major concerns in my opinion. As a person who owns and works on equipment, some is overly picky! Bolts and nuts should never be painted! When painted, they cause several issues. One is often the paint must be chipped off for wrenches or sockets to fit. In addition paint on exposed threads can and do cost issues with removal. If I catch you putting electrical tape on my tools —chrome finish, you will be spending hours cleaning them to my approval.
Panels not being properly installed and requested services not done is unacceptable and should have pointed out to the store manager prior to moving the equipment.

 

[g8erh8er]

Panels not being properly installed and requested services not done is unacceptable and should have pointed out to the store manager prior to moving the equipment.

Tractor was picked up Friday evening when no one from the tractor dept. was there. Since it was dark out, all issues, except for the 3 pt lever still being stiff were not noticed until the tractor was home. If I had to do it over, I would pick it up during the daytime when someone knowledgeable with the service was there. Schedule did not allow for that this time unfortunately.

When something like a panel is not installed correctly, I prefer to just do it the right way myself. As for the alleged missed zerks, after seeing how much grease was applied to the loader, I would rather do them myself and not have a bunch of grease to clean off components afterward.

First thing I tried when I got in tractor after an associate pulled it out of the store was the 3 pt and I noticed the stiffness issue did not appear to have been remedied. Since no one was there, I would have had to leave the tractor, and that was not a desirable option for me. I plan to contact the mechanic to ensure it was indeed missed and fix it on my own.

 

[Diggin It]

There are people in this world that wrap their wrenches with tape? Really?


Holding a machine for a week or more to do 2-3 hours work makes even less sense. That kind of job should be scheduled ... 'bring it in the morning of the XXth and you can pick it up by the end of the day'.

 

[duffer]

As for the alleged missed zerks, after seeing how much grease was applied to the loader, I would rather do them myself and not have a bunch of grease to clean off components afterward.

Having a lot of "excess" grease on your zerks makes me wonder if the interior pins aren't plugged up, and you're not getting any grease at all in there. It just backfires out of the zerk. I had/have a continuing issue with my FEL pins clogging. I've removed the pins, inspected them, and had to drill them out in order to get all of the compacted material out of them. While I was at it, I drilled the grease tunnel to a larger size in order to help prevent future clogging. Seems to work somewhat better.

You might want to pull a pin (especially next to the bucket) and see if you actually have grease on the pin. I suspect it might be clogged.

 

[g8erh8er]

Holding a machine for a week or more to do 2-3 hours work makes even less sense. That kind of job should be scheduled ... 'bring it in the morning of the XXth and you can pick it up by the end of the day'.

Tractor had to be inspected and pictures taken to determine if the leaky steering cylinder was going to be covered under warranty. Then the part had to be ordered/delivered, which took the majority of the time considering the holidays.

 

[CoyPatton]

Tractor was picked up Friday evening when no one from the tractor dept. was there. Since it was dark out, all issues, except for the 3 pt lever still being stiff were not noticed until the tractor was home. If I had to do it over, I would pick it up during the daytime when someone knowledgeable with the service was there. Schedule did not allow for that this time unfortunately.

When something like a panel is not installed correctly, I prefer to just do it the right way myself. As for the alleged missed zerks, after seeing how much grease was applied to the loader, I would rather do them myself and not have a bunch of grease to clean off components afterward.

First thing I tried when I got in tractor after an associate pulled it out of the store was the 3 pt and I noticed the stiffness issue did not appear to have been remedied. Since no one was there, I would have had to leave the tractor, and that was not a desirable option for me. I plan to contact the mechanic to ensure it was indeed missed and fix it on my own.

Every heard of a flashlight? Leaving panels not properly fasten is like having your oil changed on your vehicle and the hood lowered but not fully latched.

As for accepting it without an inspection that is on you!
As for no one being there, someone was able to move it out of the building!
Time frame of a few days with one of those being a major Holiday when parts needed to be ordered, is actually very surprising you received the tractor that quickly. (Think about that time frame! 1 day to inspect. Assume parts are ordered that day and assumed it was inspected the first day. How often do you think this happens? In a busy shop? Then realize that for shipping one day is lost if not 2! And you get your tractor back in 2-4 days!) Makes me wonder if there is not a fix RK/TYM has for that issue. I would attempt to get a longer warranty for those replaced parts. I would also watch them extremely closely and contact RK at the first sign of future leaks.

 

[ruffdog]

More reading:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...401316-trying-understand-issue-service-3.html

 

[Qapla]

According to our local New Holland Dealer - who is also the TYM Dealer - getting parts from TYM is "an ordeal" as "they are one of the worst companies to deal with" - their words, not mine.