Sysop
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Messages
- 3,316
- Location
- Fairmont, WV
- Tractor
- Mahindra 4035HST purchased 2013 - Husqvarna TS348-D purchased 2019 - Craftsman 42" HST purchased 2003
From my experience on my land I knew needed something 5000+ pounds to make traction, something in the 40HP size range to fit where I needed, HST to "crawl" into these places I needed it to fit, and that was also a capable dirt mover with good hillside stability. Some of the main "selling points" for me was the way the subframes for the loader and hoe connected to the tractor itself. The subframes are all tied into the front and rear of the tractor, all mounted very low which helps lower the center of gravity. It had larger tires than comparable models allowing more weight down low when loading them. As stated above, in my research I had learned that Perkins has been a heavy influence on the current Mahindra engines and the induction and emission systems are all Bosch, so all that was considered a "positive" (not that I have anything except a lack of experience with Mahindra built motors to "hold against" them, so this was more of a "feel good" than anything). One of the final things that swayed my decision was the beefy built front axle. I saw in an old press release for the 4035 and it stated the front axle was rated at 2.5 ton. When I couldn't find specs on others I went to local lots and laid down under them and compared; in my opinion the 4035 had twice the front axle of other units of similar sizes on other lots. Another comparison I made was the price at which I could buy common replacement parts such as the various filters, alternator, and starter, Mahindra was average or better on these types of items. Another considering was the overall number of parts. Not having things like full tierIV with DPF or Turbo or any of the other things that increase complexity, should (with all other things being equal) equate to less things to break, go wrong, or need maintained.
Three of the determining factors that didn't have so much to do with the tractor itself was: First, what was in stock at the various dealers local to me. Another manufacturer may have had another tractor more capable for my needs, I don't think so but I don't know for sure, all I researched was what was on dealer lots local to me. Second, implement selection. This being my first tractor I was in need of a variety of implements. The local Mahindra dealer had the best selection of implements of any of the dealers at the time. Third, the Mahindra dealer is also one of the closest dealers, 10.8 miles from my place on the same road as my place.
I'll even go a step further and tell you how well it's done for me. After an initial hiccup with the 3 point lift that was cured at the dealer over a weekend (told it was an assembly issue from the factory, there is a thread here on it), the machine has performed flawlessly except one sputter I'm at this point calling a fluke. If it happens again I'll consult the dealer. While using the mower running at PTO speed the engine once sputtered and acted like it was going to cut out for about 10 seconds then continued on just fine. I've read other threads that have described the same issue and stated an injection timing issue may be at fault (at this point I think it may have just sucked some air in the fuel line, I was on an extreme incline at the time). Beyond that the machine performs exceptionally well in all the tasks I've put it to use doing. I'm beyond the 50 hour service interval, about half the time has been moving dirt, half the time cutting brush and grass. I've had it on hillsides that have generally caused too much pucker on most machines to operate on. Heck, I've had it on hillsides too steep for IT to operate on, I've slid down hills in every direction imaginable; the machine is very stable. I've accidently gotten into some mud I thought for sure was going to swallow the tractor whole. I was mowing along and the front of the unit sunk about a foot all at once until the FEL hit and buried. Lifted the FEL and didn't sink any more so I thought I'd give it a try (the wet spot couldn't have been more than 20 feet across). I shut down the PTO and raised the cutter, started forward and the whole unit pitched to the right, but pulled right through just fine. Ended up deep enough the step up to the operator platform was submerged and even at full height I submerged and dragged a good bit of the right side of the cutter in the mud.
If I had to complain about something with the machine, I'd have to say the "stops" for the gear ranges aren't "positive" enough. For those reading and not knowing the layout, the range shifter goes Low, Neutral, Medium, High. Sometimes while changing ranges, Medium can be a little difficult to hit. It seems to like Low, Neutral, and High ranges the best. You get more of a feel for it and it is less of an issue once you've used it a half dozen times... A hinged PTO cover-shield would have been nice too...
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