To Cab - or not to Cab?

[ssriley]

I have 13 acres of which about 10 acres is moderately wooded. I started to clear the brush off the property several years ago with a Kubota L2600DT, and there was a fair amount of blood-letting involved due to scratches from limbs, etc.

I sold the tractor a year ago and am now looking at a Kioti DK45S?-C? for some serious land clearing, but would appreciate some opinions from all you wise ones about the cab model soon to be on the market.

Can today's cab's take contact with brush and hanging limbs occasionally without taking heavy damage or outright window breakage? Would it spare me from looking like I've been in a cat fight at the end of the day? I guess the main question I'm asking is; is it safer in a cab in this situation even though it may be harder on the equipment?

Thanks, and I appreciate your opinions.

 

[Dargo]

Oh yeah, CAB!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I can't see me going back to cab-less after having a cab.

 

[BarryinMN]

My cab has survived some pretty good hits from pine tree branches. Radio antenna (my aftermarket) was the only casualty. You can quickly, significantly & permanently scratch the glass. Cab makes an excellent bug screen, dust blocker etc.

Those bright blue Fall days plow & discing are made for open station tractoring though.

 

[KiotiJohn]

One always stands the risk of breaking something when working in trees. Should it be your head, or the cab? The cabs do offer a good bit of protection, but, of course, some things could still fall on top that are heavy enough to override the protection.

I work in my timber a good bit in open platform, but I'm always aware that weak, rotten tree tops could come down on me at any time. With the really tall trees, even the cab may not be protection enough, but would sure be better than none.

As for wear and tear, forget a great paint job if you're going to do a lot of this work. Just keep plenty of touch up paint around, 'cause things are GOING to happen!

John

 

[EastTexFrank]

First of all .... welcome, especially to a mud engineer. I don't think we have another one of those, except for me a long time ago.

Now here are my thoughts on the subject. As a general rule I would say to get a cab but, depending on just how many trees we are talking about, I think I might take the 2 step approach. I might get an older tractor with a canopy, a 4-post set up would be best, to get the clearing done and once I had it reasonably clean, trade it for a cab model. When putting in a long day during the Texas summer, a cab with A/C is a wonderful place to be but make no mistake, it will get torn up working around trees. Usually the radio antennae and work lights are the first to go and if you have a "stick up in the air" exhaust, it'll quickly follow. The glass will get scratched and cracked. I even had a back window "explode" into the cab but that was an older tractor and it obviously wasn't safety glass. In short, around trees, the cab is going to get beat up. It's up to you whether you'd rather have the cab or your body take the beating. Once you have it reasonably clear, even on 13 acres, I would say get a cab, especially if it's going to be a one time and forever purchase. It just makes it so much nicer and easier to work during a typical August day.

Having said all that, right now we don't have a cab tractor, except for the Massey 275 and the A/C in it hasn't worked in 20 years. Every time I mow at the farm during the summer and I'm covered in dust, choking on chaff, picking bugs out of my teeth, getting hit on the back of the head by flying debris and sweating like the proverbial pig, I lust for a cab and I don't care if it gets beat up or not. So, you might say that my advice on the matter isn't exactly unbiased.

 

[psuedofarmer]

a friend of mine in texas refers to tractors w/o cabs as being a sauna on big tires..

i have a DK55C. i also heat with wood, taking 5-7 cords of wood each year. i squeeze this tractor into some very tight trails while skidding, and can say from experience that the cab takes lots of abuse. IMHO, i can't say i've experienced heavy scratching on the glass; the mirrors as fold-away types, and whenever i hit low lying branches (very often), the mirrors simply fold.

i haven't broken anything, but as others pointed out, scratches are inevitable. frankly, i would expect to see many more scratches on the cab based upon the abuse i put it through. i think the paint/plastic/windows have withstood lots of abuse in my 300+ hrs.

good luck.

pf

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( i have a DK55C. i also heat with wood, taking 5-7 cords of wood each year. )</font>
I really think you should simply use the heater provided in the cab. You may die of carbon monoxide poisoning burning all the wood to heat your cab! LOL
John

 

[EastTexFrank]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> a friend of mine in Texas refers to tractors w/o cabs as being a sauna on big tires </font> )</font>

I refer to our Massey with cab and no A/C as the "mobile greenhouse". It's not a fun place to be from late May through September. This year I refused to use it and just shut things down for the summer. I do that every year but this time, so far, I've managed to keep my word but we'll see, it's still early and there's bound to be some "emergency".

 

[psuedofarmer]

<font color="blue">I really think you should simply use the heater provided in the cab. You may die of carbon monoxide poisoning burning all the wood to heat your cab! LOL </font>

another fine example of why i should preview my posts!

i should point out that i haven't had a need to install a parlor-sized woodstove in the cab. the heater works very well. in fact, i think the cab is more air tight (and warmer) than my circa 1740 house.

perhaps i should add a 2nd floor to the cab?

pf

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( perhaps i should add a 2nd floor to the cab?
)</font>
Naw, it would be too hard to make it foldable so you can put under shelter. Would be nice for a break room though!
John