DX 26/23 vs. 2015 vs. B7610

daTeacha · Mar 4, 2006

Well, here I am again, still trying to make up my mind. Having finally decided on a pretty tight physical dimension envelope and eliminated a number of tractors for various reasons, having prices to work with and trade-in values for my B7100 to work with, I'm looking at the above 3 machines, with the Kubota last on the list due to the seat.

For the other two, based on prices obtained in the last few days, I can either go with the established brand and a dealer who has been there 40 years or with the less established brand and a dealer who has been there 4 years for very close to the same money. Looks like a no-brainer, right? Not quite. The established brand will also include running hydraulic lines from the rear valves to the mid-point where the loader lines connect so I can easily add an Add-A-Grapple later. Looks even better for the established brand, right? Not quite again.

The newer brand and dealer is only 10 miles away vs. 20 for the established one. The newer one is in the school district that has provided my income for the past 29 years. The established one will allow me 50% more for my tractor and that, coupled with A-Plan pricing makes the prices comparable.

The Kubota comes in because by allowing for the price offered on the B7100 by the Case guy, who also sells Kubota, I can get the 'bota for the essentially the same price. I think they're all offering 0% and 36 months.

The loader bucket on the Case is built a lot heavier than the Mahindra, but the Mahindra claims more lifting power, but the difference could just be due to bucket weight. The Case bucket is 54", the Mahindra is 48".

I figure I'm looking at 2 very comparable machines with the 'bota being the odd man out due to ergonomics. It also just looks taller and skinnier, but wears wider rear tires (11.2x16 vs. 9.5x16 on the others) The 'bota is the lightest, the Mahindra the heaviest, but the weight spread is only about 500 lb before the loaders are taken into account. All 3 fit my dimensional needs and I would probably get used to or modify the Kubota seat pretty quickly. One more thing -- my manure spreader and bush hog are both red. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

So, should I be the loyal local guy and support the start-up business in the school district, or put longevity and a proven track record first and go with the Case or Kubota? As I write this, I'm leaning toward the Case. Thoughts other than personal brand favoritism would be well received.

aesanders · Mar 4, 2006

You've done enough looking now that one should really be jumping out and saying take me home by now. Theire really is no clear cut best tractor. They all have certain strenghts and weaknesses. Is there one that truly stands out in your mind? If so, get that one.

P.S. I checked the specs on the dx loader and it speced out better than the Mahindra specs for the 2015. The DX loader
had almost a foot higher reach, and more lifting wieht, etc. The only negative spec I saw to the DX loader to the Mahindra was the speed to lift to maximum reach. But I'd gladly exchange a little speed for a foot of clearance anyday.

HTH
Aaron

IslandTractor · Mar 4, 2006

All fine tractors. I sense you value community loyalty highly so if you actually like the local dealer then I'd imagine you would feel especially warm and fuzzy to have both a new tractor and one that came from your town/school district.

daTeacha · Mar 4, 2006

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I never really thought of a tractor as being warm and fuzzy. Warm, yeah, but I try to keep it clean and busy enough that it doesn't get mold growing anywhere. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SWB · Mar 4, 2006

I don't know about the Mahindra, but the seats on the Case and the ergonomics are very good. Also don't discount the visibility of the FEL with the curved arms. Finally, the dealer is very important. An established dealer with that type of track record and one you have been happy doing business with before is hard to beat. I don't think a difference of 10 miles is important. That makes both dealers local. I would vote for the more established dealer with the established brand.

mike69440 · Mar 4, 2006

When I was looking for a smaller machine before we bought the new land, I thoght the 26 HP New Holland was a really sweet small tractor.

I have a L39 and tink that is a small machine now.

ChickenWing · Mar 4, 2006

I am also considering the DX26. While I was at the dealer last evening, they had one on the lot. I took a few photos in case you would like another look. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

DX26 Photos

Bob_Skurka · Mar 4, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The loader bucket on the Case is built a lot heavier than the Mahindra, but the Mahindra claims more lifting power, but the difference could just be due to bucket weight. The Case bucket is 54", the Mahindra is 48". )</font>
The Mahindra measures their FEL capacity at the pivot point, while Case measures it at the bucket center. When both are measured at the same point, the Case (at least the last time I looked) actually had more lift capacity.

The Mahindra also measure their 3pt capacity at the ball eyes while the Case measures the capacity at 24" behind the ball eyes.

In my mind the Mahindra is using very misleading measurement points and they are bascially dishonest in their marketing. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with their tractors, just their marketing that is misleading and in my mind dishonest.

IslandTractor · Mar 5, 2006

I think you need to cool down the rhetoric Bob. It ain't dishonest if the manufacturer clearly states where they measure the lift capacities. Reference points allow fair comparison. Most tractor companies publish their lift capacities at pivot points regardless of whether they use other measurements as well. I haven't checked recently but I think capacity at pivot points is actually more the universal comparator for small CUTs. I would agree that bucket center is a more realistic measurement point for most user purposes but the differences should still be proportional.

aesanders · Mar 5, 2006

I agree with Bob onthis isue. The only reason companies started publishing specs measuring the lft capacity at the pivot pont is to make their own specs look better than their competitors. Most people do not understand the difference and think they are getting better performance when they actually are not.