Cab & Blower question

[AJones]

I have a NH tc33d that I am looking to buy a soft side cab for. The NH dealer sells a cab made by the Original Tractor Cab Company. with a hard roof, glass front window, and soft sides and rear panel. Does anyone have any experience with this brand cab?
Also, I have a 5' Inland brand rear mount snow blower that I have no paper work on. Does any one have one or know if I can get an owners manual any where? I was told by the last owner a shear bolt was broken when he raised the blower all the way while still running and he replaced it with what ever bolt he could find. Thanks in advance.

 

[art]

The cab is more of a solid top windbreaker and it would help some to keep you out of the wind I don't consider it a cab at all, a cab you can put heat into.

 

[canEHdian]

I don't have any personal experience using the Original Tractor Cab brand. However, with all cabs, the use you will get out of it depends what you use your tractor for. If you just want something to keep you out of the wind, soft sides will work just fine and dandy; however, if you're looking for something durable that will be used often, you may want to look into something with hard sides. For example, taking a tractor with a soft-side cab through areas with low branches and such, it may get scratched up. There are also other cab brands that offer enclosures for the NH TC33D, but whether or not your dealer will sell those is another question.

Best of luck!

 

[AJones]

The main reason for the cab would be to keep me out of the wind/snow when using the snow blower so it would only be used in the winter months. As far as heat in the cab, the dealer told me there was an optional heater available "for an extra cost". I have seen 12 volt heaters elsewhere at a more reasonable cost. I was wondering if anyone had that brand cab and if they were happy with it.

 

[canEHdian]

Ah, okay, then yes a soft-sided cab sounds like it would be perfect for your needs. For heaters, yes, they typically run as an "optional" feature to buy extra with the cab...along with all the other options like radio, A/C, extra wipers and lights, etc. How much were they asking for the heater?

As far as the brand-name cabs, each cab manufacturer will have their own unique style and look. Like I said, I don't have any personal experiencing using their tractor cabs, but here's an idea of what the different major manufacturer's soft-sided cabs look like.

Soft-Sided Original Tractor Cab:
(This isn't the TC33D, but I couldn't find a picture for it. I assume it would be similar design. Though, the dealer probably showed you what it looked like, anyway.)

Curtis Cabs:
I don't think Curtis offers one for the TC33D...didn't see anything on their website. The TC35-45-55 is offered, though.

Soft-Sided Sims Cab:

 

[canEHdian]

Oh, and there's also Laurin. But I could only find a hard-side cab from them for the TC33D.

 

[old goat]

I have an Original Cab mounted on a JD2305 It is tight and with the glass
windshield you can have a wiper on it. I am quite satisfied with it: and don't find that a heater is necessary. You would want to put mirrors on it though since the corners restrict your view quite a little. Since I am an old goat turning the neck around is a little difficult. The price was right and I'm gald I got it but will have to remove it when the warn weather comes. 10 inches plus this last snow and sleet.:

 

[art]

Electric heaters in this area don't work! When cabs are loose a 13000 btu heater won't be enough on a cold day to unzip your jacket much less to possibly remove it like in a good cab.

 

[AJones]

How much were they asking for the heater? I was told it was around a 300.00 option.

It is tight and with the glass windshield you can have a wiper on it. Yes, It does have a hand operated wiper, electric optional.

 

[canEHdian]

You're right, 300 is on the high side, but you're going to be up in that 200-300 range for a cab heater.

I'll do a little promo here *whistle* and just give you some numbers on a Sims cab for your model.

NH TC33D Soft-Sided Cab
$1895 base price -
Comes with:

> left hand steel-framed vinyl door and right hand curtain
> electric front-windshield assembly
> front glass windshield (tinted safety glass)
> rear vinyl with poly window

And the heater (optional, as can be expected) runs about $229 if bought with a cab. Of course, you can get all sorts of other optional stuff with it. More info on the cab and features here.


But, when all is said and done, I'm sure you'll be happy with your cab whichever route you take. When it comes to the major aftermarket cab brands, most are typically of good quality. The deciding factor for most people comes with price and style.

So all in all, compare prices and cab pictures to see what style and look you like better as well as which is the better buy in terms of price range (taking into consideration what comes standard with the purchase).

 

[art]

The difference between the original and the sims after you buy is that on a winter day you get warm enough in the cab that you actually look to find another driveway to clean. Top end cabs for compacts are in the 4500 dollar area uninstalled. The more expensive the cab the more it is like your car when you use it. There are advantages to them all and when you buy one you should not be thinking about just today and it needs to be right for all seasons of use. A good cab can make an enjoyable experience out of snow removal and more. Some buyers I've seen hesitate to long and the cabs were discontiued before they ready to buy and that is not good!

 

[canEHdian]

This is very true, art. A lot of people wince at the price of the higher-end cabs, but when it comes down to it, you get what you pay for. However, on the same token, a lot of people don't want to spend that kind of money on a cab. For the TC33D, Sims also has hard-sided, all-steel-welded "Dakota" cab, but the price for that starts at $4295 US. Even still, don't let the price discourage you right away...it is a NICE enclosure. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better looking cab...and they fit like a glove, but I'm not just saying that because I'm with Sims.

Those are pictures of the hard-sided Dakota cab from Sims.

The nice thing about those are that there is hardly any installation. It comes on a skid, you just put it over the tractor, drop it down, bolt it to the tractor, and you're done. But enough boasting about that.

As art said, even though you're looking just to use it for snowblowing/snowremoval, you'll have better comfort in a better cab; however, if you're only going to use it two or three times to that effect, it's probably not worth the extra money. It really does all come down to how you're going to use it, and what your budget it.