O my, I am comfused

[TomSeller]

Nice. Good dealers should be named on TBN with as much audience is here.

 

[Ooklaa]

Well i went and looked at Mahindra max 24 and a john deere 1025r. Both dealers were very nice. But both machine just disappointed me very much so. I guess the best way i can explain it is this, this is my very first time getting a actually tractor ever. I brought both machines to some dirt piles both dealers had kinda setup for demos. I put the loaders down to the ground level, full revs, 4wd and hit the gas to see if the maxhines would push the bucket into the dirt vs scrapping off the top. Maybe i did it wrong or whatever but neither of them pushed their way into the dirt pile. Both dealers said thats a rookie mistake as im trying to move a mound thats very heavy. I said o well but i assumed these have the tourqe to do this. I understand loosing tire grip but im buying a tractor to be able to not only lift heavy objects but also oush and pull heavy objects. Both dealers stated the approach you take make a hug differemce, i guess i took the Bull aproach which is heqd on brute force.

Anyways a learning curve is what i need no problem. Is the mahindra max24 a bigger machine the the john deere 1025r? Didnt have them side by side but the max did feel bigger.

The deere delaer did give me a good price quick at 15,900 h120 loader, 54 easy take off mower deck tax included.

Mahindra dealer didnt go into better pricing but said he would when i came back.

I feel the mahindra machine felt stronger and faster loader movements, also did not rev as high as the john deere which made it qiuter at full throttle.

Def want to get a grapple bucket of some type so i can pic things up.

 

[AxleHub]

Well i went and looked at Mahindra max 24 and a john deere 1025r.


Def want to get a grapple bucket of some type so i can pic things up.

Niko,

Unless the dirt pile is very densely packed . . I can't see why your bucket would not penetrate unless you had the backside of bucket lower than front side blade.

And grapples come in several sizes . . My favorite style is the "mini" grapple as it can pick up logs and rocks and get into tighter spots . . . same power as the full sizes is a smaller width.

Havw you located a Massey or Yanmar dealership yet?

P.S. to other readers . . Doesn't that jd 1025r bid sound low for j.d. typical pricing?

 

[jenkinsph]

Most dirt piles I have seen at dealerships are loose and easily fill a bucket. I suspect you just need more seat time.

 

[KennyG]

I'm sure either of these machines will pick up loose dirt with no problem. To get a machine that will get a full bucket with packed dirt, you would probably need to double the price. However, with a little work the smaller machines will eat away at it. One thing is that if you really want to do serious loader work, you need a box blade or ballast box to keep some weight on the back tires. If you don't have weight and have the bucket angled down, you will lose rear wheel traction immediately.

 

[dragoneggs]

Most dirt piles I have seen at dealerships are loose and easily fill a bucket. I suspect you just need more seat time.

Agreed... and when you really need to dig with your bucket, get a Piranha Tooth Bar.

 

[s219]

Keep in mind that front loaders are not bulldozers, so don't expect to do heavy pushing with them. But scooping dirt is all about technique, and it takes a little practice to get good at it. Also want to scoop off the middle to top of the pile to start off (weight of material above a full scoop only impedes progress and will spill out anyhow). Generally go into the pile with bucket level, and in one motion curl bucket back as you bite in. You'll get good at it after a while. I generally put the tractor in 4WD and low when nosing into piles, otherwise they will run out of steam or traction if the material is heavy or dense.

If you are thinking of spreading materials, the best way is to scoop and then dump with the bucket, and then back-drag with the heel of the bucket to spread. You can get real good at this. For grading and lots of dirt spreading, a box blade is even better, and it's great ballast for the loader.

My impression of the Deere SCUTS is that they felt a little light duty, and I did not like the plastic bodywork. But otherwise they are pretty good. Price was high though -- about the same as a larger Kubota B model -- which eventually led me in that direction for my first tractor. Back then a Deere 1026R with H120 front loader was the same price as a larger and more capable Kubota B2620 with front loader.

My next door neighbor has a Mahindra Max 28 and it's been a good little tractor. It has a very strong front loader, more capacity than that size tractor can comfortably handle I think (good ballast is super critical). I think it's built very solid and heavy duty, but the fit and finish is not as good as Deere or Kubota. Lots of rough edges and general lack of sophistication. The seat is low-budget, like from a lawn tractor. And the loader control is very abrupt and not amenable to finesse work like the controls I have used on Deeres and Kubotas. I think it's a good tractor but priced lower for a reason.

Another neighbor down the road got a Kubota BX 25D recently, which I looked at a few weeks ago. A little too small for my tastes to own one now that I have a big piece of property, but the build quality was top notch and I have to say I was jealous of that little backhoe. What a great little machine. If I was still living at my previous property in town, that would be the tractor to own for sure. I should have bought one of those when we lived there instead of busting my but with a wheelbarrow and shovel for 12 years. To me the BX is somewhat of a no-brainer for a SCUT shopper, and I think it's the market leader for very good reasons. There are definitely other good SCUTS out there, but you can almost not do any homework, buy a BX, and know it's near the head of the pack.

 

[gladehound]

But both machine just disappointed me very much so. I guess the best way i can explain it is this, this is my very first time getting a actually tractor ever. I brought both machines to some dirt piles both dealers had kinda setup for demos. I put the loaders down to the ground level, full revs, 4wd and hit the gas to see if the maxhines would push the bucket into the dirt vs scrapping off the top. Maybe i did it wrong or whatever but neither of them pushed their way into the dirt pile.

Maybe next time you can ask the sales person demonstrate the capabilities of the tractor to give you a better idea of what it will and wont be able to do if you think your technique is a factor.

If you do get a grapple on a SCUT, get the lightest grapple possible so that it doesn't use up your lift capacity.

Test some different size tractors as well and see what you think. Go at that same pile with a larger tractor and see if it performs more to your satisfaction. With my smaller tractor I would often struggle to get a full bucket in semi-loose material. It took a lot of finesse. It wasn't just the weight of the tractor either, it was the hydraulics - the bucket was a tad to big for the hydraulics. With the larger tractor I get a full bucket every time with no fuss, no finesse. Just drive in and lift or curl or both - doesn't matter.

 

[AxleHub]

Keep in mind that front loaders are not bulldozers, so don't expect to do heavy pushing with them. But scooping dirt is all about technique, and it takes a little practice to get good at it.


My impression of the Deere SCUTS is that they felt a little light duty, and I did not like the plastic bodywork. But otherwise they are pretty good. Price was high though -- about the same as a larger Kubota B model -- which eventually led me in that direction for my first tractor. Back then a Deere 1026R with H120 front loader was the same price as a larger and more capable Kubota B2620 with front loader.


My next door neighbor has a Mahindra Max 28 and it's been a good little tractor. It has a very strong front loader, more capacity than that size tractor can comfortably handle I think (good ballast is super critical). I think it's built very solid and heavy duty, but the fit and finish is not as good as Deere or Kubota. Lots of rough edges and general lack of sophistication. The seat is low-budget, like from a lawn tractor. And the loader control is very abrupt and not amenable to finesse work like the controls I have used on Deeres and Kubotas. I think it's a good tractor but priced lower for a reason.


To me the BX is somewhat of a no-brainer for a SCUT shopper, and I think it's the market leader for very good reasons. There are definitely other good SCUTS out there, but you can almost not do any homework, buy a BX, and know it's near the head of the pack.

S219, your neighbor's Mahindra max 28 . . . Didn't that just come out in the last 2 years ? I thought I read somewhere they are already replacing it because its Tier 4 situation is DEF and canister rgen required and that has been an issue of cost and inconvenience.

Your right that Kubota BX units are fine. But lets also remember that Kubota invented the scut market and had a decade lead on everybody else from 1997 (??) to 2006. While they continue to make great equipment their market share is now changing and yearly sales marketshare is changed quite a bit. Most Kubota dealers never even had a competitive or alternate scut line in their operations . . . but in my radius area of western WI .. . . all the Kubota dealers now carry a second competitive scut choice (at least the dozen+ that I checked).

And you're right about bucket technique but I didn't mention anything to Niko about that because in an earlier post he'd said he had driven lots of skid steer time.

Lastly . . Niko mentioned the jd 1025r he tested and was quoted . . I know 1026r units are considersbly more than his quote and I know what the 1023r is like. What is the differences in a 1025r vs a 1026r ?

 

[Ooklaa]

Yes i can know see it was my technique "bulldozer is not good". So i def will go look a kubota on my next day off. Yes the deere dealer gave a 15,900 out the door h120 loader and the easy off mower so the i dont have to engage the shaft lr whatever he said.

The plastic vs metal is not a game changer for me to be honest Nor is how fancy and ergonomics it is. Im looking for a strong bull per say. Strongest lifting, strongest pto, fastets hydraulics, stuff that means something on my property. Also something the has the safe under belly as immseeing alot of pictures of people hitting crap underneath a breaking hoses.

Do they make under belly protection?