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

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

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..

That sounds awful. Burns are the worst; so painful.

Actually I almost always start bonfires the same way you'd light a campfire, with no accelerants. But had to get rid of this bad gas.....

When STARTING the bonfire I toss a burning stick (a pine knob works pretty good) onto the edge and run. Using gas to "enhance" a fire is the most risky.

The yahoos who used to do yard work for me couldn't start or keep a fire going without gallons of gas before and during, and sometimes not even then..... then they'd get to whooping and hollering and seeing who could get the biggest explosions.

Don't know what a gasoline torch is but sounds scary.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

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!

Thanks, Shooterdon. I was hoping other new tractor owners would relate to my chronicle of mishaps and small victories.

Thank goodness for TBN, right? Reading everyone's stories for a couple years, the proper precautions got burned into my brain pretty well. Yet, you rarely hear of a new tractor owner getting killed; seems like it's more often an older farmer. Maybe God watches over children and fools....and new tractor owners.

 

[radios1]

That sounds awful. Burns are the worst; so painful.

Actually I almost always start bonfires the same way you'd light a campfire, with no accelerants. But had to get rid of this bad gas.....

When STARTING the bonfire I toss a burning stick (a pine knob works pretty good) onto the edge and run. Using gas to "enhance" a fire is the most risky.

The yahoos who used to do yard work for me couldn't start or keep a fire going without gallons of gas before and during, and sometimes not even then..... then they'd get to whooping and hollering and seeing who could get the biggest explosions.

Don't know what a gasoline torch is but sounds scary.

look here. Zangobob's Blowtorch Heaven - The Horror Stories of Torching

 

[mike69440]

That sounds awful. Burns are the worst; so painful.

Actually I almost always start bonfires the same way you'd light a campfire, with no accelerants. But had to get rid of this bad gas.....

When STARTING the bonfire I toss a burning stick (a pine knob works pretty good) onto the edge and run. Using gas to "enhance" a fire is the most risky.

The yahoos who used to do yard work for me couldn't start or keep a fire going without gallons of gas before and during, and sometimes not even then..... then they'd get to whooping and hollering and seeing who could get the biggest explosions.

Don't know what a gasoline torch is but sounds scary.

Good story:
Years ago my friends neighbor whom I've met decides he is going to have a big bonfire for everyone in his neighbor, Kids, friends etc.

Typical suburban professional, had money lots of toys, did not seem like a yahoo.

He uses gas. Lots of gas, I guess.

Vapors build up and the whole thing explodes. He get tossed into a tree, Broke wrist and leg.
In the hospital, all busted & burned up, he had to endure the wrath of his wife for putting everyone in such danger, especially children.
Plus:
The lawsuit could have destroyed them.
Yeah stupid me I've used gas too, even after hearing about the above, with a lot of respect. I use diesel, and old tires on pallets, scrap wood mostly to get a burn pile going.
Once the stumps start to burn, they go for days.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Week 6 (con't): My brother gets religion

So today he wanted to continue grading on the road where he almost tipped yesterday. I was watching from afar and I have to say he apparently "got religion" after that scare. He was going way slower and constantly keeping both FEL and BB as low as possible without me nagging him. He also decided on his own to stop doing the 14-point turnaround in the middle of the downhill. "Turning around there is just too risky. Besides, it's just as quick to go all the way to the bottom and turn around," he said. True.

I feel a lot better about him operating the tractor now.

 

[jeff9366]

I discovered I couldn't raise the blade high enough when tilted to get more than an inch of clearance when traveling. Turns out the arms that come down to support the lower links have two holes, and it was set in the lower ones. So pulled the pins out and used the higher holes, gaining me almost 2" in height. Also, finally worked the adjustable side-link loose, greased it up, and now it works like a charm.

The arms are Lifting Rods, with screw adjustment on the right. The pin holes are in the Lifting Rod stirrups.

You can use the upper hole on the right side and lower hole on left side to put "some" tilt in your blade without stressing Lifting Rod adjustment thread. Heavier tractors have four, possibly five Lifting Rod stirrup holes.

If you acquire a one row garden cultivator or a tool bar implement the Three Point Hitch usually needs to be in the Lifting Rod stirrup lower holes in order to get satisfactory ground penetration. The upper holes are the "normal" pin setting on compact tractors.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

The arms are Lifting Rods, with screw adjustment on the right. The pin holes are in the Lifting Rod stirrups.

You can use the upper hole on the right side and lower hole on left side to put "some" tilt in your blade without stressing Lifting Rod adjustment thread. Heavier tractors have four, possibly five Lifting Rod stirrup holes.

If you acquire a one row garden cultivator or a tool bar implement the Three Point Hitch usually needs to be in the Lifting Rod stirrup lower holes in order to get satisfactory ground penetration. The upper holes are the "normal" pin setting on compact tractors.

Thank you for giving me the proper names. What a great idea, if I need just a little tilt, to put one side in the higher stirrup hole; way less work than adjusting the side link screw. That would be a small tilt but might come in handy. Interesting to know the upper holes are the normal setting, as mine were in the lower holes. I find I generally need more ground clearance with my implements (partly due to the uneven ground) but I can see if you're pulling plowing-type implements the lowers would be better.

 

[ZTMAN]

Nice thread. Did you consider any other brands before going with the Max26xl???

Going through the research process now to get our first "big" tractor, but out of the gate I felt that the Max was a great choice.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Nice thread. Did you consider any other brands before going with the Max26xl???

Going through the research process now to get our first "big" tractor, but out of the gate I felt that the Max was a great choice.

Glad you found my thread of interest. I really hoped other tractor newbies would appreciate an honest account of first-time tractor ownership.

I did look at other brands (my first thread was Using a Tractor on Mountain Property and I considered a lot of options there). I had zero brand loyalty going in.

Since I do live in the mountains, the ability to safely operate on steeper slopes was probably my first priority, and Mahindra was one of the tractors that is inherently a tad better at that IMO (more built-in weight, wider stance, larger tires, etc). I also am not mechanical, so needed a good dealer nearby, and preferred a relatively simple tractor with fewer electronic doo-dads, without DPR or other regen stuff I had to worry about. Didn't need or want to pay for some of the fancier options and refinements available on other brands. All of this made the Max a good fit for me. Someone with different priorities and needs will prefer a different brand.

People will argue their tractor is just fine on slopes (maybe, but have you seen mine?); that the electronic doo-dads are reliable and well worth the cost (but I like that I can understand everything I'm looking at. I can look under the tractor and in two seconds understand how things work). Yes, a Kubota FEL has a cushion valve that makes operation smoother (but with a little practice, mine is smooth enough for me). They will say DPR really isn't a big deal (but for me it was just "one more thing" I had to deal with in a process that was already overwhelming). And the price was fantastic. In short, I wanted what I wanted, and I got a tractor that suits my particular needs and preferences. Yes, there are objective differences between the tractors but in the end, the choice is subjective. So define your priorities, listen to advice (but beware of brand loyalties--and prejudices), and choose what suits YOU.

It's been a fun process, and having a tractor has been life-changing. If you're a "do-er" like me, you can do SO MUCH MORE (with so much less backache). Couple months in, I wouldn't change a thing.

Welcome to TBN, and good luck!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

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.

 

[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.