Cab Heating Options

[massey184ferguson]

What do you think is the best heating option for a cab? I have a homemade cab, but it is uninsulated. If I had to insulate it, what is the best way? I don't know how much power I have to run a heater, so whatever is most energy efficient would be best. Whats your opinion? :confused3:

 

[art]

The battery power to run an electric is short on most tractors and the amount of heat is far less then desireable. Go with the cooling system and you will be fine.

 

[chim]

I bought a heater that runs on the engine coolant. An electric heater sized to match the advertised output of 20,000 BTU's would take approximately 488 amps at 12 volts if I did all the conversions correctly.

Cost was only around $150 and it was a snap to get into the lines at the t-stat bypass. There is a small rubber hose 90 degree bypass fitting with a 5/8" connection on one end and something smaller on the other. It worked well to leave the 90 connected to the block and spin it around and use a double ended 5/8" coupling for the one hose to the heater. The other 5/8" heater hose is connected to where the 90 was disconnected. Since flow needs to be maintained through the bypass, I installed a bypass line with valve in the cab below the heater. If it gets too warm I can close the heater valves and open the bypass valve. Google "AH454 heater" if you want to see who sells them in your area.

I'm still anxious for a blizzard to give it a real test drive. The best test so far was one night when the temp went down to 17*F. After a little running around the cab was comfy with the two-speed blower on low. The picture shows the heater sitting roughly in its final resting place during the cab build.






For insulation I used an Armaflex material fastened with contact cement. The cab has a lot of glass and isn't completely airtight so the little bit of insulation is more for aesthetics than function. It's better looking than the back side of the sheet metal panels.

 

[mjncad]

Go with a cooling system heater as others have said. How many cars use electric resistance heat? None that I know of.

Any insulation will be better than no insulation, and it will help with noise control too.

 

[massey184ferguson]

Do you have any problems with your windows fogging up?

 

[chim]

Do you have any problems with your windows fogging up?

(If that was for me) Since building the cab I don't have enough hours in it to say for sure. I haven't had any fogging so far, but I haven't been using it under the conditions that would most likely produce fog. I expect some fogging when I track snow into the cab to melt and run the humidity way up. I've read where others with cabs have installed an additional fan to blow on the windshield to keep it cleared.

 

[jb62901]

Had this core many years and put a 4" 12v behind it, keeps the cab 40dg warmer than outside temp.

http://oi39.tinypic.com/2ebbcbt.jpg

 

[vtsnowedin]

I haven't found that I need a heater in my soft cab as just being out of the wind when dressed for winter weather is enough. Plus heat comes off the center casting of the tractor once it is warm so it is often thirty degrees warmer inside the cab then it is outside. The place that sold me the soft cab does have several 12 volt heaters that plug into a cigarette lighter socket. some with fans built in that can be used to cool in summer. You might have to add a socket if your tractor doesn't have one but there is usually at least one spare fuse socket in the fuse block you can tap into.
Tractor Cab Electric Heater with 12VDC direct battery hook-up comes with all attaching hardware for your cab enclosure, UTV, RTV or ATV
Just an option to consider, The cooling system units will certainly crank out more heat if needed.

 

[kevin37b]

As far as insulation , look at FEHR cab , They refit older cabs and it is a nice product . You can get a roll of it and cut your own panels . They will send adhesive with it . Very nice product . I did a cozy cab on my snow plowing tractor with this material , worked great .

 

[Jaylegger]

Another option could be something like the Coleman Golfcat 3000 btu heater found here:

Amazon.com: Coleman GolfCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater: Sports & Outdoors

You'd likely have to fashion an appropriately size cupholder (pvc pipe would work) and affix it to the cab frame but by all accounts they work quite well.

 

[Don87]

Another option could be something like the Coleman Golfcat 3000 btu heater found here:

Amazon.com: Coleman GolfCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater: Sports & Outdoors

You'd likely have to fashion an appropriately size cupholder (pvc pipe would work) and affix it to the cab frame but by all accounts they work quite well.

That's a nifty little unit, and it can be adjusted easily to any direction for clearing the windows.

 

[etcallhome]

Another option could be something like the Coleman Golfcat 3000 btu heater found here:

Amazon.com: Coleman GolfCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater: Sports & Outdoors

You'd likely have to fashion an appropriately size cupholder (pvc pipe would work) and affix it to the cab frame but by all accounts they work quite well.

Before I put the cooling system heater in cab I used the Coleman Golfcat 3000 btu heater . Lot better than having nothing in cab . Made a hanging bracket and used it today in the wifes gator. Outside temp was high teens , but with heater and enclosed cab went for a 2 mile ride .

 

[cccamrd]

I have a hard Curtis cab on my Bx with the standard coolant heater. To beef up the inside heat I added some foam sheet insulation to cover outside air leaks and added a RoadPro ceramic heater (300W). Cab is now very comfortable at all winter temperatures.

 

[PILOON]

I plumbed engine coolant using hosing and copper piping to a core that is mounted near cab ceiling above the loader valves thus blowing hot air downwards towards the feet.
The heater core (carter 6 x 6) was salvaged from under rear seats of an old scrapped school bus. Since it was 6 volts at origin I used a 12v computer muffin fan to propel the hot air, the muffin fan being very compact and drawing a mere 1 amp.
Has worked like a charm for about 8 years now.
Being high and out of the way it also keeps the windshield frost free. Moving hot air will do that.
For my rear window another but 3" computer fan mounted on a magnet allows me to position for best effect and naturally it 'grabs' hot air and clears the back window which when blowing snow at -20 or so is a necessity.

 

[buickanddeere]

12V electric heat is a daft idea.
Plumb the hot water heater supply line from just under the thermostat. Return the water to the water pump inlet.
We see questions here from people plumbing the heater lines from the side of the block and head like a tank water heater. Then they are baffled why the heater doesn't work.

 

[boggen]

you can get a regular radiator or hyd oil cooler. and connect into the coolant lines running to/from the radiator on the tractor.

BUT, you need to make sure you put in some way to "purge" air from the extra lines that run into cab. ALSO highly advised placing these purge air valves outside the cab, so ya not smelling antifreeze inside the cab.

you can just get some sort of 12V fan, that plugs into cigarette lighter and place behind the radiator/hyd oil cooler that ya turned into a heater. have seen many folks use a computer case fans, Newegg.com - Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More! tends to have a fairly large selection of computer case fans. most of the fans come with min of 2 wires, some times 3 wires, find a computer case fan that has 2 wires to make electrical easier.

folks have hit salvage yards to get various radiators, hyd oil coolers, and/or heater cores. some have poped the dash off of a vehicle, and just took the heater core from a vehicle.

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would forget idea of insulation, and just go for fan blowing heat. and then make sure you can plug up all the "air gaps" were air can move in and out of the cab. removing them air gaps can be a big plus, in keeping heat in the cab. just be carefull of not breathing hyd oil, and like and keep oil cleaned up so ya not breathing it.