Trying to understand the issue with service

[Diggin It]

We put our name on the tractors, no dealer has or can do that, they are selling someone else’s tractor.

Sorry, but you put your name on a TYM tractor. RK doesn't manufacture their own from scratch.

Kind of like ACE hardware putting their name on a garden sprayer or other item.

 

[oosik]

dwomble1 - welcome to TBN and the forum. There are members on TBN that have the full gamete of abilities - when it comes to service. The important point - "A man's gotta know his limitations". I will never demean anybody who won't take on a service issue. There most likely is a very good reason he will not/can not do it.

Couple weeks ago - a seven foot bush hog was brought into the local Kubota dealership for service. I was checking it out because it looked like something about the size I might want. Asked the service mgr what needed service. "Just a minute, you can see". Put it on the overhead gantry crane and raised it up. Had a large wad of field grass wrapped around the stump jumper.

A private homeowner brought his bush hog 40 miles in to the dealer to have the field grass cut from around the stump jumper. 80 mile round trip - 2.5 to 3.0 hours - service was $140.

I was flabbergasted - service mgr said - don't be shocked - we do this type service all the time - keeps us in business. To each - his own.

 

[RK Tractor Guy]

Sorry, but you put your name on a TYM tractor. RK doesn't manufacture their own from scratch.

Kind of like ACE hardware putting their name on a garden sprayer or other item.

By that logic, you could say that about Deere, New Holland, CaseIH, Mahindra to name just few that put their name on their tractors made by another company. RK is a family and employee owned business, started in 1960 and still operated by the same family. We/they take their name and reputation pretty seriously and it is very personal. No one has a garden sprayer forum where people predict the downfall of the garden sprayer.

 

[RK Tractor Guy]

Found out something today that may not apply to other areas. At least in my case the TYM dealer is also a Stihl service center and does some other brands too. As a result, they are the local warranty service center for Lowes, HD, RK and a few other stores. Based on that, they figure they will be servicing RK machines also. Nothing certain yet since our RK won't be getting tractors for a while.

Just to clarify else people get the wrong impression, RK has no relationships with any dealer to perform warranty or any other service on products we sell. RK is also one of Stihl’s largest dealer networks, and Stihl requires that we have a shop and Stihl certified service tech at each location that carries Stihl. There will be no relationship with any TYM dealer to service RK Tractors.

 

[RK Tractor Guy]

RK offers our techs competitive base pay, bonus, medical and dental benefits, stock program, 401k, employee discounts, many things that dealers cannot match. We hire them to be based out of our two tractor assembly centers, our tractor stores and as mobile techs that can go anywhere in their assigned areas. Our focus on tech hiring is aimed at techs that have five or more years experience earning their living servicing tractors at a reputable tractor dealership.

 

[RTBee]

I've busted on RK and RK Tractor Guy for specs/lack of specs/inflated abilities provided or promoted on their tractors in other threads but long term I don't think warranty is going to be an issue with Rural King. The company has been in business since 1960 and I don't think they are going away anytime soon. They are also legally obligated to provide the warranty they advertise whether they provide it or they have to go thru 3rd parties to do so. Now if something happened to TYM who manufactures the tractor and TYM went out of business then that would be bad because it would create a parts availability issue on the tractor side but not the engine side (Yanmar). I don't think TYM is going away anytime soon, either. They make tons of tractors for other brands and they purchased Kukje/Branson just 2 years ago which gave them access to engine building as well as increasing their footprint.

Disclosure: I have no stock in RK or TYM

You make a very good point! So many, in this forum and others, have mentioned warranty work and history. Not sure whether RK will be in it for the long haul. And how good is an 8 year warranty if they stop selling tractors in 4? What no one considers is the fact that Rural King "is" in it for the long haul. That they "have" been in it for a long time. They've been in business for almost as long as I've been around. So even "if" they were to stop selling tractors (a very big 'if', based on their approach and marketing), Rural King is still going to be here. They have as much or more history as any other company. And if they are still around, they are required by contract to honor their warranties.

If someone is considering buying a new tractor, look at the specs, compare other brands and consider the cost to make a decision. But as far as history and such, no one mentions that as an issue when considering JD over Kioti, or Kubota over Mahindra. Which company has been around longer than the other? So take that issue off the table and then see what you've got left. You're gonna like these tractors!

 

[RTBee]

Sorry, but you put your name on a TYM tractor. RK doesn't manufacture their own from scratch.

Kind of like ACE hardware putting their name on a garden sprayer or other item.

Yeah, but Dave's Tractors don't put their name on the JD's they sell. If you have a problem down the road with JD tractor, you don't criticize Dave. If you don't like the service he provides, you take your tractor to a different JD dealer. Rural King takes out the middle man. They are not a dealership for TYM.

 

[RKTractorFan]

Sorry, but you put your name on a TYM tractor. RK doesn't manufacture their own from scratch.

Kind of like ACE hardware putting their name on a garden sprayer or other item.

To be fair, he never said they "manufacture" tractors. He simply said they put their name on them, which is a big statement.

 

[Coyote machine]

Auto manufacturers are required to produce and have available parts for their brand for a number of years beyond the sale date - 10 years last I checked. What is the requirement for tractor manufacturers, if any?

As one oft cited example, and for good reason because it typifies today's realities, Cabela's chose TYM to make a rebrand Cabela's tractor. Sales failed miserably, and Cabelas dropped the brand/line. Then Cabelas got bought by Bass, and Cabelas/TYM branded tractor owners found themselves out in the cold on warranty, service and parts availability. No place I'd want to be as far as getting an expensive tractor taken care of, on any level. However, this kind of buyout is commonplace today throughout corporate takeovers and the consumer is most often the ultimate loser. Corporations theoretically take care of their stockholders, and everyone else down to the retail buyer can take a hike.

Consumer surveys: don't get me started on this complete BS. If the marketing 'geniuses' spent any time doing a survey of whether buyers want to waste their time filling out a stupid survey, they 'might' learn most intelligent people could not care less about a stupid survey; what they want instead is good customer service and to not be ignored when they are on premises to look at or buy a product.

There's a classic scene in a movie with Charlie Sheen. He comes to daddy's boardroom and tells everyone to get out so he can confer with his dad. They don't get up to leave and he gets pissed and says:"what do I have to do, fax it to you?!" Seems like! :confused3: Especially with those who take the temp of their business by some poorly replied to survey.....

I've got no beef with RK, I don't know the first thing about them. My point is twofold: go with what seems best at the time of purchase, and hope for the best. Guarantees, written or otherwise, are at best peace of mind, and only as good as the people standing behind them. That is to say today there are absolutely NO guarantees in life. Roll the dice, come up snake eyes!:thumbsup:

 

[wagne223]

Auto manufacturers are required to produce and have available parts for their brand for a number of years beyond the sale date - 10 years last I checked. What is the requirement for tractor manufacturers, if any?:

Do you have a source for this claim?
I have been in the auto industry for 25 years and have never heard this.

The only requirement is we have to perform warranty repairs using OEM parts.

I can tell you that I have had several cases on 4 to 5 year old cars where a part has been discontinued. Initial inventory runs out and if the part is a slow mover, they dont make anymore.

Only option then is aftermarket or Salvage yard.