Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cyU6leoGos (3 min)

If you push both joysticks fully forward and your RS03 or RS04 pulls to the left or right instead of driving straight, you can fix it yourself in 10 to 15 minutes. The process is the same on both machines.

STEPS

1. Find the two valve blocks at the top of the machine on each side. Next to each pair of blocks is a dark cap, and the adjustment is under the cap below the block.

2. Remove the cap and put an Allen key in the adjuster.

3. Turn it about a half turn.

4. Drive about 10 feet and see if it tracks straighter or worse.

5. Repeat, back and forth, three or four times if needed. Adjust on the side that is pulling to push it the other way.

6. When the machine drives straight, put the cap back on and tighten it.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjY-SOoRnno (6 min)

On some RS03 and RS04 machines the throttle knob doesn't travel its full range, because the cable has slack in it. Owners sometimes try to force the knob past its stop and break the small pins inside. Mike and Dakota show how to set the cable so you get the full range of travel. The RS03 usually comes set up correctly from the start, so this is most often needed on the RS04.

WHAT YOU'RE AIMING FOR

- The throttle knob should sweep the whole range, from fully back to fully forward, instead of stopping early.

HOW TO DO IT (RS04)

1. Push the throttle knob as far forward as it will go.

2. Remove the side panel (small Allen screws, about a 5 mm Allen key).

3. Find the throttle cable at the engine. Use a screwdriver to loosen the cable clamp. You'll need to reach through the accessory door and around the fuel tank, so plan on getting down on your hands and knees.

4. Use vice grips to pull the cable tight, because it's too hard to pull by hand. Put a finger on the engine's throttle lever and push it as you pull the cable so there is no slack.

5. Tighten the clamp, then test the knob for full travel.

On an RS03 the cable is easy to reach at the back of the machine.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM054ldOQOA (7 min)

Mike walks through the Rippa 4-in-1 bucket on an RS03 at the Boyd dealership. It is a bigger bucket than the standard one, and he says he would personally rather have it, because it holds more and the quarter-inch plate handles heavy loads without bending.

WHAT IT DOES

- The clamshell opens and closes, so you can dump from the bucket, grade, level and grab.

- It is great for finish grading and is one of the top attachments for many skid steers. Pallet forks are number one.

- The hydraulic lines plug in just like other powered attachments.

TIPS FOR MOUNTING IT

- The biggest problem new skid steer owners have is the attachment plate not being angled enough. Tilt the plate well forward before backing into the bucket, or the lower edge hits and it won't seat.

- Lock the pins in every time. Never leave an attachment unlatched.

- Grease all the fittings, including those on the other side of the cylinders.

- Because the lines and cylinders hold hydraulic oil, watch your machine's hydraulic oil level whenever you swap attachments.

We only sell Rippa, so every attachment we offer will fit your machine.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSIyFnt97c8 (8 min)

Spring is when many owners get their machines out and start asking how to service them. Mike and Jake walk through basic maintenance on the Rippa RS03 so you don't have to figure it out over the phone. (RS04 and RS06 get their own maintenance videos.)

SAFETY FIRST

- Raise the boom all the way up, then set the safety bar in the lift cylinder so the boom rests on it. Never work under the boom with hydraulics holding it up.

- With the boom up, remove the 12 mm screws around the panel and lift it off to reach the engine. You can also get to it from the back.

GREASE

- The owner's manual shows every grease point and the maintenance schedule.

- The toolbox includes a grease tip for the flat-faced points on the cylinders, and a regular fitting for the zerks (look for the little red caps) all around the machine, top and bottom of each cylinder.

- Keeping everything greased is the biggest thing you can do for machine life. Grease until fresh grease comes out.

ENGINE AND FLUIDS

- The RS03 has a Briggs & Stratton gas engine, much like a lawn mower engine, so there is little to it.

- Check oil on either yellow dipstick. You only need to check one. Drain oil from the nut on the other side, then refill through the same dipstick opening up to the line. The manual lists the exact quantity.

- The air filter is the other thing to clean and watch.

- The hydraulic tank has a drain nut on the bottom if you ever need to empty and clean it.

- For bad fuel, drain it from the bottom of the carburetor or remove a fuel line.

TRACK TENSION

- Park the bucket down on a couple of 2x4s and push so the machine tilts back and the tracks lift off the ground.

- Remove the 12 mm screws on the small cover plate. Loosen the lock nut with a 1-1/8" wrench, then adjust the tension with a 16 mm wrench, turning one way to tighten and the other to loosen.

- Re-tighten the lock nut so the adjustment doesn't back off.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUbNlJHg5yk (5 min)

Mike shows the hydraulic log grapple and how to hook it up to an RS03.

HOOKUP TIPS

- Tilt the attachment plate forward well before you drive into the grapple, then lock it down. Check that both sides latched all the way.

- Wipe off dust and debris from the couplers on every attachment, new or not. Never let dirt into the hydraulic system.

- Each attachment and cylinder holds hydraulic oil, so if you keep swapping attachments, check your hydraulic oil level.

- Mike would add a bung or zip ties to keep the grapple's hydraulic lines more secure. It's an easy fix.

WHAT IT CAN HANDLE

- It grabs big rocks, limbs and trees. The plate is heavy, roughly 1/2 inch thick by his estimate.

- Grapple weight is about 250 lb on an RS03. An RS06-2 or -3 has counterweights and can handle north of 400 lb.

This is part one. Part two will put the grapple, trencher and tiller in the ground on the RS03, RS04 and RS06.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoGAa3rSc7w (15 min)

Mike from Rippa USA Sales takes the cover off a Rippa RS03 mini skid steer and shows what is inside, what the dealership checks before delivery, and how the machine is built. The RS03 is the unit we sell the most of.

WHAT WE CHECK ON EVERY MACHINE

- Remove the steel top cover and inspect everything underneath.

- Adjust the tracks.

- Check the hydraulic oil and top it off. The video uses ISO 46 hydraulic oil from a farm supply store.

- Check the engine oil and fill everything up.

- Put a wrench on the bolts. Rippa now marks bolts with blue paint so you can see that QA has checked them.

- Grease all the fittings before the machine runs. Factory grease is sometimes light, so preventive maintenance says to grease first.

WHAT YOU SEE INSIDE

- A Briggs and Stratton gas engine that sits low in the back and takes up little space. Mike compares it to a big lawn mower engine and says it is a great engine for what it is.

- A large hydraulic pump and the hydraulic oil tank.

- Drive motors and a small 12 volt battery.

- Easy access to the oil drain, oil fill and dipstick, so it is simple to work on.

- Steel pipe in place of long hose runs, and thick, strong welds. The steel in the frame is quarter inch.

TIE DOWNS

The RS03 has good tie down points. Mike notes the RS06 tie downs are thinner walled and bent a little when he used them, so use care when you load.

Questions? Call Rippa USA Sales at 817-382-3201 or visit RippaUSASales.com. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping, and you get 50% off attachments when you buy a machine from us.