Bob_Young
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2002
- Messages
- 1,211
- Location
- North of the Fingerlakes - NY
- Tractor
- Ford 4000; Ford 2000(both 3cyl.);JD40; 2004 Kubota L4300; 2006 Kubota B7610; new 2007 Kubota MX5000
Like anything else, cabs have their good and bad points. For the hobby work on my own land, they're not needed and probably wouldn't work anyway. Too many trees to work around and, like another said, if the conditions are miserable enough, the work gets left 'til later.
For professional usage, it's a different matter. The work must get done and you can't pick and choose the conditions in which you do it. Cabs have kept me in the field and working when wind, rain, blowing dust and cold would've driven me out. They're a definite advantage in this setting, but come with continuing costs.
At this latitude, heat is not a huge problem but, with a cab, an air conditioner will be needed in any season other than winter. This can be a no-go item in warm weather; especially if the cab windows cannot be fully opened. It's the air conditioning reliability aspect that, in my mind, limits the choice of cabbed tractors to new/late models. Keeping a 20 yr. old AC system working on an otherwise capable tractor demands resources and skills many lack. So if you think you want one, plan on buying new (or nearly so) and trading before the climatic system goes south. Somehow I think that approach would be acceptable to most here.
FWIW
Bob
For professional usage, it's a different matter. The work must get done and you can't pick and choose the conditions in which you do it. Cabs have kept me in the field and working when wind, rain, blowing dust and cold would've driven me out. They're a definite advantage in this setting, but come with continuing costs.
At this latitude, heat is not a huge problem but, with a cab, an air conditioner will be needed in any season other than winter. This can be a no-go item in warm weather; especially if the cab windows cannot be fully opened. It's the air conditioning reliability aspect that, in my mind, limits the choice of cabbed tractors to new/late models. Keeping a 20 yr. old AC system working on an otherwise capable tractor demands resources and skills many lack. So if you think you want one, plan on buying new (or nearly so) and trading before the climatic system goes south. Somehow I think that approach would be acceptable to most here.
FWIW
Bob