Mahrinda, good deal?

I'm fixing-up an old house that needs 7 acres of grass cut and I'm also tearing down a bunch of other old houses (for salvage materials). Right now I don't have a tractor. It's hard work and very time consuming.

So I need a tractor, but the only one I can afford is concerning me.

Mahindra (an India manufacturer of tractors once built under the International brand?) makes a model 485 tractor that will cost $9000 new from a local dealer. (old design, new tractor)

I need a front end loader and a 6' finish mower and the Mahindra will handle that ($15,000 total), but other tractor dealers suggest a lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) about Mahrindas. (they also suggest I get a nice new Deere, Kubota, MF... instead.

The problem is, the other dealers are giving me prices for 1977 tractors in the $19,000 range.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not it's a good idea to save on the purchase price and get a new piece of machinery?

I didn't worry about Mahindra too much until I searched on it and came up with 1 hit (a guy thought Mahindra might have a compatible part for his old international). So if anyone knows of something, I'd appreciate hearing of it.

Thanks for the help, Rich

The folks giving you all the good advise to get JD, Kubota, and Ferguson. None of those tractors are made in America either.

JD is really a Zetor, Kubota is Jap, and MF is made in Romania, Czek and Bulgaria with a generic Perkins engine.

Just because you buy familiar named American tractors don't mean you'll get anything familiar to America.

I bought a TAFE. It's a generic MF with a generic Perkins diesel, 43 pto hp, it was a little over $12,000 with a loader and power steering. So far the hired help can't tear it up and all we've had to replace is one power steering line. It has plenty of power for the 6' bushhog and handles like a dream for a utility tractor.