# Anyone ever have a tractor break in half?



## Farmitall40 (Feb 17, 2015)

No, not the kind of breaking in half to do a clutch job, BROKEN IN HALF as in the casting broke in two pieces, dislodging the front axle from its trunnions, fan into shroud and lower hose, broke input shaft to front axle, bent front drive shaft and guards, broke couplings.

I'm so absolutely disgusted with Mahindra. My tractor was five months beyond the 5 year warranty and IT BROKE IN HALF!!

The casting itself is over $1000 dollars and the peripheral parts(not labor) needed to do the repair are in excess of another $2300.00. The four wheel drive shaft broke off the spline on the input/pinion shaft of the front axel. That requires a new ring and pinion set @ 1700.00. Fan, lower radiator hose, bolts, couplers, pins, radiator shroud, coolant and *my labor* to fix this God awful mess.

I can't NOT fix it, the machine only has 900 hours on it.

The casting design used is flawed engineering from the get go. No steel supports on the sides so the entire lifting, steering, front axle mounting all place leverage and torque on a casting that is less than 1 inch thick and as crystalline and porous as I've ever seen any piece of iron. Absolute JUNK!!!

Add to this aggravation, that the support for these tractors is non existent. The company would do nothing.
I wouldn't own another Mahindra tractor if someone offered to pay me to take it.

I will edit this post with a picture of the casting breakage in the near future.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I know of a Jinma that broke. That sure sucks. My John Deere with about 140 hours on it, all the sudden right in the middle of pushing a brush pile on fire, a bit further from a house I own, shattered a planetary drive to the tune of about $3,000 in parts alone. I did the work, so I understand the face stinging slap of surprise in these issues. I wonder if they have remedied that issue for that model Mahindra?


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Farmitall40, welcome to the tractor forum.

What model Mahindra? I've read a post about a large tractor breaking in half once before, but I cannot remember what brand tractor.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Post a photo or two.

Yes, I have had a couple tractors break in half at the bell housing and back of the diesel engine. In one case it was the result of failed bolts and covered under warranty, the other was operator error.

The operator error was from ramming the bucket into loads under full power and in four wheel drive. I suspect the operator is enjoying easy street smoking Oregon's recently legalized pot and skating through life on the dole as he draws unemployment insurance.

The proper use of a loader is not intuitive, because most tractors will exceed the loader ratings several times over when pushing under power.


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## Farmitall40 (Feb 17, 2015)

RC Wells said:


> Post a photo or two.
> 
> Yes, I have had a couple tractors break in half at the bell housing and back of the diesel engine. In one case it was the result of failed bolts and covered under warranty, the other was operator error.
> 
> ...


Agree, the proper use of a loader is not intuitive. That aside, this tractor design is poor as to its use of a piece of porous cast iron to support all the torque and leverages that are placed on it.
Had it been designed using a steel frame supporting the sides of it, this could never happen. It would have taken two 1/2 inch steel plates about 20 inches long bolted to the same point that the loader support bolts to and continue forward to the front of the casting where the grill guard bolts in. Probably would cost a factory $15.00 to mass produce and improve the strength of the product exponentially.

That modification is going to be done by me as soon as I can draw out the measurements and have a shop cut and drill the plates for me.
If you ever get a chance, check out how a 6530 4wd is built. You will readily see that it is a flawed design. They are using that casting to provide weight and act as a frame. BAD CHOICE.
I've been using this tractor for the same task and not over working it for three years, mixing/moving wood chips(not stone or heavy loam or clay). This is light work for any loader.
I don't dig with it or try to over fill the bucket. I move wood chips and pull a 5ft bushhog mower that came with it new.


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## Farmitall40 (Feb 17, 2015)

sixbales said:


> Howdy Farmitall40, welcome to the tractor forum.
> 
> What model Mahindra? I've read a post about a large tractor breaking in half once before, but I cannot remember what brand tractor.


Mahindra 6530 4wd.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

I would have a discussion with the dealer, and manufacturers' representative. Most manufacturers have a hidden warranty program to deal with "merchantability" issues. Merchantability has a specific legal definition in most states that requires a product to be suitable for the designed and designated purpose. This will trump warranty, and holds the manufacturer liable well beyond the warranty period.

Getting action may require a few bucks to have an attorney write a letter to Mahindra, but generally not.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

I recalled A Jinma breaking in half and here is the thread from our forum for that one....

https://www.tractorforum.com/threads/broken-jinma-254.11872/

And here's a Antonio Carraro from our own forum......

https://www.tractorforum.com/threads/help-i-broke-my-tractor-in-half.11137/


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## willys55 (Oct 13, 2016)

Wow, that is really something..........I can only image the words coming from Antonio at that moment.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

willys55 said:


> ..........I can only image the words coming from Antonio at that moment.


Yeah.... like....... "Fricken fracken betah splacken should've bought a John Deere grishan sneagle hoffen!"


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## Farmitall40 (Feb 17, 2015)

Got my tractor running and rolling yesterday, although it's only 2wd at the moment.

The casting breakage caused the tractor to collapse downward which bent the front drive shaft and broke off the input spline on the front pinion shaft.

I've never seen a pile of engineering mistakes as large as this POS.

For the lack of two cheap steel plates to reinforce the sides of the casting, this breakage has incurred about $5000 in damages, parts and labor.

NEVER, EVER AGAIN!!


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## Geronimoejoe (Mar 9, 2020)

RC Wells said:


> I would have a discussion with the dealer, and manufacturers' representative. Most manufacturers have a hidden warranty program to deal with "merchantability" issues. Merchantability has a specific legal definition in most states that requires a product to be suitable for the designed and designated purpose. This will trump warranty, and holds the manufacturer liable well beyond the warranty period.
> 
> Getting action may require a few bucks to have an attorney write a letter to Mahindra, but generally not.


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## Geronimoejoe (Mar 9, 2020)

Set it by the highway if you live in front of a busy street or highway. Paint a sign "This is Mahindra at its best". Mine has less than 70 hours on it, and I have to rope down the clutch to keep it from sticking. I have had to change the battery and found out how cheap the iron is. I had paint fade less than 40 hours. I keep it parked in the barn to keep it from getting busted. I have called the main office for Mahindra, and found out that they don't honor the 5 year warranty at all. We Mahindra owners need to stick together and do our best to shut these India-made POS tractors from making a living. I'm a disabled veteran, and it has really been disappointing to own a POS tractor, made by a POS company that has cost me a pile of money that I need to raise 2 grandkids, as well as my son (disabled by a diabetic coma). I can certainly understand your frustration.
Good luck


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