Crate Mahindra?

[davep]

I am attracted to the idea of a crate tractor -- something that it simple enough to fix myself and to being able to assemble it to learn how is put together.

Mahindras seem to have a good reputation for reliability and value for money.

Can I put these two thoughts together? Does anyone sell, or has anyone bought, a Mahindra as a crate tractor?

Dave

 

[zekeman]

NO , Mahindra does not sell crate tractors. Crate tractors are usually chinese tractors that you can import yourself or thru a middleman- most chinese tractors you can import yourself are also availiable from dealers in this country. If you choose to import yourself any problems that come with the tractor are solely your headache. You will find tons of info in the Chinese Tractor
Forum

Ron

 

[davep]

Thanks, Ron, I have read chinese create tractor forum -- I'm trying to decide between a Jinma ond a Mahindra. If I could get a crate Mahindra, that would favor the Mahindra.

I like the idea of a tractor that is simple ... my local Mahindra dealer says that Mahindra's are simple and that I could fix anything myself on a Mahindra that I could fix on a Jinma (But I would get more practice on the Jinma /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ). Is it true that a Mahindra is just as simple to fix?

btw the deal he is offering is $17,300 for 3510 with ML112 FEL. I'm comparing this to a 35HP crate Jinma with FEL from tractor connection for $9990. I have no doubt that the 3510 is a better tractor -- but it needs to be a LOT better to justify that extra cost. Is $17,300 a reasonable deal?

 

[Bluecheck546]

"I like the idea of a tractor that is simple ... my local Mahindra dealer says that Mahindra's are simple and that I could fix anything myself on a Mahindra that I could fix on a Jinma (But I would get more practice on the Jinma ). Is it true that a Mahindra is just as simple to fix?"


Simple........ it's all relative.... I wouldn't say, my Mitsubishi build 2015 is simple. Dealing with the aircraft for past 20+ years, lots of things on the aircraft are simple as well , then again......... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Varmintmist]

17300 is about right now that the steel surcharges are here. Thats the quote I got for mine, except mine was already on the lot and I was 3 days ahead of the surcharge.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges here. The Jimna isnt a moderen design, the Mahindra is. There isnt a comparison other than they are both tractors.

If you are trying to just compare forien tractors at 35 HP, then you can look at ALL of the colors. None of them are made in the US.

 

[davep]

It's hard to choose between two varieties of apples, if you cant decide between an apple or an orange.
The reason for narrowing down to this apple and this orange, is that ..

Both tractors seem like they will do the job for me, according to their specs, which are quite similar. The Mahindra has a slight edge, but nothing that is overwhelming.

My closest tractor dealer is, by far, a Mahindra dealer - he's just down the road. Mahindra seem like a good tractor, and he seems like a good dealer. The Mahindra seems to be better value than the big names - and at least as good as the other 'small' names in the same class. So the Mahindra seems the best choice in my situation if buy normally through a dealer.

A Jinma is to only tractor I can get as a crate, assemble myself (which is a fun challenge) and learn enough to fix myself. I know the Jinma isn't as well finished, and that some parts will break, but I'm buying a tractor to work not to show off, and I can buy a lot of replacement parts for $7000 especially if I can fix it myself. I can replace the tractor for $6995!

So it comes down to "Is the traditional dealer, warranty, and a few bells and whistles, etc. worth $7000?" I'm having a hard time justifying it to myself.

Dave

 

[BobG_in_VA]

If you're looking for a 3510 with R4s, FEL, etc, I know where a "relatively new" one is for sale (just a few hours on it) for about $13.5 to 14K in VA. Since you are in NC you might save a bunch for this one including shipping it to your place. EMail me offline if you are interested. BobG in VA

 

[zekeman]

Dave
Before I bought my Mahindra I seriously looked into the
Chinese tractors because of the huge price differences. But there were too many ifs about parts,and warranty work, where do you go. Tractor Connection, are they solely a importer, will they back the warranty, do they stock parts, do they have mechanics who work on the Jimma if you are unable to fix it yourself. When you were surfing the Chinese forum, how many calls by owners for help in trying to locate a part for their tractor did you see, when I was looking in the forum, it seems like there were a lot of "calls for help". With Mahindra I don't have those problems or questions. Mahindra is like Kubota was 15-20 years ago when they were establishing their tractors in the U.S. , Mahindra is well on their way, getting closer and closer to the big three tractor companies in the U.S.. Chinese tractors have worked for a lot of people, but at that time I did not want to take the chance of it not working for me. My Mahindra (2002) has over 435 hrs., It starts every day I need it , does what I ask it to do, and it does it day after day after day. Since this is the only tractor I have ever owned I cannot say it is A LOT better than any other tractor but I can say it has worked well for me. As far as it being easy to fix, I do all of the preventive maintenance and the only warranty work was for the PTO. it does not breakdown that often.

Ron

 

[DavesTractor]

Dave,

You'll find the crate Mahindra right next to the crate John Deere and crate Kubota. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

This is the class they are in. While not as well known in the USA, Mahindra is among the largest tractor manufacturers in the world, selling a top quality product.

Many people convince themselves to buy Chinese. They are cheap, and with care will do a lot of work, but they do not compare to the Mahindra, New Holland, Kioti, Branson, etc., level of tractor in quality, features, ergonomics or dealer support. That is not to say they are not worth the small amount charged for them, but don't fool yourself into thinking the the differences are only minor cosmetic ones.

 

[davep]

But why not a crate John Deere or crate Kubota? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

The attributes I saw in "crate" were not associated with the quality of the tractor; they were associated with ...

1. be your own dealer ... Take care of the simple things, the simple problems, simple assembly of a tractor that's simple enough for me to do it.

2. ship the tractor in a form that's cheap to ship.

These seem like good and useful things. The reason for starting this thread was the the thought that if I can "be my own dealer" for a cheap low quality chinese tractor, could I get the same benefits but with a higher quality tractor. Obviously I'd expect to pay more for crate with a better tractor inside - but I'd be paying for the quality I'd be getting, not for someone to do a job I'd prefer to do myself, or an unnecessarily expensive way of doing something.

I was hoping that Mahindra, or some enterprising dealer/importer, would want to service customers willing to put some "sweat equity" into their tractor investment!

Dave

 

[dbelisle]

It sounds like a great idea but what if something goes wrong.

As a plumber, I have had to change the way I do business because of the big box stores. I still have to cover my expenses and make my bottom line.

But the Bottom line is, I provide no warranty on something I have no control over. It flips people out when you tell them it is going to cost them to take that brand new defective faucet out and cost them again to reinstall it.

Warranty could be a big issue if you could find someone to sell you a Mahindra in a crate. Who is going to warranty a do it your selfer.

People that caused there own problems would be in a forum like this telling everyone what a piece of junk the product was.

What manufacture would want that.

Dave in NH

 

[Tractors4u]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( being able to assemble it to learn how is put together.
)</font>

It isn't like you will be assembling the engine and transmission from individual parts.

The crate Jinmas I have seen needed to have;
Fenders/Hood
Wheels/tires
Steering wheel
ROPS
Battery
Dash panel
3 point hitch

and other minor items assembled. Not really a lot that will give you valuable insight to the workings of the tractor.

 

[zekeman]

Dave
Why don't you be a dealer for Jimma- Import a couple of these tractors , put them together, and sell one outright , keep the other for yourself- if you like the experience do it again and again until you get tired or get rich. If you don't like it you have your tractor that you built, and the one you sold will offset the cost of your tractor. There's probably no franchise/dealer fees
since anybody can import these tractors. If your willing to take the chance, then "DO IT". Just make sure you can afford the loss if it turns sour, whether its ONE or a dozen tractors. Besides the attraction of building your own , what is your intended use of this tractor once you put it together- will this tractor do what you have planned since Jimma's are much lighter then the Mahindra's. Whatever you choose- Good Luck

Ron

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

dave, with all do respect, you kinda sound like a teenager. You come in here and ask (what evolved into) our opinion of Mahindra and crate Chinese. You get an answer you don't like so you come back, what if....? well what about.....?

If you want a crate chinese tractor, fine get it. Many have and many are happy with it. Just don't expect it to be the same or even similar in design or quality no mater what the spec sheets say.

 

[davep]

Charlie,
Actually I was trying to avoid the comparsion between 'Mahindra' and 'crate chinese', because it mixes up two different things - the quality of the manufacturing and the value of the dealer.

The comparison between Mahindra tractors and Chinese tractors is "no contest." The Mahindra beats the Jimna hands down --but that difference appears to be reflected in the price.

An interesting comparison would be 'dealer-Mahindra' and 'crate-Mahindra', except that the latter isn't available.

I can do a comparision between a 'crate chinese' and a 'dealer chinese'. The comparison between, say Jinma plus FEL from Tractor Connection in a crate and the same tractor and FEL with a Nortrac label from Northern Tools, is price of $9990 vs $13,250. That's 32% more for the same equipment, for the benefit of a dealer, who is barely a tractor dealer. (Local Northern Tools locations don't do anything but show the tractors).

The same tractor with a Farm Pro label is about $12K from a small local dealer. Does that mean $1,250 is just for the brand name of the dealer? Is the $2K what the dealer makes for assembling the tractor from a crate? Actually neither Farm Pro nor Nortrac assemble the tractors at the dealer; they are assembled at a US factory and shipped assembled to the dealer. Shipping assembled tractors is expensive, so a chunk of the margin is to pay for that expensive shipping.

Thanks for the comparison to a teenager. I'm flattered! Teenagers have many irritating behaviors -- (I should know as my younger children still are teenagers) -- one of them is they don't accept the voice of authority; they question everything! When it comes to spending a large chunk of money, I do question everything!

My mindset is currently closest to buying the Mahindra (from a dealer, not a crate!), as I'm not sure I want to risk $10K-$13K plus a bunch of work and end up with a tractor that wont work. May be $4K more is worth it for the security. But then for another $3K I can get a John Deere ($21K for JD990+300CX FEL). There's an enormous gap between $10K for a Jinma crate and $21K for the JD, so I'd like to know what I'm paying for. How much is for a better tractor, better steel, or better quality control versus, for example, a better salesfloor or a saleman who will tell me that the steel and quality control is better?

Anyway, I appreciate all the answers I have received on this forum and the chinese tractor forum - they have helped me get closer to a decision, if not actually quite there. I do get the impression that there's a considerable amount of "rooting for your own team" going on within each forum - which is natural, but it obscures objectivity. I would be nice to hear from anyone so has bought both.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Varmintmist]

I am color blind when it comes to tractors. I bought the Mahindra because it had the features I wanted and I got more tractor for the money than Green, Orange, or Blue.

Yes the Chinese tractor should do everything you need. Unless it breaks. If you want any of the upgrades that have come around in the last 20 years, then you cant buy Chinese.

When you buy in the crate, you own it. All the problems are yours, period. The warrenty equates to 10 feet or 10 seconds, whichever comes first, unless they want to help.

Deere, Kubota, Kioti, Mahindra, and NH are not going to crate their machines simply because if you have a problem you are going to go to them. It's that simple. The plumbing example is perfect. It goes for telephone service to and I'm sure it applys to everything else. People go cheap or off brand and they want you to fix it for free. Not going to happen.

 

[thegreatrandini]

You should look into resale values!!! I don't see very many used chineese tractors for sale.. If you buy a slightly used 2 yr old JD from a private party you won't take a big depreciation hit. Used jd's sell for alot. The used Mahindra for 13k <> may be a good way to go. You should do your own research but I would look into resale value. example, I bought a 6ft king kutter tiller like new for 750.00. I did not spend 750.00 as I can always sell the tiller for 750.00 or more.(provided I keep it shedded) I bought a mini van new for 21000 2 yrs ago now it is worth 14000 so I spent 7000 to drive the van for 2yrs. I don't know mahindra resale values so you check it out....... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[davep]

Thanks,
I have ended up getting a slightly used NH TC35 .. for reasons like you give. Some of the posts on the Chinese tractor forum started to worry me that the Jinma could break quite badly -- something definitely no fun to be fixing.

The big names do seem to hold their resale value better. Hard to tell about the Mahindra resale value - there doesn't seem to be many on the market.

Thanks for everyone's advice.
Dave

 

[thegreatrandini]

I would say u done good. I bought a yanmar but I could not afford a slightly used (big three). If you take care of your NH and keep it shedded you will be able to get your money back out of it later......You'll have to move to the NH site.

 

[vicw]

I'm with you Dave. I looked at all tractors for quite a while. I currently own a 1959 Ford 541 Offset that works great for me except that I need a smaller tractor for my garden. I began looking around and found the Jinma crate tractors. Kept looking and found Foton and a few others. Gave a lot of consideration to Kubota, Kioti and Mahindra, but couldn't find crate versions. Happily, I have ordered the Jinma 284 with FEL. Should get it soon; will enjoy puting it together and then being able to maintain it short of the dealer hourly rates! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif <font color="blue"> </font>