Rural King tractor problems

[Art601]

Who ever this may concern, I purchased a Rural King 55 with hydrostatic transmission. The tractor was purchased on May of 2023. To date it has gone to the store where I purchased it twice it has been to Sweetwater, Tn 3 times. Sweetwater is an approximately 3 hour drive from me. All major repairs have to go to Sweetwater.

My advice to anyone interested in a Rural King tractor to beware. I’ll be glad to discuss the problems I’ve had in depth with anyone.

 

[charlie n]

It's been in the shop 5 times and you've had it less than 2 years. WOW. And you still have it? TYM built some, but not sure if they still do. Friend of mine had one for a while. You get what you pay for.

 

[used red MN]

Hello Art welcome to YT! Often machines with a low initial price, non-name brand and 100% over seas production leads to difficulty when seeking warranty support, difficulty in finding good service and difficulty in finding replacement parts support. Hopefully your tips are well received and heeded.

 

[Butch(OH)]

There are several satisfied RK tractor owners near me. Not rubbing salt in your wound but a person takes a chance when buying a price point tractor from a box store. Ive run a virtually same 60HP tractor of different color and decal for the last 4 years as a mowing/chore tractor at a gentlemans "farm". In that four years 3 dealers have dropped the brand. Luckily there hasn't been any major issues with it. It was about 2/3 the price of a similar green or orange tractor and as near as I can tell about the same build quality,, difference in price being all that's required to be a dealer for them is a lot to park a few on, a sign and a phone VS parts and service by trained techs at the name brands

 

[Russ from MN]

Wow, we have a 24-year-old JD 4600 with 1500 hours on it, it's never been back to the dealer, just routine maintenance that I do. I guess you get what you pay for!

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Who ever this may concern, I purchased a Rural King 55 with hydrostatic transmission. The tractor was purchased on May of 2023. To date it has gone to the store where I purchased it twice it has been to Sweetwater, Tn 3 times. Sweetwater is an approximately 3 hour drive from me. All major repairs have to go to Sweetwater.

My advice to anyone interested in a Rural King tractor to beware. I’ll be glad to discuss the problems I’ve had in depth with anyone.

I don't care if I buy a new car, tractor or truck I insist on an established local dealer
I don't consider buying a car that I have take Indy to get serviced.
In 2019 I bought a new kubota for a Case IH dealer that has been in business since 1967,
I have no Idea why Kubota pulled their brand from an established dealer that has about a dozen dealerships in Indiana.
If I have something I can't fix myself., my Kubota tractor will be taking a ride too. Grrrrrrrr.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Is the message here intended to be "Rural King tractors are JUNK" or is it to ask more questions when making a significant purchase such as a tractor?

It's no big secret that the "box stores" only sell the tractors. They will openly admit it when asked, and will tell you where the tractor needs to be taken for service when asked. But, you need to ask. Same goes for their Cub Cadet, Stihl, and other products. You're buying these things from a teenager that just got done stocking the dog treats, not an experienced tractor salesman.

No matter how careful you are, no matter how satisfied you are with the right answers to all the right questions, things can suddenly change. That nearby dealer you were counting on to fix your tractor could disappear overnight. They could go broke, lose their franchise, or be bought out and closed. They may turn out to be completely incompetent. That's only going to happen more and more these days with tight margins and an uncertain business climate.

All you can do is be careful, ask lots of questions, but accept that sometimes things are beyond your control.

 

[jddrawbar]

Who ever this may concern, I purchased a Rural King 55 with hydrostatic transmission. The tractor was purchased on May of 2023. To date it has gone to the store where I purchased it twice it has been to Sweetwater, Tn 3 times. Sweetwater is an approximately 3 hour drive from me. All major repairs have to go to Sweetwater.

My advice to anyone interested in a Rural King tractor to beware. I’ll be glad to discuss the problems I’ve had in depth with anyone.

Your tractor is made by TYM.....they bought out Branson & make the same tractor (different badging) for Bad Boy. Youtube is full of TYM sponsored wantabe farmers that are given a free tractor to make videos & sing the praises about how good they are. Some, are making a living as a salesperson for TYM. I have no problem with them doing so, but most of the videos are bad mouthing other brands, which is a turn off for me. Quite a few dealers are mainly lawn mower shops that add tractors as a side line business without a certified service technician. They are cheaper, but.....

 

[DoubleO7]

 

[miner09]

You’re lucky that you can even get it worked on. Never buy these off brand. You may think it’s better deal than major brands but in end you pay more and end up with nothing.

 

[Art601]

Hello Art welcome to YT! Often machines with a low initial price, non-name brand and 100% over seas production leads to difficulty when seeking warranty support, difficulty in finding good service and difficulty in finding replacement parts support. Hopefully your tips are well received and heeded.

Who ever this may concern, I purchased a Rural King 55 with hydrostatic transmission. The tractor was purchased on May of 2023. To date it has gone to the store where I purchased it twice it has been to Sweetwater, Tn 3 times. Sweetwater is an approximately 3 hour drive from me. All major repairs have to go to Sweetwater.

My advice to anyone interested in a Rural King tractor to beware. I’ll be glad to discuss the problems I’ve had in depth with anyone.

I’m very unhappy with my purchase and yes I let the lesser price influence my decision to make the purchase. I wasn’t thinking of having to have a heavy duty piece of equipment for my needs. I’m 80 years old and wasn’t planning on anything but mowing my pasture and various other chores. My tractor only has 71 hours in two years and probably less than half of that is actually working. Rural King tractors are apiece of junk as far as mine is concerned. I would very much like to have my money back.

 

[wore out]

Who ever this may concern, I purchased a Rural King 55 with hydrostatic transmission. The tractor was purchased on May of 2023. To date it has gone to the store where I purchased it twice it has been to Sweetwater, Tn 3 times. Sweetwater is an approximately 3 hour drive from me. All major repairs have to go to Sweetwater.

My advice to anyone interested in a Rural King tractor to beware. I’ll be glad to discuss the problems I’ve had in depth with anyone.

You might take a few moments and tell us what's actually gone wrong with your tractor, rather than the blind bashing, IMHO.

 

[Art601]

You might take a few moments and tell us what's actually gone wrong with your tractor, rather than the blind bashing, IMHO.

That’s easy to do first the lift wouldn’t stay up resulting in destroying a rotary mower. Secondly something happened that resulted in hydraulic fluid being leaked or pumped into the crankcase. Thirdly the front axle locked up. I’ve been told that the ring and pinion were destroyed. Does this sound like I’m just bashing a tractor with on 71 hours on it in less than 2 years. Sadly to say I bought a lemon not a usable tractor.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

That’s easy to do first the lift wouldn’t stay up resulting in destroying a rotary mower. Secondly something happened that resulted in hydraulic fluid being leaked or pumped into the crankcase. Thirdly the front axle locked up. I’ve been told that the ring and pinion were destroyed. Does this sound like I’m just bashing a tractor with on 71 hours on it in less than 2 years. Sadly to say I bought a lemon not a usable tractor.

It doesn't, NOW, but it did when you were keeping these issues "secret..."

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Your tractor is made by TYM.....they bought out Branson & make the same tractor (different badging) for Bad Boy. Youtube is full of TYM sponsored wantabe farmers that are given a free tractor to make videos & sing the praises about how good they are. Some, are making a living as a salesperson for TYM. I have no problem with them doing so, but most of the videos are bad mouthing other brands, which is a turn off for me. Quite a few dealers are mainly lawn mower shops that add tractors as a side line business without a certified service technician. They are cheaper, but.....

I've never seen Nathan Elliott from Out of the Woods or Hank Hamilton from Hamiltonville Farm openly bashing other brands. If there are youtube channels out there doing that, they either misunderstood the guidance they were given, or were not given any guidance, or it's Wranglerstar.

That's something you just don't do, but people often don't understand that. Opens up the current sponsor to liability. Precludes you from ever doing a sponsorship deal with the brand you're bashing. I reviewed radio control model airplanes for a few years and it was a similar situation.

 

[JOCCO]

I don't care if I buy a new car, tractor or truck I insist on an established local dealer
I don't consider buying a car that I have take Indy to get serviced.
In 2019 I bought a new kubota for a Case IH dealer that has been in business since 1967,
I have no Idea why Kubota pulled their brand from an established dealer that has about a dozen dealerships in Indiana.
If I have something I can't fix myself., my Kubota tractor will be taking a ride too. Grrrrrrrr.

Geo. what you're missing here is these outfits have "established dealers" just not for long! Or they use a "contract dealer" think tractor supply, Home Depot etc. Then the contract is up in say 2 years. End result is lots of people left holding the bag!

 

[JOCCO]

Well sir your only way out of this as I see it is to #1 sell it {for a loss} and buy a quality item. It's kind of like an education fund as such. It's sad that your 80 and have to go through this. For what it's worth I too have been through this. I canned the offending item and bought a better one!

 

[wore out]

That’s easy to do first the lift wouldn’t stay up resulting in destroying a rotary mower. Secondly something happened that resulted in hydraulic fluid being leaked or pumped into the crankcase. Thirdly the front axle locked up. I’ve been told that the ring and pinion were destroyed. Does this sound like I’m just bashing a tractor with on 71 hours on it in less than 2 years. Sadly to say I bought a lemon not a usable tractor.

What's "the rest of the story" on the lift that wouldn't stay up destroying the mower, I've never heard of THAT before (destroying the mower, that is)?

Was the front axle "full" of oil when the differential "locked up"?

I've worked on a similar TYM tractor that had one of the front wheel seals get damaged and leak, and it's a "common reservoir" all the way up to the differential, if he had run it any longer with the leak it would have taken out the differential. Did yours have any leaks and was the front axle oil checked occasionally and verified to be "full"?

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

What's "the rest of the story" on the lift that wouldn't stay up destroying the mower, I've never heard of THAT before (destroying the mower, that is)?

Was the front axle "full" of oil when the differential "locked up"?

I've worked on a similar TYM tractor that had one of the front wheel seals get damaged and leak, and it's a "common reservoir" all the way up to the differential, if he had run it any longer with the leak it would have taken out the differential. Did yours have any leaks and was the front axle oil checked occasionally and verified to be "full"?

I imagine the mower settled to the ground, and he didn't notice. Then he tried to back up, the tailwheel caught on something, and folded the mower.

 

[da.bees]

Same thing with Bush Hog Tractors. I saw one coming up at auction and based on yerars of satisfaction with mowers I was ready to bid until I checked parts availability and found there is little to non. Who would have thought Bush Hog would put their name on something less than top of line.