Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH

   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #1  

deathtoblackberries

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Messages
434
Location
Battle Ground, WA
Tractor
Kubota BX2380
I'm about to pull the trigger on a new tractor (my first) and have it narrowed down to these two. I'm leaning towards the Mahindra at the moment, see the below pictures of my 1 acre and what I expect to be doing with the tractor, I'd appreciate any input, feel free to comment on yes the tractor can do it or no your smoking crack.

Mahindra pro's - Less expensive, I would need to negociate a 15% discount on the Kabota to match a quote I have on the Mahindra. FEL rated to lift several hundred pounds more, more HP, on paper it beats the Kubota in several areas. I used to be a CNC machinist so I like the cast iron frame.

Mahindra con's - I have an appt to check one out in person this weekend, so this is only based on pictures and videos...what the heck is with the birds nest of FEL hydraulic hoses and the funky position of the controls? This tractor looks to be well engineered everywhere except here, advantage Kubota. Kubota specs on the backhoe crush the Mahindra, Kubota Bucket Force 2,585 lbs vs Mahindra 2,145 lbs, Kubota Dipperstick force 1,687 lbs vs Mahindra 903 lbs. Check out the pics below, digging out all those stumps and roots is why this is on my radar. If not for these backhoe specs I'd have crossed the Kubota off my list already.

Kubota...there's a large dealer 8 miles from me (the nearest Mahindra dealer is 70 miles) so I have already checked them out in person. Mixed feelings, I see areas that are very well engineered and beefy yet areas that are cheap and not worthy of the price they are asking. The rubber flooring is a joke and poorly fitted. When I see cheap crap like that I get wondering where else they cheaped out. Paint was sub-par in several areas also. I'm heading back over there for another look in a few minutes.

So here's what I'm dealing with (see pics). I bought this new house and the 1 acre needs a LOT of landscaping. It could easily cost me the price of one of these tractors to pay someone else to do the work, at least that's my logic for buying a tractor, plus it would be more fun to do it myself on my schedule. All these bushes and scrub trees and f'er blackberries need to be gone. I also need to move a fair amount of dirt from the side and back of the property around to the front. The soil has some clay with a fair amount of round cobble stones in the 1-5 inch range. No big boulders. There are a few older stumps in the 18-20 diameter in range that need dug out also. Once the land is cleared and leveled I'll be putting in a fence, lawn, shop, and garden. At some point down the road I probably won't need the backhoe anymore but I'll be keeping the FEL long term. Plus I sometimes need to move heavy machines around.

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   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #2  
A drive around the area will tell you which tractor is more popular.I.E.if you are going to sell your BH down the road.If you are new to tractors,having a dealer close should come into consideration.Do some reading on this site on both tractors.Good luck shopping.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #3  
Kubota specs on the backhoe crush the Mahindra, Kubota Bucket Force 2,585 lbs vs Mahindra 2,145 lbs, Kubota Dipperstick force 1,687 lbs vs Mahindra 903 lbs. Check out the pics below, digging out all those stumps and roots is why this is on my radar. If not for these backhoe specs I'd have crossed the Kubota off my list already.



These tractors get compared a lot around here...

This was said recently: Backhoe Here is a Mahindra 28 Max in action with the backhoe - Page 3

Consider whether you want pallet forks for the tractor; Kubota has a very nicely engineered (but proprietary) quick attach system for forks and bucket that's very convenient; you'd have to go to the aftermarket and modify your stock bucket should you want that for the Mahindra.

They're both nice tractors. Be sure you drive both and try out the loaders and backhoes. The feel of the two machines is surprisingly different for as similar as they seem at first glance.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #4  
I've been clearing just the same type of area with my Max 22 with ratchet rake. Of course I have 450 pounds of weight on the back, but any smaller than the Max would be a major challenge. The Max 28 would really be nice and do a much better job as would the Kubota you referenced.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #5  
I bought the Mahindra Max 28xl with backhoe, midmount mower, box blade and tiller and have not regreted a minute of it. Dug out a huge mulberry stump, put in a 90" propane line that I buried 30" down. I have also been replacing poles in my barn. We also poured a biger patio and my son brought every drop of it from the road to the house in the bucket because of the ground was to soft for the truck. The driver could not believe the Max could move a bucket load of concrete that easily. I can't wait for spring to gear up again. I highly recommend Mahindra, I almost made the mistake of buying Kubota. I will say that I wish the Mahindra dealer was closer. Good luck with what ever you buy.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I bought the Mahindra Max 28xl with backhoe, midmount mower, box blade and tiller and have not regreted a minute of it. Dug out a huge mulberry stump, put in a 90" propane line that I buried 30" down. I have also been replacing poles in my barn. We also poured a biger patio and my son brought every drop of it from the road to the house in the bucket because of the ground was to soft for the truck. The driver could not believe the Max could move a bucket load of concrete that easily. I can't wait for spring to gear up again. I highly recommend Mahindra, I almost made the mistake of buying Kubota. I will say that I wish the Mahindra dealer was closer. Good luck with what ever you buy.

Excellent that's just the kind of direct feedback I'm looking for. What size backhoe bucket did you get? Dealer is recommending the 12", says it will be better for digging around roots and stumps but I'm thinking about the 16".
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I've been clearing just the same type of area with my Max 22 with ratchet rake. Of course I have 450 pounds of weight on the back, but any smaller than the Max would be a major challenge. The Max 28 would really be nice and do a much better job as would the Kubota you referenced.

Thats great to hear, did you go with the industrial tires?
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #8  
They are both great tractors and similar in a lot of respects (even though Mahindra markets the Max as a sub-compact and Kubota markets the B as a compact).

The weak points of the Max are the backhoe (that is truly a sub-compact unit, more like a toy) and the ergonomics of the operator station (that's more personal opinion). Otherwise, it's a great tractor that is well equipped at a low price, so it's a very good value for the money. In particular, the front loader is very strong for a tractor of that size (just don't let that get you in trouble, since it's still attached to a small tractor at the end of the day).

Kubotas are well regarded and the B2920 was the best choice when I was shopping around (I was primarily comparing Kubota and Deere, and the Max was not on the market at the time). I've had it just over a year and 100 hours and it's been a strong workhorse of a machine. I paid $15400 for the B2920 with front loader back in Dec 2011. I believe that was about a 15% discount from MSRP, and I didn't have to haggle at all.

My neighbor ordered a Max 28 that should be here any day now, and I am looking forward to seeing it and maybe do a side by side comparison with my B2920.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH
  • Thread Starter
#9  
My neighbor ordered a Max 28 that should be here any day now, and I am looking forward to seeing it and maybe do a side by side comparison with my B2920.

Please check back after it arrives with your thoughts on the Mahindra. My quote on the Mahindra is $22,728 (cash price) with the FEL, backhoe, and 60 inch mid mount mower. The build my Kubota is $28,576 so even with a 15% discount that's still $1,685 more than the Mahindra with tax. We'll see what the Kubota dealer is willing to do this afternoon. I didn't see any 2920's on his lot last week, he has a bunch of 2620's which would be closer in price to the Mahindra.
 
   / Mahindra Max 28XL HST vs Kubota 2920 HSD with FEL, 60" mower, and BH #10  
If you don't need the extra horsepower at the PTO, then save about $700-1000 and look at the B2620 instead -- it's identical to the 2920 in all respects except for the engine and horsepower numbers, and plenty adequate on it's own. It's a much more popular seller than the 2920.

If the difference between the Max and Kubota is $1700 or so and you like both options equally, to me the beefier backhoe on the Kubota could certainly justify the price difference. But that's only if backhoe work is an important factor. Be sure to compare the backhoes if that is the case, since there is a notable difference there.

To me the primary decider should be how good of a fit you are on each tractor in terms of operation, feel, ergonomics, etc. You'll know it when you try them all out and drive them around. Then consider dealer support, then features, and then price last of all.

I know many people put pricing first, but I think that's a mistake for this kind of purchase. Choose wisely and spend the money to get the best option for you. This is a big purchase that you could have for decades if you choose right. And heck, you may find that the best choice is the lowest price anyhow!

Good luck, keep us posted.
 
 
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