Regret a cab tractor?

[RoyJackson]

Cabs have their place, but if you have low hanging tree limbs sooner or later one will get you....

And that's exactly why I bought a pole saw!

 

[jonsstihl]

my only regret is the ten years I spent without a cab. I agree with all the others though. they each have pro's and cons.

for the expense often people don't realize you get some if not all of it back when you trade in or sell. How much less would you pay for the open station version of your particular tractor used.

 

[LouNY]

my only regret is the ten years I spent without a cab. I agree with all the others though. they each have pro's and cons.

for the expense often people don't realize you get some if not all of it back when you trade in or sell. How much less would you pay for the open station version of your particular tractor used.

maybe my estate will, I doubt that I do hopefully a long ways down the road.
It isn't one of my considerations.

 

[chim]

I'm curious what's the average tractor age is before the AC needs some work?

In my case, around 1,200 hours on the Kubota L4240. The TX valve failed and while it was pumped down, we also changed the filter drier. Whole works cost under $100 because we used "or equal" parts and I have friends in the business.

 

[AGreenFarmer]

I would definitely get a cab for cold weather work.

I would definitely get a cab for hot summer work, as well.

 

[RickB]

It takes a pretty big limb to break a secured, closed cab door or window.
a little situational awareness goes a long ways.

 

[mo1]

I have operated both cabbed and open station tractors. I much prefer an open station tractor for a general chore tractor.

- Visibility is much better on an open station tractor, particularly visibility of things right next to the tractor. This makes an open station much better if you are working close next to tall things like mowing along a fenceline, trees, buildings, utility poles, etc. It also makes it easier to back up to implements to hook up.
- You don't have to continually go dust off the windows on an open station tractor to be able to see when operating in a dusty situation. Likewise, you will never have fogged up windows in cool weather with an open station tractor.
- You don't have to go clean out the cab intake air filters every day or two if you are operating in a dusty situation.
- The cab will strike low-hanging objects and makes it difficult or impossible to work close to trees, enter into buildings such as barns with relatively low clearance, and similar situations. You can fold down a ROPS to make the tractor much shorter, but you can't do that to a cab.
- Much easier to get on and off of an open station tractor. This makes hooking up implements much easier as well.
- You can hear your implements working and can tell much more quickly that something is not quite right and correct the condition before you mess up the equipment, compared to if you run a cabbed tractor. Slip clutch equipped rotary cutters are a notable example here, better to raise the cutter or slow down when the clutch just starts to slip in a patch or thick stuff rather than keep going on until you see smoke billowing from the clutch.
- The inside of a cabbed tractor is generally dirtier than that of an open station tractor as the stuff you track in there stays in there. You also have to clean it with a vacuum like you would a car, you can't hose it off or use a leaf blower like you can an open station tractor.
- It is a whole lot easier to work on the rear half of an open station tractor than a cabbed tractor as components are much easier to access.
- Air conditioners seem to be a fairly common item to fail/require expensive repairs on cabbed tractors. A cabbed machine with a broken A/C is miserable, even with the doors open.
- Getting a tractor with a cab where that model is available in either open station or cabbed often mandates other options as well, which you may or may not want or need.
- You are actually outdoors when you are running an open station tractor while you are inside when you are running a cabbed tractor. Much of the appeal of having property is being outdoors, so why would I want to go inside of a cabbed tractor?

 

[PeteN]

60 years ago, when all we had to move snow was a home-built snowplow on our Case SC tractor, my grandfather bought an enclosure something like this, shown here on a Farmall H. Ours had a plastic windshield mounted on top. It did the job, cutting most of the wind and providing some heat back to the operator.View attachment 719237

I have something very similar for my JD 2020 except I also have a plastic windshield that goes with it. Closest thing to a cab tractor I ever drove until yesterday when I bought a LS tractor with a cab. I wasn't willing to pony up the extra cash for a cab but my wife chipped in the extra bucks for my birthday. Thanks for all the responses to my question. Still have the JD 2020 open station so I now can choose dependent on the weather and the job.

 

[MHarryE]

Air conditioner question - AC on m 29 year old combine still working although a previous owner did have it converted to 135a. The dealer left a tag by the compressor. AC’s are a lot more reliable today. However my BIL finally broke down and bought a tractor with air conditioning this year - 20 year old. Dealer didn’t check to make sure AC was working. After one month, he asked me how cool it’s supposed to get. I checked - AC wasn’t working. He was in a sauna. Determined a pressure switch had failed. Replaced that and he was very happy. Second most used tractor on their farm after his son’s loader tractor with cab, working heater and AC. My sister, who insists open platform only way, was chased out of the field twice this summer due to overheating misery.

 

[RoyJackson]

I have operated both cabbed and open station tractors. I much prefer an open station tractor for a general chore tractor...

Both open station and cabs have their advantages and disadvantages.
There are times I'd love an open station (again) for many of the reasons you wrote, but mostly because I like to be in open air during good weather.
Although I never used to mind being out in cold, snowy weather, my old body just can't handle that as well as it used to.

So! The real answer is have two tractors (one open station, one cabbed)!!