Are tractors with cabs becoming the norm?

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . Oh, and having a stereo radio for country radio or conservative talk shows ain't bad either.

There ya' go. I forgot all about my favorite part of having a cab. For me, it's sports talk radio that sure makes the hours in the seat more enjoyable.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . Oh, and having a stereo radio for country radio or conservative talk shows ain't bad either.

There ya' go. I forgot all about my favorite part of having a cab. For me, it's sports talk radio that sure makes the hours in the seat more enjoyable.

I started driving a tractor when I was 9 or 10 years old. When I was about 16, my dad finally bought a fender-mounted AM-band radio and mounted it one one of our old open-station tractors. I thought I had died and gone to heaven even though I could barely hear it over the engine noise.

 

[MHarryE]

By the time I was 22 I had already lost 40% of my hearing in the mid-frequency range due to our loud tractors. My dad, uncle, and cousin all were/are practically deaf. It wasn't until I graduated from college and got my first job that they gave me a hearing test and noted the loss. Always using hearing protection after that has saved what hearing I have left but a cab is a lot more comfortable than ear protection, especially on hot days. Now that I am back farming we have one open platform tractor and I avoid that like the plague, but it is the only way we could get the low height needed for a couple of our buildings.

 

[bigbull338]

i know im the odd 1.my hearing has faded as well because i like to hear the equipment running so i can tell if something is wrong.if i was in a cab tractor i couldnt hear like i want to.and if i used hearing protection i couldnt hear what i needed to.

 

[bumperm]

i know im the odd 1.my hearing has faded as well because i like to hear the equipment running so i can tell if something is wrong.if i was in a cab tractor i couldnt hear like i want to.and if i used hearing protection i couldnt hear what i needed to.

I fly single engine aircraft. They tend to be noisy. A lot of pilots use noise cancelling headsets that use a microphone in each ear cup that "takes in" any noise that gets into the ear cup. This noise is then "flipped" 180 degrees by an amplifier and then fed back into the ear cup via a small speaker 180 degrees out of phase to the original noise signal so that it cancels out that noise - - that's basically how it works anyway. Cost for a nice headset (like my Sennheiser S1 Digital), around $1K.

Worth it? Besides permanent hearing damage, being subjected to continuous loud noise is fatiguing, and after a long flight (or hours on the tractor), being too dog tired to land the plane in challenging conditions (or while trying to get the tractor safely back in the barn :x) is not in one's best interest. Now I'll admit the tractor cab is not nearly as loud as a typical small plane cockpit, and the tractor cab does reduce engine noise significantly - - so besides the numerous benefits of a cab previously listed, add hearing protection. And, as in an aircraft, you can still hear the various audible nuances when the machine talks to you, just not so loudly that it tries to trash what little hearing you might have left.

 

[Looking4new]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as a 'forced landing'......airplanes will land all by themselves, you don't have to 'force' them. The issue would be whether or not you walk away from such a landing.:thumbsup:

On a more serious note, yes, constant noise is extremely tiring. In my cabbed tractor I can still hear the little engine noises that would alert me to 'something not quite right'.

 

[Threepoint]

[snip] Always using hearing protection after that has saved what hearing I have left but a cab is a lot more comfortable than ear protection, especially on hot days. [snip]

A cab helps a lot with tractor noise, but I sure don't see it as a substitute for ear protection, especially when cranking at PTO rpm. I still wear do-it-yourself custom earplugs. More comfortable than Mickey Mouse-style, and I can also still make out normal conversation and hear the tractor radio well enough. They've gotten so inexpensive on the Internet (e.g. Radians, $8 to $12, depending on vendor) that I keep a pair in the cab, another with my shooting gear, and a third in my workshop.

 

[Katahdin]

You don't need a cab to play music or talk radio, just a pair of these will do:

Amazon.com: 3M Peltor WorkTunes Digital Hearing Protector, MP3 Compatible with AM/FM Tuner: Home Improvement

I have a pair that I use everywhere. On the tractor, on the lawn mower, operating a chainsaw or log splitter, while cruising at 100 decibels in my 1966 surplus Army truck, even at the gun range, they work great!

 

[kiotiken]

You don't need a cab to play music or talk radio, just a pair of these will do:

Amazon.com: 3M Peltor WorkTunes Digital Hearing Protector, MP3 Compatible with AM/FM Tuner: Home Improvement

I have a pair that I use everywhere. On the tractor, on the lawn mower, operating a chainsaw or log splitter, while cruising at 100 decibels in my 1966 surplus Army truck, even at the gun range, they work great!

I have to agree. I have a cab and have to say its nicer listening to music on those. I use them everywhere to. Grinding/cleaning steel is actually enjoyable when you can listen to music. My wife and I fight over who gets to cut the lawn now, an hour away from the noise/craziness of 3 young kids and peaceful alone time listening to music on the mower.

 

[hoffmtim]

You don't need a cab to play music or talk radio, just a pair of these will do:

Amazon.com: 3M Peltor WorkTunes Digital Hearing Protector, MP3 Compatible with AM/FM Tuner: Home Improvement

I have a pair that I use everywhere. On the tractor, on the lawn mower, operating a chainsaw or log splitter, while cruising at 100 decibels in my 1966 surplus Army truck, even at the gun range, they work great!

^^^^^^^

I use an old pair of BOSE noise cancelling headphones plugged into my phone to listen to music on my open station tractor. I use it on my Zero Turn lawn mower as well. Cabbed tractor has a radio. You don't have to sacrifice, just choose your method to enjoy the outdoors!!!