who will be around long term?

   / who will be around long term? #1  

kossetx

Platinum Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
659
Location
TX
Tractor
NH TC 40 A, AC 5020
The centry post has me thinking of something I kinda lost track of when I found this site and was introduced to all kinds of different tractors I'd never heard of.

My old AC5020 is getting hard to find parts for and I could use a FEL, so it's new tractor time. Which of the current companies will be around when the new tractor is 20+ years old like the AC? I know orange and green and blue will probably be, but what about Mahindra or Montana or the others. I was kinda down to a MX5000 or a Mahindra 5500. The 5500 seems to be a lot more tractor for 1000.00 less than the Kubota, but will Mahindra be here long term like Kubota will. As the owner of a hard to find parts for tractor, this becomes more of an issue. Maybe this will help others too. The City of Houston now uses some Mahindra's for mowing in the 640 sq mi area of Houston. Of course long term use may not be an issue to the city with the amount of hours per year they put on them. As for me, I plan on passing before my next machine does, and I'm only 46 now.

The big 3 are only a couple G's more than the off brands. Is it worth the extra money now and get parts later or will the big 3 even have parts 25+ years from now for the tractors that they produce today. I've only had this one tractor so I don't really know if long term availability is an issue.

What are the opinions for long term? MP
 
   / who will be around long term? #2  
That's probably the same thing Kubota buyers questioned 20 some years ago...

Personally, I'm pretty sure I'll get parts for my 790 in 20 years. No guarantee, of course..but the 790 is a pretty simple tractor.

As far as the lesser known brands..that's a tough call. In 20 years, the Kioti's or Manhindra's may be outselling the Deeres, Kubotas and NH's...depends if you want to take the risk.

The machines I'd stay away from are the rebadged tractors that are imported by independent dealers...some of the Chinese and Korean machines. If the tractor doesn't have an established dealer network supported by the factory...that's an unacceptable risk, in my opinion.
 
   / who will be around long term? #3  
I fully agree with RoyJackson,

If support & parts are not readily available you will be really bummed when you have difficulty with your tractor. This has been discussed before. If you are fairly mechanically inclined you might fare OK but again parts may be an issue. Do you have either of these dealerships close by ??

For 2,000 bucks, I would opt out for a brand that is more establishhed. Kubota tractors have an incredible reputation for reliability & of course parts are readily available. Check out the number of posts (totals) on this forum to give you an idea of which tractors are popular. John Deere & Ford (NH) are also known for their reliability.

I am not saying the other tractors are not reliable, but they do still need to prove themselves over time. Again, a chinese tractor or mahindra may well be good (maybe...i.e. risk) but without the dealer support and/or parts availability.....do you reallly want to gamble $2,000 & be left in a pinch. The old saying still holds true....you pay for what you get. If it's cheaper, there's a reason.

JMHO,

Vic
 
   / who will be around long term? #4  
My dad used to work for Allis-Chalmers. His pension was greatly reduced after their bankruptcy.

You observation is a good one.
 
   / who will be around long term? #5  
If you are interested in a 5500 Mahindra, do your homework on the company let us know what you find. I'll give you a couple of hints: They started building Willys jeeps under liscense in 1946. They started building International tractors under liscense around 1960. I'm sure you can find/figure the rest. BobG in VA
 
   / who will be around long term? #6  
If the new Mahindras are anything like my 1971 IH3444, which was built in India, stop worrying. That IH3444 has been an absolute tank. The FEL was made in South Korea, the only USA part on it is the 4131 backhoe. The engine is a Perkins British diesel. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
   / who will be around long term? #7  
kossetx,
Mahindra has been around forever and has a domestic parts warehouse in Tx for any part you could possibly need. As Bob G stated they are built like a tank! I looked at them before I ended up buying a used Massey, but if I had the money Mahindra was definitely up on the top end of the list.

scotty
 
   / who will be around long term? #8  
I believe that Mahindra has been around for many years. I looked at the history of many manufacturers before I bought my Kioti. If my memory serves me Mahindra was licensed by Rolles Royce to build the Merlin engine used in the Spitfire and later in the P40 aircraft in WWII.
 
   / who will be around long term? #9  
I think the real issue is not whether mahindra will be around in 20 years, but whether parts for the 5500 will be available, which has more to do with the popularity of that model etc than anything. Similar to the poster's AC5020 - I had a massey 210-4, same family of compact tractors that didnt sell terribly well. So while Massey is still a viable brand, parts for that 210 were tough to find and expensive. My two cents...
 
   / who will be around long term? #10  
Looks like I stand corrected somewhat on the Mahindra's. Did'nt realize they had a History going back so far. According to a site I visited, they first introduced tractors to the US market in 1994 & have a network of 140 dealerships.

In comparison, Kubota's were first introduced in 1969 & have a network of 1,040 dealerships in the US.

Could not find comparable stats for CNH or JD.

Vic
 
 
Top