Kubota L4802 vs Mahindra 5145 - Kubota $10k more, less functional?

[cathy liebchen]

4802 is not a new model it’s just an upgrade of the 4901 orphan model. I would never buy a Mahindra too unreliable

 

[colonel54]

We have Kubota and Mahindra dealers in my area, I went with a Mahindra for 2 reasons Cost and Dealer, I have a friend with a Kubota and he said he has nothing but problems with the dealer. I have had good luck with the Mahindra dealer they also service My John Deer. I might have gone with a John Deere but there are no dealers in my area any more. That is just my 2 cents

 

[Redlined0002]

First post on the forum so apologies if I’m doing something wrong but I’ve scoured the forums and YouTube and still not sure which way I should go, and this forum seems like a really helpful community.

I’m a first time tractor buyer but I grew up running tractors (Masse Ferguson and Mahindra) on my family land since I was old enough to mash down the clutch.

I just purchased 22ac of flat land east of Houston that’s ~7ac field that I want to keep trimmed, and ~15ac wooded with thick underbrush that I want to thin out and maintain. I also need to take down a dozen ~18” oaks to open up the access as well as maintain ~1/2mi lane. I will also be building a barn and offgrid cabin and will need to maneuver building materials and IBC totes.

My dad’s tractors have always been around the 40hp range with similar terrain so I figured I’d stay in that general space since it worked well for him. I really like the Mahindra 5145 shuttle and on paper it seems to outspec the Kubota L4802 HST (larger frame, more open deck and larger fenders, significantly more lift capacity, beefier 3pt, cat1&2 couplers, standard rear remote, more protection around filters and hoses, mechanical PTO, bucket level indicator, better location for fuel and battery, more hood clearance for engine bay access, etc), not to mention it’s $10k cheaper for the 2023 model.

The common theme I hear on the interwebs is that Mahindra has reliability/service/parts issues but if I go with the 5145 I basically have a $10k repair budget built in before I even get to the same cost of the L4802. Normally I have no problem paying extra for more features/reliability but I get a stomach ache thinking I’m paying 1/3 more money for less tractor just because some folks on the internet think Mahindra is trash.

Lastly, I understand the L4802 is a brand new model line, which also poses some concerns since the bugs haven’t been worked out.

Do y’all have any insight that can help ease my mind that forking out $10k for the L4802 is the right thing to do?

Buy Kubota and buy a good used one. Preferably pre emissions.

 

[tradosaurus]

I’m having trouble making heads or tails of the dealers, they’re all salesmen and claim their service department and tractors are the best. There are 2 Mahindra dealers in close proximity and 3 Kubota dealers, all with a similar blend or positive/negative reviews.

The good news is that you are familiar with tractors which should help narrow your choices. But I would advise getting seat time in the brand and size of tractor you interested in. When I purchased my first tractor in 2018 I ignored the advice of buying one size bigger tractor than you think. I eventually sold my L3301 and bought the MX5400. I would recommend the same to you and go with a 50-55 hp tractor.

If this was 4 yrs ago I would say it would be a no brainer because Kubota was close to price as most other brands for the same size of tractor. Now it seems Kubota is a lot more expensive. I am assuming you already negotiated a selling price for the Kubota tractor.

Just know that Mahinda has the mCRD technology that eliminates the DPF. The only difference between the mCRD and DPF is that DPF has a soot capturing mechanism and once enough soot is captured it goes through a burn cycle (hotter temperature) to burn off the soot. This typically happens between 20-30 hrs on average.
A DOC system (mCRD) doesn't have that screen or filter capturing mechanism but it still needs to produce clean exhaust. The way that Mahindra achieves this is that it is ALWAYS in a burn cycle. The way that it happens is that the exhaust stream has to be abnormally hot which is accomplished through tuning the engine to burn hotter.

Most owners will never own their tractor long enough to worry about replacing a DPF.

 

[tradosaurus]

Sorry I meant to. This is her before and after being baptized in mud. She did some great work!

Dang. Hate see all that mud on a new tractor.

I would have advised you to get the R1 tires.

 

[JimmyJ321]

First post on the forum so apologies if I’m doing something wrong but I’ve scoured the forums and YouTube and still not sure which way I should go, and this forum seems like a really helpful community.

I’m a first time tractor buyer but I grew up running tractors (Masse Ferguson and Mahindra) on my family land since I was old enough to mash down the clutch.

I just purchased 22ac of flat land east of Houston that’s ~7ac field that I want to keep trimmed, and ~15ac wooded with thick underbrush that I want to thin out and maintain. I also need to take down a dozen ~18” oaks to open up the access as well as maintain ~1/2mi lane. I will also be building a barn and offgrid cabin and will need to maneuver building materials and IBC totes.

My dad’s tractors have always been around the 40hp range with similar terrain so I figured I’d stay in that general space since it worked well for him. I really like the Mahindra 5145 shuttle and on paper it seems to outspec the Kubota L4802 HST (larger frame, more open deck and larger fenders, significantly more lift capacity, beefier 3pt, cat1&2 couplers, standard rear remote, more protection around filters and hoses, mechanical PTO, bucket level indicator, better location for fuel and battery, more hood clearance for engine bay access, etc), not to mention it’s $10k cheaper for the 2023 model.

The common theme I hear on the interwebs is that Mahindra has reliability/service/parts issues but if I go with the 5145 I basically have a $10k repair budget built in before I even get to the same cost of the L4802. Normally I have no problem paying extra for more features/reliability but I get a stomach ache thinking I’m paying 1/3 more money for less tractor just because some folks on the internet think Mahindra is trash.

Lastly, I understand the L4802 is a brand new model line, which also poses some concerns since the bugs haven’t been worked out.

Do y’all have any insight that can help ease my mind that forking out $10k for the L4802 is the right thing to do?

I have heard too many horror stories about Mahindra. Three Kubotas, 35 years. Never had one in shop. You take care of it and it will take care of you.

 

[captainbars]

Have owned mahindra and fortunately was under warranty. Blew head gasket in less than 500 hours. Dealer was difficult, but did cover it finally after some sparing over warranty. I liked mahindra's weight and power, but reliability is an issue. I sold it after repair and within 6 months the new owner called hoping it was still in warranty because it was stuck in gear. Bought a Branson 5220 and love it. Already has almost 600 hours. Good luck!

 

[Skypilota72]

I have owned my Mahindra for 5 years now and have not had any problems with the tractor at all. I have experienced a couple of issues with non-Mahindra attachments.

I only write this as Mahindra seems under represented and most people hear from owners who are experiencing problems than those who are happy with their choice.

I made my choice based on location and quality of the shop it was purchased from.

 

[NUTTERDW]

Ive never owned a Mahindra but have a few friends who have. Every on of them have sold or traded them off in 2 to 5 years. The common comments when I ask them was poor quality and poor service. I have a 2013 Kubota 23 horsepower and the only thing I have done to it is change the oil and filters. I also have a 32 year old Kubota that I bought used 12 years ago that I keep at my farm and it also has been trouble free. a friend of mine bought a Massey Ferguson the same time and he has had several problems with Hydraulic hoses leaking and needing replaced. We trade tractors back and forth and we both take about the same care of them. Mine has 800 hours and his has around 500 hours. Last time I used his it was putting out a lot of blue smoke, which I figured was burning oil.

 

[Torvy]

Yes but they were due to incorrect fluid fill. Probably by the dealer.

True, but the same applies to other brands. Many of the 'defects' are the result of cheap, lazy and/or ignorant dealers. The thing is that Kubota is supposed to have the best dealer network. People expect them to be mistake free.