RK37 lifts 1 ton - Full Test Drive

[@photocontrol]

Great in-depth look at the RK37's! Awesome lifting power, no hesitation even in idle!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Couldn't agree more!

[@donaldstrishock3923]

All tractors with "open-center' hydraulic pumps have 99% of the hydraulic pressure EVEN at idle;; ... no surprise.! An increase of Engine RPM's JUST increases the SPEED-Flow-Volume.

[@k6outdoors]

My inlaws have the Mahindra 2638 and it virtually the same tractor, surprisingly strong tractor!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

It sure is! I can't believe how much more FEL capacity these RK tractors (and the Mahindra machines) have when compared to other brands I'm more used to. Thanks for watching, Kyle!

[@k6outdoors]

@@PurpleCollarLife as much as i enjoy the green and orange paint, its hard to ignore the numbers the RK tractors throw around!

[@woodboogerfarm]

every time I go to royal king the lot is full of cars

[@PurpleCollarLife]

It’s a busy place for sure!

[@timsigmond8984]

That's one handsome tractor.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

I agree. They are sharp. Thanks for watching.

[@mac7406]

I'm impressed!!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks mac740! I'm impressed too. Lifting about 2000 lbs is really important for the tasks I need to accomplish. The RK37 does it without hesitation.

[@HerkCC]

Absolutely blown away how it lifted and handled a ton. I have a L3901 that comes no where close to that. The rear of the tractor didn't even need ballast to offset the ton loaded in the front. I'm very impressed.....and disappointed that I didn't get the RK...

[@PurpleCollarLife]

The lift capacity of these RK tractors is part of what really is impressive to me. It seems to be much more than the John Deere and Kubota in the same size range. And - the RK tractors I’ve seen all have the rear tires loaded with Rim Guard for additional rear ballast that doesn’t ruin the rims like that old calcium used to.

[@donaldstrishock3923]

Oh yea ,with the "Kubota system" you will NEVER be able to ( at least) bend the loader arms; since the "profomance matched" Kubota-IDEA, is just PURE WEEK. They do this because of safety ,reliably, & low warrenty claims. The "monkey in the room" is that any Kubota tractor less than a "MX Series" HAS the WEEKEST front axle wheel spindles in the Bussiness; ( always leaking & never far from "snapping off". Other manufacturers "beef-up" or just don't care & "make" their tractors DO more for the promotional side of the market. Just take it easy, make more trips ,lighten the load, MORE 3point counter-weighted balast, ( wheel-weights or balasted tires NEVER help the delicate front axles). Maybe just keep the L3901 for light duty & get another Tractor thats 50% bigger like l did, just more $ ,since "No ONE Tractor" is the best. Best wishes with all your endeavours Sir.

[@spencerhan7995]

It's a tym. Damn good tractor

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks for watching! I've been impressed with the RK tractors from what I experienced in these test drives.

[@livingrural7980]

Very impressive lifting power.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Sure is! That 1-ton (2000 lb) range is the sweet spot for me. Like I said, perfect to lift 1 ton of wood pellets for the pellet stove out of the truck on the pallet (no unwrapping and loading/unloading them bag-by-bag. Also great for lifting our IBC totes full of PA hardwoods firewood.

[@irajackson6423]

Rk needs to get this man a loaner tractor he likely will be the reason I buy one

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thank you! We appreciate you commenting. Glad you like the videos. We're very impressed with the RK tractors.

[@weeweed86]

Nice review....Looking at a RK37 myself.

[@davida.p.9911]

Excellent video! 👍🚜 I keep hoping they'll invent an easy way to attach rear implements without having to twist your neck in knots looking backwards. Perhaps a device like an "implement dolly" where you can wheel it to the back of the tractor. Thanks for sharing, Chad!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

That would be cool! I remember seeing old commercials and advertisements for the Ford Ferguson system - how you could "easily connect an attachment to the new 3-point hitch from right on your seat". I've never been successful at that. :)

[@ritterjon]

💥 Keep working on them Chad! Maybe they’ll send you home with one to try out for awhile. 👍 *Keep on tractoring!*

[@PurpleCollarLife]

That would be cool! I could use that RK25 with the backhoe, and this RK37 Hydrostatic with the cab. With those two machines (and a grapple, pallet forks, and a brush hog), I could get a LOT of work done on the land here! I've got projects stacking up just waiting on a larger tractor, and a backhoe. :)

[@DIYJIM]

You are making me want to sell my house and buy some land so I can buy some big toys LOL

[@PurpleCollarLife]

We love that song - Buy Dirt. We really appreciate that we had the opportunity to be part of this family homestead. More than 3 generations of family have had the opportunity to live in this area. I do like the big toys!

[@monajacques616]

Nice tractor

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Sure is! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@deanbarr5740]

Hey Chad, of all the reviews I have seen this RK 37 is the most sought after tractor especially for hobby farms, and weekend warriors. I know for my own personal use, the RK 37 would be best suited for me. Also I appreciate that you have two choices either geared transmission or hydrostatic. I prefer the Shuttle shift geared transmission. Awesome tractors.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

You’re right! The RK37 is a nice machine for sure. And REALLY hard to find right now. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@danclas5983]

Chad totally agree. I've been doing my research for the last year or better and the RK 37 seems to come out on top against most all other brands I've looked at. Their built like tanks with good weight and lift capacities and features that only come as upgrades on other brands. I'm just not the guy that pays for the paint and I've just not been as impressed with the offerings from the big name brands in the same class as the RK. I did a final test drive on the 37 last week and talked to the salesman today and I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the 37 shuttle shift with a grapple bucket this week.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

@@danclas5983 Thanks, Dan! I appreciate hearing your thoughts. You’ll love the RK37 - keep us posted! Make sure you tell Rural King that you watched videos on our channel about the RK tractors (It’ll help out the channel!). Thanks!

[@danclas5983]

@@PurpleCollarLife It's a done deal. Just have a short wait to have the 3rd function kit installed and the Granite Grapple to come in from the Waverly ,Oh distribution center and it will be delivered. I will have to say my experience with the salesman and the diesel tech at my local RK made the purchase even better. Also just want to let you know your reviews helped alot also. Your doing a great job show casing these tractors. If anyone has any doubts about the RK tractors all I can tell them is go take a test drive on one and you will know. I've been around farm and heavy equipment my whole life and I can't find anything wrong with the quality of the RK's. Thanks.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

@@danclas5983 That’s awesome, Dan! Good choice to get the 3rd function kit and the grapple right away. You’ll use them all the time. I’m really glad to hear that you had a nice experience with the salesman and the diesel tech at your Rural King. I agree - everyone I’ve talked with in the last year about these RK tractors at Rural King has been great. Rural King is doing a great job educating and hiring quality staff when it comes to tractors and implements. And it’s a great point about test driving one. I know some people are concerned that it’s not a John Deere or a Kubota. But after having driven them multiple times, I think these RK tractors are well built, full of great included features, and backed by a great warranty. Thanks again for watching and commenting. Please do keep us posted on your thoughts once you get the machine. I’m excited for you!

[@samb4678]

Nice!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks! You were fast on that one, Sam!

[@samb4678]

@@PurpleCollarLife yep, saw that notification instantly clicked

[@AJmx2702001]

interesting to see how it took the pallet of dirt i doubt the basic user would not hang that much off the front of tractor that often. it also showed proper ballast does help and is most important

[@PurpleCollarLife]

You're right AJ. If I were actually lifting that skid to move it around my property, I'd certainly have a ballast box on the back for additional ballast. But it's great to know that the tractor has the capability to easily lift that 1 ton. I was certainly impressed.

[@donaldstrishock3923]

@@PurpleCollarLife for sure, put some"Tonnage " Behind THAT TRACTOR! Flat level&dry hard surfaces hardly exisist in the Real World...

[@PurpleCollarLife]

@@donaldstrishock3923 Totally agree. I'd never run it that way at home. When I run my John Deere with anything on the loader, I always use the ballast box on the back.

[@watershedoverlook]

Nice Chad...I keep expecting a "We bought A New Tractor" video with each upload! I'm sure I won't be the only one to point out that the physics of ballast centered on the rear axle (fluid) does not give you the same benefit as weight offset behind the axle. No disrespect meant to Chris, but I wouldn't ever want to push the limits of that loader without additional ballast. (Just my inexpert opinion! 😉👍)

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Who knows - I certainly am having fun doing all these test drives! I agree with you on the ballast. The RK37 felt plenty secure lifting and moving 1 ton on asphalt with mostly level ground. But in addition to stability on uneven and soft terrain - I'd always recommend having ballast behind the tractor so that the rear axle becomes the fulcrum, taking load off of the front axle.

[@mac7406]

I thought about that too but I'm sure in discussions with Chris that would be a question/concern that would be raised.

[@donaldstrishock3923]

Exactly, out bound Rear ballast takes weight OFF OF THE FRONT AXLE.

[@hugostiglitz8465]

Always use ballast when using front loader to lift! Always!

[@marklengal9990]

Great video. Does this have the blue and phone charger like the 25?

[@PurpleCollarLife]

I wish! The unit does have Bluetooth connection to the radio, but no cordless phone charging. I think that due to the popularity of the phone charging setup of the RK25, the RK37 will likely have that feature sometime in the future. Thanks for watching another of our RK tractor videos!

[@clt1441]

Just found your channel, subscribed and looking forward to browsing in my free time. I live Near Meadville, PA and love going down to RK in Franklin, which county are you guys in?

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Awesome! Thank you! We live about 30 minutes from the Franklin Rural King. It's a great store! We were actually talking about making a Meadville trip sometime in the future. We like to go up once a winter to the ice skating rink.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Make sure you check out our other RK Tractor videos and @Rural King store videos in these links: RK25, RK24, and RK21 Tractors: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjKEx... RK55 and RK74: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgu-L... Go Big or Go Home: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjDwm... Stihl BR 800 X Magnum: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hr17... Best Compact Tractor Value: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T__Cc... RK Tractors with AKDadStuff: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESPTF... Rural King fire ring: www.youtube.com/watch?v=02WqG... Rural King RK Tractors, Implements, UTVs, Rural King Store: www.youtube.com/watch?v=33_jI... RK37 specs and stats: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqWni2anis-NoM0

[@beyondfubar]

Pretty impressive for a 37 horse. I might give the 55 or 74 a look here in a few months. Wish tractor lift specs would list a sane range, I rarely ever lift to full height and never at the pivot pins so that data is useless to me, except in comparing a known tractor to a new tractor. Even then there are variables that can affect the data.. e.g. mechanical self leveling loaders (which often lift more to full height, but less to 1.5 meters in the case of the JD 5e series.)

[@PurpleCollarLife]

I've always thought that same thing about tractor lift specs. To me - I'd like to have two separate lifting specs - one at ground height, 24" in front of the pin (front of bucket, middle of forks), and one at about 4-foot height, (also 24" in front of pin) which would represent lifting capability off of the bed of a pickup truck. Thanks for watching!

[@bobleone1381]

And the 25 and 37 both 4x4 units or just 2 wheel drive?

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Hello - the two units that I tested are both 4x4.

[@davidreed4320]

Everytime i try to pick up a skid of pellets that are 2k pounds the back tires go skyward. Even with a big box blade attached..

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Are you working with a RK37? Are your rear tires loaded? Do you use any additional rear ballast?

[@davidreed4320]

@@PurpleCollarLife tires aren't loaded but equip a 6ft hd box blade.

[@davidreed4320]

@@PurpleCollarLife yes rk37

[@pmaint1]

1 thing I don't like about cabs is that you can't stand up to see if you're lining up with the bucket and other attachments. If you're alone that means getting in and out of the tractor.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

That's true. It is more difficult to see the front end loader with the cab.

[@otishall7893]

I am planing on buying the 37 or the 55 so could you please give me a price on both and which ouwld me best for what. I have a 10 acer farm in Nanjemoy Maryland with a lot of clean up to do and big trees tp remove. Thank You. Otis

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Hi Otis! Thanks for watching and commenting. Did you see our other RK tractor videos that we did recently? They include info about pricing, and features we like. As far as which is right for you, that's really only a decision you can make when you know what tasks you need to complete on your property. You could also check out Outdoors with the Morgans channel. A few years ago, they had both the RK37 and RK55 at the same time. I'm not sure how big the trees are that you need to remove, but I can tell you that I'm very impressed with the capability of both the RK37 and the RK55 tractors from Rural King. Let me know if you have any other questions. And when you go to the store to make your purchase, please mention you saw the tractors here on Purple Collar life. Thanks! RK25 video kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZuudquqbcijb6M RK37 video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqWni2anis-NoM0 RK55 video kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJjYXn9jgp13pKs

[@bryanritts213]

Is this video made in Pennsylvania? What store?

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Hi Bryan - this video was shot at the Franklin, PA Rural King store. Right now, I believe the only tractors they have in stock are the RK21. But it sounds like they are getting pretty quick delivery on tractors that are ordered there.

[@bryanritts213]

@@PurpleCollarLife I was just wondering. That's the store I bought my RK24 from about 1.5 years ago. Was thinking it looked like Franklin. Went back there for my supplies for my first service about 8 months ago and the tractor guy I dealt with was either fired or quit. Nobody there had a clue what hydrostatic fluid I needed. Hopefully things are better there now. Thanks!

[@PurpleCollarLife]

@@bryanritts213 That's a shame to hear. I can tell you that Chris is in charge of the tractor area at this store now, and he does an excellent job. He's knowledgeable, and responsive.

[@bryanritts213]

@@PurpleCollarLife It seems like he knows his job very well. Thanks! If I need and service work done I won't be as nervous to take it back there.

[@richardglandus1576]

Très belle vidéo Très beau tracteur Doit être très agréable à conduire. J'aimerais bien l'essayer Dommage qu'il n'y en ait pas en France. Vous pourriez venir en vendre

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Richard. The RK37 is a beautiful machine.

[@Codylowe78]

I certainly wish the loader lift portion of this video did not exist. The total rated lift capacity of the L102 loader is 2,116lbs at the curl pivot pins. So if you add the weight of the forks and the fact that the center of weight of a pallet is 2 feet in front of the pivot pins. The expectation an RK37 will lift 1 ton like this hassle free and safely is not accurate. A RK37 may be able to do so but it certainly should not.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks for the input. That lift capacity of 2116 lbs is to the full height of 102 inches (8 1/2 feet) according to the sales literature from Rural King. So I think it’s probably more than capable to lift 2000 lbs (plus the forks) a few inches off the ground on stable (in this case asphalt) ground. I can tell you that while I was operating the RK37, it felt perfectly stable and capable in this limited test. I would of course always recommend additional ballast on the back of the tractor when lifting weight on the front loader. I realize that these RK37 rear tires are loaded with Rim Guard - but I always encourage additional ballast for loader work.

[@derekbryant6137]

Most ratings on equipment is less than what the failure point is and no one should really use the loader without a tail weight on the 3-point hitch in the real world you would put this type of machine to a I got to get this done I don't think most people worry about the manual when they're doing their work they just do it the checks and balances in real world applications often far exceed the rated intentions for machinery

[@Jasonrcsd]

ok Chad now that you've done some pretty in-depth reviews of the RK & Kiotis which one is your favorite? RK37?

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Hi Jason - that's a really tough question! The RK37 is certainly a great machine. The most impressive RK machine for it's size, in my opinion, is the RK25. I think that for the home owner considering a 25 hp tractor, the RK25 is a much better option than the Kubota or John Deere equivalent models. But the Kioti brand really impresses me with the CK2610SE HST, and the CK3510SE models. If I really needed the capacity of a larger tractor, it would definitely be the RK55. If you lined them all up in front of me (Mr. Miyagi style) and told me I could have one and to pick any one I wanted. Today I'd choose the RK37 HST, cab model.

[@tannerdamico9895]

To tell you the truth I actually prefer an shuttle over the hydrostat

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks for sharing. What do you like about the shuttle over the hydro?

[@tannerdamico9895]

@@PurpleCollarLife More power - torque

[@donaldstrishock3923]

OH yea, myself included. But l have 4 units with just one being a " hydro-slack-o-howl-o-matic"... Its a "one-trick pony" it runs a 3point rototiller flawlessly at 0.25 - 1.5 mph &#2 " buzzes around the "Spread" flawlessly EMPTY! The hydrostatic's are FUEL HOGS & have only 40% of the "Real pulling power" as their gear driven counter-parts. My recommendation is ;"IF" one tractor has to do it all ; just get the "Easy-brezzy" hydro-slack-o-matic & you will never know anthing for the better.

[@dustinwilliams1858]

There is no way that pallet of potting mix is 1 ton I have this same tractor and it will not lift a ton of wood pellets without the rear end coming off the ground. My dad has the 55 and it will barely do it

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks for watching! Does your tractor have Rim Guard in the rear tires? I had thought all RK tractors did, but have heard from some people that their RK tractors didn't come with the Rim Guard for ballast on the back wheels. In checking the RK brochures, it looks like the RK37 has a maximum loader lift rating of 2216 lbs to maximum lift height of 102 inches. The RK55 has a maximum loader lift rating of 2476 lbs to maximum lift height of 109 inches. (both at the pivot pin). So I would speculate that both tractors should have little to no trouble (with proper ballast) lifting 1 ton a few inches off the ground.

[@dustinwilliams1858]

Yes my tractor has rim guard and I agree the loader will lift 2000 pounds with enough ballast. When my dad bought his RK 55 we found it only had rim guard in one of the rear tires

[@donaldstrishock3923]

Oh yea Dustin, that potting soil is a "conversion-comodity". Dirt is Usually sold by volume. That light "fluffy stuff" is dryed for shipping & only 65% as Heavy as EVEBODY thinks. So with "Everything Included " that load was ONLY 1900lbs.... but still Impressive for that small tractor !

[@rickkoshak4919]

👍

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Thanks! The RK37 is much more powerful than I had imagined.