Been a year with a cab - Not sure I would again

[E/S]

I've had both and currently have both, although I keep the M6040 at my business mainly. I have a two and a half year old son who loves tractors. Because of accidents that I have heard about with children and tractors he WILL NOT ride on an open station tractor. I can put him up in the cab of the M9580 with me, lock the door and go to work and not worry. A side from all the other benefits that one reason is worth it to me.

i agree, I got a broken arm as a boy falling off a open station tractor while ridding with my dad.

I now take any of my grandkids with me without being concerned about there safety, or there grandmother kicking my a++ for hurting her baby's!

E/S

 

[Doug_D]

I've had both and currently have both, although I keep the M6040 at my business mainly. I have a two and a half year old son who loves tractors. Because of accidents that I have heard about with children and tractors he WILL NOT ride on an open station tractor. I can put him up in the cab of the M9580 with me, lock the door and go to work and not worry. A side from all the other benefits that one reason is worth it to me.

That was one of the main reasons I ended up with a cab too. The idea never really occurred to me until my oldest boy and I were both in the cab at the Kubota dealer checking them out. My boys love it..and my princess does too. Wife likes the fact that I can take them with me and get them out of her hair for a while. No more leaving them all at the house to drive her nuts.

 

[Doug in NNY]

I owned my BX2350 for a year and a half without a cab. Last fall I had a Curtis hard cab installed. Overall, I like it.

The down-side:
- It looks weird, somewhat out of proportion to the rest of the tractor because of its mass. An older Sims cab on a neighbor's BX2200 looks more proportional (and the ROPS is outside his cab, inside mine).
- The cab amplifies engine noise, something I didn't anticipate when I planned the purchase.
- I sense that I must be more aware of branches and tree limbs than with just a bare ROPS.

The up-side:
- Blowing snow is much more comfortable when it is snowing hard and/or the westerly winds are 20 mph or more. Handling traditionally heavy lake-effect snow that hammers the Tug Hill Plateau off the eastern end of Lake Ontario is why I have the cab and a 3ph snow thrower. Backing into wind-driven snow is almost unthinkable without a cab. I know people do it. I've done it. But letting the wiper clear my vision is easier than the alternative.
- Heat in the cab. Yes.

The doors are easily removed for spring/summer/early fall.

I'm not an evangelist for cabs. But one works for me in my situation. In our hamlet of Adams Center, community members volunteer to keep sidewalks clear and help neighbors who might be older and overwhelmed with a large drop of lake-effect snow. All of these units, no matter size or make, have cabs.

Doug

 

[lawn_king]

For me the cab is necessity. I make my living with it year round. Not only does it keep me warm or cool, it protects me from the sun,wind,rain & snow,insects,pesticides and protects my hearing as well. Its a must from my perspective.

 

[jimmysisson]

I have a soft-side Curtis cab. It's older, so the windshield is flat, which gives undwanted reflections sometimes. I like the rain and hot-sun protection, and also like that the guages and switches, seat, and controls are out of the rain mostly. It gives a good place to mount work lights, fire extinguisher, etc. With no doors on most of the year it's easy to get in or out and you don't get whacked quite as often in the woods.
If it didn't come with the used machine I bought I don't think I'd spring for one new.
Jim

 

[pharmon]

Thanks to all for the pros and cons of cabs vs open stations. I only recently was able to afford a tractor, and it is open station. I had not realized the issue of low branches striking a cab. I do enjoy the increased visability and situational awareness of the open cab when working clearing snow at the edge of the road.
Paul

 

[wedge40]

Don't get me wrong. It sure is hard to beat drinking hot coffee and listening to the CD player while pushing snow around But there are times I really miss my Ford 4000.

Just one mans observations and experiences.
Doug

Doug there are plenty of used 4000s out there. By a second tractor.

I love spending other peoples money.

Wedge

 

[gordyy]

As the owner of one of these rediculous looking little Scuts with a cab on
I say come spend 8 hrs blowing snow here in ND without it was out a couple weeks ago temp was -22 wind was 30mph. I was thinking the heater wasnt working all that great at about midnight then a wire connector inside the heater quit making contact, I believe it took all of 3 minutes to get down to -22 in there

I likes the heat the doors back and windshield can all come off in the summer takes a minute for each door 5 minutes apiece for the back and front windows

 

[schmism]

sounds to me like you need the Ford 4000 back....

no cab for some jobs... .cab for others...

 

[ModMech]

Thanks for the discussion, some points about both I had not considered.

I currently have an open tractor and really enjoy it. Because of 20+ years as a mechanic, I can't see getting a smaller tractor with a cab, the required contortions would cripple me even assuming I don't have to stand on my head to fix something inside the cab.

When we get a larger tractor for field work I'm thinking a cab would be nice as it will be a couple hours of work with each implement and only one switch per day if that. I have even thought about a shade but most of my time is in the AM or PM when the sun is low and we have LOTs of trees, so that would not be a big advantage and not worth the cost to me.