Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4-z4R4Bzjg (9 min)

Mike gives a round-up of the Rippa RS04, the mini skid steer replacing the discontinued RS03, and shows the two engine choices side by side.

RS04 VERSIONS

- Gas, with a Briggs & Stratton engine and tracks.

- Kubota diesel with tracks.

- Kubota diesel with wheels. The wheeled version is only available with the Kubota engine.

GAS VS. DIESEL

- Otherwise the machines are basically identical, including the three-pump hydraulic system.

- The gas engine has a choke and a bit more complexity. The diesel starts with a key turned to the glow-plug position for about five to 10 seconds first.

- Shipping a gas machine requires draining most of the fuel, and it ships on a flatbed rather than hot shot.

- Service access: the engine cover comes off with about eight bolts on the gas model, while the diesel has an access door.

Mike's take: the RS04 is an awesome machine, and the first mini skid steer he sold.

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=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=-WobpvYx9U4 (2 min)

A follow-up to our earlier RS04 video on where the hydraulic filters are, thanks to a customer who sent us details.

- Earlier RS04 (no float on the tank): a metal tank with the hydraulic oil filter mounted outside, easy to see.

- Newer RS04 (with a float): Rippa redesigned the system and the hydraulic oil filters sit inside the tank. Looking down into the open tank, there are three filter elements.

- Hydraulic cooler: yes, the RS04 has one. A line runs from the hydraulic tank all the way back to the radiator area, with a return line going back into the tank.

Bottom line: the RS04 does have hydraulic filtration and an oil cooler, and it's a rock-solid 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=Vlj4ySuoKis (1 min)

Customers keep asking how machines get from our Boyd, Texas dealership to their door. In this short clip, Mike shows a Rippa RS04 mini skid steer (Kubota diesel, wheeled version) packaged and ready to ship to California.

The machine is prepared for freight and marked with stickers, and a semi picks it up from the yard and carries it down the road. Mike says shipping this way has gone well so far with no issues. We deliver nationwide with flat rate shipping. Call 817-382-3201 to ask about delivery to your location.

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=H99MBOQczUs (14 min)

Spring is when owners get their machines out and ask how to service them. Mike and Jake cover the maintenance touch points on the Rippa RS04 mini skid steer so thousands of owners can watch once instead of getting the same phone call.

MANUAL AND TOOL KIT

- Your machine comes with manuals that list what to do at 50, 100, 200 hours and so on, plus a small field tool kit with what you need for most jobs.

GREASE

- Use the flat-tip adapter on the flat-faced points (many are at the cylinders) and the standard grease gun on the zerk fittings under the red caps.

- Some fittings at the ends of cylinders are hidden. Watch where the grease comes out to tell if two fittings feed the same spot.

FILTERS AND FLUIDS

- Battery and air filter are easy to reach. The air filter has an outer and an inner element you can pop out and blow off. We keep replacements in stock.

- Fuel filter screws off at the back. A water separator for the fuel sits further down. When water shows, flip the switch off, unscrew the canister, dump it, reinstall and flip the switch back on.

- Oil: the dipstick is a round cap that is hard to see, and the fill port is at the top (use a funnel). To drain, crawl under the machine, which sits about 4 inches off the ground (ramps help), and remove the oil nut. The oil filter is reachable after removing a small plate.

- Every tank (hydraulic, fuel, coolant) has a drain screw on the bottom.

- Coolant: the overflow tank is at the back. To fill or check, remove the 12-14 mm screws and the panel at the operator position to reach the radiator.

TRACK TENSION

- Remove the 14 mm screws and the cover. Loosen the lock nut, then turn the adjuster. On the right side, turn right to tighten and left to loosen. The left side is the opposite.

- Adjust front and rear on both sides, then re-tighten each lock nut. A wrench can reach through the sprocket holes or at an angle from the front.

- The RS04 can also take a wheel conversion kit.

A TIP FOR WORKING IN THE TIGHT ENGINE BAY

- Pulling the battery takes about five minutes: loosen the bolts, disconnect the terminals and lift it out. That frees up about a foot of space so you aren't up to your shoulder in the machine. If you only get back there once or twice a year, it is worth 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.