What is the difference between the RX, KX and K fryer thermostats?

This page answers one question for buyers, maintenance technicians and parts distributors: can 00-411506-00013 be used in place of 00-410687-00001 in a commercial fryer? It is a part-number comparison, not a sales page — nothing here is offered for sale and no price is quoted.

Source basis: Distributor listings for each family.. See Sources, method and reliability for what is verified and what is not.

Short answer: They are three different thermostat families with different bulb diameters, capillary lengths and temperature ranges. RX is the 24 in, 200-400 F regulating kit. KX uses a 1/4 in bulb with a 12-1/8 in capillary. K is a separate family again. The letter matters more than the shape.

At a glance

RX (00-411506-00013)KX (00-410687-00001)K (00-414880-00001)
Range200-400 FVerify on rating labelVerify on rating label
Capillary24 in12-1/8 inVerify
Bulb3/8 in x 5-5/8 in1/4 inVerify
Fitting3/8 in MPT stuffing boxVerifyVerify

What to check before swapping

When you should not swap

Documented wording

These are the lines that decide the answer above, quoted as published. A paraphrase would hide the unit labels and the quantity column, which is where most of the confusion comes from.

DocumentWording (verbatim)What it settlesLink
PartsFe listing for 00-411506-00013 (distributor wording, not OEM)“Type - Rx Temp 200-400 F Bulb 3/8" X 5 5/8" - Nickel Cap 24"”The RX is the fat-bulb unit: 3/8 in bulb, 24 in capillary, 200-400 F.PartsFe
PartsFe listing for 00-410687-00001 (distributor wording, not OEM)“Type- Kx Dip Sealed Temp 200-400 Bulb 1/4" X - 12-1/8" Nickel Cap 48"”The KX is sealed, 1/4 in bulb, 12-1/8 in long, 48 in capillary — same range, different body.PartsFe
SharpTek Supply listing for 00-414880-00001 (distributor wording, not OEM)“Thermostat K, 5/16 X 8-1/16, 96 for Hobart - Part# 00-414880-00001”The K is 5/16 in bulb, 8-1/16 in long, 96 in capillary — the longest of the three, and the only one with a 5/16 in bulb.SharpTek Supply

Sources

Distributor listings for each family. Verify against your own equipment's parts manual before ordering. This is not an offer or a quotation.