Total Newbie with Mahindra Questions

[BubbaBillyBob]

All--

I am a total newbie both to this forum and to tractors. All my questions will reflect that status.

Currently, I am looking at a new 4025 4wd with bucket and backhoe. But, I read that the 4035 has more flexibility in regards to the 3 point hitch adjustment making it easier for one person to change implements. It is difficult for me to determine the advantages of the 4035 over the 4025. Ignorance plays a big role in this difficulty. (But, that's why I'm here asking questions.) Will you tell me the differences between the two?

I have 80 acres deep in the Ozarks. About 30 acres of it is level, with the remaining being vertical. The level acreage is covered mainly in pine with a few oaks and lots of oak underbrush. There are many things I want to do with a tractor, but clearing the underbrush ranks way up there. I need a brush hog that will let me maneuver in the forest. What diameter of oak undergrowth will the 41hp tractor handle?

I understand that getting in between trees will be an issue. Is a 5' cutter significantly easier to maneuver than a 6' cutter?

The soil is rocky. (It's the Ozarks!) Is a narrower backhoe bucket more suitable to excavation in rocky soil than a wider one? (This seems like a really dumb question, but I gotta ask it.)

Thanks and I am sure I will have more questions.

--Bill

 

[dickfoster]

I don't see why you couldn't put quick hitches on either one but if you're gonna have a backhoe back there it won't matter much since the 3pt has to come off for the hoe to go on. Why those models? Any particular reason? It looks like the 25 has a bit more power but is a bit older. The 25 has a four cyl engine while the 35 has three jugs.
The main point is are you sure the dealer you gonna buy either from is any good? Decent after sales service seems to be hit or miss with all the brands across the country these days including Mahindra and largely it's the dealer that makes it happen or not. ONe way to tell right off is how much interest they show you when you go shopping and looking. Be sure you drive whatever you intend to buy before you buy it along with different comparable models and brands. If you're gonna do a lot of clearing work a grapple and 3rd function would be good adders for the loader. Yeah a smaller bucket would be better for tough digging conditions and a smaller cutter is going to be easier to maneuver. There are a variety of other attachments and implements to at for the land clearing, rock buckets, tree pullers, ratchet rakes, grapples etc. Most of the details and reports on their effectiveness are right here on TBN so spend some time looking around.

 

[k0ua]

To answer a couple of questions, most folks don't cut brush over 2 inches thick with a rotary cutter. I don't like to cut much over 1 1/2 stuff. Cutting larger materiel requires horsepower and a very heavy duty cutter. Light duty cutters like mine don't like really thick "trees". A 40 hp tractor should easily handle either a 5 foot or 6 foot cutter.

 

[Jabonee]

All--

I am a total newbie both to this forum and to tractors. All my questions will reflect that status.

Currently, I am looking at a new 4025 4wd with bucket and backhoe. But, I read that the 4035 has more flexibility in regards to the 3 point hitch adjustment making it easier for one person to change implements. It is difficult for me to determine the advantages of the 4035 over the 4025. Ignorance plays a big role in this difficulty. (But, that's why I'm here asking questions.) Will you tell me the differences between the two?

I have 80 acres deep in the Ozarks. About 30 acres of it is level, with the remaining being vertical. The level acreage is covered mainly in pine with a few oaks and lots of oak underbrush. There are many things I want to do with a tractor, but clearing the underbrush ranks way up there. I need a brush hog that will let me maneuver in the forest. What diameter of oak undergrowth will the 41hp tractor handle?

I understand that getting in between trees will be an issue. Is a 5' cutter significantly easier to maneuver than a 6' cutter?

The soil is rocky. (It's the Ozarks!) Is a narrower backhoe bucket more suitable to excavation in rocky soil than a wider one? (This seems like a really dumb question, but I gotta ask it.)

Thanks and I am sure I will have more questions.

--Bill

Make sure you select a good dealer. Make sure they have a trained service dept. :thumbsup:

 

[otherpinz]

The 4025 will be (a lot?)
stronger/tougher, the 4035 easier to operate.

 

[jeff9366]

To answer a couple of questions, most folks don't cut brush over 2 inches thick with a rotary cutter. I don't like to cut much over 1 1/2 stuff. Cutting larger materiel requires horsepower and a very heavy duty cutter.

As usual, well stated by The Famous K0UA.

It is easier for a Rotary Cutter to handle both 1-1/2" and 2" samplings if they are knocked down first, so they are horizontal rather than vertical.

An unadorned Front End Loader (FEL) bucket is just fair at knocking over saplings. Equipped with a tooth bar attachment, the FEL bucket it is much more effective at knocking over saplings, sometimes dragging the saplings out by the roots.

There are many tooth bars. The two most often favorably reviewed here are:

Ratchet Rake - Premium tooth bar for brush work and light grading. WORTHLESS FOR DIGGING.

Piranha Tooth Bar - Premium tooth bar for digging, also good for brush work. NOT AS GOOD AS THE RATCHET RAKE FOR LIGHT GRADING.

VIDEO LINKS (2) :

ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube

piranha tooth bar - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

I understand that getting in between trees will be an issue. Is a 5' cutter significantly easier to maneuver than a 6' cutter?

A Rotary Cutter trails quite far behind a tractor. If you acquire a Rotary Cutter even slightly wider than your rear tires, in woods work you will get the tractor between some trees, but the trailing R/C will jam. It can be very difficult to maneuver a R/C and tractor combo IN REVERSE, in the woods. For woods work, buy a R/C no wider than your rear tires, preferably 6" to 12" narrower.

You will have several tire choices when you buy a new tractor. Tire choice will vary tractor width width by several inches. If you have persistent mud on your property you will likely want R1 - Ag tires. If you do not have persistent mud you will probably want R4 - Industrial tires, which are the most puncture resistant tractor tire.

 

[k0ua]

Which transmission choices are you wanting? The 4035 has 3 choices. Syncro shuttle, power shuttle and hydrastatic. The 4025 has a "coffee grinder" 8x8 That alone would make my choice the 4035. The 4025 appears to be an older design, 4x2 that has just recently been upgraded to 4x4.

 

[k0ua]

Question: does either tractor have either as standard equipment or as optional, the following things I deem important. SSQA (Skid Steer Quick Attach) on the front bucket, Telescoping lower 3point links and telescoping 3pt stabilizers? The telescoping 3pt equipment makes hookup of 3pt implements much easier. and the SSQA is essential for mounting other things like pallet forks and grapples and other implements on the front of the Front End Loader that you may want in the future. Remember a tractor by itself does nothing but lay down tire impressions on the ground. It is implements on the rear and the front that allow work to be done. The quicker you can change implement on either the front or rear the easier your life will be.

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

dickfoster and jeff9366 and k0ua and otherpinz and Jabonee--

I just returned from the dealer. The 4025 has become a 5545 4wd shuttle with FEL and backhoe. More money, but it is a bigger tractor with a few more HP (43hp).

dickfoster, thank you for the graple/3rd function info. I discussed it with the dealer. It is the only way to go with a grapple.

jeff9366, a six foot cutter is barely narrower than the tractor, which is 72.5" with agricultural tires. The model I looked at had industrial tires. I do not know how wide they are. I will be working mostly on a rocky surface. However, there is some looser stuff on both sides of the ridge. Stick with industrial or go with agricultural tires? Thank you for pointing that out.

k0ua, I'll investigate the rake options and make the brush horizontal before hitting it with the rotary cutter. I suppose I would have figured that out with a little experience. It is nice to know beforehand.

otherpinz, At this time, I'm upgrading to the 5545. What do you think?

Jabonee, the last thing I did today while at the dealer's was to have the owner take me through the service department. The service area consists of about six drive through bays. A lot of work was going on; a Ford was in a bay with the engine torn down for an overhaul and a Mahindra was in another bay being examined for a leak in the head. The shop looked good and well-used.

I'm also going to get a 22 foot H&H Speedloader Tiltbed electric tilt bed trailer and upgraded axles to 14,000lb torsion and with a 10,000lb Super Winch. (I wonder if I can get them to stick a 12,000lb Warn on it instead?)

I'm learning a lot and thank you for the help.

--Bill