Plastic fenders on 3016

oldpilgrim · Apr 18, 2014

Hi, this is my first post on this great forum. I'm really overwhelmed by the amount of info here.

I tried the search engine but either I did it wrong and found nothing similar or there really is nothing similarly posted here.

I'll be upgrading from my 1952 Ferguson TO30 with Wagner loader and Kelley 30 BH sometime over the next few months. I've used it hard for nearly 25 years and someone(s) else used it hard for 37 years before that.

It still runs great and I use it nearly daily but I want something new and I've been seriously considering a Mahindra.

I like what I see.

I went to an old time dealer that I've used for years to maintain my Fergy and they are now the major Mahindra dealer in the area. The owner asked me what I was upgrading from and when I told him, he said that the 3016 was about the same size. He knew since he was a Fergy dealer for years.

it's the same model that I've been researching for a while and is a great looking tractor, but my eyes spotted the plastic tail light housing/fender extensions and I am disappointed. They look so flimsy and breakable.

So I guess what I want to know is this:

Are they a disaster waiting to happen and should I let it influence my purchase? $25k is a lot of money to have the fenders bust off as easily as it looks like they will.

Thanks. I know I'll get some very knowledgeable responses.

MtnViewRanch · Apr 18, 2014

I am pretty sure that it is plastic over a steel fender. They use the plastic to get all the ins and outs that they want for various reasons. Not 100% sure, but I don't think that there is ANY MAKE of that size that doesn't have some sort of plastic on at least the back side of the fenders if not the entire fender itself on some makes. Just sort of how it is now days. Unless you plan on smashing into a lot of stuff,

I doubt that you will have any problems with it.

Good luck.

oldpilgrim · Apr 18, 2014

Nope, not plastic over steel, I even talked about it with the salesman. A steel fender extends off the tractor to about 1/3 the width of the tire. The remaining part of the fender that covers the outer 2/3 of the tire is all plastic and bolted to the steel part.

When I mentioned the plastic to the salesguy, he shrugged and said, it is was it is. We haven't had to replace any yet.

It bothers me.

AchingBack · Apr 18, 2014

oldpilgrim said:
Nope, not plastic over steel, I even talked about it with the salesman. A steel fender extends off the tractor to about 1/3 the width of the tire. The remaining part of the fender that covers the outer 2/3 of the tire is all plastic and bolted to the steel part.

When I mentioned the plastic to the salesguy, he shrugged and said, it is was it is. We haven't had to replace any yet.

It bothers me.

Just like on the Ferguson, there is enough steel to keep you from falling between the wheel and the wheel well. If you added the same amount of plastic to it as it on the Mahindra; do you think you'd be doing damage to it? I rarely touch anything with my fenders except a stray vine hanging from a tree, i.e..

Once you've spent a few minutes on the 3016 you will forget about the plastic.

MtnViewRanch · Apr 18, 2014

oldpilgrim said:
Nope, not plastic over steel, I even talked about it with the salesman. A steel fender extends off the tractor to about 1/3 the width of the tire. The remaining part of the fender that covers the outer 2/3 of the tire is all plastic and bolted to the steel part.

When I mentioned the plastic to the salesguy, he shrugged and said, it is was it is. We haven't had to replace any yet.

It bothers me.

Wow, they must have really changed things then.

My 3215 has the plastic sticking out 2 1/2" to the side and 6" to the back. From the 3016 pictures, the steel fender is the same exact fender that I have. I would say that 75% is steel on the bottom side.

Anyway, if the plastic bothers you, good luck finding a new tractor that doesn't have any back there.

Let us know what you end up with.

oldpilgrim · Apr 18, 2014

the 40 hp series and the 28 hp series had full steel fenders.

I'm just surprised and puzzled by this.

thanks for the responses.

MtnViewRanch · Apr 18, 2014

These are not the size tractors that you are looking at, or mentioned at least. Your are talking about either a frame size up or down. Maybe you should consider one of them instead?? :confused3:

oldpilgrim · Apr 18, 2014

Yeh, im most interested in the 30 but it was sitting b etween the other 2 so I compared them.

arrow · Apr 19, 2014

Pilgrim
What will be the intended use of your tractor mostly? I have used my 3016 for logging in dense woods without incident. If you do get the 16 and you were getting R4's instead of ags, ask to have the R4's from the 3616. They're larger, hold more fluid and stick out farther to help protect fenders a bit better from side abrasions. If not, have your R1's set out wider from the dealer such as mine are.

oldpilgrim · Apr 19, 2014

I do a lot of what you're doing, dragging logs in and out of the woods, moving the logs on/off piles with the backhoe, dig rocks, stumps, plow snow, driveway grading, but mostly working with logs.