Yet more on the shoddy Backhoe install saga.

[dickfoster]

I was building a backhoe dolly to remove the backhoe, that didn't go so well so I just dropped it on the ground today per the manual. I'll revisit the dolly and get it right. When I do one that works, I'll do a write up along with dimensions and hope to save someone else some grief. Those with a 1538B backhoe, 1538's and I think 1533's.

With the backhoe removed, I started poking around and found even more evidence of the shoddy install the West Coast distributor did on this backhoe. Remember this thing has already been back to the dealer to torque down loose bolts etc. that were never torqued to spec from the day the hoe went on the tractor. Now with the hoe off and another layer of the cake exposed, I find color tagging of hydralic hoses only tagged on one end. :laughing: It doesn't do much good to color code the hoses unless you do both ends. :duh:
I also find the PTO shield held on with a single bolt on one side and a ZIPTIE on the other side. This ain't right. The book I have says two bolts and two spacers and noting about attaching safety shields and crossmembers with zipties. These two bolts also help secure one of the smaller sub frame cross members to the rear of the tractor.

Also I don't seem to find the pin for my drawbar. I expected to find it in the drawbar socket but no, it's nowhere to be found. I have the drawbar but a fat lot of good it's gonna do me with no pin. Once I figure out the diameter and length, Tractor Supply maybe?


:thumbdown: I'd say they need to do a little more work in the QC department at the new West Coast Distributorship in Olivehurst. Obviously someone didn't look this one over or else they had their eyes closed when they did. :irked:

You can bet that I'll be rechecking the torques on all the newly exposed subframe bolts, and I'll bet right now that I won't find a spec of locktight on the bolts that KMW calls out in the manual.

:smiley_aafz: Mahindra take note, this the same kinda crap that brought the US auto industry to it's knees and made Detroit take on the appearance of a post apocalyptic smouldering war ruin. That along with Mahindra's own woefully inadequate after sales support and pitiful excuse for documentation. 90% doesn't get it done, you have to score 100% and that last 10% is the most important. It's a real shame that such a nice machine is marred by simply not caring. :2cents:

ullinghair:It looks like changing the hydraulic filter is gonna be a real joy too because access is hampered by the backhoe subframe. Oh goody, I can hardly wait, another epic struggle to change a simple spin on filter. Maybe it'll be a good idea to drain all the hydraulic oil before I try removing that filter. Getting it off is gonna be hard enough without taking a shower in UTF. I can swear I've seen filter relocation kits out there somewhere before and for spin on filters just like this one. Hummm.

 

[tkevan]

Not to sound too harsh, but I'm starting to wonder if tractor ownership is the right fit for you.:laughing:

 

[dickfoster]

Not to sound too harsh, but I'm starting to wonder if tractor ownership is the right fit for you.:laughing:

What I'm describing here is the work product of someone or some persons who simply doesn't care. Maybe I don't know as this is my first tractor. Are tractor owners expected to build their own tractors or are they supposed to come ready to work? Question, did you build your own first car before you started to drive? While I may be new to tractors, I'm no idiot when it comes to mechanics as I did design and build a lot of the truck I drive today. I also have a lot of background in manufacturing so I know lax or no quality control standards in place when I see it.

I don't know about you but I'm also kinda funny when it comes to expecting to get what I've paid for. This kinda crap may be OK for some who haven't the nads to say crap with a mouth full of it and who have no expectations at all of themselves or anyone else but I don't like it one little bit and have some expectations of getting a serviceable product for the price I paid. I guess today's current crop of politicians is somewhat indicative of our nation's overly marginalized lowed expectations and low self esteem. With that in mind, yesterday's farce is no surprise I guess.

And no, fashionable or not, I don't have any tattoos either. I'm just old school that way.

Expect more, get more, expect less, be prepared to settle for less. Time will eventually ensure that all get their due.

 

[tkevan]

Tractors are not cars. They require significantly more time and effort. Why? Because we use them as tools, not transportation. No, you should not have zip ties where bolts should be. Yes, you should grease, inspect, torque after every full day. And yes, some filters, batteries, zerks, etc. will be placed in the most inconvenient places. They are on my DB885, they are on my 4025.

 

[dickfoster]

Tractors are not cars. They require significantly more time and effort. Why? Because we use them as tools, not transportation. No, you should not have zip ties where bolts should be. Yes, you should grease, inspect, torque after every full day. And yes, some filters, batteries, zerks, etc. will be placed in the most inconvenient places. They are on my DB885, they are on my 4025.

How much manufacturing and or product design background do you have? I don't give a dayum how many tractors you have. There is never a valid excuse for shippin crap.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Just curious, has your dealer said anything about any of these problems-concerns that you have had? :confused3:

 

[dickfoster]

Just curious, has your dealer said anything about any of these problems-concerns that you have had? :confused3:

Yeah the first couple of go rounds with the backhoe he took the tractor and tightened up the exposed bolts when they reflashed the ECU.

This last go round I haven't bothered him with it and don't intend to. He's a good guy and it's not the dealer that did this, it's the distributor in Olivehurst that laid this egg. I know for sure that they installed the backhoe.

I'm hoping that Mahindra sees this and takes measures to ensure that it doesn't happen to someone else. It's kinda like buying a new car and after you drive the car a couple of blocks a wheel falls off.

I had a similar experience with a car I bought in 1978, a wheel didn't fall off but the tranny had to be replaced day one and it went downhill from there. Actually we had to lift the hood and re connect a vacuum line just to get it off the lot.:laughing: That was a Pontiac and Pontiac is no more so nuff said. QC problems simply can't be fixed with marketing like they tried to do. It's not going to go away until you get busy and fix it, otherwise it'll only go away when you go away.

This is not my problem, it was not the dealers problem, it is the distributors problem and ultimately Mahindra's problem. Overall it looks to be a solid and well made machine and a rugged backhoe. Likely better built and more solid than many others on the market. However there is room for improvement in the areas of serviceability and documentation that only a small amount of effort would soon cure at little cost. Basically it's a simple matter of priority.

There is an old saying that goes something like this, "quality is remembered long after the price has been forgotten." Words I always tried to live by back when I worked for a living.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

While I agree that the dist should install these things correctly, I also believe that the dealer should double check these things. My local Mahindra dealer has given up on the dist installations and installs all the back hoes himself.

 

[tkevan]

How much manufacturing and or product design background do you have? I don't give a dayum how many tractors you have. There is never a valid excuse for shippin crap.

None. But I will say nothing my tractors have given me in the way of filter location compares to the oil filter change on my $65k 3500 Cummins.

 

[DavesTractor]

None. But I will say nothing my tractors have given me in the way of filter location compares to the oil filter change on my $65k 3500 Cummins.

Preach that, so true!

 

[DavesTractor]

Dickfoster, your local dealer also owns the DC. Just like we did when we were doing the DC gig from 2005 through 2015. I'm sure they will make it right. They would probably rather fix your tractor than have you speak so negatively about them on the forum. They are good folks, even though it sounds like your unit went out the door while the QC guy was at lunch.

But you can always quit making payments! Ha, inside joke....

 

[Navasot]

The pin that holds the drawbar in place should have been in the bucket with your 3point links. The hose that's color coated are both sides quick connect?

 

[tkevan]

The pin that holds the drawbar in place should have been in the bucket with your 3point links. The hose that's color coated are both sides quick connect?

Was wondering the same when I read that. Not sure why both ends would be quick connect. If not, then why color code both ends? Unless he means the male and female connectors are not both marked.:confused3:

 

[Navasot]

There is also usually three lines left one with a cap and two you have to plug back in together

 

[dickfoster]

Dickfoster, your local dealer also owns the DC. Just like we did when we were doing the DC gig from 2005 through 2015. I'm sure they will make it right. They would probably rather fix your tractor than have you speak so negatively about them on the forum. They are good folks, even though it sounds like your unit went out the door while the QC guy was at lunch.

But you can always quit making payments! Ha, inside joke....

Nah it's stuff that I can and will deal with, my dealership has done quite enough. Yeah I know the same outfit owns Beeler too but let's put the blame where it belongs and not have others suffer for their shortcomings.

Sorry I can't stop paying for it. That option isn't open to me because like a dummy I paid cash on the barrel head. :duh: See what greed get's yah. I paid cash to save a few bucks. :laughing:

No, I want them, Olivehurst, the see the ramifications and repercussions of what poor quality control brings. Hopefully they'll understand that any money saved by skimping on QC costs them at least double in other ways. A lesson I want them and Mahindra to understand and take to heart early on for the benefit of everyone concerned. I don't want to see Mahindra go the way Detroit did.

 

[dickfoster]

The pin that holds the drawbar in place should have been in the bucket with your 3point links. The hose that's color coated are both sides quick connect?

Yes and I can figure out which is which. If if they can't I can read the manual that KMW includes with the hoe.

What bucket? I got the 3pt links loose. I would have been nice if they'd put the pins in the toolbox that they took off to install the hoe but didn't include either. Maybe when I hook up the 3pt something will show up but I haven't seen it when I looked. I had to go to the hardware store to get some hair pins for a pin on the mechanical thumb that were missing too. It's obvious that the backhoe was thrown on in a hurry and no one ever went back and finished the job before the dealer picked it up to do their bit. It's just a problem with procedure, because it looks like they did a good job on the loader. My guess is that loaders are much more common than backhoes so they have that down. The wheel lugs were torqued and marked as they should be too. I know they had to change the tires because the first time I saw it, it had Ags and I got R4s.

Do you work for Mahindra or a dealer?

 

[Navasot]

Im a dealer.. when we order backhoes we are sure to do a check on everything in the buckets when they get here. It will have all the parts that were took off even if they are not needed anymore. They are also very easy to get mixed up if not labeled and put in a location and biggest they like to walk off if they are left on the tractor while sitting on the yard... some backhoes though are planned better than others for storing pins and whatnot.. XL series is one that I favor and also the BH86 I think is the number.

 

[Navasot]

On the thumb put you a carter pin in there... will save lots of pins when you get into brush

 

[dickfoster]

On the thumb put you a carter pin in there... will save lots of pins when you get into brush

Good tip. I may just do that on one end but you have to remove that pin in order to store the thumb out of the way then again to get it back into place for use. If they'd had a hydraulic thumb option, I'd probably have ordered it unless they priced it like they did the 3rd function.

I guess being in Texas you don't have the luxury of having the disty install them.

One poor guy on here bought a new tractor with a backhoe and his dealer gave him his hoe on a pallet. :laughing: I told him to take it back and make the dealer install the thing.

 

[dickfoster]

While I agree that the dist should install these things correctly, I also believe that the dealer should double check these things. My local Mahindra dealer has given up on the dist installations and installs all the back hoes himself.

I think we have the same distributor so that's no surprise. I think there are only two or three for the country. East, West and I don't know if there are any others.