Mahindra vrs JD

[shamban]

I am new to TBN and love this place! I have learned a lot about first tractor hunt. It seems that what most everyone agrees is quite possibly the most important factor is having a quality, local dealer for support. Since I am new to all this, I would consider this extremely important as well.

I have two dealers close, JD and Mahindra. I am looking for a 30 HP, FEL, backhoe, rotary mower. I have 25 acres with 5 aces woods. What I am wondering how these brands compare to each other in the range. How much might I save with Mahindra and is there any downside to going with them? I am more concerned with more for the money than a name brand.

Thanks ,
Joey

 

[beenthere]

If I were making the decision, I would be looking at the odds of the Deere dealer or the Mahindra dealer being in business 5 years, 10 years down the road. You likely will need some minor assistance with a new purchase in the first 2-5 years, with the possibility of more major help after 5 years. Parts availability is likely an issue, and upgrading potential (which includes trade-in value) is another issue worth considering.

I've made those decisions already, and everyone faces them one time or another. Good luck.

 

[ebeacham]

I believe that Mahindra is here to stay, They have invested a lot of money in the US market. So I would assume that both makes will be around for the next 10 years. If you want a heavy, rugged machine with a high 3 pt lift capacity that costs thousands less then go with the Mahindra. If you want a superior FEL, superior paint job, and want to be the envy of all your neighbors, then get a Deere.

 

[shvl73]

I bought a Mahindra 2810HST & I also feel Mahindra is here to stay & will only get stronger in the market place. When I was shopping, the local LD dealer showed me the 790 as being the tractor that fit my stated needs & budget. The Mahindra dealer showed me the 2810 for less $. The flat floor, the loader capacity of 1020lbs vs. 610lbs, the massive front axle, the clean underside (no hoses or wiring to get hurt while brush-hogging) were some items that sold me. Choose your dealer carefully. Re-sale is always an issue & it's hard to debate that a JD will hold it's value well. With prices of new always rising, I think I'll do ok IF I ever want to upgrade but, I very happy with my machine.

 

[RanchMan]

This question comes up every so often on TBN. Here's the general fallout from the previous threads.

(Now, before anyone gets upset, not EVERY big 3 owner says these things nor does EVERY Mahindra owner, but these are the general themes that each group generally adheres too.)

1a) "Big 3" owners are going to preach the value of having a close dealer and basically imply that Mahindra dealers are likely to go out of business and not be there when you need them.

1b) Mahindra owners are going to counter stating that Mahindra is one of the largest manufacturers of tractors in the world and say although dealers may not be that close, they've a good experience with them.

2a) "Big 3" owners are going to complain about the quality of Mahindras and that they don't have features of their "Big 3" tractor.

2b) Mahindra owners will point out the specs, claim their belief in the quality of the product, and point to their experiences actually using Mahindra equipment.

3a) "Big 3" owners are going to say you can't get parts.

3b) Mahindra owners will claim otherwise.

4a) "Big 3" owners are going to point to a "higher resale value" of their tractor compared to a Mahindra.

4b) Mahindra owners will point out they spent less for their tractor up front, hence it only makes sense to get less for it at resale. Additionally, Mahindra owners will say that they don't plan on "trading in" their tractor but utilize it long term, so why bother with resale.


Basically, it boils down to this:
Mahindra owners will claim that "Big 3" tractor owners simply paid too much for their tractor and that it "wasn't worth it" while "Big 3" owners will say that they avoided risk and got a higher quality product based on the amount of money they spent.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Mahindra owner and overall have been very happy with my purchase. That being said, I do not have the same type of blind brand loyalty that many tractor owners put forth. I have complained about certain aspects of my Mahindra in the past on TBN, so I am the first to state, "No, Mahindra isn't perfect", BUT NEITHER IS A JD, KUBOTA, NH or ANY OTHER BRAND out there!!! Those that claim otherwise are deluding themselves.

It boils down to this: JD makes a good machine. So does Kubota, NH, and many others including Mahindra. I don't put much value on the "relationship with your dealer" that a lot do. (Didn't do that when I purchased my truck either.) Some people do. I won't say that's wrong, just that I do not see the same value proposition.

My suggestion is this: Go to both dealers, drive both machines, and see which one you like better. Either way, you'll wind up with a good machine.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

RanchMan, I cannot DISagree with you more. I'm a Big 2 of the 3 owner (Kubota & NH) and I would never say those things about Mahindra/Branson/Kioti/etc. I would very likely say them about Jinma & Kama.

I think we have to look at the orignal post. He says money is a big issue. Personally the ONE feature I stress to many people, especially newbies, is getting HST. But Manindra does have HST on some of their models. It makes loader work faster, easier and safter. It also makes mowing much faster if you mow around trees, buildings, decks, and landscaping.

I do think DEALERS are CRITICAL, I would not buy a Mahindra but that is becuase there are no dealers close to me (I have NH, JD, Kubtota, Branson & Cub within 8 miles of the house, it is likely those are the only brands I would consider). I believe there must be a local dealer to count on. I also believe they should be a quality dealership. We have no indication that the original posters local Mahindra dealership is not a quality shop.

I generally dismiss the resale arguement completely because any good tractor will last 20 years and I basically think it is foolish to get rid of a tractor less than 10 years old without specific cause.

I dismiss your PARTS availability issue with regard to Mahindra/Kioti/Branson/etc. But I would suggest it is very true for many grey market tractors. It is not even an issue with Jinma/Kama, but you do have to go through a bit more effort with those two.

What I guess it all boils down to is ACTUAL USE of the tractor. Mahndra, Branson & Kioti are all superior machines to many of the Deere/NH/Kubotas for doing ground engaging work because they are heavy. Weight often equals traction. On the other hand, if the tractor will be mowing the lawn, doing typical landscape construction and maintainence, then a lighter weight tractor, that is typically smaller and turns tighter is the better choice; JD/NH/Kubota would have the edge there.

Then we hit the budget, in most areas, the big 3 are more expensive on similar size tractors with similar features. How much more varies greatly by region. A poster named GOATMAN just got a better overall deal on a NH TC30 than he could have gotten on a Jinma. So it pays to check everything.

I think we really need to bring some objective thought into these forums. Brand loyalty is often pointless. Features often matter. Price usually matters. Weight, frame size, hp often have less to do with a choice than we think.

 

[DAP]

Bob, I'm not sure you understood Ranchman. I'll let him speak for himself though.

Bob, here's a question for you. I expect nothing less than as honest an answer as you can muster.

Q: Suppose you were in the market for a 30hp HST / FEL R4 equipped machine. If you had your choice, which ONE of the following would you opt for.

1. Kubota B2910 with FEL for 21,500 at the only local dealer in your county (free del. plus tax).
2. NH TC29 HST with FEL for 22,875 at the only local dealer in your county (free del. plus tax).
3. Mahindra 3015 HST with FEL for 17,955 from a N. Carolina Dealer (shipping included, no tax)
4. Kubota B2910 with FEL for 18,600 from a WI dealer (includes shipping, no tax).
5. JD 4210 HST with FEL for 19,800 from a dealer 200 miles away in IN (shipping or pick it up, plus tax).
6. Kioti CK30 HST with FEL for 17,600 from Texas (add 350 shipping with a wait, no tax).

Which one?

 

[shamban]

I am glad you mentioned the size factor. It was something I had not yet considered. Initially, I will be doing a lot of heavy work (installing a driveway, digging ponds). But later I could see more mowing work where I would not want to tear up the land. I will need to consider the size factor for sure.

Thanks for mentioning it!

Joey

 

[RanchMan]

Yes, Bob completely took my post in a different way than it was intended. Since one of the moderators told me "I have an unenviable reputation on TBN" because of the "harshness" of my posts, I have chosen to respond to Bob via PM so as to prevent any dreaded conflict in a public area. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Joey, I think most people who move to land buy (or at least look at buying) a tractor sized for their construction jobs and tend to disregard the future maintainence jobs.

The reality is you will spend a couple years CONSTRUCTING your landscape, but you will likely spend a decade or more MAINTAINING your landscape. That obviously does not apply to people who buy tractors to be used for farming, logging, etc. But for the homeowner with a few to a couple dozen acres who is building their dream home and fixing up the property as their own mini-estate, then you really need to ask yourself if some of the other features come into play. Mowing with a big tractor on a small property that is landscaped could be a pain, so is the FEL easy to remove and install? You'd probably want to pull the FEL every time you mow with a big tractor. Do you have low spots that will be mowed? A heavy tractor will leave ruts, so maybe going to a smaller size/lesser HP machine might lighten the weight enough and STILL give you 90% of the capabilities of a larger unit?

Just for reference, my TC24D is about 18" shorter (from the 3pt to the front of the bucket) than the B2910, it is 6hp less than the B2910, but the FEL probably gives me 80+% of the capacity of the bigger machine. It turns much tigher and the ROPS is about 10" lower so it fits through the woodland paths that I cut when the B2910 does not fit. I'm not pushing either brand, just giving you some examples.

Ask youself what you are really going to do. If you plan on living on your property for 12 years, and the first 2 years are building landscaping, the remaining 10 will be maintaining. Buy a tractor that will fill both needs. Generally I believe (JMHO) that a slightly smaller tractor is often a better choice. If you are not using a lot of ground engaging equipment, then a lighter tractor is very probably better in the long run. Size is relative. For one person a 33hp unit might be "small" for another a 21hp might be just right. But think LONG TERM and it might take a little longer to build something, but in the long run it might be a lot less time consuming to maintain.

Now all that said, if you are just going to plop a house on an open field, then buy a big honkin tractor and pull the biggest deck you can find. That will get the job done well and fast. If your wife starts talking about kidney shaped landscaping pods, birdbaths, and trails, then you can forget your dreams of mowing with a 15' batwing deck and focus on a 60" unit behind a small frame tractor.

 

[shamban]

Ranchman,

I understand your point as it was intended. I hope no one was offended because this sort of dialogue is very educational for me.

Joey

 

[RanchMan]

No problem. Just trying to help too. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Glad you are finding the discussion useful.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ranchman,

I understand your point as it was intended. I hope no one was offended because this sort of dialogue is very educational for me.

Joey )</font>

Joey, I also understood the point, I was not offended, and I did not mean to offend. But I did disagree with much of the post, I did not bash any brand, nor did I try to support any brand, I just pointed things out. And I am blunt, something that is fairly obvious in many of my posts. But I do stand by what I wrote.

By the way, I think it would be helpful to us all if you could give even MORE detail as to your tractoring plans. Because I am not sure if you are looking at a big enough machine. Like I wrote, size is relative. For your size property, 33hp would not be too big, but it really depends on your uses.

 

[RanchMan]

Contrary to Bob's statement, I still question whether he "got" the crux of my initial post. Suffice to say, I have found numerous recommendations he has made in his follow up posts that I disagree with. Again, he and I are conversing via PM in order to keep this thread "nice."

 

[dbelisle]

I bought a Mahindra 2810HST with a 3375 hoe last year.

I have been very happy with it and I spent a lot of time looking at all the brands. It was very difficult because they all have features that make them all good tractors.

I went with the 2810HST because of the ground clearance with the Hoe on.
The clearance is great for rough areas and love the HST.

I can load trucks and move dirt without taking my hands off the steering wheel or the FEL control.

They have come out with a 3510HST . It is the same tractor as the 2810HST with a little more power.

I have ordered a Kioti DK40 for the local ATV club . It should be here in about 2 weeks, but it doesn't have HST


Good luck on what you deside.

Dave in NH

2810HST

 

[Poncho]

shambam...... Bob and Ranchman have made some very good points. I think across the board... based on my apples to apples comparisons between JD & Mahindra.... savings would be somewhere between $1500 - $3000, winner Mahindra. I think most people ask this question because they want to make a well informed decision on a major purchase, and are not looking to sell or trade anytime soon. This goes hand in hand with Bob's reasoning about resale value, tractors lasting 20 years etc. Mahindra has been around for many years dating back to the 50s, they actually built the Willys Jeep used during war time, are the largest tractor manufacturer in India and as pointed out, are making quite an established presence here in the states. The statement that some people make about the dealerships being around amuses me because around here, the Mahindra Dealerships are also the ones that sell Massey Ferguson and other makes, and have been around for years. They may drop the Mahindra line, but around here dealerships drop other lines too.... just go to another dealership. I do put a lot of emphasis on the dealership relationship... I own a MF135 diesel and detest dealing with the closest dealership as they have no concept of customer service. Based on what your intended use is, I would consider the Mahindra 4500 4WD with FEL and backhoe, get a 6' bush hog and a garden tractor. I don't think you will be having a 20 acre grass area that needs a finish mower. IMHO...good luck and keep us posted.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( shambam...... Bob and Ranchman have made some very good points. I think across the board... based on my apples to apples comparisons between JD & Mahindra.... savings would be somewhere between $1500 - $3000, winner Mahindra. )</font>

I know you guys like to ignore resale value, but I just wanted to point out that after three years a big 3 brand will have retained enough resale value that an off brand would have lost to all but negate that price difference. For me, I would need at least 4-5000 in savings to really see Mahindra as an option.

 

[RanchMan]

4a) "Big 3" owners are going to point to a "higher resale value" of their tractor compared to a Mahindra.

4b) Mahindra owners will point out they spent less for their tractor up front, hence it only makes sense to get less for it at resale. Additionally, Mahindra owners will say that they don't plan on "trading in" their tractor but utilize it long term, so why bother with resale.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Joey,

Size does matter when it comes to tractors.

That being said, I chose the Mahindra 3510 over the 4110 because the 3510 has smaller front wheels (good for mowing and turning), yet is built on the same frame as the 4110 (pretty strong and should hold up)

I had to give up a little hp (very little, considering the extra power needed to turn the larger front wheels of the 4110).

If most of our use was field work, probably would've gone with the 4110- whatever is right for you.

We also are making some major changes here at the farm, but then wish to do regular maintenance work with the tractor. (a few weeks leveling and replanting a lawn, some driveway, drains, etc for 1-3 years, then mowing about every week for the next 20 years) We got a 3ph finish mower, making it easier to rationalize..er, justify the purchase of a new tractor /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Someone else got it right- consider the 80% you wish to use the tractor over the next 10-20 years and size it for that. Borrow or rent for the special tasks that you may only do once or twice.

Hope our experience helps you see and consider your options.

Overall, I think all the posters in this thread have been very fair.

Good luck.

-JC