Looking at gettin g a new tractor 40 hp 4x4 ag tires, How does Kubota, Mahrinda, New Holland compare, sy Kubota L4430 series with glide shift! Mahrinda 4530 series!, and teh New Holland TC45A, any help will be appreciated! is the extra weight of the Mahrinda an asset or a liability!, how dependable is the Mahindra compared to the others!
help on buying a new tractor!
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Bob_Skurka
Super Member
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Be very careful when you compare specs on the tractors. New Holland and Kubota both list their front loader specs 2 ways, at the bucket center which is a true indication of capacity, and they also list the capacity at the pivot point in some of their literature but that capacity is about 30% higher than the bucket center and is not really a good indicator. Mahindra only lists their front loader specs at the pivot point so their loaders may appear higher capacity. To lower the Mahindra Pivot Point numbers to the bucket center rating, multiply the capacity by .70 to get the proper bucket center rating to match up to the Kubota and New Holland numbers. You will have to equalize the specs between the brands to get an Apples-to-Apples comparison.
You will have to double check the 3pt hitch capacity numbers as well. I believe Mahindra rates their 3pt at the ball eyes, but I know that New Holland and Kubota both rate them at 24" behind the ball eyes, this makes the Kubota and New Holland look weak in comparison. Again, the Mahindra will have to be derated about 30% to make an apples-to-apples comparison.
Weight is an issue that is often hotly debated. I prefer proper balast to heavy weight, but I am also quick to admit that for some tasks weight can be good, and for other tasks it is bad.
For some quick learning you may want to check out these threads:
Mahindra lift ratings
JD versus Kubota discussion, but on page 3 it gets into a discussion of ratings
Comparing Specs - a good discussion on HOW to compare specs between brands
You will have to double check the 3pt hitch capacity numbers as well. I believe Mahindra rates their 3pt at the ball eyes, but I know that New Holland and Kubota both rate them at 24" behind the ball eyes, this makes the Kubota and New Holland look weak in comparison. Again, the Mahindra will have to be derated about 30% to make an apples-to-apples comparison.
Weight is an issue that is often hotly debated. I prefer proper balast to heavy weight, but I am also quick to admit that for some tasks weight can be good, and for other tasks it is bad.
For some quick learning you may want to check out these threads:
Mahindra lift ratings
JD versus Kubota discussion, but on page 3 it gets into a discussion of ratings
Comparing Specs - a good discussion on HOW to compare specs between brands
Indydirtfarmer
Platinum Member
Guess I don't need to lend you a can opener, 'cause you done already opened a can of worms without it.......
Expect as many answers to this questions as there are members on TBN....
Here's mine.....
As I see it, there's a practical reason why the LEADING SELLIN BRANDS AREN'T THE CHEAPEST, yet they sell more tractors... Compare "stats", but also compare brand history, and values of older models from the brand(s) of your choice. You need to factor in YOUR intended use, what your budget is, how long you plan on keeping your purchase, and about 10,000 other details.
My personal opinion? Make mine DEERE!
Expect as many answers to this questions as there are members on TBN....
Here's mine.....
As I see it, there's a practical reason why the LEADING SELLIN BRANDS AREN'T THE CHEAPEST, yet they sell more tractors... Compare "stats", but also compare brand history, and values of older models from the brand(s) of your choice. You need to factor in YOUR intended use, what your budget is, how long you plan on keeping your purchase, and about 10,000 other details.
My personal opinion? Make mine DEERE!
frank_f15
Super Member, Rest in Peace
1st of all WELCOME to the forum /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif 2nd u need to zero in a few modles and compare them as BOB says.specs as given by different manufatures can be deceiving.
To20Chris
Platinum Member
Welcome to TBN! And don't get too hung up on specs, although they're all you have to go on when you are sitting at home in front of the PC. The specs listed by th mfrs are only what they say they are, and there are other things that may be more important - such as:
1. How you fit
2. Quality
3. Price
4. Dealer
Within a certain size range, you are unlikely to get one that won't work for you - just some are better suited than others. Have fun!
1. How you fit
2. Quality
3. Price
4. Dealer
Within a certain size range, you are unlikely to get one that won't work for you - just some are better suited than others. Have fun!
SonnieP
Silver Member
I did a pretty good bit of research on Mahindra before I purchased my 6500 4WD. They've been around for while... they didn't just pop up yesterday. From my investigation it appears to me they have been very reliable tractors... as reliable as JD, NH, M-F and Kubota, although they haven't sold as many tractors in the U.S... "yet". In India, the largest tractor market in the world, Mahindra has been the number one selling brand since 1983. Mahindra & Mahindra, the parent company of Mahindra USA has been around since 1945 and developed a joint venture with International Harvester in 1963. In 1994 they entered the U.S. market under their own name, Mahindra. They have had steady growth and expansion, with their main U.S. plant in Texas and another now in Georgia.
As far as specs go... it really depends on your needs as to what specs may be important to you. Even with the adjustments on FEL and 3pt hitch, Mahindra still stacks up pretty well against the others, in some cases it's still a little more or the same and in others a little less (depending on model and brand), you'll just have to be the judge of whether it's going to make that much difference to you. I think most any of them are going to handle most peoples everyday needs. You should not have any problems with the numerous other specs as far as any adjustments to be made. Bottom line... you could possibly get a lot of tractor for less money in many cases, if you shop around and depending on your market area. That's not mean't to be a blanket statement... do your homework and you'll figure it out.
Weight in my situation is a benefit... I like the added weight for stability and traction, plus on rough terrain it shouldn't be as bumpy with the added weight as a light tractor would be. One drawback is if you have a nice manicured lawn that has soft ground that you want to use your tractor on, it will possibly leave tire ruts, especially with ag tires. If you don't plan on driving your tractor on your manicured lawn then weight won't be an issue there. I can drive my Camry over my lawn and get ruts... it's delicate and soft where I have my sodded carpet grass. When out in the fields and other parts of the yard, it's no big deal, that ground is hard and it wouldn't bother me if it did rut a little. Keep in mind that with any of these tractors and ag tires, turning and using 4WD will probably scar up your grass at least some... our z-mower and Mule scars up the ground a little, especially when wet, and they are both much lighter than the lightest tractors. Another issue is hauling the tractor... more weight will require more truck and trailer to haul it.
I take nothing away from JD, NH, M-F, or Kubota, or any other for that matter... (Branson, Farmtrac, McCormick, Kioti, Montana, there are so many)... they all have their benefits and likes for certain individuals. I'd check them all out at much as possible before making a final decision, taking in consideration everything mentioned in the posts above and the many threads here on the forum. These folks here are very knowledgeable and can offer a lot of help. Also investigate the dealer as much as possible... having a good dealer who will be there for you when service or warranty time comes around is no doubt important. I did enough research to satisfy me and am very happy with my decision and so is my pocket book.
As far as specs go... it really depends on your needs as to what specs may be important to you. Even with the adjustments on FEL and 3pt hitch, Mahindra still stacks up pretty well against the others, in some cases it's still a little more or the same and in others a little less (depending on model and brand), you'll just have to be the judge of whether it's going to make that much difference to you. I think most any of them are going to handle most peoples everyday needs. You should not have any problems with the numerous other specs as far as any adjustments to be made. Bottom line... you could possibly get a lot of tractor for less money in many cases, if you shop around and depending on your market area. That's not mean't to be a blanket statement... do your homework and you'll figure it out.
Weight in my situation is a benefit... I like the added weight for stability and traction, plus on rough terrain it shouldn't be as bumpy with the added weight as a light tractor would be. One drawback is if you have a nice manicured lawn that has soft ground that you want to use your tractor on, it will possibly leave tire ruts, especially with ag tires. If you don't plan on driving your tractor on your manicured lawn then weight won't be an issue there. I can drive my Camry over my lawn and get ruts... it's delicate and soft where I have my sodded carpet grass. When out in the fields and other parts of the yard, it's no big deal, that ground is hard and it wouldn't bother me if it did rut a little. Keep in mind that with any of these tractors and ag tires, turning and using 4WD will probably scar up your grass at least some... our z-mower and Mule scars up the ground a little, especially when wet, and they are both much lighter than the lightest tractors. Another issue is hauling the tractor... more weight will require more truck and trailer to haul it.
I take nothing away from JD, NH, M-F, or Kubota, or any other for that matter... (Branson, Farmtrac, McCormick, Kioti, Montana, there are so many)... they all have their benefits and likes for certain individuals. I'd check them all out at much as possible before making a final decision, taking in consideration everything mentioned in the posts above and the many threads here on the forum. These folks here are very knowledgeable and can offer a lot of help. Also investigate the dealer as much as possible... having a good dealer who will be there for you when service or warranty time comes around is no doubt important. I did enough research to satisfy me and am very happy with my decision and so is my pocket book.
tjkadar
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
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- 712
- Location
- Sumter, SC
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 5609, Kubota GS1800, eXmark LazerZ XP
The dealerhip I bought my tractor from carries NH, Kubota, and Mahindra. I talked with a couple of the mechanics in the dealership's service department about the Mahindra tractor. From their experience they've noticed that Mahindra tractors suffer from bolts that come loose and that their smaller motors sound... well, awful. That is about all they can fault the Mahindras on. The only major repair they've had on a Mahindra was a front end that came off because of bolts that had backed out. They've had no major engine, transmission, or hydraulic related issues with any of the Mahindras they've sold so far.
I don't know if the bolts are a NVH related issue or something else. But, if you make checking over fasteners as part of your preflight, then I don't see why a Mahindra tractor wouldn't suit. I haven't spent any time on the Mahindra board on these forums, so I don't know if the bolts are a widespread issue or only affect 'Monday' tractors.
Good luck with your tractor search!
I don't know if the bolts are a NVH related issue or something else. But, if you make checking over fasteners as part of your preflight, then I don't see why a Mahindra tractor wouldn't suit. I haven't spent any time on the Mahindra board on these forums, so I don't know if the bolts are a widespread issue or only affect 'Monday' tractors.
Good luck with your tractor search!
SonnieP
Silver Member
Although I think they are isolated incidents... yes, one poster had a problem with an engine bolt(s) too. A search in Kubota shows a few bolt issues. I think maybe all of them may at one time or another have an issue or two with something, but as stated... nothing major on a regular basis.
Another poster in the Mahindra forum states that his Mahindra dealer sells M-F and Mahindra and has had no service issues for the five years he has been selling them.
I had a lengthy conversation with Dick Helms at Helms and Son Tractor in Mongtomery, Alabama who sells NH and Mahindra. Nothing but good to say about Mahindra... no service or warranty issues. I also spoke with Louis Pound of Pound Tractor in Florala, Alabama who sells Farmtrac and Mahindra and has had no service issues. There were several others I spoke with as well that had no service or warranty issues as long as they had been selling them (I just had longer conversations with Mr. Helms and Mr. Pound). There was one dealer that told me that they had to replace a clutch and they stated it was a customer fault, although Mahindra supposedly paid for it.
If you want to find out what dealers in your area are saying about Mahindra and what other brands they might sell in addition to Mahindra, go to www.mahindrausa.com and do a dealer search and call each one of them. That's what I did... I called everyone I could locate within 150 miles... I input zip codes further away from me to reach out and grab a few extra dealer names.
I would recommend calling all the various dealers of each brand you are interested in, or better yet, visit as many as possible and talk with them, check out their service department... get a feel for how good the dealer will be in service and warranty situations. I went to the local Kubota dealer here in Pike County, Alabama, Linton Tractor Company, and they had no sales person available to speak with me. There was one parts guy there who I waited several minutes to speak with before he finally told me that the sales lady had taken a vacation and wouldn't be back for a week and a day. He could give me prices but he said I'd have to go look at them by myself because he was hopping around on a broke foot. I called the owner on his cell phone, Dane Linton, as I know him pretty well and I'm good friends with his brother Lane, who is a silent partner in the tractor business, but Dane couldn't even give me prices... said I'd have to wait for Lisa to come back off vacation. Go figure. I also visited the John Deere dealer here in Pike County... Henry Farm Center. I waited at least 10 minutes before one of the salesmen got off a personal phone call to speak with me. There were several (3 to be exact) guys standing around in the parts area and none of them offered any help... they were just talking to each other, laughing and carrying on. I finally deliberately walked over to one and ask him if there were any salesmen available to look at a tractor. He tried to get one of the salesman's attention but couldn't... said maybe he'll be with me in a minute. One salesman came out and after talking with me for few minutes decided I needed to speak with the other guy who was still on the phone. Nice guy after I finally got to speak with him but his prices ended up being way higher than other JD dealers within an hours drive of me. You will find that not every dealership is the same... some want to sell tractors and some don't act like they care too much whether they ever sell a tractor again or not. It likely wouldn't matter what brand they sold, either way, I wasn't comfortable when I walked out of either one of those dealerships. When I went down the road to the M-F dealer, he was right there on me... walked me out to the yard, very prompt and courteous and bragged heavily on his service department. These are just some things you might take into consideration... the Mahindra dealer in your area may not be someone you will feel comfortable dealing with and that may help you make up your mind or cause you to venture out to a dealer a little further away.
Another poster in the Mahindra forum states that his Mahindra dealer sells M-F and Mahindra and has had no service issues for the five years he has been selling them.
I had a lengthy conversation with Dick Helms at Helms and Son Tractor in Mongtomery, Alabama who sells NH and Mahindra. Nothing but good to say about Mahindra... no service or warranty issues. I also spoke with Louis Pound of Pound Tractor in Florala, Alabama who sells Farmtrac and Mahindra and has had no service issues. There were several others I spoke with as well that had no service or warranty issues as long as they had been selling them (I just had longer conversations with Mr. Helms and Mr. Pound). There was one dealer that told me that they had to replace a clutch and they stated it was a customer fault, although Mahindra supposedly paid for it.
If you want to find out what dealers in your area are saying about Mahindra and what other brands they might sell in addition to Mahindra, go to www.mahindrausa.com and do a dealer search and call each one of them. That's what I did... I called everyone I could locate within 150 miles... I input zip codes further away from me to reach out and grab a few extra dealer names.
I would recommend calling all the various dealers of each brand you are interested in, or better yet, visit as many as possible and talk with them, check out their service department... get a feel for how good the dealer will be in service and warranty situations. I went to the local Kubota dealer here in Pike County, Alabama, Linton Tractor Company, and they had no sales person available to speak with me. There was one parts guy there who I waited several minutes to speak with before he finally told me that the sales lady had taken a vacation and wouldn't be back for a week and a day. He could give me prices but he said I'd have to go look at them by myself because he was hopping around on a broke foot. I called the owner on his cell phone, Dane Linton, as I know him pretty well and I'm good friends with his brother Lane, who is a silent partner in the tractor business, but Dane couldn't even give me prices... said I'd have to wait for Lisa to come back off vacation. Go figure. I also visited the John Deere dealer here in Pike County... Henry Farm Center. I waited at least 10 minutes before one of the salesmen got off a personal phone call to speak with me. There were several (3 to be exact) guys standing around in the parts area and none of them offered any help... they were just talking to each other, laughing and carrying on. I finally deliberately walked over to one and ask him if there were any salesmen available to look at a tractor. He tried to get one of the salesman's attention but couldn't... said maybe he'll be with me in a minute. One salesman came out and after talking with me for few minutes decided I needed to speak with the other guy who was still on the phone. Nice guy after I finally got to speak with him but his prices ended up being way higher than other JD dealers within an hours drive of me. You will find that not every dealership is the same... some want to sell tractors and some don't act like they care too much whether they ever sell a tractor again or not. It likely wouldn't matter what brand they sold, either way, I wasn't comfortable when I walked out of either one of those dealerships. When I went down the road to the M-F dealer, he was right there on me... walked me out to the yard, very prompt and courteous and bragged heavily on his service department. These are just some things you might take into consideration... the Mahindra dealer in your area may not be someone you will feel comfortable dealing with and that may help you make up your mind or cause you to venture out to a dealer a little further away.