Dougster

Understood about JD's (and M-F's & NH's) outsourced/imported approach to CUT's. Perhaps that is a good reason to consider Kubota and Kioti CUT's over the others. At least you know for sure who the heck built it!

But to further clarify my position on truth in branding... With the one big exception of Chinese production (which I don't think I'll ever fully trust), I have no problem with tractor companies building tractors (or key tractor parts) of their own design anywhere in the world within their own factories, to their own technical specifications and under their own quality assurance procedures. It's the surreptitious (and seemingly unnecessary) outsourcing of production of core products to multiple outside companies... often outright competitors... that starts to drive me up the wall.

Dougster™

tomwilli

Hi Gentlemen,

The truth be known, they all outsource but with most of the " older, established " brands they began and had production facilities in the good old U.S of A.

Ended up outsourcing as part of the shift to better bottom line and the global economy ( a term I have come to dislike ).
There were other economic factors to the outsourcing but at least they started and had factories here.

Kioti, well at least their factory is in their home country. TYM, basically the same.

Mahindra, basically all outsourced from even their home country where you would think that cheap labour is an abundant commodity and then imported to the U.S.
So, most of the Mahindras can be comparted to tractors without a home country.
Not really true I guess since they are Indian tractors made in Japan or Korea or all of the above.

Don't take me wrong, I think the CUTs are great products and would buy one in a minute if circumstances were right.

Right now, Mahindra has a price advantage over the biggies but also has dealer issues.

Would be real interesting to see how long Mahindra would last if the price point advantage were not there.

Well that's my .02 for tonite and it is probably worth less than that.

Have a great evening everyone.

Later
Tom

tomwilli

Dougster,

Someone should park a nice shiny new Chinese Mahindra in front of your house so you could appreciate it's build and beauty daily.
Come on, you know you would grow to love it.

Later and have a good one.

Tom

Dougster

Actually, the price advantage seems to be melting away if recent reports are true. One reason: Indian inflation is outpacing US inflation by a factor of 3.
The old Dougster™ has looked them over very carefully and he is not impressed. Any comparison to the premium Mitsubishi-built or TYM-built Mahindras (other than the color "red") is purely coincidental.

Dougster™

tomwilli

Hey Dougster,

Indian inflation may be running higher but when I compart a Deere 2305 to a Mahindra 2015, price wise there is a big difference and an even bigger difference in performance.

Hope thing going well for you and you are ready for the fortcoming weather.

Take care

Tom

Dougster

Now you're gonna have to help me out here Tom 'cause I am not up on my smaller machines: Which is more expensive up there and which do you consider to have the better performance. The Deere seems to win on HP and PTO HP but the Mitsubishi Mahindra seems to win on everything else.

My point on the Indian inflation rate was really me just wondering aloud how long Mahindra can be a price leader if their costs keep going up at 3+ times the rate of inflation here... but since I don't know the inflation rates of Japan, South Korea and China off the top of my head... maybe I am just speaking out of my a** again!!!

Dougster™

PaulChristenson

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

tomwilli

Hey Dougster,

Truthfully, the comparison between the smallest Mahindra and the smallest Deere really is not fair to the Deere.
While HP in the Mahindra may seem less, they are underated.
Also there is a big difference in weight, size, etc which give the Mahindra a distinct advantage. Probably would be best compared the the Deere 2320 for which the price variance becomes even more obvious.

Not that I have anything against Deere as I would love to have a 2520 but would rather have a Mahindra and a few more implements for the same money.

Paul, that is quite the case of a bit of inverted economics. High inflation and negative interest rates.
Where else could it really happen except in the far East with Confusion ideas.

Thanks for the info. Going to look up some more on it. As usual, good sources.

Later Gentlemen and have a great evening.

Tom

PaulChristenson

"Mahindra acquired the tractor division of Jaingling Motors, the factory that built tractors for Lenar, about 3 years ago now. Mahindra stopped exports from this factory to the USA. The have recently introduced what was the LE 254II with synchro shuttle as the Mahindra 2525 and is availble in the USA again (with several upgrades). They continue to build the older models of what was the "Feng Shou" tractor prior to Jainglings acquisition for other markets which I suspect include the Chinese home market as well as india. We don't know what they will do with the Yancheng factory that makes Jinmas yet. They may use the product for "3rd world" applications but I would expect they will want to curtail the number of tractors coming to the USA. Unlike Jaingling. I don't think Jinma has any product that Mahindra can use in the USA.

Lenar is a US owned brand, originally part of Roger Powell's Mazama group out of Oregan,which was shuttered a couple years ago. Lenar is now headquartered in Texas. When they lost Jaingling as a supplier, they switched to Dong Feng. Im not sure what their current status is. Maybe a current Lenar dealer will continue this story..."


Based on this thread...Mahindra is doing exactly what it should be doing...stopping competition from its OWN plant with Mahindra badged tractors by ceasing to ship LENAR TRACTORS...

Much to do about a realignment of a bunch of off label tractor brands...a Chinese Mahindra would bring in more dollars to the corporation than a bunch of off brand imports...

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

Dougster

I gotcha now Tom. I would have been surprised if a Deere were cheaper than a similarly capable Mitsubishi Mahindra... but I am not up in Canada and ya never know! Several folks on that overbloated tractor forum have claimed to have gotten prices on Kubotas and Deeres that matched or beat Mahindra prices... although some of the machines they considered "comparable" took a real stretch of the imagination.

Dougster™