To cab or not to cab? Tired of being cold snow plowing

[Brokermike]

Washington County Fair.

I like the idea of having two tractors. It's super handy, so consolidating might be tough. Of course I could always sell my excavator to free up room

 

[TripleR]

I had my brother add steel tubing for protection, if needed, I can add more.

 

[mikester]

Any thoughts? I'm concerned about breaking glass in the cab when winching logs and in the woods, but I'm tired of being cold plowing snow. I guess I could buy a plow for my truck, but it wouldn't fit in the garage with a plow on it

What are you folks doing that face a similar dilemna?

I put on a cab and don't regret it. Should have done it 30 years ago. BTW if you are worried about breaking glass I'd be more worried about my face/body getting hit with branches and logs. It's awfully nice when you realize that branch just slides past the cab instead of slapping you in the face. Even nicer to clean snow in a T-shirt.

Buy the cab and get a pole saw to trim off those branches.

 

[tradosaurus]

You can buy cages to mount around your cab. I have 40 acres of woods and once my L3301 is paid off I will upgrade to a cab tractor so I can mow without eating dust and enjoy A/C in the summer.

SAFETY - TRACTORS

 

[TheMadOne]

I went through 3 winters without a cab. That was more than enough for me to switch when the opportunity presented itself. I do miss the open station some in really nice weather, but the amount of seat time I've had this year without sweating to death has shown me the value of a cab.

I either rig long lines and pull or am very careful with placement when pulling logs. I'll admit that from a pure efficiency standpoint I'd be better off without the cab, but the comfort factor is really nice.

That said, two tractors down to one would be hard for pretty much anybody who has had the flexibility that brings, I think.

 

[Jaylegger]

If you don't plan on removing the cab between winter and summer seasons then a AC unit or a good fan would be welcome.

 

[Jaylegger]

I went through 3 winters without a cab. That was more than enough for me to switch when the opportunity presented itself.

LOL, I lasted about a weekend. I much prefer no cab otherwise however. Car for winter, motorbike for summer situation.

 

[coobie]

Had both prefer the cab model.

 

[KennyG]

Sounds like you are a good candidate for a soft cab. I've had one for my John Deere for about 8 years now and it's great. Without a heater, you still have to wear a coat but it is warmer and blocks the wind. I'm not sure if Original Tractor Cab makes one for your tractor but there may be other options. Removal and installation is pretty easy after the initial install.

 

[Threepoint]

I have used my cabbed LS lots of times in the woods where branches are lower than the cab and many times where the lane between trees have overlapped limbs. I simply raise the FEL up to start the branches bending in the right direction and the cab frame does the rest.
You do have to be careful of low hanging limbs that might rip off the top though. The only issue I have had is the black pine sap getting on my fenders when going thru pine thickets and off course the limbs folding back the mirrors and lights but no damage to them, the cab or the lights.

Brokermike, the other posters all make good points, but I operate from time to time in the woods, and I tend to agree with Gary on the cab/no-cab issue. I do think it's important to do some limbing-up with a pole saw in the areas where you'll be most active, and certainly great care is critical.

It also takes awhile to adjust to the mild sensory deprivation that comes with operating a cab tractor in close quarters after years with open-stations. All that said, this can be overcome, and there is nothing like a warm cab in a snowstorm, and a cool cab in the summer heat (or during black-fly season up your way).

Here in No. Va. we get a few weeks of very cold weather each winter, and some nasty snowstorms from time to time. It's nothing like what you routinely experience in Vermont, but even so, my NX4510HST cab has paid for itself just in comfort alone in the 4-1/2 yrs I've had it. It was actually my wife who encouraged me to get a cab after I got mild frostbite plowing for several hours during a storm with heavy, blowing snow.