Mahindra Tractors-Should You Buy One?

[Deleted member 371759]

Our requirements were
Over 30 horse
Non Hydrostatic, gear trans
4x4
Capable FEL
Skid steer front
Heavy as possible
Added bonus was non DEF, DPF. We looked at Kubota and I don't feel like we sacrificed much if anything. Very hard to find a tractor snob around here, we all use what what works. From our daily driver cars and chainsaws to our tractors. My wood stove does not burn wood any better when its hauled in a $60k tractor bucket and bucked with a $1800 chainsaw. Our sheep have yet to refuse to eat hay hauled by our 4540.

 

[hornett22]

My 1626 shuttle is at 960 hours now. Still hasn't been back to dealer.

 

[mike69440]

Ledgemere Farm,

I own both a Mahindra Max 24 TLB and a Kubota M59 TLB. While there is huge difference in both price, weight, and horsepower when comparing the two tractors there are some general take-a ways.
First: Mahindra loves to use hydraulic hose everywhere while Kubota uses tubing where flex is not needed and hose where flex required ( backhoe and FEL joints ). I became aware of the use of hose everywhere when the Mahindra lost a huge amount of hydraulic fluid when I drove over a stick and it speared a hose underneath the tractor and hose tore open. Mahindra did not have any provisions for protecting the underside of the tractor from damage.

Mahindra uses poor quality hydraulic valves whereas Kubota valves appear to be higher quality. If I partially raise the Mahindra outrigger legs on the back hoe or curl the backhoe bucket up, after a few hours the legs will be on the ground and the hoe bucket will have uncurled to hang at lowest point. I have curled the Kubota backhoe bucket and come back a month later and it hasn't moved from where I left it.

Mahindra makes no attempt to protect the hydraulic hoses being routed to the various cylinders on the tractor while Kubota places metal shields or wire wraps over hoses and tubing runs out to hydraulics that could be exposed to damage. I had a hose ripped off an outrigger leg when a large stick became jammed between leg and hydraulic line and I was raising the leg.

The Mahindra's FEL has a significantly smaller curl range than the Kubota. The Kubota will curl in (curl towards the operator) much further than the Mahindra. Helps when transporting a heaped bucket so the load doesn't fall out of the bucket.

The Mitsubishi engine in the Mahindra seems solid so no complaints/ concerns there.

Based on my above 5 years experience with Mahindra Max 24 TLB, I would NOT buy another Mahindra tractor. I would absolutely buy another Kubota, based on my 8 year experience, because the Kubota engineering and build quality appears to be worth the additional expense, ability to do work, and peace of mind that I won't be damaging something while using tractor.

M59 is a fine tractor, but to replace it today would cost $75K or more.

 

[timbatrader]

Actually John Deere jumped ahead of the game and joined in with Yanmar. Yanmar shocked the world with the very first 4WD tractors ever. JD noticed this and quickly linked up. Then the next 45+ years, Yanmar made JD compact tractors in green paint all from Japan.

In New Zealand they were importing 4x4 tractors from Europe in the the 1950's so I think 4x4 tractors have been around longer than the tie up between JD and Yanmar

Coast & Country - Rare German tractors in Otorohanga collection

Rare German tractors in Otorohanga collection

coastandcountrynews.co.nz

 

[bmaverick]

In New Zealand they were importing 4x4 tractors from Europe in the the 1950's so I think 4x4 tractors have been around longer than the tie up between JD and Yanmar

Coast & Country - Rare German tractors in Otorohanga collection

Rare German tractors in Otorohanga collection

coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Yanmar 1912.

 

[M59]

M59 is a fine tractor, but to replace it today would cost $75K or more.

Mike69440,

Yes, the Kubota M59 is a real work horse with lots of room for expansion, implement wise, and is an overall very rugged machine. I looked into replacement cost to understand what my risk was if machine was stolen ( insurable amount) or severely damaged. M59 are only available used and at a premium and two months ago I priced a new M62 ( M59 replacement ) at dealer. No M62's available until 1 year after order placed and $95,000. OUCH!!

Based upon your response, it appears you may have misunderstood my previous scribe. I was not comparing the Kubota M59 TLB to the Mahindra Max 24 TLB. I indicated I own both and have used both for many years and was comparing the build quality of each brand based on my experience with the two machines. The Mahindra is clearly a very aggressively priced machine to gain market share and it shows in so many ways in its lesser build quality and choice of lower quality components and lesser protection for its components.

 

[daman1]

Ledgemere Farm,

I own both a Mahindra Max 24 TLB and a Kubota M59 TLB. While there is huge difference in both price, weight, and horsepower when comparing the two tractors there are some general take-a ways.
First: Mahindra loves to use hydraulic hose everywhere while Kubota uses tubing where flex is not needed and hose where flex required ( backhoe and FEL joints ). I became aware of the use of hose everywhere when the Mahindra lost a huge amount of hydraulic fluid when I drove over a stick and it speared a hose underneath the tractor and hose tore open. Mahindra did not have any provisions for protecting the underside of the tractor from damage.

Mahindra uses poor quality hydraulic valves whereas Kubota valves appear to be higher quality. If I partially raise the Mahindra outrigger legs on the back hoe or curl the backhoe bucket up, after a few hours the legs will be on the ground and the hoe bucket will have uncurled to hang at lowest point. I have curled the Kubota backhoe bucket and come back a month later and it hasn't moved from where I left it.

Mahindra makes no attempt to protect the hydraulic hoses being routed to the various cylinders on the tractor while Kubota places metal shields or wire wraps over hoses and tubing runs out to hydraulics that could be exposed to damage. I had a hose ripped off an outrigger leg when a large stick became jammed between leg and hydraulic line and I was raising the leg.

The Mahindra's FEL has a significantly smaller curl range than the Kubota. The Kubota will curl in (curl towards the operator) much further than the Mahindra. Helps when transporting a heaped bucket so the load doesn't fall out of the bucket.

The Mitsubishi engine in the Mahindra seems solid so no complaints/ concerns there.

Based on my above 5 years experience with Mahindra Max 24 TLB, I would NOT buy another Mahindra tractor. I would absolutely buy another Kubota, based on my 8 year experience, because the Kubota engineering and build quality appears to be worth the additional expense, ability to do work, and peace of mind that I won't be damaging something while using tractor.

I wouldn't touch one with a 10-ft pole for the above reasons and others, just a cheaply built tractor

 

[M59]

Many of the Mahindra's ARE made in S. Korea! (TYM)

SR

SR and Airbiscuit,

Based on my experience of currently owning both a Kubota and Mahindra, the issue is not where the machine is built, my issue and concerns with the Mahindra are based on where the Mahindra is designed ( likely India ) and more importantly for what market the Mahindra is targeting. The Max 24 TLB is very clearly designed to be extremely cost conscious so lots of components are inferior to the equivalent Kubota components. The most glaring example of Mahindra cost reduction is their love of hydraulic hose. Mahindra runs hydraulic hose everywhere which cuts cost by severely reducing the number of connectors. Kubota uses hydraulic tubing where ever there is no need for flex and tubing is less likely to be torn/ punctured during use and does not degrade due to light exposure, heat, etc. kubota uses hydraulic hose where ever flex is needed and this means Kubota has many more connections during transitions from tubing to hose and back again.

 

[Deleted member 371759]

SR and Airbiscuit,

Based on my experience of currently owning both a Kubota and Mahindra, the issue is not where the machine is built, my issue and concerns with the Mahindra are based on where the Mahindra is designed ( likely India ) and more importantly for what market the Mahindra is targeting. The Max 24 TLB is very clearly designed to be extremely cost conscious so lots of components are inferior to the equivalent Kubota components. The most glaring example of Mahindra cost reduction is their love of hydraulic hose. Mahindra runs hydraulic hose everywhere which cuts cost by severely reducing the number of connectors. Kubota uses hydraulic tubing where ever there is no need for flex and tubing is less likely to be torn/ punctured during use and does not degrade due to light exposure, heat, etc. kubota uses hydraulic hose where ever flex is needed and this means Kubota has many more connections during transitions from tubing to hose and back again.

You are not comparing a Mahindra Max 24 to a Kubota M59. Right?

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

SR and Airbiscuit,

Based on my experience of currently owning both a Kubota and Mahindra, the issue is not where the machine is built, my issue and concerns with the Mahindra are based on where the Mahindra is designed ( likely India ) and more importantly for what market the Mahindra is targeting. The Max 24 TLB is very clearly designed to be extremely cost conscious so lots of components are inferior to the equivalent Kubota components. The most glaring example of Mahindra cost reduction is their love of hydraulic hose. Mahindra runs hydraulic hose everywhere which cuts cost by severely reducing the number of connectors. Kubota uses hydraulic tubing where ever there is no need for flex and tubing is less likely to be torn/ punctured during use and does not degrade due to light exposure, heat, etc. kubota uses hydraulic hose where ever flex is needed and this means Kubota has many more connections during transitions from tubing to hose and back again.

My max 26 has steel hydraulic lines all over the loader