Buying Advice Mahindra; Three Strikes and Their Out...Almost

[atsah]

The largest JD Kubota dealer in New England here in ME dropped Mahindra five or so years ago, I asked them what was the reasoning behind it, they told me they started to get a reputation of selling poor quality tractors. I have looked at them recently and in the past and I do think they could do a much better job building tractors. But then again I really don't care much for Kubota tractors either. It's Deere or Massey for me, they just seem to put more into them and I'm willing to pay the little extra for it.

 

[Neugene]

Okay, I'll agree these problems should all have been caught by the dealer. If they had done a thorough shakedown of each machine we wouldn't be having this discussion. Yes it has been a pain in the ***** but the dealer took the first two defective tractors back and was quick to send the service manager (a great guy) to figure out what was wrong with the third.

Having said all that, the dealership shouldn't have to put up with this type of thing either. Mahindra should have caught each of these problems before the tractors left the manufacturing plant(s) and again before they left the assembly facility in Chattanooga, TN.

I was a mechanical/design engineer in a former life and as such I've had a lot of experience with catching problems at the source so to speak. Little things slip through the cracks occasionally but transmissions that won't go into gear, the use of parts bent to the point of being unserviceable and the use of parts for things they weren't intended for (putting a throttle control lever on the 4wd linkage) is poor assembly and quality control.

As for the tractors sitting around and rusting up, I can't speak to the first two but the third machine (the one with the greaseless grease fitting) was built within a month before I took possession of it.

Believe it or not, I'm still not sour on the brand. I'm 50 and I started driving a Ford 8n when I was about 10. Since then I've owned or operated a Ford 2000, MF's, Kubota's, Deere's you name it. I still own my Ford 2000 and even though it's a little long in the tooth it's still a fine machine. I'm no expert by any means but I do think I know my way around a tractor and in my limited experience with these Mahindra's I believe that once the initial assembly/quality control issues are sorted out the 3540 I have now will prove to be a hard working dependable machine. Trust me, I'll let you know if it doesn't.

For it's size it has more than enough power (the engine purrs, at least so far). It is also heavy for its size. Having said that, even with methanol in the rear tires it does run out of traction before it runs out of power but remember after all it is a compact, not a full size tractor. The FEL will handle a bucket full of wet mud/sand/gravel without breaking a sweat and the tractor acts like the load isn't even there. It will also pull my heavy duty 7' yard box full of loamy gravel up my somewhat steep gravel driveway as long as it's in 4wd.

Like I said in my original post there's a good chance I'll need another tractor in the next few years and I'll look at Mahindra again when the time comes. Granted I'll take a much, much closer look at each individual tractor but they're not out of the race. I just wanted to post my experiences so that others might learn and benefit from them if/when they're in the market for a new tractor.

Chris

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Perhaps part of the problem is who Mahindra selects as dealers. Two of the dealers near me are trailer sales lots. They do not have service experience beyond a horse trailer. You might as well buy at Home depot.

 

[arrow]

I have the Japanese built Mahindra bought 3 years ago. It has been just about trouble free and when it did have issues (sticking rear end lock, sticking shift lever linkage) these were handled with minimal bother mostly with WD-40. When i went tractor shopping 3 years ago, I thought just about everyone built a better tractor than Mahindra. I thought (and still do) that their shift linkage was rather a Fred Flintstone design. I bought this one because I got a deal I couldn't refuse and because you can mount it from both sides which was a critical issue for how I use a tractor.

The Kubota tractors seemed better put together in my mind but I refused buying from a dealer that showed untoward arrogance for a customer. I went to JD (as that was the tractor I was trading in) and they were giving me $6000 less than the Mahindra dealer for my tractor. I also cannot get by them using aluminum for their gear housing.
I looked at Branson and how tough they seem to be built but the dealer went out of business in the 3 week span from my first visitation to my last.

I will not give my undying loyalty to any tractor (same as when I was logging and had no loyalty for any chainsaw except the one that ran while in my hands) I own nor take exception when one tells of their problems with this brand or any other. The op should have never experienced what he did and shame on Mahindra for building such tractors in todays market. They are shooting themselves in the foot. They keep this crap up and their faults will be written in stone.

 

[RNeumann]

Here is the dealer stats for 2016-
https://www.ne-equip.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016_Survey_Report_Final.pd_.pdf

 

[paulfun9]

Ultimately I feel the dealer and service manager failed. The tractor should have been gone over/threw before ever being put on the lot for sale and especially so if it was planned for delivery.
Now to my feelings on Mahindra based on my experience and experience like the one posted. I looked at many tractors the last time around but even when I suspected a poor dealer/service manager/mechanic I could not overlook the amount of problems that seemed obvious to me just sitting still with the tractor running going threw the workings. Now I know that NO COMPANY makes a perfect machine that has zero quality control issues slip threw the cracks but having multiple problems slip threw on a regular basis that needs fixed before delivery is not quality.

 

[Oldpath05]

"Like I said in my original post there's a good chance I'll need another tractor in the next few years and I'll look at Mahindra again"

Mahindra; Three Strikes and Their Out...Almost<<<<<Guess the problems wasn't really strikes, just a couple foul balls, for me there would be no almost about it and if the dealer doesn't know what he's selling and or dont mind selling junk, then I would go back there either. 20k is a tremendous amount of money for me for something that wont work right.

 

[Oldpath05]

Here is the dealer stats for 2016-
https://www.ne-equip.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016_Survey_Report_Final.pd_.pdf

Lot of graphics and charts there, if I'm looking at the chart right and go down the page at 13-80 it shows LS tractor being the winner!!

 

[Neugene]

"Like I said in my original post there's a good chance I'll need another tractor in the next few years and I'll look at Mahindra again"

Mahindra; Three Strikes and Their Out...Almost<<<<<Guess the problems wasn't really strikes, just a couple foul balls, for me there would be no almost about it and if the dealer doesn't know what he's selling and or dont mind selling junk, then I would go back there either. 20k is a tremendous amount of money for me for something that wont work right.

You are correct sir. I should have said two strikes and a foul. You're also correct about $20k being a tremendous amount of money. It wasn't very long ago that I wouldn't spend that much for a car much less a tractor.

 

[CADplans]

You're also correct about $20k being a tremendous amount of money.
It wasn't very long ago that I wouldn't spend that much for a car much less a tractor.

I started work at a large factory in 1982,, our house cost $65K,,
The majority of my co-workers thought I was crazy,, spending that much for a house,,,
They had mostly spent $5-10K for their home, but some time earlier.

I did buy a place with 30 acres of timber,, last year, I was offered almost $150K for the trees.

I could sell the trees, and still have a valuable property,, but,,
the family likes ATV riding on the 30 acres,,, WITH trees,,,