Tractor cab in sunny states

[boggen]

as much as i love the cab on the old ford 555c loader backhoe. it is a pain in rear in the woods, or in areas were i am in tight spaces, and trying to get out of the cab.

the other issue with the old ford, is wasps, find there way into the cab and end up building nests :/

i don't have a/c in the cab, so in the extreme hotter days, it can be rather unbearable inside the cab, with windows open, it is hotter in the cab than out of the cab in direct sun light.

if you end up getting a oil leak (hydraulic leak), or oil spill inside a cab, *ughs* your lungs will get nailed. and it will be leak breathing through an oil bottle.

cabs can be a tad bit harder to see through and around. FEL (front end loader) work, and looking down side of engine to edge of bucket. along with trying to look over side of rear tires to see how close you are from hitting something. as ya try to maneuver around.

pesky limb smack in the face is the worst, but so are the leg spankings and arm spankings. i like the cab for that, but if i am only mowing (bush hog / rottory cutting) pasture or like a couple times a year. i could most likely live without a CAB, do to i would end up catching the mirrors and yanking the mirrors completely off, and cab up on more tree limbs than anything.

cab tractors more likely to come with a bigger alternator on tractor, and either already have upper front and rear lights, or be wired to have those extra lights. (big thing for me)

cab tractors can be a pain in the rear to wash the outside of the windows. its not easy to climb around a tractor even with a ladder. and or some sort of extended window washer thing / mop.

i like to carry "tools" with me. cab tractor kinda of a pain in the rear about adding stuff (modification tool holders) to the outside of the cab and around the cab to hold tool boxes or long handle items (shovels, rakes, etc...) vs an open station ROPS.

open station tractor, i get the power washer out, take some plastic and cover up what i need to. and just wash all the crud off the unit from the pile of mud i left in the seat from the last O'crud incident, to mud 2" plus thick on your boots that gets all over the place.

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hot summers mild winters is one thing. but it is the humidity that is the killer....

110F zero humidity in Arizona (desert in a sense) feels like 85F with high humidity here in Illinois (4 seasons, hot summer 100 to 105F, and cold winters 0 to -10F)

if you have high humidity, cab with A/C might be a good choice.
low humidity and high temps, a ROPS might be simple enough, just to keep the sun from beating on you, and keeping you in the shade.

if ya going to be seating on the tractor non stop for hours at a time, a CAB for sure.
if ya getting on and off the tractor multi times a day, i may choose a open station tractor.

 

[TerryR]

Well I can understand # 2 &3 but number 1 I don't think so unless you all have tractors over 45 year old. The first tractor I saw with a cab in NE Louisiana was in 1968.

Gary,

I'm sure #1 is not literally true - cabs were no doubt available for some models when most local tractors were purchased, but I think not common. I don't know the ages of most of those around here, but my 17-year-old JD is clearly substantially newer than most of them. And I have actually seen a couple in use with cabs, but they aren't common. When I bought mine new I was never offered the option to get a cab, and thus never even considered it.

Terry

 

[Piston]

as much as i love the cab on the old ford 555c loader backhoe. it is a pain in rear in the woods, or in areas were i am in tight spaces, and trying to get out of the cab.

the other issue with the old ford, is wasps, find there way into the cab and end up building nests :/

i don't have a/c in the cab, so in the extreme hotter days, it can be rather unbearable inside the cab, with windows open, it is hotter in the cab than out of the cab in direct sun light.

if you end up getting a oil leak (hydraulic leak), or oil spill inside a cab, *ughs* your lungs will get nailed. and it will be leak breathing through an oil bottle.

cabs can be a tad bit harder to see through and around. FEL (front end loader) work, and looking down side of engine to edge of bucket. along with trying to look over side of rear tires to see how close you are from hitting something. as ya try to maneuver around.

pesky limb smack in the face is the worst, but so are the leg spankings and arm spankings. i like the cab for that, but if i am only mowing (bush hog / rottory cutting) pasture or like a couple times a year. i could most likely live without a CAB, do to i would end up catching the mirrors and yanking the mirrors completely off, and cab up on more tree limbs than anything.

cab tractors more likely to come with a bigger alternator on tractor, and either already have upper front and rear lights, or be wired to have those extra lights. (big thing for me)

cab tractors can be a pain in the rear to wash the outside of the windows. its not easy to climb around a tractor even with a ladder. and or some sort of extended window washer thing / mop.

i like to carry "tools" with me. cab tractor kinda of a pain in the rear about adding stuff (modification tool holders) to the outside of the cab and around the cab to hold tool boxes or long handle items (shovels, rakes, etc...) vs an open station ROPS.

open station tractor, i get the power washer out, take some plastic and cover up what i need to. and just wash all the crud off the unit from the pile of mud i left in the seat from the last O'crud incident, to mud 2" plus thick on your boots that gets all over the place.

================
hot summers mild winters is one thing. but it is the humidity that is the killer....

110F zero humidity in Arizona (desert in a sense) feels like 85F with high humidity here in Illinois (4 seasons, hot summer 100 to 105F, and cold winters 0 to -10F)

if you have high humidity, cab with A/C might be a good choice.
low humidity and high temps, a ROPS might be simple enough, just to keep the sun from beating on you, and keeping you in the shade.

if ya going to be seating on the tractor non stop for hours at a time, a CAB for sure.
if ya getting on and off the tractor multi times a day, i may choose a open station tractor.

Ryan,
That is possibly one of the best, most unbiased advice on the pros and cons of a cab vs. open station. Very well said.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I debated whether or not to buy a cab tractor. It was $5,000 - $6,000 more, but I finally decided that I had paid my dues and spent my time driving a tractor in the summer heat, fighting off biting and stinging bugs, and breathing dust and pollen.

I have no remorse whatsoever about buying a cab tractor. I was in it this past weekend when it was over 90 degrees and very humid. I had the a/c fan on the medium setting and was nice and cool. And I just sneered at the yellow jackets buzzing around the outside of the cab.

 

[grm61]

Well, where I live we have hot summers, bees, mosquito and such, and cold snowy winters, I am very grateful to be able to be comfortable year round.
Love my cab tractor

 

[Dingeryote]

If you're going to be on the tractor all day, heat or no heat, it's much less tiring to be in a climate controlled cab, with the radio on.

The dust, dirt, bugs chewing on ya, and other negatives get old. The issue of sunburn and heat problems can be life altering if you're on the thing for 60 hours a week.

The newer cabs are quiet, and the AC and heat, actually allow for longer and more productive operation. It's actually enjoyable to chop brush or mow in the rain, so time lost to weather is rare.

Where they suck, as noted above, is in the woods, and for flexibility.
We have a GP open station loader tractor for odd jobs and skidding logs out of the woods, and that sort of thing, and the field tractors all have Cabs.

 

[EuroYanmar]

Goodmorning gentlemen,

Thank you very much for all these advices.
I see that in the tractor world there are cabs and rops afficionados.
I am still thinking about the necessity of buying a cab tractor.
Few bees and wasps here but many thorny vines everywhere. A lot of dust too, when bushhogging in summer.
My dealer told me it would be better to buy a rops tractor plus some nice options and implements with the money saved....
Phil

 

[Texasmark]

My '79 JD 4230 (100 PTO) had a new at the time "Sound Guard" cab. However JD had squared off, sheet metal looking cabs way earlier than that and did Ford of which I am aware.

My latest tractor has a cab to protect me from what you are talking about. The cab is large enough for me to move about and do what needs to be done without feeling claustrophobic even though I am a big guy. I do have the other Fords that are open station with no covering for the purpose of doing what you mentioned. On the 2000D I even ran the exhaust out the back rather than vertical, as is the 3000D for the really low hangers.

I have only run across a bumble bee nest (hole in the ground) while mowing for a neighbor once and I was able to get away from them. I have no ROPS on these tractors and keep that in mind when operating.

I'd say that tractors are like boats in that no one serves all purposes.

However, a side cutter on a cab tractor will allow you to get under overhanging branches somewhat, like a sickle bar, drum, or disc cutter would allow.

HTH,
Mark

 

[oosik]

My debate when I got the new tractor was cost of a cab. I went with open station and used some of the money saved for additional implements. Do I regret having no cab - sometimes, when I'm going down the driveway in the dead of winter plowing and the full snow load on an overhanging limb dumps down the back of my neck. However, I have a fix - I clamp a 10 foot 2x4 to the outboard edge of the bucket - raise the bucket about three feet and angle it so the 2x4 is straight up and it knocks all the snow off the overhanging branches before they get to me.
I have no problems with open station in the summer - when its hot its also quite dry and I drink iced lemonade like a camel.

 

[jenkinsph]

Goodmorning gentlemen,

Thank you very much for all these advices.
I see that in the tractor world there are cabs and rops afficionados.
I am still thinking about the necessity of buying a cab tractor.
Few bees and wasps here but many thorny vines everywhere. A lot of dust too, when bushhogging in summer.
My dealer told me it would be better to buy a rops tractor plus some nice options and implements with the money saved....
Phil

I have had open stations in the past and have cab tractors now. I prefer the comfort of the cab for my uses, much prefer to have an air filter remove the dust from the air before I breath it in. I suggest you buy what you want and don't worry too much. I recommend you trim ahead of a tractor when moving through heavily wooded areas. New tractors open or cabbed cost to much to tear up and lighting is more often damaged by protruding limbs than the cab glass.