Lets see your Mahindra!

[bindian]

This comment sounds uncannily like the Mahindra dealer's excuses. It's all our fault. Are you a paid Mahindra troll? Granted, we are hard on equipment. Fragile third-world machinery like the Mahindra are ideal for gentleman farmers who keep them in the garage and only drive them to church. We also own a 1998 John Deere 4500, and a 2006 Bobcat T190, either of which could run rings around the Mahindra despite having a combined 8000+ hours. Field service maintenance on the Bobcat is under $300 every 250 hours, at our location. Downtime is rare. The machine is an anvil. Our John Deere did the exact job the Mahindra 5530 does, for 16 years, despite having only half the horsepower and rated capacity. It's so easy to operate that numerous female garden center employees have put hundreds of hours on it.

To get routine maintenance on the Mahindra we are charged $185 just for a technician to show up. Teething pains started the first week we had it and have only gotten worse. It's so balky and hard to operate that none of our staff want to use it; we have to have a dedicated male operator on site at all times. Granted it was a poor choice. We need a reliable machine that an inexperienced operator can easily learn. If it hadn't depreciated like a rock we would have some equity in it and could trade it against a better tractor. No dealer wants it in trade.

Mahindra's are anything but fragile. They are descendants of Internationals. If you don't believe that, read my project threads. Hardest thing on machinery is to have numerous operators. I understand you said operatorS on the JD and the Bobcat. Your thread also shows that no employee does maintenance. The question you should be asking is who is operating your machines now that hasn't in the past on the "superior" working JD and Bobcat. Maybe the employees are sharing you concerns and abusing only the Mahindra in protest.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I'm having problems with my post. I went to edit it and nothing happened, then it came up twice.

Anyway, what is the male operator saying about your Mahindra. Have you operated it? Maybe the employees just don't like it and what it gone. Why didn't you buy JD again?
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I'm having problems with my post. I went to edit it and nothing happened, then it came up twice.

Anyway, what is the male operator saying about your Mahindra. Have you operated it? Maybe the employees just don't like it and what it gone. Why didn't you buy JD again?
hugs, Brandi

 

[Sysop]

Brandi, I was having issues accessing TBN for several minutes during your posts. I gave up and walked away. I would assume the post issues are related to TBN. No worries!

 

[Steve Boehme]

No doubt there are sturdy aspects to our Mahindra, like the frame. Downtime has been due to slipshod engineering and assembly. For instance, hydraulic hose failure at 500 +/- hours because hoses were rubbing and not secured thoroughly. You want to find fault with our operators instead of your machine. Not surprised. Incidentally, we had overnight temp last night around 9 degrees. As usual, the Mahindra was the weak link and wouldn't start even though we had the (retrofit) block heater on all night. Jump-starting didn't help, and was very difficult due the the battery being inaccessible even after removing the air filter. No room to get the cable clamps onto the terminals. We had to trailer the Bobcat from another site to get loaded. Needless to say the Bobcat started right up even though it has no block heater.
Incidentally, we do have staff who maintain our equipment, and many man-hours have been squandered on this nearly new machine. We look to the dealer for the scheduled services, as I would think you and the dealer would prefer.

 

[RNeumann]

On the bright side you didn't have to use the machine you loathe- I guess Christmas came early!
BTW - I would like credit for making lemonade

 

[Sysop]

I don't doubt you have issues. My only issue was how and where you chose to express your frustration. There are some Mahindra dealers on the site and I think even MUSA has folk that monitor new threads in the Mahindra sections. Coming in here to complain to happy owners was simply bad manners by any standard. This site is full of unhappy owners of all brands. The threads for the satisfied owners are few and far between. Most satisfied owners don't seek out such sites and share details of their issue-free purchase or ownership.

As far as what you have stated about your issues; the hydraulic hoses aren't made by Mahindra. They get sourced from various manufacturers. In all the cases I've seen, the same sources as other brands of machines. Not being bound well, that would be on the dealer or the assembly plant, whoever installed that particular part. Either way, busted hoses are not uncommon, nor are they unique to this brand. Frustrating yes, but just because it's not been something you've had with other machines means nothing, it is common to all machines. I would have a problem with whoever it is that is supposed to be maintaining and checking things though. If it took 500 hours to rub through, there were visible signs and there should have been eyes on it several times for routine maintenance and inspections. That was an entirely user preventable failure.

Difficult to start could be a number of things. I've started my 4035 in weather as cold as -16F. I don't have a block heater, but they do use a glow plug as an intake air heater. I did cycle it twice before trying to start it, just because it was so cold. I know of others that run their Mahindras in extreme cold. This isn't something you should have an issue with.

I haven't looked up your particular machine, but in many cases the Mahindra engines are based on designs of Perkins Diesel, and the fuel injection systems are mostly made by Bosch. They're not much different than anything else out there, and are very well proven. You may well have a lemon, but coming to fellow customers to complain is going the opposite direction ya should be going. I think if your dealer has failed to get your issues sorted, you should find another dealer. If that isn't really an option, get MUSA involved and have them assist the dealer in resolving your issues.

 

[bindian]

No doubt there are sturdy aspects to our Mahindra, like the frame. Downtime has been due to slipshod engineering and assembly. For instance, hydraulic hose failure at 500 +/- hours because hoses were rubbing and not secured thoroughly. You want to find fault with our operators instead of your machine. Not surprised. Incidentally, we had overnight temp last night around 9 degrees. As usual, the Mahindra was the weak link and wouldn't start even though we had the (retrofit) block heater on all night. Jump-starting didn't help, and was very difficult due the the battery being inaccessible even after removing the air filter. No room to get the cable clamps onto the terminals. We had to trailer the Bobcat from another site to get loaded. Needless to say the Bobcat started right up even though it has no block heater.
Incidentally, we do have staff who maintain our equipment, and many man-hours have been squandered on this nearly new machine. We look to the dealer for the scheduled services, as I would think you and the dealer would prefer.

Uh............there is no fault with my machine. I operate it hard and am the only operator. This is about you saying your Mahindra is a lemon. Every brand has lemons. Your posts have many conflicting statements. Maybe the Mahindra is just not what your operation needs. If you really wanted to sell it, you would sell it. No dealers in my neck of the woods deals with trade ins. It is unheard of here. There are willing buyers, if you look for them.

I was pointing to your employees because you stated they didn't want to use it. But your male operator (employee?) used it. Then you stated you wanted a tractor that was easy to operate. This all points to your employees. I feel they are abusing it so it will "go away". Machinery needs operators with ears that can tell when a new noise shows up, or things like when starting is taking longer and longer...........until it won't start. Numerous operators won't catch that. They ignored the hyd. lines. What else are they ignoring? I have taught my son and daughter to listen for different sounds and what they mean in their cars and trucks. Most females are tone deaf to machinery. Do you have daily logs and checklists to spot maintenance trends and problems?

So get a grip on your problems and not gripe about it in someone else's tread.
Merry Christmas hugs, Brandi

 

[FM504]

Can we get back to pictures of equipment already?

 

[JerryK]

Life is good...!!!!