“Rural King tractors are junk!” You might have seen some people making such outrageous claims in online forums, but how true are they?
Of course, like any other models, Rural King tractors come with some flaws. Do the cons outweigh the pros? That’s what I will try to tell you in this piece through an in-depth analysis.
Rural King Tractors Are Junk: Yes Or No?
No, Rural King tractors are not junk. They do, however, have some problems, which we will discuss in detail below.
What makes people complain about Rural King tractors? I’ve identified the most common problems with rural king tractors down below:
Problem 1: Servicing Issues
As I scoured through the internet, I found many angry Rural King tractor owners who were infuriated by the company’s late servicing response.
One user complained that the dealer shop took more than three months to replace a bearing. Another user faced issues with grapple functionality within days of purchasing an RK37SC.
He took it to his nearest dealer shop to claim the warranty. After inspection, they told him the wiring harness needed to be changed, and it should not take more than a week.
The user says he did not hear back from the shop in more than a week. Unsurprisingly, he was not a fan of Rural King at that point.
As a farm owner, you cannot afford your tractor to stay out of service for months. In some cases, longer turnaround times are excusable, but for new tractors with simple part malfunctioning issues, it’s unacceptable to wait for that long.
For this reason, many Rural King owners have had a bad experience with their tractors.
The financial toll of an extended tractor repair delay can be severe. In modern agriculture, tractors serve a variety of roles. It saves both time and money.
Without a tractor, you would have had to hire manual labor, which is a costlier but less optimal option. So, Rural King has to find a way to speed up its repair process.
Problem 2: Lack Of Replacement Parts
If you take the tractor to a third-party servicing shop for faster repairs, you might get disappointed. Even if you don’t mind paying extra, you might not get the tractor as soon as you had hoped! Why?
Because Rural King tractor parts are not easy to source. The scarcity of spare parts is so severe that it’s hard to believe that Rural King is an operational brand.
Problem 3: Transmission Pump Failure
The transmission pump problem is another common complaint I have heard about Rural King tractors.
When the transmission pump malfunctions, you might experience the tractor slipping and sliding as if it were skiing down the snowy terrains of the Alps.
The transmission pump is responsible for smooth gear transitions, so you can imagine the havoc a faulty one might cause.
Some Rural King owners have reported poor gear stability in their tractors, and it stems from faulty transmission pumps.
The tractor would abruptly switch among gears, which would make it inefficient and dangerous to operate. If you face similar issues with your Rural King tractor, you should look at the transmission pump first.
What other signs should you be on the lookout for to detect a faulty transmission pump?
The gears and sprockets would barely stay lubricated, the check engine light should stay on all the time, and fluid circulation in the transmission will be hampered.
I’ve come across several posts from Rural King owners where they reported facing these issues.
Problem 4: Damaged Wiring
Corroded and damaged wiring is another cause for concern. There have been a small number of cases where Rural King owners experienced electrical fires.
Corrosion can weaken the insulation of the wire, which in turn increases the risk of a fire breakout and makes it easier to spread. Such an accident will not only damage the tractor, it also poses grave danger to the operator.
On top of that, damaged and corroded wiring will compromise the voltage and the current flow. This can cause the sensors to act up and give out false warnings about a system’s issue.
It will also interfere with the regular operation of the tractor. For this reason, some Rural King owners have been dissatisfied with their tractors.
They found corroded wiring lurking underneath the dashboard of their tractors. Other than the issues mentioned above, faulty wiring can often make the tractor go into limp mode.
Since the sensors malfunction because of poor wiring, the tractor continuously goes into protective mode to safeguard it from problems that really don’t exist.
Problem 5: Poor Build Quality
While there are many solid reasons for you to contemplate buying a Rural King tractor, as I will discuss later in this article, I wouldn’t say durability is one of those reasons.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that your Rural King tractor will be scrapyard material within a year or so, but it might not outlive most of its competitors.
Some of the reviews I read disclosed that some unlucky Rural King tractor owners saw the tiller break off within a year of purchase.
A few have also claimed that their tractor steering came off after two or three years of use. I won’t say this is a regular occurrence, but those who suffered these incidents won’t be Rural King fans for good reason.
Why Buy Rural King Tractors Then?
I have shown you the ugly side of Rural King tractors, now it’s only fair that I tell you about the things I truly like about Rural King tractors. So, buckle up for the good stuff!
Accessories
What I like the most about Rural King tractors are the accessories they come with. Most tractor brands intend to squeeze some extra money out of your pocket with their line of accessories.
Rural King also has some premium accessory offerings, but the company gives away a decent amount of items for free with the tractor.
I am talking about work lights, audio systems, rear remotes, and other stuff! In most cases, you are going to have to pay extra for these, but Rural King has got your back.
Of course, you can go for upgrades later, but the included accessories are quite good in quality. A pretty sweet deal, I would say.
Affordable
Rural King tractors can offer unbeatable prices. So, when affordability is your primary priority, you won’t have much better options than Rural King tractors.
The company wants to offer the best at the least possible price, and I would say it mostly succeeds in doing that. That’s why the reviews you will see about these tractors are mostly positive.
With Rural King, you will pay only a fraction of the price you would have to shell out for a tractor of similar specs from a different brand.
The tractors are not flawless by any means, but you won’t find any that doesn’t have its own set of problems. So, you will get an excellent piece of machinery at an even more impressive price point.
Family Owned Company
Once upon a time, family-owned businesses molded the US economy. But then, sneaky globalization started taking over, and big corporations became the popular kids on the block.
However, let’s not forget the magic of family-owned businesses! They embody the good ol’ American spirit and hold a special place in our hearts.
Because of their family-owned roots, Rural King knows how to listen to their customers like nobody else. They’re nimble, quick to adapt, and always ready to meet your demands.
Sure, their servicing might take a tad longer, but hey, good things take time, right? That’s why Rural King is a third-gen family business thriving in the current economic landscape.
Final Words
“Rural King tractors are junk” is a statement that does not take into consideration the full picture, so it cannot be taken as a fact.
Customer experiences can often vary because of misguided expectations. Therefore, I would urge you to research the pros and cons of RK tractors before buying them so that you can be sure that you are getting what you want.
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