Mahindra Tractors-Should You Buy One?

[timbatrader]

Yanmar 1912.

Yanmar have been making tractors since 1912 but there first 4x4 tractor was in 1974

Half a Century of Yanmar’s Iconic Red Tractor A Photographic Journey Back Through Time｜Y media｜ヤンマー

Half a Century of Yanmar's Iconic Red Tractor A Photographic Journey Back Through Time

www.yanmar.com

 

[M59]

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

Correct, not comparing a M59 to Max 24. Comparing the build quality of Kubota brand to Mahindra brand based upon experience with M59 and Max 24.

Ledgemere Farm has valuable input on his Max 26 using steel lines. Either Mahindra has improved their build quality and choice of materials across their product line OR the the more you spend or the higher the horsepower the better the build quality. At the time I bought the Max 24 TLB the Max 26 was not available. Something to do with pre tier 4 and change over to tier 4 compliant machines.

Thanks to Ledgemere Farm for your input.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

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.

The Mahindra MAX series tractor is designed and built in Japan by Mitsubishi, it is a quality unit for the price point, as are most compact tractors. It is rebranded and sold as a Mahindra.
The loader and the backhoe are designed and built in the USA (in Kansas) and added to the tractor at one of Mahindras US build centers.
My loader has steel hydraulic tubing on it as well as hoses to flex to the tubing connections.

If you reduce the number of connections you reduce the failure points, you don't get it both ways on smaller equipment in general.

 

[cbg8670]

Iv had no problems nor complaints with my 7 year old max

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

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.

Just put several hundred hours on a 50,000 lb Volvo rental. When I compare the Volvo EC160E with better than 24,000 lbs of break out force to my MAX 24, well the Max 24 falls short in every category but one.

Maneuverability in tight places, Thats why I bought it.
Similiar apples to oranges comparison between an M59 and MAX24.

Wanted to purchase a Massey GC2410, but the local dealer would not honor the quote I was given the day before. Drove down the road and paid a little more for the MAX. Been happy with the purchase.
Yes, I would buy another Mahindra.
But I would only purchase one made in South Korea or Japan.

 

[Deleted member 371759]

Just put several hundred hours on a 50,000 lb Volvo rental. When I compare the Volvo EC160E with better than 24,000 lbs of break out force to my MAX 24, well the Max 24 falls short in every category but one.

Maneuverability in tight places, Thats why I bought it.
Similiar apples to oranges comparison between an M59 and MAX24.

Wanted to purchase a Massey GC2410, but the local dealer would not honor the quote I was given the day before. Drove down the road and paid a little more for the MAX. Been happy with the purchase.
Yes, I would buy another Mahindra.
But I would only purchase one made in South Korea or Japan.

I would not shy away from an India built model. The 4540/50 are pretty beefy. The IH heritage is obvious.

 

[bmaverick]

Yanmar have been making tractors since 1912 but there first 4x4 tractor was in 1974

Half a Century of Yanmar’s Iconic Red Tractor A Photographic Journey Back Through Time｜Y media｜ヤンマー

Half a Century of Yanmar's Iconic Red Tractor A Photographic Journey Back Through Time

www.yanmar.com

And before the tractor, they had other machines too.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I would not shy away from an India built model. The 4540/50 are pretty beefy. The IH heritage is obvious.

Good information, did not know they built tractors for IH.

 

[5030]

And before the tractor, they had other machines too.

So did Kubota. They made weaving looms ( and they still might for all I know).

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Good information, did not know they built tractors for IH.

That was a LONG time ago, like the IH B275 and it was a terd!!

SR