Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal

[ZTMAN]

The Manindra 26xl and Max 24 that I saw/ test drove both creeped. Dealer said they may need an adjustment, so it seems if we get a Manindra, better learn how to adjust the HST.
Maybe the dealer can tell you what they did to make the adjustment so in the future, when it is out of warranty, you can make the adjustment.

 

[Jabonee]

Re: Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal FEL work

Curious how many times you have checked the loader mount hardware ? Should have been done twice with 50 hr on unit. I see a lot of units with the FELs falling off.

 

[shooterdon]

Re: Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal FEL work

Week 7. Needing an Adjustment

Seems the tractor needs a couple of adjustments. It has begun to creep a bit even when the HST pedal is released. Plus, the parking brake has become difficult to set, and sometimes pops back out. The combination could of course become dangerous. For now, I lower both FEL and rear implement every time I get off the tractor, just to make sure it doesn't move. These are no doubt simple adjustments but if you've been following this thread you know that I'm not mechanical (trying to learn). So the tractor will be picked up on Tuesday and returned on Thursday.

This tractor is so simple mechanically, I can actually see what needs to be done, but given my lack of experience and the importance of this working exactly right, am opting for the dealer to do the adjustment.

Besides, it's now time for my 50-hour service! Hooray!

Hmmm, 50 hours in, let's say, 8 weeks. I think that would result in 300 hours per year, although it may be less during winter. OTOH I do a lot of woods-work in winter. If I had my way, it would be at least 2 hours per day. Always happy on the tractor.

I got my tractor back this week and put 5 hours on it in one day. Just a lot of stuff piled up that needed doing and I was eager to spend some seat time. As I get caught up on projects/chores, and the new wears off, I will be spending less time on it... I suspect you will experience a similar process. Like you, I enjoy my seat time and wonder why I did not get a tractor sooner.

Winters here are not fun on an open tractor so it will only be used to haul firewood and hopefully carry a deer or two out during hunting season. So my winter hours will dial down. I have a plow truck for moving snow but the tractor will be a backup that I hope to never use.


One question for you. As we are both newbies, I was wondering about your experience with the box blade. I have a 200 yard driveway that has a bit of a roller coaster profile. I can get the road level side to side using a back blade but am having trouble levelling out the hills and dips. My reading says a land plane is the best, and most idiot proof, way to do it but the cost is rather high. How does your box blade do? And do you have a regular top link or the hydraulic?

Thanks

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Re: Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal FEL work

I got my tractor back this week and put 5 hours on it in one day. Just a lot of stuff piled up that needed doing and I was eager to spend some seat time. As I get caught up on projects/chores, and the new wears off, I will be spending less time on it... I suspect you will experience a similar process. Like you, I enjoy my seat time and wonder why I did not get a tractor sooner.

Winters here are not fun on an open tractor so it will only be used to haul firewood and hopefully carry a deer or two out during hunting season. So my winter hours will dial down. I have a plow truck for moving snow but the tractor will be a backup that I hope to never use.


One question for you. As we are both newbies, I was wondering about your experience with the box blade. I have a 200 yard driveway that has a bit of a roller coaster profile. I can get the road level side to side using a back blade but am having trouble levelling out the hills and dips. My reading says a land plane is the best, and most idiot proof, way to do it but the cost is rather high. How does your box blade do? And do you have a regular top link or the hydraulic?

Thanks

As you stated, the new wears off. You end up simply wanting to get the work done, not spend as much time as possible on the machine. If you want to get the maintenance done as quickly as possible, get a LPGS. It will cut the maintenance time by half if not more. So how much is that worth?

It is nice to have a hydraulic top link with any 3pt grading implement.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

The Manindra 26xl and Max 24 that I saw/ test drove both creeped. Dealer said they may need an adjustment, so it seems if we get a Manindra, better learn how to adjust the HST.
Maybe the dealer can tell you what they did to make the adjustment so in the future, when it is out of warranty, you can make the adjustment.

Dealer said there was some spring or other part that stretches a bit during initial break in, so these adjustments aren't uncommon. I will certainly ask him to show me.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Re: Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal FEL work

Curious how many times you have checked the loader mount hardware ? Should have been done twice with 50 hr on unit. I see a lot of units with the FELs falling off.

Never, but I will check it tonight. Which parts of the hardware? Where did you see these cases of FELS falling off????

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Re: Mahindra Max 26XL HST - A New Owner's Journal FEL work

I got my tractor back this week and put 5 hours on it in one day. Just a lot of stuff piled up that needed doing and I was eager to spend some seat time. As I get caught up on projects/chores, and the new wears off, I will be spending less time on it... I suspect you will experience a similar process. Like you, I enjoy my seat time and wonder why I did not get a tractor sooner.

Winters here are not fun on an open tractor so it will only be used to haul firewood and hopefully carry a deer or two out during hunting season. So my winter hours will dial down. I have a plow truck for moving snow but the tractor will be a backup that I hope to never use.


One question for you. As we are both newbies, I was wondering about your experience with the box blade. I have a 200 yard driveway that has a bit of a roller coaster profile. I can get the road level side to side using a back blade but am having trouble levelling out the hills and dips. My reading says a land plane is the best, and most idiot proof, way to do it but the cost is rather high. How does your box blade do? And do you have a regular top link or the hydraulic?

Thanks

Winters up here are quite sunny most days, so can do a lot of outdoor work. Best season for woods work as no brush or bugs. A big change from down on the flatland, where winters tended to be cloudy, damp, cold and miserable.

The box blade is my favorite implement by far. However, a roller coaster profile creates issues, as when your tractor starts up the steeper part it causes the BB behind you to dig in more; and when the tractor goes over the top of the steeper part onto a flatter part, the BB rises up. The couple inches of float that are built in to the 3PH are not enough to compensate. I also have this problem to a certain extent. Few options: I can either do the driveway in sections, changing the height of the BB as I get to the part that changes grade; or for final redistribution/smoothing of gravel, lengthen the toplink so only the back-blade touches and drop it all the way down for maximum float.

I find that having driveway moisture level just right is very important. If it's too dry, the gravel will just get scraped up too easy; you end up with windrows, ridges and piles everywhere. Hard to explain, but moist soil/gravel will "push back" and you get a much smoother result. Can't overemphasize how important this is to a good result.

But ideally the final smoothing is really where you want a "free floating" and lighter weight implement IMO. Some people use a chain harrow or even an old bed spring. Haven't tried that yet.

No hydraulic links yet but would like to add them. I can't justify a land-plane; will figure out techniques that work the best with what I have. Good luck!

 

[shooterdon]

Thanks for the reply GWWT!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Thanks for the reply GWWT!

Oddly, when all I had was my garden tractor pulling a lightweight 36" little Brinly box blade, it was actually easier to do the smoothing out, as I could set it to float and skim along the dips and bumps. OTOH, it lacked power/weight so to change the grade at all required about a million passes.

All the videos you see of people cruising along merrily box-blading a drive are on a level driveway! Yeah, "level" is easy.

 

[shooterdon]

Oddly, when all I had was my garden tractor pulling a lightweight 36" little Brinly box blade, it was actually easier to do the smoothing out, as I could set it to float and skim along the dips and bumps. OTOH, it lacked power/weight so to change the grade at all required about a million passes.

All the videos you see of people cruising along merrily box-blading a drive are on a level driveway! Yeah, "level" is easy.

EXACTLY!!

When the dips are 20-30’ apart I doubt even a land plane will level a driveway unless we take take dozens and dozens of passes. I have considered adding 8’ 2x6’s skids to a box blade to increase the length. My little pea brain looks at the old hand jointer planes used to prepare wood. Longer was always better. There is a reason road graders are so long.

I know the 2x6’s would not last long, but they are cheap. And once the drive is level, they would not be needed again.

MVR made a good point IF the land plane will work, that is a better option. And I assume it will not need a hydraulic top link to get the job done....saving another few hundred $$$. Sorry for the thread hijack. I may start another thread on this issue.