Backhoe New Mahindra owner with a backhoe question

[Naelr]

Hey everyone,

I have been doing lots of reading on this forum since buying my Mahindra Max 26XL a month ago. Good information.

Anyway, in Oct of 2015 the wife and I bought a home with 26 acres. Mostly wooded and we are heating the house with the firewood I now grow myself. This spring I needed to move some dirt and rented a Terramite T5. First time I have ever used one and I was amazed at how much work i was able to do in 10 hours and one weekend of work. Got me to thinking and started doing some research and finally bought my Mahindra with a FEL and Backhoe. I want it to do some general around the house maintenance perhaps in the future mow the lawn but really to get the wood from the hill to the house. I have the "thumb" attachment on the backhoe and it works well.

Now to my question... I feel this backhoe is weaker then the Terramite.. my Mahindra dealer keeps telling me I am crazy and what I am experiencing is a different hydraulic system. He said "you bought a tractor with an attachment, not a professional backhoe." I have watched my father-in-law use terramites for years and that make can make them dance. He picks up the backend with the backhoe and moves it all over the place never turning around in the seat he can move it for yards and keep digging. This mahindra will not even come close to picking up the back end.... I know my machine is close to 3000 lbs but it just seems weak compared to what I experienced with the T5. Does anyone have any experience with both of these machines and can give me some more insite? I love my tractor and still get alot of work done but I just feel the backhoe is weak and want to speak intelligently when/if I take it in and say fix it!

Thanks everyone.

Naelr

 

[Cramby]

I can't speak to the T5 but I have the same tractor and 26B backhoe. To me it is as powerful as I expected. Have dug many stumps, moved many rocks and landscape timbers with the thumb. I don't think I would want to use it to move or pick up back end of tractor. No problems so far with tractor or bh, 40hrs now.

 

[Naelr]

I can't speak to the T5 but I have the same tractor and 26B backhoe. To me it is as powerful as I expected. Have dug many stumps, moved many rocks and landscape timbers with the thumb. I don't think I would want to use it to move or pick up back end of tractor. No problems so far with tractor or bh, 40hrs now.

I don't know how to quantify this but I was digging up a small tree, maybe 2 x as big around as a baseball bat... and when I got into the main root the backhoe wouldn't do squat. it just grabbed it and whined... I had to turn the tractor around and push it over with the FEL. I only have 20 hours on it and mostly with the FEL I need to use the hoe more... it just seems compared to the T5, which has a much MUCH smaller motor on it and it a gas motor at that, that it is lacking something.

 

[Cramby]

i have not dug any trees that small, but i can tell you I have to dig on 3 sides before they come loose enough to grab with hoe and lift out. Some I had to use bucket to lift out. Do you think your bucket is lifting close to rated weight? I am pretty new to this tractor business, but from what I gleemed on this sight stumps can be one tough mutha.

 

[JerryK]

You can have a Pee Wee Herman tree with an Arnold Swatzenegger root system.... trees are like snow flakes. I tried pulling a little one out with a John Deere B once and it just laughed at me.

 

[Fosters69]

Hey Naerl,
Just about to sign papers on one. How do you like it? As others have mentioned, not much on the Internet on these. Other than the seat problem anything else I should know?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Naelr]

Hey Naerl,
Just about to sign papers on one. How do you like it? As others have mentioned, not much on the Internet on these. Other than the seat problem anything else I should know?

Thanks,
Dan

Hey Dan,

I really do like the tractor, like I said the power doesn't seem to be in the backhoe like I thought it might but the unit is 3000 lbs. It took some getting used to how the backhoe works but now I can make it sing. I have moved more dirt in the last 2 months then I have my entire 42 years on this planet hahaha. Just understand it is a tractor with an attachment not a professional backhoe. Which one are you buying if I might ask?

Naelr

EDIT: I see your getting the same 26XL... I would suggest you maybe ask your dealer to drive it around and dig some dirt with it to at least test drive... you test drove your last car purchase didn't you?

EDIT 2: I got the "thumb" attachment for my backhoe and would really suggest it if your going to move any trees. I cut firewood for the fireplace and picking up a log with the backhoe and then cutting with the chainsaw has saved my blade from dulling in the dirt.

 

[Fosters69]

26xl, with a backhoe, rear grade blade and snowblower, and quick attach bucket. Here in NH, the snowblower might be the most useful. I have never owned a tractor, so I have a long learning curve so any help would be greatly appreciated. This tractor seems to get pretty good marks from most.

Thanks for your help,
Dan

 

[Naelr]

26xl, with a backhoe, rear grade blade and snowblower, and quick attach bucket. Here in NH, the snowblower might be the most useful. I have never owned a tractor, so I have a long learning curve so any help would be greatly appreciated. This tractor seems to get pretty good marks from most.

Thanks for your help,
Dan

Wow yea I can imagine so you should know all about this place then... I need chains for mine as I have the industrial tires and assume come winter I will need chains.

www dot tirechain dot com

I can't post links yet 3 more posts.... geeze

 

[Fosters69]

Yup, got the thumb too. I am not really mechanical, so I am kind of worried if I can figure all of this out. I am not hopeless, just cautious. I am not sure why there is not much out here on this model. I research things to death and except for the wire/seat problems it gets pretty good marks.

Yup, stumps, hence the backhoe. Seems like a good value, though not that much cheaper. Any tips would be super appreciated.

Dan

 

[Naelr]

Yup, got the thumb too. I am not really mechanical, so I am kind of worried if I can figure all of this out. I am not hopeless, just cautious. I am not sure why there is not much out here on this model. I research things to death and except for the wire/seat problems it gets pretty good marks.

Yup, stumps, hence the backhoe. Seems like a good value, though not that much cheaper. Any tips would be super appreciated.

Dan

Well Dan, this is my first tractor as well... tips... one tip I took the backhoe off once to attach a post hole auger to the 3 point hitch... watch some youtube videos... taking it off was easy it took me 3 times as long to put it back on... and I missed 2 clips and got lucky that I didn't lose the pins they held in place. Watch the video over and over to get all the little pieces in your mind. Now I think I can do it just fine but there are a few different things back there that threw me for a loop putting it back together the first time so I could put the backhoe back on. I found lots of videos on youtube about removing the implements... ask your dealer to go through it with you. My dealer was awesome and took me out in a field and showed me what I was missing on the backhoe. Like I said now I can dig and make it look like I know what I am doing.. If I come up with anything new I will be sure to post it here for ya.

Naelr

 

[Cramby]

My 2 cents worth. I love my max 26xl. 45 hrs so far and not one problem. The seat does not seem to be a problem, I look at the wire every time I fire it up because I tilt the seat forward when done for the day. The only issue is when hooking up the backhoe, is the hyd. lines are pressured up from static sitting. I have to take a wood dowel, place it on the female side of hose fitting and hit it with a hammer. That releases the pressure and making the hose connection is much easier after that. Going to install LED work lights this weekend.

 

[k0ua]

Naelr. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have your relief pressure checked on your hydraulic system. It might be possible it is set a bit low. I am saying this in a general way, as I have no experience with your brand or specific model. If the relief pressure is set low then this would perhaps account for your perceived weakness of the backhoe. Perhaps others owners of your specific model could comment on whether or not the backhoe should pick up the rear end of the tractor.

I do know when I took delivery of a New Holland TC33d machine many years ago, the FEL would not lift the front end of the tractor off of the ground. I called the dealer back and had a tech come out and reset the relief pressure and the FEL would easily pick up the front end of the tractor after that.

 

[dickfoster]

My 2 cents worth. I love my max 26xl. 45 hrs so far and not one problem. The seat does not seem to be a problem, I look at the wire every time I fire it up because I tilt the seat forward when done for the day. The only issue is when hooking up the backhoe, is the hyd. lines are pressured up from static sitting. I have to take a wood dowel, place it on the female side of hose fitting and hit it with a hammer. That releases the pressure and making the hose connection is much easier after that. Going to install LED work lights this weekend.

When you shut it down you are supposed to move the controls to relieve any pressure. That way it shouldn't be so hard to reconnect unless there is a big temp difference from when you took it off. I also store the hoe with the stabilizers strapped together and with no gravitational forces applied to either the dipper, boom or curl cylinders. Either chain, strap or block them in place. Also when you go to hook it up, set the front bucket on the ground, shut the tractor down and move the loader control front, back and side to side to relieve any pressure in the system.

 

[Cramby]

When you shut it down you are supposed to move the controls to relieve any pressure. That way it shouldn't be so hard to reconnect unless there is a big temp difference from when you took it off. I also store the hoe with the stabilizers strapped together and with no gravitational forces applied to either the dipper, boom or curl cylinders. Either chain, strap or block them in place. Also when you go to hook it up, set the front bucket on the ground, shut the tractor down and move the loader control front, back and side to side to relieve any pressure in the system.

Dick, I do move the controls after shutdown. Do you rest backhoe on a dolly before strapping stabilizers. I do not have a dolly, so it sits on the stabilizers with dipper vertical and bucket horizontal. i thought the pressure build up was normal, at least that is what I gleemed from this sight.

 

[rback33]

The "whine" is the sound of the oil going over relief. Either the relief is improperly set too low, or you are at the max allowed my the manufacturer. You can have the dealer pressure test and see if it hits spec. You may simply be expecting too much.

 

[dickfoster]

Dick, I do move the controls after shutdown. Do you rest backhoe on a dolly before strapping stabilizers. I do not have a dolly, so it sits on the stabilizers with dipper vertical and bucket horizontal. i thought the pressure build up was normal, at least that is what I gleemed from this sight.

I've set it on the ground and sit it on a dolly and strapped the stabilizers up in both situations. I know one of my stabilizers will sag a bit over time if not strapped but don't know if it's the cylinder or the valve that's doing it. I neutralize the pressure after shut down and haven't had the problem you describe so far but from my understanding a large temperature change can cause it due to the fluid expanding and generating a little pressure in the lines. Other than that you'd have to have gravity and the weight of the hoe causing it.
BTW a dolly is nice to have to get the hoe back on so if you get some time you should make one up. It took me a couple of tries to get mine to work but after a little rethink and modification it works just fine.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I move all my control levers on the bh and the fel before I shut it down to disconnect and also all levers before I reconnect and I've never had a pressure issue.

 

[DavesTractor]

Naelr. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have your relief pressure checked on your hydraulic system. It might be possible it is set a bit low. I am saying this in a general way, as I have no experience with your brand or specific model. If the relief pressure is set low then this would perhaps account for your perceived weakness of the backhoe. Perhaps others owners of your specific model could comment on whether or not the backhoe should pick up the rear end of the tractor.

I do know when I took delivery of a New Holland TC33d machine many years ago, the FEL would not lift the front end of the tractor off of the ground. I called the dealer back and had a tech come out and reset the relief pressure and the FEL would easily pick up the front end of the tractor after that.

Bingo.

I have seen several Max26 that are a little low on system pressure. It makes a huge difference in loader and backhoe performance.

Naelr, ask the dealer to see if the loader will lift 1400 lbs at the pins as per the brochure. Have him scale it if he has a pull scale. I like that test first before doing a pressure test. Based on what you are describing, your pressures are possibly low.

However, we have had Terramites on the lot and they are sort of odd machines, but as dedicated units the loaders and backhoes are way stronger than the average machine of that size. I've always been amazed at the backhoe strength.

 

[kneedeep]

From your original post, I assume this is your first TLB. There is a huge difference in the power of a T5 and Max26 TLB. BH operation is a skill that will improve with use. Think of the BH as a extension of your arm w bucket/thumb as a hand. If your grabbed a handful of weeds and pulled, it might take some wiggling and digging to yank it up by the roots. Same concept w TLB. Dig, pull, dig, push, dig, pull- it will come.
Keep the RPM up close to PTO range for max power
Keep digging and it will become more efficient as you become a skilled operator.