Cab pros and cons

[MChalkley]

Bob - I don't know; for some reason, AC and trouble have almost always used in the same sentence, for me. I don't dislike the idea of having AC on my EF-5 - I just hate the idea of having to jury-rig it in there. I'm sure it's probaby not too daunting an idea if you've done it before, but I haven't, and I'm not thrilled by the prospect.

I've got some good fans - hopefully they'll make a big difference.

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...I just hate the idea of having to jury-rig it in there.</font color=blue> Yeah, I hear you. Hopefully someone will be an expert at this and know a good way.

<font color=blue>I've got some good fans - hopefully they'll make a big difference.</font color=blue>

I suspect most everybody on TBN is a good fan of yours /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, and I'm sure they'll make a difference. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Good luck, and please keep us posted..

 

[MChalkley]

Bob - <font color=blue>I suspect most everybody on TBN is a good fan of yours</font color=blue>

Anybody that's a fan of mine has got to be partial to hot air, and that's what I'm trying to get less of, not more. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I've already gotten lots and lots of good ideas and assistance here on TBN, so I'm sure more will follow, as you said. That's a "gimme".

 

[RAllen]

A cab is a wonderful thing to have when you blow snow. I considered puting one on my Kubota 2910 until I came up with the following.

1. I love working and riding on my tractor during the summer. Up here, the sun rarely beats down hard enough to miss the shade and the open air ride cannot be beat.

2. Some controls such as a Freedom Hitch release lever cannot be reached with a cab. Other controls, snowblower chute control, must be modified or you must opt for a costly electric or hydro. control.

3. Yes, branches do hit you in the woods but a cab would not last very long working in such an environment. Nothing less than a full cage will protect you and not be damaged.

4. With a fold-down ROPS, I can put my tractor in my heated garage. Maintanence is almost a joy in a 55 degree gargage with a dry, level floor. A cab would prevent this.

Of course, if I won the lottery, I would almost certainly have one tractor with a cab and store it in my brand new tractor shed. But I would always have one tractor ready to go into the woods and it would not have a cab.

 

[hayden]

I'm thinking in terms of a high-end Kubota Grand L (I still haven't woken up from my dream)

 

[hayden]

Mark,

You had a 4310 with a bradco 609 if I recall. How close did the BH seat come to the operator seat? I'm trying to figure out if and how exactly a Bradco BH is incompatible with a cab (either aftermarket or factory). Is it a question of the BH seat hitting the cab rear window, or does the bradco mounting frame not work with the factory cab mounting? or something else? You don't have any pictures by any chance?

Peter

 

[hayden]

We can forget price, and we can include AC if needed to solve heat problems.

Remember, this is just a dream, but I believe dreams should be complete and in living color!

The only real downside I can see for my needs is the BH issue. What's with the Bradco frame extensions? Anyone know about them? Also, the Grand L factory cabs look like they mount to the rear axel where the ROPS bar otherwise mounts, but it mounts in a different way. Does this different mount preclude use of the Bradco frames?

 

[MChalkley]

Peter - You're correct: the problem is that the backhoe seat would hit the rear glass. I had to make some spacers to go between the backhoe mount and the bracket when I put the Michelins on it. I'll see if I've got some pictures of it.

 

[PaulinSD]

Back home in Michigan, I traded my Ford 4500 hoe for a Case 580D, my first hoe with a cab. Sure makes it nice plowing snow, and staying warm. Out here in South Dakota, it's rare to see a farm tractor without a cab, but that is the farmers/ranchers office. I'm looking into the Kioti line, the DK50 with a cab for commercial mowing. It's tough to be out for hours on end in 95* heat and 90 % humity. But then again, it's a business for us. I'd gladly pay for the cab, a/c and heat to keep the billable hours coming in.

Paul

 

[Anonymous Poster]

A con that has not been mentioned yet is increasing the height of the center of gravity. A cab may not have much effect on a large tractor's center of gravity but on a small compact it could be significant. I think someone even mentioned they could feel this effect from just a canopy.

Andy