Mahindra vrs JD

[shamban]

Bob,
I posted a few pages back how I intended to proceed. I can see why you (and everyone else since no one commented) missed it. Although I have found this thread very informative, I have not been checking in on it much as of late because it has went so far off on a tangent. People are passionate here, that is for sure.

[Poncho]

Uh.... Cowboy, better check the Mahindra website. Mahindra offers the 4510 CAB. They probably didn't offer a cab back when you bought... but they do now, and if the orignial poster is still hanging around and needs a cab, this tractor is probably up his alley.

To the original poster..... In the overall scheme of things, I would bet Mahindra is going to be around for a good while. What you've seen in all the bantering back and forth is preference in machines, preferred dealer relationships, resale... etc. A tractor with a lower price is certainly going to bring less of a resale value than a tractor bought at a higher price. Somebody referred to national vs international markets, well, there ar markets here in the US also, i.e. brand loyalty and market penetration is going to be major factors. Around here in N Florida, Mahindra dealership numbers are comparable to Kubota, NH, JD & Massey so resale is not going to be as big of an issue because there is an established market and the Mahindras are well respected. I look at the tractor market and remember the mass introduction of import automobiles... people said the same thing about the imports.... and we know what happened there. When I was looking at similarly optioned equipment between Mahindra & JD.... the Mahindra was considerably less, by thousands. People speak to parts availability... again look at the automotive market.... Mahindra wouldn't invest in the market as heavily as they have without product support (duh!) besides, it's a proven fact that Mahindra's are a well made durable machine.... and the fact that it's durability is made overseas doesn't bother me. If a machine holds up well in India, that's good enough to me for North Florida.

[cowboydoc]

That is a compact tractor to me. I was looking for a cab on a utility tractor or a tractor in the 60 plus pto range.

[viking]

It is amazing how regional tractor pricing can be, but then again the same can be said with automobiles, houses and land. In my neck of the woods John Deere remains king followed closely by New Holland with Kubota closing the gap, Kioti and Mahindra are also being represented on many of the smaller farms around. Being in the market for a 50 hp utility tractor, I cannot find a used John Deere 5205 MFWD with loader for the price that I can get a new Mahindra 5500 or even 6000 with 6ft medium duty bushhog and PHD. So, I can get a new tractor with two implements for the price of a used John Deere of similar specs. I know the JD wins the hydrolics issue hands down, but even the smaller (5500) Mahindra outweighs the JD by 2000lbs.

[slaveToHorses]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bob,
I posted a few pages back how I intended to proceed. I can see why you (and everyone else since no one commented) missed it. ... )</font>

I missed it too. I saw an earlier one describing your intended usage. RanchMan made a good response that I will add to.

I would not necessarily choose a tractor that will work for all your needs, as a criteria. You will end up with something that might be too compromised for any one of them. I think you will find yourself purchasing a second tractor!

You will want a smaller 4wd tractor with an FEL and backhoe and a larger 2wd or 4wd for field work. I find that an FEL gets in the way of a field tractor but is imperitive for the utility tractor. Choose which task is more important to do first. Consider renting a tractor, or trackhoe to do the pond digging or other immediate task.

As to Mahindra v.s. JD. Heck I would go for a used JD. If you really felt the need for a new one then from what I can tell, you should be fine with either.

But, one thing to keep in mind. Resale value is important because this is your first tractor. Chances are that you will find out that you should have gotten something different despite all your research. Then the resale value becomes important.

Then there is your wife's opinion. Bring her into the discussion.
This is often overlooked. Believe me. At first you will want to do all the tractor work yourself. That won't last and you will want your wife to feel like she has some ownership. My wife loves the Deere color scheme and I have found great value in that!!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Buy as many implements as you can with the tractor, the dealers will give you much better breaks on price then.

Also make sure your dealers will give you a loaner in case repair work needs to be done. Talk to the service manager not the salesman. If they are one and the same then go to a larger dealer!

Don't be affraid to buy a used tractor. I purchased some parts for a 60 year old tractor at one of the JD dealers near me and they had it in stock! Just make sure it wasn't a rental tractor. I made that mistake once...


-grego