Mahindra: Nothing but problems

[bindian]

I hear what you are saying. The quality, design, and functionality just don't seem to be there. I have had my 5035 for 2 years now, and its always something which is failing. The latest is brake lights which either work or don't, tach not showing true engine speed. Glow plug doesn't come on unless the switch is jiggled and now on my second replacement. Waiting for dealer to let me know when they are floating it up for repairs on PST frozen cable. Told the dealer that I don't want the bloody thing back til its fixed right. Also told them if it continues to perform poorly it will be traded in on Kubota since they won't buy it back at wholesale price. At least my Kubota dealer does not charge me to float the tractor in for service when its under warranty, Mahindra does. I told the dealer I am not paying to float it up everytime something is wrong. At least they are not charging to float it up to fix the PST and ignition again. Can't really blame the dealer but blame Mahindra.

Does Mahindra actually know what quality control is? It sure does not look that way to me dmize. I appreciate the frankness in telling it like it is.

I take it float means haul it back to the dealer? Are you ranting about your 5035's problems, or the fact your Mahindra dealer charges for pick up and deliveries? Somebody will get a fine tractor "when" you trade it off. Bring it down to Texas......................it will resale fast.
hugs, Brandi

 

[RaymondEdward]

I take it float means haul it back to the dealer? Are you ranting about your 5035's problems, or the fact your Mahindra dealer charges for pick up and deliveries? Somebody will get a fine tractor "when" you trade it off. Bring it down to Texas......................it will resale fast.
hugs, Brandi

Hi Brandi,

Yes floating using a flat bed trailer. The Warranty states right in the details that customer is responsible for transporting the tractor back to dealer from what I remember of the disclaimer section of warranty the power shift is under the 1 year warranty, and since the first year anniversary has come and gone, well... I had to pay for the first transport to dealer, but like I said since the problem was not resolved, the dealer is paying this time, which I would expect him to do.

Maybe the weather in Texas is much less harmful to tractors, up here we have another bad winter and this particular tractor has sat 99.9 percent of the time in the barn. I have to put a kerosene forced air heater under the tractor for 20 minutes to warm the PST cable sufficiently to thaw it out.

Btw it has 363 hours on it.

Aren't you glad you asked?

Thanks

 

[DavesTractor]

Regarding "floating", we have had a thread in the past trying to figure out how customers prefer dealers to handle this. A dealer does not get reimbursed for this on warranty. Some customers haul their own rigs. But if not, the dealer can either charge the customer up front by inflating the tractor price and offering it as an included "free" service, or he can charge for each time it is needed. Rest assured that any dealer of any brand that does it for "free" doesn't really do it for free. It gets complicated!

Some dealers offer "free" loaners when a tractor is down. I think that is a very cool deal, but again, someone pays for it. In a perfect world if you could sell tractors at full MSRP, a dealer could probably haul for warranty issues for free and provide a loaner. But at the typically slim margins that customers prefer, you can't.

But I digress, and we should not sidetrack this thread too much.

 

[bindian]

Hi Brandi,

Yes floating using a flat bed trailer. The Warranty states right in the details that customer is responsible for transporting the tractor back to dealer from what I remember of the disclaimer section of warranty the power shift is under the 1 year warranty, and since the first year anniversary has come and gone, well... I had to pay for the first transport to dealer, but like I said since the problem was not resolved, the dealer is paying this time, which I would expect him to do.

Maybe the weather in Texas is much less harmful to tractors, up here we have another bad winter and this particular tractor has sat 99.9 percent of the time in the barn. I have to put a kerosene forced air heater under the tractor for 20 minutes to warm the PST cable sufficiently to thaw it out.

Btw it has 363 hours on it.

Aren't you glad you asked?

Thanks

Is your barn heated? How come Y'all don't have heat strips to wrap around the PST cable? Up in Alaska in the winter, it's normal to drive to the grocery store and plug your vehicle into an electrical outlet to keep it warm. I learned this while working TDY in Fairbanks in December of 1982. Either we plugged them in or we left them idling.
Could you trade it for a tractor with out a PST cable? I can't see what the weather does is a Mahindra problem? Are you blaming Mahindra because other brand's PST cables don't freeze? Can you change the lubricant in the cable? Our ground shift cables on our Boeing 737s have grease fittings on them. From time to time, we have to remove them for inspection. Does you cable have a flat spot wore in it where the cable housing can trap excess lubricant that binds up when cold?
Yes, I am glad I asked.:laughing::laughing::laughing:
hugs, Brandi

 

[RockyNY]

I've had a 4035 PST since 2011 (only put 250 hours on during that time period). My experience has been mostly positive, I've had some issues but they've been mostly minor. Its been back to the dealer once, for leaking fuel lines and a leaking hydraulic hose soon after I bought it. The dealer replaced all the fuel lines and fixed the hydraulic line. Last year I replaced another fuel line that developed a leak and a blown power steering line. But those issues could have happened to any brand, and I regard them as very minor. I do have an issue with the brake symbol staying lit even when the brake is off. I haven't looked into it yet but I'm sure its just a minor switch problem. I had the frozen PST cable problem too, but fixed it myself by disconnecting it at the transmission, holding that end as close to the ground as possible and running a heat gun on Low over the last 2 feet of the cable. A bunch of water dripped out and its worked fine since. Maybe a bit of a design flaw, but not a huge deal. The flip side is that it's an incredibly stout and capable tractor, will lift like there's no tomorrow and I have never had a lick of trouble getting it running even in minus 0 temps. I do have a coolant heater installed on the radiator hose, this helps to minimize warmup time but is unnecessary as a starting aid. All in all I'd have no hesitation to recommend Mahindra to somebody.

 

[bindian]

I've had a 4035 PST since 2011 (only put 250 hours on during that time period). My experience has been mostly positive, I've had some issues but they've been mostly minor. Its been back to the dealer once, for leaking fuel lines and a leaking hydraulic hose soon after I bought it. The dealer replaced all the fuel lines and fixed the hydraulic line. Last year I replaced another fuel line that developed a leak and a blown power steering line. But those issues could have happened to any brand, and I regard them as very minor. I do have an issue with the brake symbol staying lit even when the brake is off. I haven't looked into it yet but I'm sure its just a minor switch problem. I had the frozen PST cable problem too, but fixed it myself by disconnecting it at the transmission, holding that end as close to the ground as possible and running a heat gun on Low over the last 2 feet of the cable. A bunch of water dripped out and its worked fine since. Maybe a bit of a design flaw, but not a huge deal. The flip side is that it's an incredibly stout and capable tractor, will lift like there's no tomorrow and I have never had a lick of trouble getting it running even in minus 0 temps. I do have a coolant heater installed on the radiator hose, this helps to minimize warmup time but is unnecessary as a starting aid. All in all I'd have no hesitation to recommend Mahindra to somebody.

Sounds like the cable housing need moisture displacing lubricants in them.
hugs, Brandi

 

[DavesTractor]

I'm a dealer and a huge Mahindra fan, but Mahindra deserves to get beat up a little about the fuel hose issue on these models. They were a problem, and I think it should have been addressed much more quickly. While MUSA was trying to figure out a solution (which wasn't rocket science), we just replaced every fuel hose on every 35 series we retailed before they ever left the lot. But before we learned that, we had several that would come in for a leak, we fixed that hose and a few weeks later another hose leaked, etc. And the leak would cause hard starting as they were on the suction side and allowed air to enter the fuel system. So for $50 worth of hose, we and our customers both had grief.

It's the little things that can sometimes cause disappointment and once you start down that path you become hyper critical and every little thing becomes an issue. Consequently if you love the machine and it has treated you well, little issues are just minor blips, routine stuff and not disappointments.

On a positive note, they did come up with all new hose material a while back, and we have seen zero leaks right from the factory. These are now good hoses. And if you have the old hoses which are cloth braided lines with banjo fittings at each end, you can easily replace these hoses yourself without needing OEM parts. Under the crimps are nice brass barbs. Remove the hose, remove the crimp (I grind the crimp off in one area and peel it off with a pair of pliers) and replace with good fuel hose and a clamp. Then you no longer need special OEM hoses.

I will say the 35 series are beasts. Not much out there will do the same amount of work. Fix the little details and enjoy a super capable machine.

 

[dfkrug]

I will say the 35 series are beasts. Not much out there will do the same amount of work. Fix the little details and enjoy a
super capable machine.

Mahindra is fortunate to have someone like you in CA to sweat the details on supporting these tractors, Dave. I
am surprised that I do not see more used ones for sale in and around the Bay Area where I am.

I just heard at the World Ag Expo last week that you are adding TYM to your MUSA and Branson brands. Kioti
should be so fortunate.

 

[DavesTractor]

Mahindra is fortunate to have someone like you in CA to sweat the details on supporting these tractors, Dave. I
am surprised that I do not see more used ones for sale in and around the Bay Area where I am.

I just heard at the World Ag Expo last week that you are adding TYM to your MUSA and Branson brands. Kioti
should be so fortunate.

Thanks for the kind words, but the rumor mill is not accurate in this situation. As to us taking on TYM, that is news to us! We visited every color of tractor at the ag show and due to our market share and our success we often have brands approach us about taking on their line. This is common to many dealers. We listen to them politely and we always consider future strategy, but at this point we are primarily a Mahindra dealer, secondarily a Branson dealer and as of yesterday we are a dealer for Deutz-Fahr. We are not a dealer of any other brand, including TYM. Mahindra has been great to us and for us.

Deutz-Fahr? Yes, we need a top quality orchard specific specialty tractor. Mahindra has considered building one, but the volumes are just too low and the requirements too demanding for the few sales that this market provides. We have modified Mahindra tractors with low exhaust and smaller tires, but a platform tractor (as opposed to a straddle tractor) is just going to be tall. We need low-pro and a ton of HP in a small package. DF builds tractors specifically for this task. We are surrounded by orchards and we own an orchard.

 

[BlackOps]

Dave is a great guy - he and his staff have helped me out and answered a few questions as a neophyte Mahindra owner. And i live in TN. That is Quality!