Mahindra - What's the big deal??

[Pacesetter300]

Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

I personally went and looked at and drove a Mahindra 4110. Someone has to clue me in as to why they deserve all this hoopla! I had just been at a Century dealer and checked out the 3040. Forget the fact the Century was less money in my area, I have seen 4110's sell for a similar amount (under $17K). On the Mahindra, both the range lever and shift lever hit my knees. Low range, second gear was the worst. To me the shift pattern was backwards. First and third were where second and fourth belong in my mind. The loader has similar specs to the Century, but the bucket was not quick attach and the loader removal was to me, antiquated . You need a wrench to unbolt the loader frame and need to remove a pole from the torque tube to hold the loader arms up. On the Century you flip two levers and drop the stands for the frame stands.
I have become convinced through TBN forums that the big three Korean tractors (Kukje, Kioti, Mahindra) offer the best value for the money today. I doubt I would regret purchasing any one of them. It's just that after looking and driving a 4110, I find it hard to justify this cult like admiration for the brand. Help me out, what am I missing /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Pacesetter

 

[19th_VA]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

Pacesetter,

I looked at the mahindra, too, and was not as impressed as I was with Century and Branson, especially for the price. However, they seem like solid tractors and their financing and dealer network certainly has Branson beat.

 

[Makers_Mark]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

What's all the hoopla about? They're <font color="red"> RED </font>.

 

[RanchMan]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

I understand based on some of the other posts floating around TBN why you feel there is a "cult like" mentality regarding Mahindra, however, I do not consider myself of that mentality. I have posted both the positives and negatives regarding my 4110 over the months and although I choose Mahindra, I am not convinced it is the "only" brand that would have been a good choice for me.

Below is a reprint of a post I made about a year ago when I first made my choice and when I was just about the only Mahindra owner on TBN. Hopefully it will give you some insights as to my thoughts & reasoning.

<font color="red">Thanks to all for your opinions. It was a very difficult decision, but after considering a number of factors, I brought home a Mahindra 4110. I thought I'd post a little information on the +'s & -'s and why I went this route.

The Branson & Century (same tractor, different importer) had strong positives in the "driveablity" department - smooth clutch, smooth shifting, and a very smooth engine. However, I found the fit/finish the roughest of all the brands I was looking at. HP was the highest, but lift capacity was not. Overall nice machines, but seemed to have limited dealers and I was less confident since those dealers I spoke with sold a relatively low volume of tractors.

The real toss-up came down to the DK40 & the 4110. From the spec. sheets from both manufacturers, the 4110 edged out the DK40 on just about every category, but spec sheets aren't everything.

The DK40 had some very nice convenience features with the 3 pt, which basically made getting stuff on/off quicker/easier with fewer tools. Necessary? No, but nice. Also, visibility - the DK40 has a lower hood compared to the driver, which improves your ability to see. Also, the arms on the DK40's loader have a lower arch, so you don't have a "blinder" effect as with the 4110.

So why the 4110 over the DK40? A couple of things- ergonomically I really felt comfortable in the 4110 - I could quickly get on and it was "intuitive" to operate - the Kioti I had to stop and think quite a bit more - I could have eventually become accustomed to the DK40, but it just didn't seemed to "fit" me as well. Specs - as alluded to earlier, it was generally beat out the DK40 in most categories. Gears - 12 instead of 8. Last (but not least) price - a difference in price in the 4 digit realm.

The biggest outstanding concerns I have are parts & resale. Based on the volume of Mahindras being sold by the dealerships I spoke with, I honestly think these will become very popular due to the price/performance ratio, hence improving resale value down the road.

Parts? The dealer I bought the tractor from (they sell Kioti too) said that overall, parts were readily available for both brands. They did give me some specific examples of when parts were a little behind, but most of the time these were somewhat obscure items. So the bottom line is I can't say for sure at this point, but again, based on the volume of sales, I think there will be a good market for parts sales in the future.

I've generally found that folks are pretty proud of the brand they buy (that's ok - it's natural). However, I can honestly say I had a REALLY hard time choosing since I had not built up a brand loyalty based on past experiences (or lack thereof). I'm sure I could have been happy with any of them - as well as a green/blue/orange, but based on my goals & priorities, I think that 4110 is the best fit for me.
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[19th_VA]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

Hey Ranchman,

I found your posts to be objective and helpful. I will say I'm surprised about the "fit and finish" observation. As for the specs, it just depends on which you specs you focus on. The Mahindra does have 285# more lift capacity, but the Branson/Century 4020/3040 and 4520/3045 have more pto hp than the 4110 (2.4 and 6.4, respectively) and I think I recall that the Branson/Century loaders are stronger as well, though I don't have the specs in front of me. If I had liked my local Mahindra dealer, they were definitely in the running. Price, the dealer and an edge on personal taste made the Branson win out for me. But their financing is nonexistent.

 

[RanchMan]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

Howdy 19th_VA -

Thanks for the kind words. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Regarding the fit/finish, it could be that the few examples I looked at were put together on a Friday @ 4:00 pm. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Actually, I suspect it was because of the model I was looking at - the F4350 - which appears to be a discontinued model as the "10" and "20" series have replaced them - although there seem to be a few of the "old model" 4350's out there. At the time, the various Branson dealers only had the 4350's available for that HP range, and I'll have to plead ignorance regarding the actual differences between the 4350 and the 4020/3040 that seem to have taken over that segment in their offerings. Perhaps the difference is only "skin deep" or maybe it is more substantial - either way, I suspect the F&F has improved with the newer models which would explain the difference between what I saw a year ago and your evaluation.

<font color="blue">I think I recall that the Branson/Century loaders are stronger as well, though I don't have the specs in front of me. </font>

I'm not sure - could very well be (too lazy to go look up specs right now.) I will say though that the loader on the 4110 is one of my big complaints that I've posted about. Visibility is poor due to the high "arch" the arms have, and although the ability to "quick disconnect" the loader would certainly be nice, it really isn't a feature I need. (I've yet to remove my loader - just don't need to.)

As for the PTO HP, again, too lazy to go find the specs (although I did at the time and I think I even posted about it somewhere on TBN.) Regardless, the PTO HP on the 4110 has been perfectly adequate for my uses (mowing, PH Digging). I've yet to "load" the engine heavily doing such tasks, so although more PTO HP would certainly not be something I'd turn away if it were "free," it isn't really something I feel I need more of.

Don't get me wrong, I still think ALL the Korean tractors offer a very high "bang for the buck" - especially when compared to the prices of the "big 3." When I made my selection, I spent quite a bit of time trying to compare available models (no "vaporware") and match them to my needs/intended uses. With that being said, it makes sense why I choose a Mahindra and why others would choose something else since no one tractor (or brand) is a perfect fit for “everyone.”

Take care.

 

[19th_VA]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

That explains it for sure. There is a significant difference in the fit and finish in the old "L" series and the newer 10 and 20 series. I honestly think the new series gives Branson/Century the edge in F and F department. I see the Mahindra folks finally have their wish--their own forum. Congrats!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

I just bought a Mahindra 4110 also. Since it was my first tractor purchase, I can say it wasn't because of "brand loyalty", although I grew up around the big G/B/O. In any case, the factors that convinced me were the dealer and the volume of tractors they are selling (and their length of time in business), the extra weight on the 4110, and the comfort level I had when I "tried it on for size". Another factor was the number of positive posts on this and other web sites about these tractors. A final factor was it had all the necessary and important features, without lot's of bells and gadgets that might be prone to break down the road. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and have no regrets whatsoever. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Pacesetter300]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

Thanks for the insight Ranchman, I failed to mention the loader arms in the original post which were also quite a bother to me. Similar to the 7308 loader arms on a TC33 NH. Like I said. Any of the Korean big 3 are well made machines that offer exceptional value and I'm sure will work hard for a long time. I found that just about every tractor I tried had it's own quirks that I didn't like. Some more than others. I'm happy that Mahindra now has it's own forum, it's well deserved. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Pacesetter

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Mahindra - What\'s the big deal??

Pacesetter300:

<font color="blue"> I find it hard to justify this cult like admiration for the brand. Help me out, what am I missing </font>

The single, overwhelming superiority in the Mahindra 4110 is you can get it with a Bradco BH - which is arguably superior to others. Crawl around under the 4110 and examine the castings. The PTO is more flexible in several ways (although the lack of feathering ability is a weakness). And, as someone else said, it is <font color="red">red </font> - of course, so is your Centery. In addition, there are some minor "ease of use" issues. For example, other than the NH TC 30/40/45 geared tractors, it is the only CUT that lets you engage the parking brake (which you do every time you climb off) with your foot.

The Century 3045 you ordered is more refined especially with its Zetor influenced design and with the Yanmar engine and has a much easier on/off loader (but wait until you have to replace that 2 stage clutch). But the 4110 is a very solid piece of equipment. I'm glad Muhammad gave Mahindra its own forum. The reason I didn't buy a 4110 is primarily anticipated resale, quality of manuals, antiquated loader, and, relatively few dealers.

As far as the "cult like" following of the brand, it is a perfectly normal human response for people to "psyche" themselves up over things. Why not? The Mahindra is a solid piece of equipment. So is the Century 3045.

JEH