3550 PST Two Year Eval

[tbzep]

I've actually had it just a bit over two years, but here's the skinny on my 3550 PST. I am not seeking solutions to my issues. It's just an honest review of a modern tractor after spending my whole life on classic iron.

1. Whatever was used to lube the shuttle lever hates cold weather. When it's below freezing, I can barely move it...to the point I'm worried about breaking something. I've lubed it with oil when above freezing, hoping that it would wash away whatever is getting so stiff. No joy so far. It's like butter when the temps are above freezing.

2. Those light pods mounted on the ROPS are targets for tree limbs. They stay busted. I've epoxied them back together only to get 'em smacked down again. Buying new pods is out of the question. Evidently they are made of platinum instead of plastic. I've come to the point that I'm just going to remove the lights compeletely this spring. I've been thinking about adding LED's to the inside of the FEL (for protection) and cross the beams (not Proton Pack streams, so I think it's safe) to get some peripheral lighting.

3. Temperature gauge quit working. I'll get around to troubleshooting it one of these days.

4. My OBD scan tool will not reset the maintenance indicator. I'm tired of seeing the little wrench flashing.

5. R4 tires are fun in the heaved winter mud and manure. I pretty much drive sideways on mild slopes with or without a bale of hay.

6. 4WD is a must when putting out large round bales. I don't have room in the barn to maneuver with the bush hog attached, and have near zero traction with the rear tires without its added weight. I'm pretty much in front wheel drive. And to think, the biggest reason I got the Mahindra was because it was considerably heavier than anything else in it's class and price range. I'd hate to see what those other light-weights would be like!

7. I've commented before that transmission/hydraulic filter maintenance is not the easiest to fool with. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be done often.

8. How the heck have I lived and worked for so long with FEL-less tractors? That thing is so versatile it ain't funny. Rescue a stuck heifer, dress a deer, pull up posts, clear thickets, trim trees, (shhhh, don't tell OSHA). You name it...and then there's the traditional dirt moving and hay spear stuff.

9. All the modern tractors have you sitting on top, more or less on a platform. With my old 8N and 861, you straddled the drive train, lowered your CG, use your legs to absorb some shock when needed, and allowed you to keep your head from being the main target for every human hating tree limb on the planet. I'm not fond of sitting way up on top of the tractor.

10. Modern tractors (I sat on many brands/models before buying) are designed for somebody with legs about a foot shorter than mine. To steer comfortably and still have my feet at the pedals, I have to scoot the seat up and my knees are dang near under my armpits. To have comfortable legs, I have to scoot the seat back and lean forward like riding a Harley with ape hangers. I can't have it both ways. And, yes, the steering column is tilted as far back as I can get it. :/

11. When I crawl under the tractor there are hoses and crap sticking out everywhere. I'm amazed that I haven't torn something loose in the 2+ years of ownership. Crawl under an old classic Ford tractor and you see nothing but cast iron and big ole' bolt heads! Now that's a tractor that's ready for rough action! Bury it past the belly pan? No problem. Drag it out and get back to work! I'm betting other classic iron with green, red, or orange paint is the same way. Do that on a modern tractor and you'll probably be fixing stuff for a week before you can work it again.

12. I'm pleasantly surprised the DEF-less tier IV is still running clean and strong. While the barn isn't air tight, it is stuffy enough that I won't stay in there with the gas burner more than a couple minutes before it lets me know I'm stupid for being in there. The Mahindra burns so clean that I really have to pay attention to how long I'm in there with it because I don't notice the exhaust at all.

13. Coons love to walk on my tractor. Thankfully, they use the hay bales for bathrooms. I've got to get that trap set.

 

[jb1390]

I've actually had it just a bit over two years, but here's the skinny on my 3550 PST. I am not seeking solutions to my issues. It's just an honest review of a modern tractor after spending my whole life on classic iron.

1. Whatever was used to lube the shuttle lever hates cold weather. When it's below freezing, I can barely move it...to the point I'm worried about breaking something. I've lubed it with oil when above freezing, hoping that it would wash away whatever is getting so stiff. No joy so far. It's like butter when the temps are above freezing.

2. Those light pods mounted on the ROPS are targets for tree limbs. They stay busted. I've epoxied them back together only to get 'em smacked down again. Buying new pods is out of the question. Evidently they are made of platinum instead of plastic. I've come to the point that I'm just going to remove the lights compeletely this spring. I've been thinking about adding LED's to the inside of the FEL (for protection) and cross the beams (not Proton Pack streams, so I think it's safe) to get some peripheral lighting.

3. Temperature gauge quit working. I'll get around to troubleshooting it one of these days.

4. My OBD scan tool will not reset the maintenance indicator. I'm tired of seeing the little wrench flashing.

5. R4 tires are fun in the heaved winter mud and manure. I pretty much drive sideways on mild slopes with or without a bale of hay.

6. 4WD is a must when putting out large round bales. I don't have room in the barn to maneuver with the bush hog attached, and have near zero traction with the rear tires without its added weight. I'm pretty much in front wheel drive. And to think, the biggest reason I got the Mahindra was because it was considerably heavier than anything else in it's class and price range. I'd hate to see what those other light-weights would be like!

7. I've commented before that transmission/hydraulic filter maintenance is not the easiest to fool with. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be done often.

8. How the heck have I lived and worked for so long with FEL-less tractors? That thing is so versatile it ain't funny. Rescue a stuck heifer, dress a deer, pull up posts, clear thickets, trim trees, (shhhh, don't tell OSHA). You name it...and then there's the traditional dirt moving and hay spear stuff.

9. All the modern tractors have you sitting on top, more or less on a platform. With my old 8N and 861, you straddled the drive train, lowered your CG, use your legs to absorb some shock when needed, and allowed you to keep your head from being the main target for every human hating tree limb on the planet. I'm not fond of sitting way up on top of the tractor.

10. Modern tractors (I sat on many brands/models before buying) are designed for somebody with legs about a foot shorter than mine. To steer comfortably and still have my feet at the pedals, I have to scoot the seat up and my knees are dang near under my armpits. To have comfortable legs, I have to scoot the seat back and lean forward like riding a Harley with ape hangers. I can't have it both ways. And, yes, the steering column is tilted as far back as I can get it. :/

11. When I crawl under the tractor there are hoses and crap sticking out everywhere. I'm amazed that I haven't torn something loose in the 2+ years of ownership. Crawl under an old classic Ford tractor and you see nothing but cast iron and big ole' bolt heads! Now that's a tractor that's ready for rough action! Bury it past the belly pan? No problem. Drag it out and get back to work! I'm betting other classic iron with green, red, or orange paint is the same way. Do that on a modern tractor and you'll probably be fixing stuff for a week before you can work it again.

12. I'm pleasantly surprised the DEF-less tier IV is still running clean and strong. While the barn isn't air tight, it is stuffy enough that I won't stay in there with the gas burner more than a couple minutes before it lets me know I'm stupid for being in there. The Mahindra burns so clean that I really have to pay attention to how long I'm in there with it because I don't notice the exhaust at all.

13. Coons love to walk on my tractor. Thankfully, they use the hay bales for bathrooms. I've got to get that trap set.

One of these days I intend to do a thread with mods I've done to my 3550. I added a skid plate underneath mine - I too found some fragile parts under there. Luckily I got the plate in there before I broke anything that cost money to repair. I feel much more comfortable in the woods and over rocks with that plate installed. I'v also upgraded the lights. The original ones were only good as bug magnets, and blinding you if you looked behind you.....New ones are on the side of the loader, and underneath the sun shade in the front, and back.

You can reset the maintenance light with a fuse. It's really easy.

That would drive me nuts with the shuttle shift. Hope you can get that one solved at some point.

 

[OLV1071571]

Glad its still working out well for you. I have a 1 year old 3540 PST and its been great. Same complaints about back end lifting up but I suppose I will have that until I load the tires or get something heavier than my rear blade. The only complaint i would have would be around having refinements done in the loader hydraulics and range selection. The loader just doesn't have the finesse that i have experienced on some JD or Kubota tractors. My tractor just seems "sticky" ( everything is greased up and maintained. Its been like this since i got it). The range selection is not so clear when switching from High to Medium. The detentes could be a bit more intentional if that makes sense.

Anyways, I am glad i bought the 3540 and its pretty much met every need i have on the farm.

 

[mcfarmall]

Glad to hear the review(s). I'm leaning toward the 3550 PST when I pull the trigger so any reports, good or bad, are of interest to me.

 

[tbzep]

Glad to hear the review(s). I'm leaning toward the 3550 PST when I pull the trigger so any reports, good or bad, are of interest to me.

There is a long running thread on a 3550 that was a lemon. Some folks have added issues they've had with it on that thread.

 

[e5wd6114]

Best solution for the rear weight is load the tires with beet juice, add wheel weights and make your own compact weight box (weight behind the rear axle helps lift weight off the front axle, think seesaw). The front axles on 4wd tractors aren't designed to take the full torque and power of the tractor ( most are 40%-50%) so getting the *** down is essential for your front axle's longevity.

 

[jeff9366]

"Under the Mahindra there are hoses and crap sticking out everywhere. I'm amazed that I haven't torn something loose in the 2+ years of ownership.

Crawl under an old classic Ford tractor and you see nothing but cast iron and big ole' bolt heads!"



I like your perspective on your contemporary Mahindra relative to old Fords.

 

[redobbin]

Like most mechanized tools/toys it is always good to see the plain truth about them. I have had my 4035 HST for just over five years. It has performed very well and always accomplished every task I have handed except one stump that will be dealt with this spring.
I have changed over the type of grease I use for some areas that has a wider temperature range and been very pleased. Also experienced the issues with the lights mounted on the outside of the ROPS, shattering one of them. It has been replaced and I am trimming up the tree limbs in and along the meadow.
My tires are loaded so I have not had an issue with the rear lifting other than one time when unloading a pallet of rock from a flatbed.
Still amazes me every time I push a large tree over and then work it up in the ground and just backfill where the stump was.
I have found many of the elctrical connections neeed to be cleaned and tightened up almost from day one. Most of them are done at this point. Working to determine if my intake heater relay timer is dead (terribly expensive in my mind).
Clean, tighten and lube - just normal things. I could see a skid plate as a beneficial addition.
Only real gripe is the paint fades badly - it is a constant battle.

 

[tbzep]

My tires are loaded so I have not had an issue with the rear lifting other than one time when unloading a pallet of rock from a flatbed.

My tires are loaded too.
BTW, they don't lift off the ground with the bale, there is just so much weight transfer that they have no traction at all.

 

[mcfarmall]

There is a long running thread on a 3550 that was a lemon. Some folks have added issues they've had with it on that thread.

I've been following the issues with gasifier. I found him on another forum and he finally got resolution with his tractor. It was a bad connection on a harness plug at the ECM. Dealer was able to fix it and his 3550 has been running fine and keeping him happy since.

Any mechanical piece of equipment is going to have problems and to me the biggest decision factor is what kind of support (or lack thereof) will I get from the dealer after the sale.