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maple flats
08-18-2013, 11:15 AM
I have 2 Ford compact diesels, a 1979 25 hp/with loader and a 1981 20 hp. Both are 4x4 diesels. I need to stay rather small because I have 4.5 acres of blueberries, 1/4 acre of Raspberries and both need the tractor to fit down the rows.
I've been sort of looking for about 8 yrs for a tractor with a little more HP, a cab/AC and heat, a loader, diesel, 4x4 that still will fit in my rows. 2 days ago, I went to the NYS Woodsman's Field Days in Boonville, NY and I finally found one that will work.
I have signed and made a deposit to purchase my new workhorse. I will trade in my bigger tractor and rather than having 2 blue tractors in my stable, one will now be Red. I'm getting a 36 HP Mahindra 3616, with loader, cab, AC, heat, hydro drive, power steering and the price was right. The tractor will be about the same width as my larger tractor that I spray with. The Mahindra will now be my spray tractor and I can use charcoal filters and run the AC for comfort when spraying rather than having to wear a respirator, long sleeves, long pants etc even when I spray at 90 degree + and muggy days.
This tractor also has the quick change feature so I can drop the bucket and put a set of forks on for moving full racks of firewood or 2-3 bbls of syrup to my warehouse rather than only 1 bbl strapped into the front of the bucket. My old tractor only could lift 900# the new handles 1650#. My old tractor used clamp in forks to handle pallets or attempt my wood racks. Without PS and if the ground was soft or deep snow I could not handle the wood racks. My rack is 66" wide and if full it is 5' stacked wood with a sloped steel roof on and a pallet type floor for the forks to get in. With the old tractor trying to handle the weight so far out in front I had a real tuff time turning the wheel with no PS and it just would not work in the maple season, only on hard dry ground in summer. I will also do some of my wood hauling with it, but for most I use my excavator. I drive it up to the tree, raise the bucket to full and push on the tree. Then I cut the notch and saw from the back until i have a rather wide hinge. I then get on the excavator and push the tree over. Never had one go the wrong way since starting this on a huge red maple that had to go (about 54" at the cut on the stump) and more limbs on the wrong side than the way I wanted it to go. With the excavator and a deep notch I fell perfectly. Then on trees up to about 24" at the stump I limb them, lift the butt end and pull the whole tree to the splitter. There I hook on some tongs and lift the log several feet from the end of the log with the excavator and cut off several blocks. I split them, haul away with the tractor (yes, the new one) and then pull the log to the splitter and repeat. It makes firewood felling, gathering, and cutting a whole lot faster and safer.
This new tractor does however have one downside. I was getting ready to add an addition to the sugarhouse this fall. I'll now need to rearrange the current interior and hold on the addition until next year. Now I can't spend the funds on that for this year. I've got the drainage trench open, I'll just put the drainage tile in , cover it with the #2 crushed stone I have, lay a filter paper cover ( to exclude sand from plugging the stone bed) and refill with the sandy soil I dug out. The rest must wait another year now.

K.I. Joe
08-18-2013, 01:25 PM
Congrats, never enough horsepower LOL I have a 35 horse branson and would love to get a 50 with cab....maybe someday

sugarsand
08-18-2013, 01:59 PM
Maple flats, did you by anychance stop to the American Maple Museum booth at the Woodsmans? The whole event has really grown in the last few years, with a lot to interest everyone.

Sugarsand

MapleMounder
08-18-2013, 04:23 PM
Flats,

You should enjoy the Mahindra. A buddy of mine has a dealership in our town and the ag attachment manufacturer I used to work R & D for used to build OEM attachment for them. Mahindra has been around for a long time, they built Jeeps for the Government during WWII or Korea. They used to buy discontinued designs from IH/Cub Cadet and produce them. In the last few years they have redesigned their whole line. They are reliable pretty decent little tractors for the money. I kind of liken them to Kubota. In the early 80’s when they first started showing up, a lot of people didn’t take them serious, look at how big they are now.

Enjoy your purchase!

maple flats
08-19-2013, 07:56 PM
The tractor will be delivered most likely Friday, but possibly Thursday. Either will work for me. Then I've got to figure how I'll run my sprayer control valve. I don't think there was any place to run the hoses and valve into the cab. I think I'll need to get a solenoid valve to turn the spray on and off.

Clarkfield Farms
08-27-2013, 04:06 PM
Not to worry, Dave, Mahindra's operate the sprayer valves by channeling your thoughts! :)

Glad for you, even though it does mean putting other expansion plans on hold. Give me a call when it's a good time for me to come over and visit. Or get put to work, it's all good with me!

- Tim

maple flats
08-28-2013, 08:20 AM
I ended up installing the manual valve and gauge in the cab. The hoses had just enough room to enter thru the floor next to the hydraulic hoses to the loader valve. I made a HD bracket that is bolted to the loader valve pedestal and then is bent to run up to the right of the 3 PH lever. It worked out real nice. If I ever decide to move it out, I have a solenoid valve I could use too. As for visiting, today, tomorrow both fine. Just call my cell to make sure I didn't make a run someplace so you don't miss me. I'm headed there in a few minutes (the sugarhouse, that is). I have some logs to saw soon and I'm in the process of setting up the excavator to better and more easily set logs on the sawmill. I got 2 sets of tongs and made a lift bar that I'm bolting across the open mouth of the bucket. Then I'll mount a tong on each end and it will be ready to work. When I need to lift logs I'll just bolt the bar (2x4" heavy wall tube, about 4' long) on the excavator bucket and go.

wiam
08-28-2013, 08:33 AM
I bought a Mahindra 6500 9 years ago. I have been impressed by it. You will love the quick tach bucket. I was not looking for that feature, but do not try to take it from me. I also built a wood bucket out of an old oil tank.