Mahindra Quality

[drajj5]

Please don't make it seem like Mahindra quality is what you are referring to. Their quality is as good as anyone's.

I agree that were are living in a world where quality is not what it used to be. But based on today's manufacturer's definitions, Mahindra is as good or better than the rest.

Sorry about that, I should have phrased that differently.

The thread posted was - "Mahindra Quality"? I think it should have read "Tractor Quality"? Guess I read into the title more than I should have.

I agree wholeheartedly with you pilgrim

 

[mike69440]

Mike

I like the way you speak, to the point and detailed. I do think that everyone should get a (parts manual) thrown in as a parting gift when you purchase a tractor. I did foot the cash and got me one of those service manuals, good info when repairs are needed- paperback and not PDF. I guess the PDF is only read accessible to dealer log in.

Pulled out the book to see how the case looked internally, The main body is cross-braced and looks quite strong. LH and RH differential covers are ribbed on the inside ( I am guessing that on the Deer it is ribbed on the outside ) but look stout as well.

Brian is right, "I fall into the category of customer who will never carry mine back to the dealer" - unless something catastrophic happens. Dealer support for me is unimportant as I will keep this tractor forever. I know that 30 years from now parts will be hard to find, (Few) dealers stock parts that old anyway.

To the OP

Mahindra Quality? I hate to say it but Quality seems to be a thing of the past. Maybe I am wrong but nothing is made from materials that will last anymore.

For instance, look at any 20's to 50's era tractor - all steel/no plastic/just a couple of wires to make it run. Now look at almost every new tractor - Plastic/Aluminum/ bundles of wire's feeding power to safety switches and relay's. Even electronically controlled engine management systems are slowly making there way inside a tractor that is used/stored in a unforgiving environment 'the outdoors'.

To me tractors now has a shelf life, for some it will last decades, for others they will forever trade- for the latest and greatest. Regardless no Manufacturer want's them to last as long they used too.

No frills simple tractor are scorned for not having a cup holder or a tool box, I will sacrifice those luxuries for dependability. I purchased a Max as well - Mahindra dealers may fluctuate in area's, but I think that they are here to stay. Yep I feel confident that like other BIG brands 50 years from now Mahindra will be as common as them.... Knock on wood!!!

In a lot of ways, they don't build them like the used to. but we are lucky in a lot of way we don't.
I say this we as I've been a mechanical engineer for over 30 years. I have a highly sensitive internal BS meter.

A little crap is ok, it makes life interesting and it makes the grass grow green. I’ve know to spread some myself. (We have a spreader, actually)

Quality, as defined by manufacturing the desired end product that meets specification every time, has drastically gone up, especially electromechanical components, almost to the point where quality is keeping up with complexity.

The tools to design and the art of design have advanced. Today technology allows some real incredible things to be done. I do ask myself, is this necessary on a small tractor?

Cost reduction keeps allowing us to get more for less.

But guys like you and me notice the little things of cost cutting, penny wise pound foolish decisions that bring a product down.

For example, the Max 28 cost about me 70% of what a similar size/spec Kubota would have cost.
Value wise, I did very well. But if another $1,000 of well spent quality and features were added to the Max28, so that it will last +30 years, I’d be a happier camper and pay the additional slight difference.

But marketing has to sell to a price point, so business wise, even if Mahindra were making the same profit selling a slightly more expensive tractor, with higher hidden quality, total unit sales might sink, killing profits. It is a fight between the builders/designers and those who control the finances to find the right balance. Problem with financial people is, long term for them often is quarter to quarter, so a lot of short term decisions have higher long term costs than what makes sense.

 

[GreenCamo]

As an example, some smaller Deere's don't have a straight-thru rear axle, each stub axle is supported by an aluminum cased gearbox and the lower pivot of the 3-point hitch arms are mounted to an aluminum flange - they crack and break. One would ask, what the H --- were they thinking? These smaller Deeres were made in India.

There are no "small" Deere machines made in India - the lower HP 5E series would be the "smallest" and they are full size Utility Tractors.

 

[alafarm]

I agree 100% with you Mike69440. I was in auto manufacturing for 30 years and was always amazed when they would use a material that was 2 cents less cost that made an inferior product! I once bought a travel trailer that had screws with a painted head on them. about 5 years into the travel trailers life it had rust marks all down the side from rusted screws, and this travel trailer was kept inside. I purchased stainless screws and replaced all the screws on the entire outside of the trailer. For about 5 dollars on a $20,000 trailer they could have made a much better product! Being in manufacturing for my entire life, quality is always a good finacial decision! Always! Sometimes that means including the "unseen" quality in your promotion/advertising of your product. The auto industry saw what slacking on quailiy will do back in the 70's and 80's when they were building junk and almost sunk the US auto industry. It took 2 decades to turn that around.

 

[GreenCamo]

Mahindra sells more tractors than any other mfg in the world. They are number 3 in the US.

How did they do that if they're just cheap knock offs of other other brands?

They're huge for a reason,

Where should I start?

First of all, please give me your definition of a "tractor". 30 to 50 HP CUT? 50 to 100 HP Utility? 200 HP + 4WD? All of them? How about a 2WD, Air-Cooled Single Cylinder 25hp with an 8/2 gear transmission? Is that a "tractor" to most of us?

Mahindra sells literally thousands of these two tractor lines, mostly in India and China:
We designed the Yuvraj 215 for small farm operations. With one cylinder and 15 HP, the Yuvraj 215 is compact and easy to operate. We built it for long life and low maintenance, durability and dependability. It offers the first water-cooled single cylinder engine in the 15 HP segment, and its side shift gear is easy and comfortable to use.
Exceptional reliability and value for money make the Bhoomiputra our best-selling tractor, accounting for almost 60 percent of all tractor sales. It brings you robust style, strength, better pick-up, and high fuel efficiencyé*�nd itç—´ easy to operate. Highly dependable and low maintenance, the Bhoomiputra will transform your farmç—´ productivity for years to come.
These are extremely inexpensive tractors that are sold in astounding volume - just not in our areas. The Compact Utility Tractor market here in the US averages approximately 125,000 tractors per year. Mahindra sells that amount of the above two tractor lines in approximately 3 years, world-wide.

Kubota has held at least a 50% market share for CUTs in NA for quite some time, while Deere has hovered between 25% to 30% - so let's say 90,000 CUTs between the two - Mahindra in 3rd place really is not that big of a deal then, considering all the other manufacturers selling CUTs - if they are indeed in 3rd place. I personally believe they are in 4th, behind Case/New Holland.

Yes, Mahindra is HUGE, and not just in tractors. But notice how they specifically state they are the largest "in volume" - which well over 1/2 are low cost basic tractors - not that there is anything wrong with that. If we took tractor manufacturers and listed them as largest in monetary sales, they wouldn't even be close to #1. What they state is a great marketing tool and is a true fact, just maybe not the whole story.

While I will not say at all that they are "cheap knock offs of other brands" the truth of the matter is that for our market, Mahindra does not produce anything under around 100hp - they are all manufactured by other companies and branded with the Mahindra name. Just as Massey does with Iseki, Deere does with Yanmar, etc. While I am not a fan of big orange, of all the CUT manufacturers Kubota by far makes the most of each of their products in house.

So yes, Mahindra is huge for a reason, just maybe not the reason you thought.

 

[RockyNY]

Where should I start?

First of all, please give me your definition of a "tractor". 30 to 50 HP CUT? 50 to 100 HP Utility? 200 HP + 4WD? All of them? How about a 2WD, Air-Cooled Single Cylinder 25hp with an 8/2 gear transmission? Is that a "tractor" to most of us?

Mahindra sells literally thousands of these two tractor lines, mostly in India and China:
We designed the Yuvraj 215 for small farm operations. With one cylinder and 15 HP, the Yuvraj 215 is compact and easy to operate. We built it for long life and low maintenance, durability and dependability. It offers the first water-cooled single cylinder engine in the 15 HP segment, and its side shift gear is easy and comfortable to use.
Exceptional reliability and value for money make the Bhoomiputra our best-selling tractor, accounting for almost 60 percent of all tractor sales. It brings you robust style, strength, better pick-up, and high fuel efficiencyé*�nd itç—´ easy to operate. Highly dependable and low maintenance, the Bhoomiputra will transform your farmç—´ productivity for years to come.
These are extremely inexpensive tractors that are sold in astounding volume - just not in our areas. The Compact Utility Tractor market here in the US averages approximately 125,000 tractors per year. Mahindra sells that amount of the above two tractor lines in approximately 3 years, world-wide.

Kubota has held at least a 50% market share for CUTs in NA for quite some time, while Deere has hovered between 25% to 30% - so let's say 90,000 CUTs between the two - Mahindra in 3rd place really is not that big of a deal then, considering all the other manufacturers selling CUTs - if they are indeed in 3rd place. I personally believe they are in 4th, behind Case/New Holland.

Yes, Mahindra is HUGE, and not just in tractors. But notice how they specifically state they are the largest "in volume" - which well over 1/2 are low cost basic tractors - not that there is anything wrong with that. If we took tractor manufacturers and listed them as largest in monetary sales, they wouldn't even be close to #1. What they state is a great marketing tool and is a true fact, just maybe not the whole story.

While I will not say at all that they are "cheap knock offs of other brands" the truth of the matter is that for our market, Mahindra does not produce anything under around 100hp - they are all manufactured by other companies and branded with the Mahindra name. Just as Massey does with Iseki, Deere does with Yanmar, etc. While I am not a fan of big orange, of all the CUT manufacturers Kubota by far makes the most of each of their products in house.

So yes, Mahindra is huge for a reason, just maybe not the reason you thought.

Some good points there, good explanation on why Mahindra is #1 worldwide. A 25hp riding mower could be considered a tractor by many, I'll bet MTD or Husqvarna OPE division (formerly Electrolux) is actually the "largest tractor manufacturer by volume"
However your statement that Mahindra does not produce anything under 100hp for NA is incorrect, for example my 4035 is mahindra designed and built as are various other models in their lineup.

 

[GreenCamo]

I apologize as you are 100% correct. Your 35 Series is indeed an Mahindra tractor produced in India with a Mahindra engine. I learn something new every day!

 

[fieldman12]

Very interesting post. I thought this was most likely how Mahindra was claiming number one. I'm not trying to take any fame from them. I like that they weigh more than most models out there.Obviously they will have a global presence for a very very long time. I would not mind testing out one. I will say though that just because a manufacture sales stuff over here does not always mean they will stay.Take for example when Deutz bought Allis Chalmers. We had a very good Deutz Allis dealer in our area He converted a lot of green and red guys to the lime green. At the time Deutz was offering 5 year or 5,000 warranties and for the time that was unheard of by any other brand out there. Then the company AGCO was formed and Deutz bailed out and went back to Germany and left a lot of customers high and dry. I am not saying this will happen to Mahindra I am just saying that any more recent tractor company that comes over here such as LS, Mahindra, Tye,Branson etc. may or may not stay. I think to an extent people have to take this into consideration when buying any of these brands because it is always possible down the road dealer support may not be around, resale may be a big issue and so on. I think we can all agree that Kubota has proven that it is here to stay in the USA. As others have stated all brands out including Deere and Kubota have really gotten cheap on quality. I look at our old MF 165, and John Deere 2155 and can tell a huge difference in quality compared to todays tractors. I wish these tractors where back. People act like we could not afford them if they where made that way today but how did we afford them then? People have always wanted more for less and companies have always wanted to make the most profit possible while offering a product people wanted as cheap as possible. There are other ways of cutting cost beside putting a cheap product on it such as a plastic fender for example. I know obviously the better it is built the less parts they sell but in my opinion the quality product is what keeps customers coming back for say another tractor or combine. This is why you have seen for years such a following for Deere and IH farm machinery. I am starting to see customers that where loyal to one brand say for thirty years are starting to switch to other brands in hopes of getting back to that level of quality they where once use to.

Where should I start?

First of all, please give me your definition of a "tractor". 30 to 50 HP CUT? 50 to 100 HP Utility? 200 HP + 4WD? All of them? How about a 2WD, Air-Cooled Single Cylinder 25hp with an 8/2 gear transmission? Is that a "tractor" to most of us?

Mahindra sells literally thousands of these two tractor lines, mostly in India and China:
We designed the Yuvraj 215 for small farm operations. With one cylinder and 15 HP, the Yuvraj 215 is compact and easy to operate. We built it for long life and low maintenance, durability and dependability. It offers the first water-cooled single cylinder engine in the 15 HP segment, and its side shift gear is easy and comfortable to use.
Exceptional reliability and value for money make the Bhoomiputra our best-selling tractor, accounting for almost 60 percent of all tractor sales. It brings you robust style, strength, better pick-up, and high fuel efficiencyé*�nd itç—´ easy to operate. Highly dependable and low maintenance, the Bhoomiputra will transform your farmç—´ productivity for years to come.
These are extremely inexpensive tractors that are sold in astounding volume - just not in our areas. The Compact Utility Tractor market here in the US averages approximately 125,000 tractors per year. Mahindra sells that amount of the above two tractor lines in approximately 3 years, world-wide.

Kubota has held at least a 50% market share for CUTs in NA for quite some time, while Deere has hovered between 25% to 30% - so let's say 90,000 CUTs between the two - Mahindra in 3rd place really is not that big of a deal then, considering all the other manufacturers selling CUTs - if they are indeed in 3rd place. I personally believe they are in 4th, behind Case/New Holland.

Yes, Mahindra is HUGE, and not just in tractors. But notice how they specifically state they are the largest "in volume" - which well over 1/2 are low cost basic tractors - not that there is anything wrong with that. If we took tractor manufacturers and listed them as largest in monetary sales, they wouldn't even be close to #1. What they state is a great marketing tool and is a true fact, just maybe not the whole story.

While I will not say at all that they are "cheap knock offs of other brands" the truth of the matter is that for our market, Mahindra does not produce anything under around 100hp - they are all manufactured by other companies and branded with the Mahindra name. Just as Massey does with Iseki, Deere does with Yanmar, etc. While I am not a fan of big orange, of all the CUT manufacturers Kubota by far makes the most of each of their products in house.

So yes, Mahindra is huge for a reason, just maybe not the reason you thought.

 

[ZR900MAN]

I have no personal experience with Mahindra, however when I was in the market for a new compact tractor about six years ago I did consider one. I went with a Deere 2305 in part because the Mahindra dealer tried to get me to move to his other brand, "Cub Cadet". He is a good long term dealer and advised me he was not enthusiastic about Mahindra....he no longer carries them. We have had 3 different dealers try them here....for some reason no one carries them for long. One thing I took into consideration was trade in value....no doubt i could trade my Deere 2305 with ease...not sure about any off brand...long way of saying stick with proven brands like Deere...Kubota....New Holland....

 

[ZR900MAN]

Where should I start?

First of all, please give me your definition of a "tractor". 30 to 50 HP CUT? 50 to 100 HP Utility? 200 HP + 4WD? All of them? How about a 2WD, Air-Cooled Single Cylinder 25hp with an 8/2 gear transmission? Is that a "tractor" to most of us?

Mahindra sells literally thousands of these two tractor lines, mostly in India and China:
We designed the Yuvraj 215 for small farm operations. With one cylinder and 15 HP, the Yuvraj 215 is compact and easy to operate. We built it for long life and low maintenance, durability and dependability. It offers the first water-cooled single cylinder engine in the 15 HP segment, and its side shift gear is easy and comfortable to use.
Exceptional reliability and value for money make the Bhoomiputra our best-selling tractor, accounting for almost 60 percent of all tractor sales. It brings you robust style, strength, better pick-up, and high fuel efficiencyé*�nd itç—´ easy to operate. Highly dependable and low maintenance, the Bhoomiputra will transform your farmç—´ productivity for years to come.
These are extremely inexpensive tractors that are sold in astounding volume - just not in our areas. The Compact Utility Tractor market here in the US averages approximately 125,000 tractors per year. Mahindra sells that amount of the above two tractor lines in approximately 3 years, world-wide.

Kubota has held at least a 50% market share for CUTs in NA for quite some time, while Deere has hovered between 25% to 30% - so let's say 90,000 CUTs between the two - Mahindra in 3rd place really is not that big of a deal then, considering all the other manufacturers selling CUTs - if they are indeed in 3rd place. I personally believe they are in 4th, behind Case/New Holland.

Yes, Mahindra is HUGE, and not just in tractors. But notice how they specifically state they are the largest "in volume" - which well over 1/2 are low cost basic tractors - not that there is anything wrong with that. If we took tractor manufacturers and listed them as largest in monetary sales, they wouldn't even be close to #1. What they state is a great marketing tool and is a true fact, just maybe not the whole story.

While I will not say at all that they are "cheap knock offs of other brands" the truth of the matter is that for our market, Mahindra does not produce anything under around 100hp - they are all manufactured by other companies and branded with the Mahindra name. Just as Massey does with Iseki, Deere does with Yanmar, etc. While I am not a fan of big orange, of all the CUT manufacturers Kubota by far makes the most of each of their products in house.

So yes, Mahindra is huge for a reason, just maybe not the reason you thought.

Well thought out post. I figured the #1 boast had to have a little twist to it....just did not care much....that makes sense that they sell a cheap throw away garden tractor size toy for peasant farmers in 3 world countries and compare that to Deere or New Holland selling $300,000 units.