Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower?

   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower? #1  

cletus99

Gold Member
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
287
Location
Doerun, GA
Tractor
2011 Kubota L3800HST
It's still going to be a while before I can purchase a new tractor, but I've been looking at the 3016 and I was wondering if it would be possible to use a 72" finishing mower with it. I'm also looking at the 3616, but I'm not sure if I will be able to fit that in my budget when I get ready to buy. Anyone have a 3016 and use a 72" finish mower with it? Does it get bogged down?
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower?
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Does anyone use a 72" finish mower on any tractor with a 21 hp PTO? Or even a 29 hp PTO? The 3616 HST has 29 hp PTO and I'm looking at that one too, but mostly looking at the 3016 HST.
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower? #3  
I used a 72in kk finish mower on a 2615 gear mahindra without any problems. I think it was 23 pto hp.
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower? #4  
I have a 2810HST and run a 72" KK Rear discharge mower with no problem at all and have done so for quite a few years now. I perfer to mow when it rains just to hold the dust down, i was mowing around 33 acres a week last year and the grass was growing about 4" a week. With finish mowers you can run a larger mower with less HP by using a rear discharge mower, simply because the grass passes straight out the back instead of through all the blades then out the discharge.
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks! I kind of figured with a rear discharge finishing mower I would be ok with the hp. I just wanted to get some other options from others.
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower? #6  
Hello,

Sorry I'm replying late, but I recently joined the forum.

I have exactly what you're looking at, a Mahindra 3016 Hydrostatic with a 72" finish "Mahindra" mower.

I can't complain about the set up. The 3016 does get the mower running to speed pretty easily. But I do have to watch my mowing speed if I let the grass get to tall. YES it will bog down if your travel speed is too high or when I'm going up hill. I do like the Hydro transmission. It soaks up some horsepower but it is so easy to operate the tractor efficiently.

I would offer this caution... look around for a good finish mower. I bought a "Mahindra" 72 inch mower that I later found on the Northern Tool website for considerably less money. Yes it's painted red and has a mahindra decal, but that's about all Mahindra has to do with this chinese mower. Further I've had problems with it since I got it. Wheels falling apart and spindles failing. And I can't find replacement parts to fix it myself.

If I had it to do over again, I'd buy a Massey-Ferguson with at least 35hp at the PTO and I'd get a Name Brand finish mower with parts available online. Ah, live and learn.

Good luck!
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Glad to hear your thoughts. I've also looked at the Massey Fergusons as well. I like the specs on the Mahindra and the 5 year warranty. That's one of the reasons I've leaned more towards the Mahindra. I'd love to hear your pros and cons about your experience with the 3016.
 
   / Mahindra 3016 with 72" Finish Mower? #8  
Well the 3016 is my first tractor.
I bought the tractor new in 2011 with a front end loader and the afore mentioned finish mower. The 3016 and the FEL haven't failed me yet. The FEL is an amazing tool that just keeps on going. The 3016 is still new and other than having some awkward routine maintenance issues it's good. For instance, you have to remove the right engine side panel to check the engine oil level. Not a big deal, but it gets old after a while. Also, I've been trying to search for a replacement transmission filter besides the Mahindra brand and it's proved to be a challenge.
I went with the 3016 because of the price and size. I do regret not going for more horsepower as mentioned above.
I'm on 7 acres where about 2/3rds is open field. I'm still trying to decide what to do with all of the land, but in the mean time I'm cutting grass, lots of grass. It's primarily flat land with some swells. I find that the engine RPM's will fall as I'm going up the swells, leading me to think "We need more horsepower here."
I had the choice of AG, R4 (industrial) or Turf tires. I selected the R4 tires because I thought they would be a good compromise given the turf duty and the Michigan winters the tractor would have to work through. As it turns out I now believe the Turf tires would have been a better choice. When I clear snow from my driveway those R4 tires love to spin away. In spring the R4's love to squeeze the water out of my lawn whenever I turn. The R4's look cool but the Turf tires would have been a more practical choice for me.
Oh, one thing I did relatively early was replace the seat. I was getting beat to death if I would hit a bump or rut. I replaced the OEM Mahindra seat with a "suspension seat" from Northern Tool (about $250) and I'm still glad I invested in that. Unless you're going to ride across a 'pool table' lawn, you should consider a seat change. The OEM seat has springs but they are like like valve springs for a roller cam (i.e. Incredibly stiff).

That's about it off the top of my head. I've tried to be as unbiased as I can be. While I wish I had more horsepower in a tractor I also wish I had 100 more acres and a bigger bank account. But given life's realities I have what I could afford at the time and it has proven to get the job done.

Of course, the finish mower is a completely different story. That's a regrettable loss that I'm dealing with today.
 
 
Top