john deere vs mahindra

32_rodder · Apr 8, 2005

Greetings to the most intellingent folks on tractors!
Question or 2 for you all,I'm trying to decide between a mahindra 2615 and a john deere 4110. Both have fel,mmm attachments. 20 hp jd is about the same price as 26 hp mahindra. Is there anything majorly different between these 2 machines that would sway me one way or the other? Both dealers are about 10 miles from my res here in good ole southern illinois.
I have about a 14 acre pasture,but some of it won't need to be mowed,maybe 1/2 of it plus the grass around the house. Fel will be good for moving manure out of the barn and for square bales.
Any suggestions and or comments? They are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Streetrodder

Tractors4u · Apr 8, 2005

I looked at the Mahindras in late 2003 when I bought my JD4310. The price was within a few hundred dollars for comparable machines. For me the savings weren't there. I ended up going green. If you can get that much more tractor for the same money and a quality tractor at that, I would go for it. How is the dealer? I mean have they been there long?

beenthere · Apr 8, 2005

Not sure about the 'intelligent' part, but I would look at it from where I would want to risk my money. It's your money, but if it were mine, I would want it tied up in 'green' that would likely have some good re-sale value if and when that time would come, and in the meantime, I would want to have a pretty good idea who would still be in business if there was a breakdown, maybe even caused by me.
Again, its a gamble. But I know where my money would be placed on the table. Nothing against Mahindra either.

Maybe I am just too chicken to gamble that way.

32_rodder · Apr 8, 2005

Thanks for the input. I am leaning pretty hard to green,even though it is about 5 hp less. I know the resale value will be there and the local jd d-ship has been here for about 35 years.Mahindra has been here less than a year,and I have not heard anything bad about them.I'm going to ponder this for about 24 hrs,then probabvly make a decesion. So if any of you all have any comments/suggestion,they would be appreciated. I have had jd lawn and garden tractors before,but never a compact.
Thanks!!
Streetrodder

creeper · Apr 8, 2005

Unless the Deere is way more money, I think it would be a better investment.The Mahindra will get the job done, the deere will pay off in the long run.

dmp437 · Apr 8, 2005

Deere without a doubt. Just got done reading "The John Deere Way" by David Magee. There's a commitment from the top seat on down (and has been since 1837) to do the right thing. Of course with 40,000+ employees occasionally there will be problems somewhere along the chain, but overall the framework is there for a top notch machine with service and parts to follow.
My 4310 just came back from a visit to the dealer for the leaking battery issue and it's as good as new. Every piece that had been touched by corrosion was replaced, free pick up & delivery, etc. I'm not saying Mahindra is bad, just that Deere's track record to this point has been stellar and it's a loooooong track record. A lot of this depends on your local dealer(s). A dealer that's not totally committed changes everything.

bigpete · Apr 8, 2005

A very important point is that there is a Mahindra dealership near by to support the tractor. If you get a good feeling about the dealer backing up the product for 5 or more years, this seems like a no-brainer to me. ...and I'm a JD guy through and through. My next step would be to share my sincere thoughts with the JD dealer about why I had to go with the Mahindra and see what his reponse was. I would probably pay a bit more for the JD quality, parts system, service and support, but there is a limit to how much I would swallow. I would also make certain that my JD dealer was matching tractor weight, hydraulic capacity, and PTO HP before I did the final math.

Given a good match of specs, 5-10% more for a comparable Deere might save you some grief in the long run.

Edit: Be patient. Your JD dealer needs you as much as the new Mahindra dealer. Another week, or two, seems like a lifetime if you have work to do. This is a machine you will own and (hopefully) love for at least ten more years. Right? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

sticky · Apr 8, 2005

rodder,

I think 20 hp is under powered for your size property. I would go minimum 30 hp.

You haven't said what trany, or 2 or 4wd, and what size cutter. I think you need to consider these things before brand. I would consider sacrificing transmision for more hp. I am not saying buy one, but I would look at JD5301 or Mahindra 5000 for cutting pasture and dragging riding area.

32_rodder · Apr 8, 2005

Thank you..points and comments well taken and considered with all replys.As stated before this is the most intelligent folks on the planet for tractors. I probably won't be selling or trading any time soon if I decide with either tractor. I guess it comes down to service,reliabilty,and dependability. I have not heard of any major problems with the yanmar motor,but do not know much about the motor in the in the mahindra. JD has been around a long time, but do you all think the mahindra will perform as good as the jd in all aspects?And for as long?Has mahindra proved itself in the good ole USA yet? I realize that the reason they are cheaper in price is because they are built mostly in Korea,but because of cheap labor,does that mean it is a cheaply built tractor? Forgive me for asking a ton of questions, but dollars are dollars no matter what tractor company gets them.
Thank you all!
Streetrodder

cowboydoc · Apr 9, 2005

Everybody has given you great advice. With Deere you are going to have a dedicated dealer network, real trained professionals- I have yet to walk into a Mahindra, Kioti, etc. dealership where they have a factory to dealer network of trained professionals and a network for problems and solutions. None of the smaller brands do any of this. There is also no substitute for Deere parts network. Nobody even comes close. Then there is Deere support. If there is a Deere problem it usually gets solved in a hurry. There are dealer reps, regional reps, and on up. If it's a deere problem they will fix it or replace your unit with a brand new one.

There is Deere quality and reputation. Everyone of Deere's units are INDEPENDENTLY tested. What this means is that if they say they have x amoutn of hp, hydraulic flow, lift capacity you know it's true. The smaller dealers like Mahindra do NO INDEPENDENT testing. They can say whatever they want to about hp or anything else and there is nothing to back it up.

Has Mahindra proven itself in the US? Well ask around. All you will see on here is a bunch of guys like yourself that use their tractor for maybe a couple hundred hours a year. That's not proving itself in my opinion. Kubota, Deere, NH, and some others have been around now for a couple decades. You see used machines with 5000 or more hours still going strong. If in 20 years you see these machines still around then they will have proven themselves. Mahindra has only been in the market a short time.

I have looked them over and over and yes I think they are cheaply built compared to a comparable 20 series Deere. They are more comparable to the 03 series from Deere. They are more of a stripped down model. You get a good basic tractor but none of the extras that go into a better quality tractor.

When I priced them they were hardly any cheaper than a similiar Deere. For the same price I'll take the Deere quality, reputation, outstanding parts and service, and the fact that it's a US company. And although some of the materials may be foreign the profits are still going back to Deere USA.

32_rodder · Apr 9, 2005

Thanks again for all of the advice.
FYI,got a call from the JD d-ship trying to sell me the 4110. Got a nice surprise,he told me that the 4110 qualified for a 36 month no intrest loan from JD. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifEven though it is not listed on the JD website, it apparently is in effect thru 5-2-05.Requirement is 10% down for the program. Just passing along what I think is good info.Think my mind is already in "green" mode. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Thanks!
Streetrodder

Green4Me · Apr 10, 2005

I bought a 4100 in 2001. it was a hydro with mmm and R4 tires. I used it to rotary mow around 10 acre of hilly goldenrod blackberry ect. terrain, with a Woods four foot mower. I ran a four foot KK tiller. also a 72in 3ph finish mower. For yard and garden it was tops. For rotary mowing, uneven terrain IMHO you need at least a 4310 size rig. Reason being the 4100 is just too narrow(48inches) even with the wheels at widest. I found several places where a groundhog mound or hole would pop up suddenly, that the thing nearly tipped. You cannot ride the high fender because of the seat safety feature. You have to take it real slow. Catagory one implements will not attach without a lot of fiddling, unless you reverse the rear wheels. This was left very ambiguous in the OM. If your pasture is flat or rolling and not a lot of high stuff and you have a lot of time, it would work. The four foot mower will at best cut only three and one half feet, with overlap. One other note as to JD quality. My 4100 3ph would not stay in one position even while running. Constantly settling and correcting. JD says seep down is normal and to live with it. I would bet money that if you set the two machines that you are looking at side by side, with the 3pt loaded with the same load, that the JD would not match up. Not to be critical, just relaying my experiences.

PBinWA · Apr 10, 2005

I'm not sure you are going to get the most objective opinions by posting your question to the JD forum. Most people here are die hard JD owners.

I own a 2615 Gear and have 5 acres. I looked oat JD, NH, Kubota, Kioti, Jinma when I was shopping and was rally impressed by the quality of the 2615 for the price I paid. Last summer when I was shopping, I was able to get my 2615 for less than a used JD 790 and the 2615 blew the 790 away in everything except HP and resale value. Considering how light the 790 was and the fact that the hydraulics were really weak it made the 2615 decision much easier.

The Mahindra 2615 series is made by Mitsubishi in Japan and is a pretty mature tractor as it was sold by Cub Cadet for several years and is sold under the Mitsubishi brand internationally.

There is a premium to be paid by going with JD. You will get that premium back when you go to sell the tractor in the future. If resale value is high on your list then go with JD.

I think 20 HP is a little low for your size of property and that you may want to consider a bigger tractor if you want to do any sort of extensive tilling or brush hogging. You will be limited to a 48 inch brush hog and tiller in most cases.

You really aren't comparing identical tractors. You are looking at getting a bigger framed tractor with a few less bells and whistles with the 2615. The 4110 is lighter and less powerful so it will not be able to do as much grunt work.

Compare the specs, compare the dealers (done), decide on your priorities (resale, bells & whistles, work capacity). Then make the decision.

You may want to consider posting to the general tractor shopping forum to get more opinions that are less slanted to JD.

Cliff_Johns · Apr 10, 2005

( Most people here are die hard JD owners. )

Well, JD owners anyway. And most bought their JDs for a reason. Some because they wanted a John Deere because of history with the product, some because they liked the dealer, some because the price and features was the best available. And probably some because the green matched the curtins in the barn. It varies.

Cliff

Egon · Apr 11, 2005

We forgot to mention "Peace of Mind " and the dealers service truck when its working time on the farm and next years income is on the line.

Egon

cowboydoc · Apr 11, 2005

I'm not sure you are going to get the most objective opinions by posting your question to the JD forum. Most people here are die hard JD owners.


Why would you say this? If you want to hear about the good from a JD why wouldn't you post here? What was posted here that is any way not the truth? There's no reason it should be considered wrong or "politically" incorrect because a person owns a good tractor and wants to talk about the good things about it.

shoppintractors · Apr 11, 2005

Cowboydoc,

With all due respect...........It's my understanding the general "Buying/Pricing/COMPARISON" forum is set up specifically to answer multiple brand, comparison type questions.

In the long run you actually have a larger audience in the general forums to 'hear' the 'good' about your tractors.

Don

PBinWA · Apr 11, 2005

( We forgot to mention "Peace of Mind " and the dealers service truck when its working time on the farm and next years income is on the line. )

I agree on this point but only if I had a farm and was a big purchaser of farm equipment. However, as a small 5 acre guy with small tractor needs I did not get the impression that the John Deere dealers were really going to go out of their way for me. In fact, I visited about 5 different John Deere dealers and only one of them was in any way "nice" to me. Unfortunately, they were also the farthest away and still too expensive for what I needed.

In comparison my Mahindra dealer is small and eager to please all customers. There is of course a risk that he won't be around in 10 years but I think he will at least be around as long as my warranty lasts (and from the looks of things at his new location lately probably much longer) and after that I know that there are still lots of sources for parts for the 2615 series.

cubhater · Apr 11, 2005

If you are really interested in a mitsu tractor. Go to cub cadets thread and read 7235 & 7275 motors breaking and excessive clutches. Might give you a little insight into mitsu and to be fair read cubs vs kubota.

PBinWA · Apr 11, 2005

( If you are really interested in a mitsu tractor. Go to cub cadets thread and read 7235 & 7275 motors breaking and excessive clutches. Might give you a little insight into mitsu and to be fair read cubs vs kubota. )

I'm not sure that is what I would call a "fair" read. I've been following that customer service nightmare for a while now.

It is certainly a good thread to read if you want to see how not to address a disgruntled customer.

However, comparing a 10 year old Cub Cadet branded Mitsubishi tractor with a 1 year old Mahindra Mitsubishi tractor is hardly a fair comparison. That thread also indicates that the design flaws you were dealing with were fixed a long time ago.

"CubHater" - Your actions are similar to another person (Ramon_49) who used to post about his negative Kubota experience. If you think posting lots of negative publicity to this board is going to get you the results you want from Cub Cadet then that is fine. I don't necessarily agree with your tactics but will point them out to others so they can make their own assumptions.

I'm sure we can find some JD owners that have negative comments too if we wanted to look for it. But I'm not sure that is a productive task.

All I've intended to do with this thread is relate my experience with a Mahindra 2615 since it was not getting very much comparison feedback.

Do I think JD makes the best tractors - yes.
Do I think there is a premium price to be paid for JD - yes. Has my attempted buying experience with JD dealers been good - not terrible but also not great.