Buying Advice Mahindra 3016 vs. Mahindra eMax vs something else? Vineyards and large lawn

orionbbs · Feb 16, 2015

Hello,

I'm a newby tractor owner/buyer trying to determine which tractor would be best for my application - a relatively large vineyard and a large lawn.

I recently purchased ~8 acres of property in San Jose which has over 2acres of Lawn and the plan is to plant 2-3 acres of vineyards on a rolling hilside. I need a multi-purpose tractor which can do a lot of tasks around the property including mowing the large lawn as well as pulling stumps and tilling some pretty rough terrain.

I've been doing lots of research and it would seem the Mahindra tractors have the best value for quality out there -- but there seems to be a lot of price disparity even within the Mahindra product line itself ($11k-$20k+, and even a $2-5k difference between the same model at different dealerships).

The two Mahindra models I am looking at are the 3016 Standard and the eMax 22. My concern is the eMax 22 may be too light of a tractor for the non-mowing roles; and the 3016 might end up being too big to play the role as a mower (I would be planning to put a Mid-mounted mower under it in both models w/ a blower bagger towed or mounted on the 3point behind).

Assuming a 50/50 role for the tractor between hard labor and simple finish mowing with a budget around $16-$18k all in, is the Mahindra the right tractor for me? If Mahindra, any thoughts on eMax vs. 3016 (or another model?)

Thanks so much! appreciate the help and insights

shaun

jeff9366 · Feb 16, 2015

You have not defined "rolling hillside" and in wine country "rolling hillside" can mean anything.

Standard tractors are unstable on sloped ground; working light tractors are more unstable than working heavy tractors. You do not want to kill yourself as part of your tractor learning process.

I would consult with other vineyard owners and/or county ag agent to determine what equipment others are using.
You will likely need a tractor only 48" wide to proceed down vineyard rows; you will need a pressurized cab to satisfy OSHA if you are going to spray "restricted" chemicals, which is everything.

You want HST and 4-WD.

I was VP of a winery in Mendocino County with 1,000 acres of vineyard. We used specialized Deere vineyard tractors, 40+horsepower. However for rolling hillside work we contracted tracked equipment with operators, bulldozers and tracked tractors, to do preparation work. With cost of workers comp you have to consider safety every minute or insurance or a lawsuit will wreck your plans.

We never had a serious accident, due to constant vigilance and respecting our limits.

A zero turn mower would be the best equipment for two acres of lawn.

Pierrepont · Feb 16, 2015

Instead of the smaller, lighter eMax22, how about a Max25 or Max28?

COMPACT yet HEAVY! Wide, safe stance.

About $15,000 - $16,000

Deerherd · Feb 16, 2015

The best tractor for the job is never also lawn mower. Get a dedicated mower and whatever tractor you are thinking you need buy the next size up with a cab. You will save money in the long run.

Pierrepont · Feb 16, 2015

How well would a CAB tractor work in a Vineyard? Don't you need to be able to thread the needle size wise?

Deerherd · Feb 16, 2015

Pierrepont said:
How well would a CAB tractor work in a Vineyard? Don't you need to be able to thread the needle size wise?

Most of the vineyard/orchard tractors are CAB versions, you couldn't spray without one!

flusher · Feb 16, 2015

I'd go with a 30 hp tractor with hydrostatic transmission, 4WD, power steering, FEL with 5-ft wide bucket and skid steer quick attach, dual rear hydraulic remotes and wheel track about 6-ft wide.

For work on steep slopes, select a rear wheel size such as 12-16.5 to lower the tractor center of gravity and get matching front wheels to keep the tractor level.

I had a 1964 MF135 diesel tractor that was modified to work in the olive orchards around here. I had 18.4-16 rear wheels and shortened front axle spindles. The track width was 84 inches

This 45 hp tractor would be too wide to work in your vineyard, but you could make a 30 hp tractor fit OK.

For spraying your vineyard, wear a hazmat suit with pressurization. Plant your grapes with 7.5 ft row spacing and use VSP trellises. That's what I did with my small two-row California concord grape vineyard.

Good luck

DavesTractor · Feb 16, 2015

I think a small and light enough tractor to be a good mower tends to lack when it comes time to do other more difficult tasks. And the mid-mowers are expensive if you equip them with a blower/bagger. You can nearly buy a nice zero turn for the price of these attachments. I have a ton of Mahindra tractors as we are a dealer and I have stacks of mid mount mowers in stock so if I thought that was a good way to go I'd certainly tell you so. But I do not think that is the best way for you to go. I have similar acreage and tasks (except the ag part of my property is an orchard).

I'd recommend you get a zero-turn with a bagger for mowing the more formal lawn areas, then get a tractor for the rest of your tasks. I personally have a Exmark Navigator (I'm not an Exmark dealer) that is really nice for the lawns. Then I use a flail mower to mow the rest behind the tractor because I want the rest of it to look nice, but I don't need to pick up the clippings.

If you separate the lawn mowing and tractoring tasks, you can get the best of both, instead of compromising both. Just a disclaimer here though; for some folks with light duty tractor needs, the MMM works very well on a light tractor like the eMax. You can get a ton of work done with an eMax or BX size machine....but I'm thinking you will want bigger.

orionbbs · Feb 16, 2015

DavesTractor said:
I think a small and light enough tractor to be a good mower tends to lack when it comes time to do other more difficult tasks. And the mid-mowers are expensive if you equip them with a blower/bagger. You can nearly buy a nice zero turn for the price of these attachments. I have a ton of Mahindra tractors as we are a dealer and I have stacks of mid mount mowers in stock so if I thought that was a good way to go I'd certainly tell you so. But I do not think that is the best way for you to go. I have similar acreage and tasks (except the ag part of my property is an orchard).

I'd recommend you get a zero-turn with a bagger for mowing the more formal lawn areas, then get a tractor for the rest of your tasks. I personally have a Exmark Navigator (I'm not an Exmark dealer) that is really nice for the lawns. Then I use a flail mower to mow the rest behind the tractor because I want the rest of it to look nice, but I don't need to pick up the clippings.

If you separate the lawn mowing and tractoring tasks, you can get the best of both, instead of compromising both. Just a disclaimer here though; for some folks with light duty tractor needs, the MMM works very well on a light tractor like the eMax. You can get a ton of work done with an eMax or BX size machine....but I'm thinking you will want bigger.

Thanks Dave et al, for all the great feedback.

Couple key points I forgot to mention:

1) The vineyard is being planted and the ground graded by a professional vineyard installation company -- their service(s) is a menu like approach here in the bay area for private property owners who have between 1-10 acres. The thought was to help reduce the monthly maintenance expense, that I would do the regular tilling/weeding between the rows and they would do the installation and any spraying and picking 3 years from now when the vineyard matures.

You can see below in the photos to get an idea of the slope. Up behind the pool house (about half way up that hill) and the hill down near the lake that separates the two driveways is where the vineyard is being planned.

2) The lawn is a golf course like lawn (well manicured) where they have weddings and events today. Looking yesterday more closely at the angles and the fact there are some large oak trees in the lawn area, it does not appear that a compact/sub-compact even with a MMM would be able to make the turns and I would still need a hand-mower to do all the finish work.

3) Beyond the lawn and vineyard the property is rather large and I do imagine needing to move dirt, gravel, mulch, bark, but the grading and large dirt moving would be outsourced.

Net Net, it sounds like the consensus is a two part solution; purpose built riding mower and a 4x4 sub-compact (or compact?) tractor for the other work.

Thanks guys! Really appreciate the advice.

shaun

Photos:

DavesTractor · Feb 16, 2015

Gorgeous place. I like it!

We do an occasional wedding and big church picnics (400-500 people) at our place, just for friends and not as a business....so I think I get what you are doing. For sure get a nice mower. If you want to bag, I like the Walker GHS or the Exmark Navigator as the mowers are built around the collection system. When we have an event, I mow and bag 3 acres or so, and even though some of that is just field grass, it looks great right after the mowing, and folks aren't carrying around grass on their shoes nor is their that brown haze from grass that is not picked up. I know mulching is good, but there are times to bag. These mowers are not cheap, but they work really well. I am sure folks will chime in on other mowing alternatives. You can mow pretty fast with a nice zero turn, faster than you might imagine.

It you plan to mow or till between the vineyard rows, you will need to know your spacing. It's easy to get too wide with the tractor or implements.

As far as tractor size, first see if you have limitations in width due to the vineyard. Other than that, a small tractor will do just about everything a big tractor will do, just in smaller chunks.

And again, that place is really nice!