Help Choosing a Tractor: Mahindra 1126 vs. 2126 on Hilly 5-Acres

[Marty889]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a new house on 5 acres, and we’ve decided to invest in a tractor for property maintenance. After shopping around and visiting a few dealers, we’ve narrowed our choice down to Mahindra, specifically the 1126 and 2126 models. I’m hoping to get some advice from those who have experience with either or both.

Our planned uses are pretty straightforward:

• Dragging small trees for firewood
• Moving firewood with the front loader
• Tilling a small garden
• Shoveling snow from the driveway with the front loader
• Mowing grass with an attachment

The Property:
The main challenge is that a lot of our property is on a steep incline. The current owner is leaving us his zero-turn mower, but he mentioned it’s useless on the steep grass behind the house because it just slides downhill. He said the only way to mow back there is with a tractor going straight up and down.

He currently has a Massey Ferguson GC2300, which he’s owned since new. He loves it and said it’s the perfect size for the property, but unfortunately, he’s taking it with him, even though I offered to buy it. We wanted to keep the dealer somewhat close to us. That limits our options to JD, Kubota, New Holland, and Mahindra. We looked at new/used at every dealer and we are very much leaning towards Mahindra.

The Dilemma:
I’m leaning toward the 1126, as I think it’s plenty of tractor for the occasional projects we’ll be doing. The smaller size would be nice for maneuverability, especially for tight spaces or smaller tasks like moving compost/dirt.

However, I like the idea of the larger 2126 for added stability, especially on the steeper parts of the property. The extra size and weight seem like they might provide more confidence and safety when tackling inclines. Of course, the tradeoff is that it’s bulkier to store and maneuver, and it costs a bit more upfront.

The Question:
For those of you who own a Mahindra (or something similar), do you think the extra cost of the larger model is worth it in the long run? Is stability on hills something where bigger really is better, or would the smaller model be just fine for what I’ve described?

I’d love to hear your experiences and any advice you have! Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Mike1955]

Just from my experience I would choose the larger. I bought small the bigger and really just wasted money on the first purchase. You know what you want, and I think it’s the bigger one

 

[2manyrocks]

How steep are you talking about?

 

[camshawn]

You will really want the extra HP for the hill. A little bigger bucket capacity, easier to move snow(especially the heavy wet stuff that always comes), less trips to the compost pile or back from the soil pile. We went from 15 hp yanmar to a 36hp Mahindra. I was going to get the 26hp Mahindra but the boss told me we are getting the bigger one. I am glad she insisted as we got a quick change bucket that I can put a crane pole or pallet forks on in as long as it takes to get on and off the machine twice and the extra HP is great if we get slushy snow or a huge dump of powder.

 

[M59]

We wanted to keep the dealer somewhat close to us. That limits our options to JD, Kubota, New Holland, and Mahindra. We looked at new/used at every dealer and we are very much leaning towards Mahindra.

Marty889, You mention you have 4 different tractor dealers to choose from. Was machine cost the deciding factor or were there other factors that made Mahindra the preferred choice?

 

[Marty889]

Just from my experience I would choose the larger. I bought small the bigger and really just wasted money on the first purchase. You know what you want, and I think it’s the bigger one

After reading more online I totally agree. For the few extra bucks I think this is the way to go.

 

[Marty889]

How steep are you talking about?

I'm not sure, but its difficult to even walk up. I would say probably around 30% or so

 

[Marty889]

Marty889, You mention you have 4 different tractor dealers to choose from. Was machine cost the deciding factor or were there other factors that made Mahindra the preferred choice?

To be honest largely, yes. I just don't think that with the little we will be using it, that it would be worth the extra money. This isn't a tax expense like it is for farmers, so this is right out of pocket, and I don't care of it breaks down for a while. Its not as though I'm going to be in the middle of a harvest and need my tractor fixed right away. While annoying to wait for parts, it isn't the deal breaker. Plus it is the largest Mahindra dealer in the area, and they 5 tech's working full time and a large parts counter. So I am optimistic about parts availability.

Is there something you would recommend? There is a Rural King nearby and we were thinking about checking out a RK24 or something there, but not sure if we want to go that low with parts and service.

 

[rumwrks]

I'm not sure, but its difficult to even walk up. I would say probably around 30% or so

That would push my pucker factor over the limit on most any tractor honestly.

There are a number of things I like about the 2126 better, the front end lift capacity is a lot higher (which if you haven't use a tractor with pallet forks on it.. I can't begin to describe how useful that's been), the higher ground clearance would be nice, and I think you'll appreciate the 3 speed HST vs the 2 speed.

Having said all that, IDK 30 degrees is damn steep.. how much space do you actually have to mow there? On something that steep I'd be looking real hard at how not to go up there with a tractor and at alternative management strategies.

 

[Oldstuff]

For tractor, storage sheds and air compressors I recommend to get one size bigger that needed for the job!