Mahindra vrs JD

[shamban]

I am new to TBN and love this place! I have learned a lot about first tractor hunt. It seems that what most everyone agrees is quite possibly the most important factor is having a quality, local dealer for support. Since I am new to all this, I would consider this extremely important as well.

I have two dealers close, JD and Mahindra. I am looking for a 30 HP, FEL, backhoe, rotary mower. I have 25 acres with 5 aces woods. What I am wondering how these brands compare to each other in the range. How much might I save with Mahindra and is there any downside to going with them? I am more concerned with more for the money than a name brand.

Thanks ,
Joey

 

[beenthere]

If I were making the decision, I would be looking at the odds of the Deere dealer or the Mahindra dealer being in business 5 years, 10 years down the road. You likely will need some minor assistance with a new purchase in the first 2-5 years, with the possibility of more major help after 5 years. Parts availability is likely an issue, and upgrading potential (which includes trade-in value) is another issue worth considering.

I've made those decisions already, and everyone faces them one time or another. Good luck.

 

[ebeacham]

I believe that Mahindra is here to stay, They have invested a lot of money in the US market. So I would assume that both makes will be around for the next 10 years. If you want a heavy, rugged machine with a high 3 pt lift capacity that costs thousands less then go with the Mahindra. If you want a superior FEL, superior paint job, and want to be the envy of all your neighbors, then get a Deere.

 

[shvl73]

I bought a Mahindra 2810HST & I also feel Mahindra is here to stay & will only get stronger in the market place. When I was shopping, the local LD dealer showed me the 790 as being the tractor that fit my stated needs & budget. The Mahindra dealer showed me the 2810 for less $. The flat floor, the loader capacity of 1020lbs vs. 610lbs, the massive front axle, the clean underside (no hoses or wiring to get hurt while brush-hogging) were some items that sold me. Choose your dealer carefully. Re-sale is always an issue & it's hard to debate that a JD will hold it's value well. With prices of new always rising, I think I'll do ok IF I ever want to upgrade but, I very happy with my machine.

 

[RanchMan]

This question comes up every so often on TBN. Here's the general fallout from the previous threads.

(Now, before anyone gets upset, not EVERY big 3 owner says these things nor does EVERY Mahindra owner, but these are the general themes that each group generally adheres too.)

1a) "Big 3" owners are going to preach the value of having a close dealer and basically imply that Mahindra dealers are likely to go out of business and not be there when you need them.

1b) Mahindra owners are going to counter stating that Mahindra is one of the largest manufacturers of tractors in the world and say although dealers may not be that close, they've a good experience with them.

2a) "Big 3" owners are going to complain about the quality of Mahindras and that they don't have features of their "Big 3" tractor.

2b) Mahindra owners will point out the specs, claim their belief in the quality of the product, and point to their experiences actually using Mahindra equipment.

3a) "Big 3" owners are going to say you can't get parts.

3b) Mahindra owners will claim otherwise.

4a) "Big 3" owners are going to point to a "higher resale value" of their tractor compared to a Mahindra.

4b) Mahindra owners will point out they spent less for their tractor up front, hence it only makes sense to get less for it at resale. Additionally, Mahindra owners will say that they don't plan on "trading in" their tractor but utilize it long term, so why bother with resale.


Basically, it boils down to this:
Mahindra owners will claim that "Big 3" tractor owners simply paid too much for their tractor and that it "wasn't worth it" while "Big 3" owners will say that they avoided risk and got a higher quality product based on the amount of money they spent.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Mahindra owner and overall have been very happy with my purchase. That being said, I do not have the same type of blind brand loyalty that many tractor owners put forth. I have complained about certain aspects of my Mahindra in the past on TBN, so I am the first to state, "No, Mahindra isn't perfect", BUT NEITHER IS A JD, KUBOTA, NH or ANY OTHER BRAND out there!!! Those that claim otherwise are deluding themselves.

It boils down to this: JD makes a good machine. So does Kubota, NH, and many others including Mahindra. I don't put much value on the "relationship with your dealer" that a lot do. (Didn't do that when I purchased my truck either.) Some people do. I won't say that's wrong, just that I do not see the same value proposition.

My suggestion is this: Go to both dealers, drive both machines, and see which one you like better. Either way, you'll wind up with a good machine.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

RanchMan, I cannot DISagree with you more. I'm a Big 2 of the 3 owner (Kubota & NH) and I would never say those things about Mahindra/Branson/Kioti/etc. I would very likely say them about Jinma & Kama.

I think we have to look at the orignal post. He says money is a big issue. Personally the ONE feature I stress to many people, especially newbies, is getting HST. But Manindra does have HST on some of their models. It makes loader work faster, easier and safter. It also makes mowing much faster if you mow around trees, buildings, decks, and landscaping.

I do think DEALERS are CRITICAL, I would not buy a Mahindra but that is becuase there are no dealers close to me (I have NH, JD, Kubtota, Branson & Cub within 8 miles of the house, it is likely those are the only brands I would consider). I believe there must be a local dealer to count on. I also believe they should be a quality dealership. We have no indication that the original posters local Mahindra dealership is not a quality shop.

I generally dismiss the resale arguement completely because any good tractor will last 20 years and I basically think it is foolish to get rid of a tractor less than 10 years old without specific cause.

I dismiss your PARTS availability issue with regard to Mahindra/Kioti/Branson/etc. But I would suggest it is very true for many grey market tractors. It is not even an issue with Jinma/Kama, but you do have to go through a bit more effort with those two.

What I guess it all boils down to is ACTUAL USE of the tractor. Mahndra, Branson & Kioti are all superior machines to many of the Deere/NH/Kubotas for doing ground engaging work because they are heavy. Weight often equals traction. On the other hand, if the tractor will be mowing the lawn, doing typical landscape construction and maintainence, then a lighter weight tractor, that is typically smaller and turns tighter is the better choice; JD/NH/Kubota would have the edge there.

Then we hit the budget, in most areas, the big 3 are more expensive on similar size tractors with similar features. How much more varies greatly by region. A poster named GOATMAN just got a better overall deal on a NH TC30 than he could have gotten on a Jinma. So it pays to check everything.

I think we really need to bring some objective thought into these forums. Brand loyalty is often pointless. Features often matter. Price usually matters. Weight, frame size, hp often have less to do with a choice than we think.

 

[DAP]

Bob, I'm not sure you understood Ranchman. I'll let him speak for himself though.

Bob, here's a question for you. I expect nothing less than as honest an answer as you can muster.

Q: Suppose you were in the market for a 30hp HST / FEL R4 equipped machine. If you had your choice, which ONE of the following would you opt for.

1. Kubota B2910 with FEL for 21,500 at the only local dealer in your county (free del. plus tax).
2. NH TC29 HST with FEL for 22,875 at the only local dealer in your county (free del. plus tax).
3. Mahindra 3015 HST with FEL for 17,955 from a N. Carolina Dealer (shipping included, no tax)
4. Kubota B2910 with FEL for 18,600 from a WI dealer (includes shipping, no tax).
5. JD 4210 HST with FEL for 19,800 from a dealer 200 miles away in IN (shipping or pick it up, plus tax).
6. Kioti CK30 HST with FEL for 17,600 from Texas (add 350 shipping with a wait, no tax).

Which one?

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I would choose #1 or #2 in all likelyhood, but that is ABSENT some additional information.

I want someone to bail me out if the tractor is stuck axel deep in the field behind me (bear in mind my property drops 60' from my front yard to my back yard and most of that drop is STEEP).

I want to be able to run to get a part and be back before dark, actually I want to be back before breakfast! I have several local dealerships, I make them compete for my money, I do keep them honest with long distance pricing, and factor in delivery, but for me, this is a big purchase and I want someone to hold my hand and comfort me when there is a problem.

Now that said, the Ventrac I own came out of central Wisconsin, a solid 7 hour drive. But that was the closest dealership. And so far they have been excellent, but it does bother me if there is a problem (so far nothing I can't deal with).

<font color="blue"> I would also like to point out that the issue of NO TAX really is a lie. Each state has a line on its state income tax form for you to fill out, in most states it is referred to as "use" tax, and it is tax evasion if you don't pay it. In some states the risk of getting caught are probably very very low, in other states it is probably reasonably risky. </font>

<font color="black"> What is missing from the equasion you lay out is nearly local dealers. When I went shopping last year for the TC24, I tried to look at Kioti but the closest dealer was about 120 miles away, now there are 2 dealers each withing 35 miles. So I would probably go beat them up before buying from someone really far away. And I used a distant dealer to beat up my local NH dealer on the price, but I was fair enough to consider that his relationship is worth something. So I assumed it was worth $500, and I was happy when he came it, all things considered, about $375 more expensive than the distant dealer. And when I later ordered the FEL, he was exactly the same price as the distant guy, but his price included picking up my tractor, installing the FEL and then returning it to me. And when, last month, I ordered a MMM deck, not only did he give me a very fair trade in, his price was $100 less on a 914A MMM than 2 distant dealers, and his price included picking up the tractor, installing the deck, and returning the tractor. The 2 distant dealers did not want my old RFM. Neither included shipping in their price (which would have been at least $300 more). And neither would install the deck. And when I bought a 3pt Snow Blower in Dec 03 (8 months ago) the local guy sold me a Farm King 60" deck, assembled, tested adjusted and delivered to the back of my tractor for about $400 less than the lowest internet price I could find from advertisers on TBN. So there is value to a relationship, and often it translates into cold hard cash and the savings that go with it. So I paid an extra $375 up front for my tractor by going local, but my local guy saved me $400 on the SnowBlower, $400+ on the 914A deck (plus about 4 hours to install it if you know what you are doing), plus saved me shipping charges & installation of the 12LA loader which easily would have been $500 to ship. So paying a little more saved me $1300 in the long run, plus I am NOT on the bottom of his warrenty list when I need a repair, plus I get free pick up and delivery when I need a repair, and those things add up. </font>

 

[shamban]

I am glad you mentioned the size factor. It was something I had not yet considered. Initially, I will be doing a lot of heavy work (installing a driveway, digging ponds). But later I could see more mowing work where I would not want to tear up the land. I will need to consider the size factor for sure.

Thanks for mentioning it!

Joey

 

[RanchMan]

Yes, Bob completely took my post in a different way than it was intended. Since one of the moderators told me "I have an unenviable reputation on TBN" because of the "harshness" of my posts, I have chosen to respond to Bob via PM so as to prevent any dreaded conflict in a public area. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif