New Max 28 HST/Loader Delivered Last Night

[dadreier]

After what I believe was a thorough examination of all similar tractors (and their dealers), I decided to spend my money on a Max.

I was determined to downsize, but still wanted something that could handle decent implements. The 28XL seemed to offer the best compromise among the competition.

I know I was always curious about what people were actually paying when they posted about getting a new tractor, so I'll provide that info right up front. I paid $14,600 (cash, no financing) for the tractor/loader. That does not include sales tax which is another six percent in Pennsylvania.

Because I'm blessed with several machines, I've already got the fields nicely mowed and other projects taken care of, so it may be a while before I can comment on the Max's performance, but I'll try to post my impressions as the hours accumulate.

Dennis

[AchingBack]

Welcome to the Mahindra forum, Dennis. I'm sure you'll not regret your purchase.

[s219]

Congratulations, now lets see some pictures!

[dadreier]

OK,

Here it is, still on the trailer.

[s219]

Nothing like a new tractor on a trailer! Looks great.

[Bob77064]

Congrats, looks good.

[gumshu]

Very nice. We're looking forward to your performance review.

[dadreier]

I've run the 28 a couple of hours now, but hardly enough to give a good evaluation. Instead, I'd like to mention some of my "first impressions".

In no particular order but just as they come to mind while writing this:

The fit and finish seem to be flawless on the tractor itself. The black paint on the bucket for the loader does have a slight sag about 12 inches long. It is in the interior of the bucket and won't survive.

The seat is not of the "suspension" variety, but was comfortable so far. I might prefer to have a slightly higher seat height to accomodate my 34-inch inseam. Raising the seat would appear to be an easy mod, however.

My long legs are attached to big feet which have plenty of room on the tractor floor.

I did notice that the rod which is part of the seat's folding mechanism was missing a clip which I replaced.

The engine seems fairly quiet and smooth. Not as smooth as my old Kubota, but that was a four cylinder.

The ride is a bit harsh with the tires pumped up and nothing on the rear. With the rotary cutter attached, all that goes away.

The loader controls are comfortably placed, and operate the loader smoothly with no jerkiness.

The separate forward and reverse hydro pedals are different than the single rocker pedal on the Kubota, but took no time to get used to.

In high range with full throttle the Max has plenty of speed and might even be faster than the L3710 was.

The gauges on the dash are simple and easily read, even at night.

I really appreciate the tight turning radius and compact dimensions on this tractor (my main reason for selling the Kubota). It lets me easily get into places where the larger machine struggled.

The PTO guard is not hinged. I did expect it would flip up to make hook-up easier. In actual practice, however, I had no difficulty.

There are just a couple of features I can think of that, if included, would have been appreciated. My Kubota had a substantial storage area behind the seat which could hold some tools, pins, and other stuff. Nothing like that is on the Max. I also wouldn't mind a 12-volt accessory outlet. I've added them on other machines and they are handy for lots of things, including the ability to run a battery tender without opening a hood or panel.

At this point, my biggest annoyance with the Max is the seat belts, which are non-retractable. Obviously, when not holding me in place, the ends are free to move about and already have discovered ways to hide themselves from view. I note that when a backhoe is attached, you get a seat that can rotate 180 degrees. This seat does have retractable belts and I wish they had been made standard.

That's all I can think of. The primary duty for the Max in the future will be mowing. Around here, however, the growing season is done, so it will be a while before it gets a serious workout. I'll post more tidbits as they turn up.

Dennis

[Gary Fowler]

I suppose a retractable seat belt would be easy enough to find also. I hope you enjoy your new tractor. I priced one of those as a TLB package for $25K but went with the slightly used B26 Kubota for the same money. They seem to have some impressive stats for lifting.

[Beaglenut]

I appreciate the notes, it helps me know what to expect when I pick mine up, hopefully by the end of this week. In response to you price question, I'm in MO and I'm paying $14,990 for the tractor and loader, but we don't have to pay sales tax on agriculture-use things in MO. It's interesting the different interpretations from different dealers of that MO tax rule, i.e. what constitutes ag use. For me it's not really an issue because we do own some farm ground.