HST vs shuttle

[stevem5215]

Nothing against Mahindra in general but I've heard varying stories of varying quality of their tractors. Much like the early chinese ones were where you could get a good one and you'd be fine or you'd get a bad one and it had trouble. Especially was true if your dealer didn't do a good precheck on it and just sent them out the door. That said I have only one other sample machine to compare to this failure. And that was a friend of mine who bought into Mahindra very early on when they started sending them over. He bought one and while it's lightly used he's had trouble with it frequently. A few times it was down for a month or more due some part issue not available or troubleshooting needed to just get it started. Like I said infrequently used as a hobby farmer more than a regular one. Which brings us back to the current situation.... I hope this guy gets his money back without issue. It can be complicated especially with loans through banks and whatnot. But, i do have to wonder that if the dealer tested another whole tractor back at the dealership at one point that was the same model why wouldn't they have just exchanged it at that point ? Seems like it would have been the way to go and then just get Mahindra engineering to solve the issue with the one sitting on the lot instead of pissing off some customer.

Steve

 

[ArlyA]

I'd consider the Mahind brand in the same category as discount chainsaws. (please don't get mad at me!) Yes they cost less but that comes at a price. Less costly machines are made with looser tolerances so they can keep its cost down. That doesn't mean your machine with break 15 minutes after its first started but it was made with 1000+ parts that might not fit perfectly...... Sometime over the machines life, its likely these tolerances will show up.

Nothing against Mahindra in general but I've heard varying stories of varying quality of their tractors. Much like the early chinese ones were where you could get a good one and you'd be fine or you'd get a bad one and it had trouble. Especially was true if your dealer didn't do a good precheck on it and just sent them out the door. That said I have only one other sample machine to compare to this failure. And that was a friend of mine who bought into Mahindra very early on when they started sending them over. He bought one and while it's lightly used he's had trouble with it frequently. A few times it was down for a month or more due some part issue not available or troubleshooting needed to just get it started. Like I said infrequently used as a hobby farmer more than a regular one. Which brings us back to the current situation.... I hope this guy gets his money back without issue. It can be complicated especially with loans through banks and whatnot. But, i do have to wonder that if the dealer tested another whole tractor back at the dealership at one point that was the same model why wouldn't they have just exchanged it at that point ? Seems like it would have been the way to go and then just get Mahindra engineering to solve the issue with the one sitting on the lot instead of pissing off some customer.

Steve

 

[MossRoad]

I'd consider the Mahind brand in the same category as discount chainsaws. (please don't get mad at me!) Yes they cost less but that comes at a price. Less costly machines are made with loser tolerances so they can keep its cost down. That doesn't mean your machine with break 15 minutes after its first started but it was made with 1000+ parts that might not fit perfectly...... Sometime over the machines life, its likely these tolerances will show up.

Loser tolerances?

I hope you mean looser tolerances.... :laughing:

 

[DieselBound]

It's about quality control as much as anything.

NO manufacture has gotten anything correct out of the starting gate. Newer designs and or markets always have bumps. Early adopters shoulder more of the pains, and is why a good dealer is especially important. Dealers are important conduits for feedback to the factory. There is a partnership with these higher cost purchases (vs. some toaster). I stress to my dealer that the least I would like for them to do is to inform the rep of issues so they can keep their ears tuned into a possible issue.

Diagnosing and repairing also requires decent mechanics. Usually folks who look for lower-cost products don't have deeper pockets for higher-end mechanics.

It's really about the support network. This is how Kubota got to be where they are: rated at the top by dealers; this makes for happier customers.

 

[DieselBound]

Loser tolerances?

I hope you mean looser tolerances.... :laughing:

Loser tolerances would likely also be out of spec :laughing:

 

[mike69440]

Loser tolerances would likely also be out of spec :laughing:

Scary thing about Mahindra, (and a lot of other products in general), is lack of integration control of vertical manufacturing and engineering. A bunch of parts slapped together, some good, some not so good, all chosen with saving a penny in mind. A lot of little stuff the details not sweated out like electrical, paint, ergonomics, Use of plastics, weather protection. Some models are quite good, others still good but still have issues, some not so good. Mahindra is improving, but a glacial pace. maybe too may product in their line-up?

 

[DieselBound]

Might be that they take the more reactive approach. That is, look to re-engineer/correct IF there are issues reported by customers. This is, to a degree, OK, but only if a company is aggressive toward rectifying problems: in general it's not a good idea as the further along the manufacturing and sales path you get the more expensive it is to fix a problem. Figure that many of today's better companies are only better because they themselves have learned from their mistakes (and are likely better at being more proactive, looking to stomp a problem earlier on).

Lots comes down to the person in charge of a product line. If that person is able to push hard against the bean-counters then it's likely a good product will be put out earlier than one more tightly controlled by bean-counters.

 

[st8yd]

Did the dealer drop the ball or the manufacturer? It seems to me like there is enough blame for both here, but that most of the responsibility for building it right in the first place or in fixing a mistake ultimately lies more with the manufacturer than the dealer.
When I hear stories like this it is the brand name that suffers the most in my mind.

Frankly I'll probably forget the name of the guy who got shafted, and I'd be unlikely to remember the name of the dealer involved. But I'll certainly remember the brand of tractor involved.

The dealer is a convenient fall guy, but I wonder if he is just caught in the middle without any power to change anything? If I were to condemn dealers, it would be for their general lack to technical ability. That is something under their control that they could easily change.
rScotty

Don't misunderstand me. The manufacturer screwed up, but what manufacturer doesn't (I don't own a Mahindra, have know exp. with it nor do I intend to own one). I am sure some have less mistakes than others.

But it "appears" the dealer gave this fella the run around. I would not be happy putting out that kinda coin on a new tractor and not be able to use it right out of the gate, for that amount of time. In fact, I know I'd be a whole lot more pissed than the op appears to be.

If the dealer was caught in the middle he woulda been smart to show his do diligence in trying to get the manuf. to cooperate.

 

[rScotty]

Don't misunderstand me. The manufacturer screwed up, but what manufacturer doesn't (I don't own a Mahindra, have know exp. with it nor do I intend to own one). I am sure some have less mistakes than others.

But it "appears" the dealer gave this fella the run around. I would not be happy putting out that kinda coin on a new tractor and not be able to use it right out of the gate, for that amount of time. In fact, I know I'd be a whole lot more pissed than the op appears to be.

If the dealer was caught in the middle he woulda been smart to show his do diligence in trying to get the manuf. to cooperate.

I agree, and reading back though Skip's postings about his problems with the tractor and dealer who sold it to him, I don't find anywhere that he says that the dealer was in contact the the manufacturer. So it's possible that the manufacturer was never made aware of the problem.
I wonder what kind of warranty agreement that each manufacturer has with it's dealers? Are they all the same or different? It wouldn't surprise me to find that Warranty support between factory and dealer wasn't the same for every make or even every dealer.
rScotty

 

[goeduck]

Lots comes down to the person in charge of a product line. If that person is able to push hard against the bean-counters then it's likely a good product will be put out earlier than one more tightly controlled by bean-counters.

Exactly. Engineering has to push back as well. This is also very true in many other industries. Bean counting has its place, no business can afford to ignore it, but when the bean counters rule to roost there is big trouble.