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

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

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

The Joystick on the MAX series, if the same one as on my Max28 is not so joyous, but jerky. One's reflexes adapt, but these are not as nice as a loader valve put in premium tractors. If you really want to hate you Max, try a construction class machine with pilot controls.

The good news is the loader is powerful for the tractors size. Just don't pry with it, so as not to rack the loader arms.
I do a lot of loader work with my little tractor as it is maneuverable and good on soft ground.

I did install the bucket cylinders from a 1526, so my Max28 now has excellent breakout force for its size, at the expense of slower curl and dump. A good trade, IMHO. Digs better than it has any right to. I bet with a Piranha cutting edge, it would dig even better.

Yes I knew about the jerkiness. But I'm finding with practice it's getting smoother so take it as a challenge. And I do like the extra power. Yes have briefly driven a construction-class machine.....it's like a ballet dancer vs a rhinoceros.

Thank you for the advice, yes, I take things in small bites with the FEL, not just for the tractor but for me, as I'm not very good at it yet. Agree the Max is very maneuverable and has been fantastic on my ridiculously bad ground. It just goes everywhere and does everything I ask so far.

YOU DON'T HAVE A PIRANHA BAR YET????? Dude, order one today.

Seriously, I have rock-hard rocky clay soil and the Piranha bar digs in like a hot knife through butter. I also feel it takes a lot of stress off the loader when digging, right?

 

[2516mo]

Th and wanting a larger one...I am happy wirh my 2516. Nothing better than mowing for a couple hours and looking back over a freshly cut field.

Glad you enjoy yours.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Sorry I didn't post pics of the current project before:

1. The bank I took the dirt from.


2. The top half of the "road" down to the ravine, with about 30 buckets of new dirt added and graded so it won't wash out. 35-40% grade. At the bottom of the pic, the road turns to the left and there's a 50' dropoff. Thinking about putting in a low railing of logs there.


3. Looking up toward the first third of the road. Trying to show the "steep" but it seems pics always flatten things out.


Grass seed planted and scratched in today. Ma nature is promising to water it tonight.

Next project is the bottom third of this road, as the middle third is still in good shape.

 

[radios1]

Sorry I didn't post pics of the current project before:

1. The bank I took the dirt from.
View attachment 564873

2. The top half of the "road" down to the ravine, with about 30 buckets of new dirt added and graded so it won't wash out. 35-40% grade. At the bottom of the pic, the road turns to the left and there's a 50' dropoff. Thinking about putting in a low railing of logs there.
View attachment 564874

3. Looking up toward the first third of the road. Trying to show the "steep" but it seems pics always flatten things out.
View attachment 564875

Grass seed planted and scratched in today. Ma nature is promising to water it tonight.

Next project is the bottom third of this road, as the middle third is still in good shape.

have you thought about paving it with asphalt?..

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

have you thought about paving it with asphalt?..

It's just a path (barely a "road") we cut to have a way to get down to the ravines and ponds without a zipline , so asphalt would be overkill (would also be very slippery in winter.) My actual driveway looks very similar and does fine with just gravel as long as it's graded properly.

This is mainly a walking trail but does need to accommodate a mower or tractor, so it's nicer if it's smooth. And of course on something this steep, the grading is important to prevent erosion.

The sections where the grass "took" are still fine but I decided to regrade most of it anyhow since I have the tractor now. The former grading was done with my riding mower, which did a pretty good job but lacked the power to scrape down some areas that are packed with weathered bedrock. Sure is nice to have more power!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Week 6. An Incident.

My brother is visiting for a month or so and even though he's never been on a tractor (city boy) it's been great because he's an expert mechanic! He's taught me how to do all kinds of things with all the machinery. And he's taken to tractoring like a duck to water. Can't hardly get him off it. And I've explained all the proper procedures and principles to him--which I learned off TBN and are ingrained in my soul.

Today we had one-by-one moved all the implements to the upper field (more out of the way) and just needed to hook up the last implement, the box blade. He wanted to scoop some more dirt out of the bank and put it on the road (we had a week of rain, and there were some serious runnels that needed to be fixed) and box blade it a little. So I ASSUMED he would hook up the box blade first, 1) because I had explained the need for counter-balance and keeping everything as low as possible on our slopes, and 2) he need the box blade for the job. Didn't happen that way.

I came down from upper field just as he was just going down the ravine road (40% slope) with a full load of damp clay dirt held pretty high, and it took my mind a few seconds to realize something wasn't right...THERE WAS NO IMPLEMENT ON THE REAR! I yelled but of course he couldn't hear me, so I ran closer and screamed DUMP IT! He heard me but was still inching down and already in trouble. I could see the rear end bouncing a bit. Then the left rear lifted around 8 inches off the ground and I just froze and was sure it was going over. He was trying to lower the load but the rear was so light that the jerk of lowering the FEL caused the rear to bounce more. Finally I made it to his side and told him he needed to back up, lower the load, and DUMP it. He did and when we got to the top on the flat again, I re-explained the need for ballast.

Fortunately it was happy hour by this time.

I think the tractor has been so stable and well-planted through all of our work over the last couple weeks, he didn't realize that was completely dependent on proper ballast. He gets it now!

Backing up the hill definitely helped, which I guess is why people recommend backing up a hill when carrying a heavy FEL full.

The very slight slope down to the right (for drainage) was enough to nearly cause it to tip to the right. The tipping point had clearly been reached or nearly so, and it was gonna tip SOME way.

I'm gonna say, without 4WD this might have been tragic, as there's a 60-70 foot drop at the bottom of the section of road he was on.

I'm also pretty confident without filled rears, that tractor would have gone over.

I won't have to keep reminding him over and over to keep all implements as low as possible on the steep. He gets it now.

When I have had Jay or him on the tractor, I usually am there every second babysitting them. So partly my fault for sure.


Once again, when working on slopes: 4WD, proper ballast, and filled tires. Every time.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

BTW, this is the hill he went down w/ a FEL full of dirt and no implement on the rear :


Also used the pallet forks for the first time to move the giant burn pile. When a burn pile sits for a while I always move it before burning in case any critters have moved in. Dropped one my flagpole poplars around the parking area; 60' tall and 6" wide. Bucked it and moved the pieces to the burn pile. Also used the FEL/PTB to start removing the old rotting woodpile. (Discovered there IS a limit to what this tractor can lift.) Then used my can of bad gas that I drained out of the Husq GT to light 'er up. Love a good bonfire.

Getting better with the FEL. Smoothing out a lot.

 

[shooterdon]

Week 6. An Incident.

My brother is visiting for a month or so and even though he's never been on a tractor (city boy) it's been great because he's an expert mechanic! He's taught me how to do all kinds of things with all the machinery. And he's taken to tractoring like a duck to water. Can't hardly get him off it. And I've explained all the proper procedures and principles to him--which I learned off TBN and are ingrained in my soul.

Today we had one-by-one moved all the implements to the upper field (more out of the way) and just needed to hook up the last implement, the box blade. He wanted to scoop some more dirt out of the bank and put it on the road (we had a week of rain, and there were some serious runnels that needed to be fixed) and box blade it a little. So I ASSUMED he would hook up the box blade first, 1) because I had explained the need for counter-balance and keeping everything as low as possible on our slopes, and 2) he need the box blade for the job. Didn't happen that way.

I came down from upper field just as he was just going down the ravine road (40% slope) with a full load of damp clay dirt held pretty high, and it took my mind a few seconds to realize something wasn't right...THERE WAS NO IMPLEMENT ON THE REAR! I yelled but of course he couldn't hear me, so I ran closer and screamed DUMP IT! He heard me but was still inching down and already in trouble. I could see the rear end bouncing a bit. Then the left rear lifted around 8 inches off the ground and I just froze and was sure it was going over. He was trying to lower the load but the rear was so light that the jerk of lowering the FEL caused the rear to bounce more. Finally I made it to his side and told him he needed to back up, lower the load, and DUMP it. He did and when we got to the top on the flat again, I re-explained the need for ballast.

Fortunately it was happy hour by this time.

I think the tractor has been so stable and well-planted through all of our work over the last couple weeks, he didn't realize that was completely dependent on proper ballast. He gets it now!

Backing up the hill definitely helped, which I guess is why people recommend backing up a hill when carrying a heavy FEL full.

The very slight slope down to the right (for drainage) was enough to nearly cause it to tip to the right. The tipping point had clearly been reached or nearly so, and it was gonna tip SOME way.

I'm gonna say, without 4WD this might have been tragic, as there's a 60-70 foot drop at the bottom of the section of road he was on.

I'm also pretty confident without filled rears, that tractor would have gone over.

I won't have to keep reminding him over and over to keep all implements as low as possible on the steep. He gets it now.

When I have had Jay or him on the tractor, I usually am there every second babysitting them. So partly my fault for sure.


Once again, when working on slopes: 4WD, proper ballast, and filled tires. Every time.

Good lesson learned!

As a new tractor owner I try to be very mindful of how dangerous things can get. And it is easy to get over confident.

Glad that no one got hurt....or worse.

BTW, I enjoy reading your Journal. You are doing great!

 

[LMychajluk]

...

Fortunately it was happy hour by this time.
...

After an incident like that, I would think it would be Happy Hour no matter what time it was.

 

[radios1]

BTW, this is the hill he went down w/ a FEL full of dirt and no implement on the rear :
View attachment 565700

Also used the pallet forks for the first time to move the giant burn pile. When a burn pile sits for a while I always move it before burning in case any critters have moved in. Dropped one my flagpole poplars around the parking area; 60' tall and 6" wide. Bucked it and moved the pieces to the burn pile. Also used the FEL/PTB to start removing the old rotting woodpile. (Discovered there IS a limit to what this tractor can lift.) Then used my can of bad gas that I drained out of the Husq GT to light 'er up. Love a good bonfire.

Getting better with the FEL. Smoothing out a lot.

using gasoline to start or enhance a burning fire is setting yourself up for serious injury, or death.. My Nephew did that, and I yelled at him for a long time.. I, Myself, had My hands on fire from gasoline that leaked out of a gasoline torch on which the adjustment knob came out of the torch.. pain, 3rd degree burns, treatment at a hospital is just not worth it.. btw, gasoline can explode when used on fires..