Buying Advice Kubota B2920 or Mahindra Max 28XL HST

XSKIER · Jun 10, 2012

Max MMM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5uvPjEU8oA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Deere auto connect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it2DOpgGk5A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I did notice that Casey (edit: Korey) did not take the time to raise the gauge wheels before driving over the deck. It would seem to me that, besides sliding, the tractor weight would take a toll on the gauge wheel brackets with repeated use in that fashion. I know the BX has a drive over deck, but not sure on the B. Also, is the B deck suspended or is it still ground contact? I believe the suspended decks will provide a nicer cut and last longer.

Since lawn mowing is my 51% of the time duty, and after removing and installing various MMM decks at various dealers, the choice is clear. It's either one thousand or three thousand series Deere with auto connect. I also use a RFM (rear flail mower). It sucks to mow the lawn with because of the much larger area needed to make a turn about, the stability is worse, and applying weights to the front after removing the FEL. So I only use my flail about four times per year on the rough areas. I want to keep my nice MMM out of harms way!

If I were you I would stick with the Kubota. If the mahindra dealer does not want to sell you a MMM he has to have a reason for it. After all he knows that Max/MMM setup better than any of us. Good luck in your purchase, and either one of those tractors are really nice!

mattoct3003 · Jun 10, 2012

Thanks guys for all the input. Now im thinking harder about going back and looking at the JD 1026R. I am just nervous about ground clearance with the JD and implement limitations. I mow about 1 acre with a regular mower and 6 with a finish mower currently (which I just sold so im looking Haha). I also bush hog about 2 acres. 3-4 acres being somewhat challenging hilly terrain. I garden about a 1/2 acre lot so it would be nice to have a tiller attachment. I am looking at building a 18x24 shed and a 30x50 building so it would be an added value to have a tractor with pretty descent loader abilities. Have any of you 1026R owners found any issues with loader capacity yet? That was my reasoning behind stepping up to the Kubota B2920 and Mahindra Max 28. Not a single Deere dealership in my area seems to want to carry a 2000 series so I have not been able to compare apples to apples in that matter. Is the autoconnect deck also offered on the 3032E JD? I know I can't go wrong with any of these tractors but everyone and their mom has tried to steer me away from the 1026R because they think I will outgrow it way to fast. Heck I just got off a Ford 3400 which is a 48hp tractor so I know there is going to be a shock in power. Eh lol I don't know. This will be my first big equipment purchase and I wanna get it right the first time. Sorry guys for being so inquisitive.

mattoct3003 · Jun 10, 2012

By the way skier the B series deck is a suspended deck unlike the mahindras.

s219 · Jun 10, 2012

The B-series deck is suspended and drive over -- more info here:

http://www.kubota.com/product/B2320/pdf/b_series_mower.pdf

Everybody says to buy a little bigger than you need, and I did try to take that into account when I was shopping, but ultimately you are the best judge of your needs, size, and budget. At least in my case, when I found the right tractor (B2920), I knew it -- it was a good size, and felt right, and the next size up (B3200) was clearly too big. I liked the 2920 over the 2620 for the extra PTO horsepower, and am glad I made that call after running a wood chipper.

mattoct3003 · Jun 10, 2012

That is a fine machine S. As far as size I do think it is a perfect.

CHDinCT · Jun 10, 2012

I checked out the Max 28 and 25 last week just for fun seeing as it's getting a lot of play lately on TBN. Pretty much liked the Max 28 which I drove. Didn't try out the Max 25. But, just to pass on that the dealer had a MMM hooked up to the Max 25 so I was looking it over some. To set the mowing hight on the MMM the Max 25 had a depth limit that when the 3PH is lowered comes in contact with the draw bar. Hard to explain, but the depth stop was a bracket with a pin in it that could be moved to different holes to set the mowing height. What I did note is that the pin settings corresponded to 1/2" increments from, I think 1" to 4". That seemed odd to me since most other makes use a mechanism for the suspended decks that can be adjusted in 1/4" increments. Now I don't know if the Max 28 uses a different system, but that's what I saw on the Max 25. Have you actually seen the Mahindra MMM hooked up to any of the Max models?

mattoct3003 · Jun 10, 2012

I saw it on a max 22 and like you I wasn't sure about the 28XL. I just watched a video one of our fellow posters put up on attaching and removing the deck on the 28XL. Same exact design. Which im not really sure if I like.

CHDinCT · Jun 10, 2012

mattoct3003 said:
I saw it on a max 22 and like you I wasn't sure about the 28XL. I just watched a video one of our fellow posters put up on attaching and removing the deck on the 28XL. Same exact design. Which im not really sure if I like.

Yeah, that's the system I saw. Should have watched the video first. Hook up looks similar to most other SCUTS/CUTS I've seen though I'm not familiar with how the B2x20 series decks hook up. Like someone else commented, it seemed odd to hook up the PTO shaft from the rear. Being the Max 28 has larger tires than the smaller SCUT models, perhaps there's not enough room to do it from the side.