Cab or Not?

[grsthegreat]

i had an open station tractor for 14 years, and froze my butt off every winter for 14 years. now since having heated and ac conditioned cab since 2011, id never go back.

 

[JimP]

One tractor without a cab (B2410) and two tractors with a cab (both large frame grand Ls). My advice is get the cab. Plow or snowplow in the water in short sleeve shirt. Brushog in the summer without being covered by dust and looking like you came in from a cattle drive. Work in the rain without looking like the Gorton fisherman. Bees, wasps, mosquitos, pollen, smoke from the brush pile your burning stay on the outside while you are inside.

There are downsides. Visibility is not as good as an open machine. Cabs can be warm in the summer even with AC and downright HOT if you don't have AC - AC is a must. Wooded trails need to be opened up for access. While the cab is pretty tough it still can break (I replaced one cab door when my son backed into the open door and a rear window when a dead tree fell on it while open. A neighbor replaced the roof panel when a large branch fell on it). The glass needs to be cleaned once in a while to remove dust.

Personally, I won't buy another tractor without a cab.

Good luck. Jim

 

[Rustyiron]

I've got one tractor with a cab and one without. Otherwise they are equipped much the same. If the weather is good - and it usually is - then I prefer the one without the cab. In fact, that tractor probably gets used 10X as much as the cabbed tractor. Partly because I can see what I'm doing better, and partly because it is easier to get on/off of the open station tractor & it seems like I'm constantly always getting on or off to do something.
But mostly because I just prefer to be in the open air even if it is a touch less uncomfortable.
Now I will admit that the uncabbed tractor has a full 4-post canopy and having had that I wouldn't be without it.
rScotty

^^^ My feelings exactly Scotty!
As these reply's indicate, it's very personal & up to you & your preference's. I'm a tobacco chewer and usually too busy operating the tractor to fool with a spitter cup in a cab machine also. :licking:
Too bad "they" don't sell a 4 post/canopy option.

 

[Oldoak]

The tractor I am eying to replace my current Kubota L4200 GST is a new Kubota L5060 GST and will be open station as have been all my tractors.

I guess I just haven't been spoiled over the years. What I have never had, I don't miss. No need to be pampered now. I have learned long time ago to deal with the environment. Tee shirt in the Summer along with a dust mask if conditions warrant it, and boots and insulated coveralls keep me comfortable in the Winter.

To each their own. What ever makes us happy as individuals. :dance1:

Edit: The only time I wished I had a cab model is when the ROPs on my tractor hit a low hanging hornet's nest. :shocked:

 

[JerryK]

I enjoy the cab when I have to in the dead of winter blowing snow. But yearn for the days I can go outside on my open station and push the 6" or so nuisance snows with my front blade. Put on my mad bomber hat and heavy winter gloves, and I am good to go.... Stuck in a barn burning wood day after day, and getting outside/enjoying life is a good day.... dreaming of Spring and tasks to be taken on outside.... The outside I moved up here in God's country to enjoy.

 

[lpigott]

If it is your first tractor get a used open station. Later you can upgrade to a cab tractor and you will appreciate it more and you can keep the old open station tractor and have the best of both worlds.

 

[TripleR]

If it is your first tractor get a used open station. Later you can upgrade to a cab tractor and you will appreciate it more and you can keep the old open station tractor and have the best of both worlds.

Good advice for many. My FIL had never owned a tractor until he retired and just knew he knew more than I and bought the wrong tractor twice after using them for a week or so. Then he decided a nice cab tractor was just the ticket and decided to trade his open station in against my advice only to have to buy his older tractor back and paid dearly for it. We have found the ideal set up is a minimum of two tractors, one cab and one open station. A good older model open station can be had for a really reasonable price.

 

[greggyy]

I am not a farmer and just learning, but if they can afford it, then 2 tractors, one with cab and one without, the one that will be used the most buy new and the other buy used, probably the cab one would need to be new.

I know lot of people working on the land, open is the most popular in our non snow conditions unless your growing on hundreds or thousands of acres, but one person I know who has 2 cabbed tractors after having all open ones prior, has one where the AC has had to be fixed a few times, the other one I think has been given uo on, one has most glass broken, the other has had glass repaired & there is no "woods" as you guys call it, just gets accidentally broken by "stuff".

When you look at old tractors, there is always battle scars of one kind or another, knocked off headlights, guard dings etc, so with glass on a cab you would have to expect some breaks here or there, but if you can afford a new tractor with cab, then a few glass repairs would be a non issue most likely.

When I look at a lot of them, what I see is a cab that can be very restrictive when it comes to repairs or maintenance, but that goes back to the new and can you afford it most likely, I do all my own repairs on near everything, so I look at that sort of thing, if a cab was in the way and make it hard for me, I would do without, but I do think a new tractor with cab and heating and AC would be nice to have and not too much trouble with good brands for a long time.

 

[Rustyiron]

When you look at old tractors, there is always battle scars of one kind or another, knocked off headlights, guard dings etc, so with glass on a cab you would have to expect some breaks here or there, but if you can afford a new tractor with cab, then a few glass repairs would be a non issue most likely.

When I was shopping for my current tractor, dealing with the cab or not question I asked them how much was a new door (frameless, curved glass, drilled for all the hardware). He said about $700! None of the new cabs have flat rubber mounted glass panels that any glass shop can cut for you, and being a cheap ******* I could see myself either not replacing it or it taking a year or so of feeling guilty about being a cheap ******* and finally replacing it.:laughing:
Every piece of glass on today's tractors as far as I've seen needs to come acro$$ the dealers part$ counter.

 

[screamin400]

Just got my cabbed tractor two days ago. Love it so far. Traded in an open station. Will this have drawbacks? It sure will. I do gravel driveways. Now I can get out earlier as I am kind of a sissy and will not work when cold or rainy. No longer matters so i can get a longer season. Snowblowing yesterday was awesome. I grew up on the farm with cabbed tractors and this took me back to those days. Cabbed for me but with some drawbacks like everything in life.

 

[Overtaxed]

I have a cab, and I'm happy I got it, but there are downsides, which I didn't expect. If your doing a "short job" with the tractor, or something with a lot of on/off, it's kind of a pain; when I'm moving equipment around with it, I often wind up leaving the door open, which is a sure fire way to break it, but I hate "open door, get off, check equip location, get on, close door, move tractor 3 in, repeat". Now, when I'm out with the bush hog, or plowing, blading, or anything else that's more than about 10 mins in the seat, I love the cab. I wouldn't change that tractor to a non-cab if I bought it again, but I would like to have an open station tractor for some tasks instead of the cab. Probably 80% of my seat time I'm happy I have the cab, the other 20%, I'd rather have the open.

 

[LouNY]

Well I have a newer cabbed and an older open station in my yard, The last time I ran the open station was to change the oil in the fall.
I do use it in the summer for mowing most of the lawn. So it's about 95% cabbed to 5% open station.

Over on the farm 5 cabbed 9 open station, it's still 75-80% cabbed.

 

[TripleR]

When I was shopping for my current tractor, dealing with the cab or not question I asked them how much was a new door (frameless, curved glass, drilled for all the hardware). He said about $700! None of the new cabs have flat rubber mounted glass panels that any glass shop can cut for you, and being a cheap ******* I could see myself either not replacing it or it taking a year or so of feeling guilty about being a cheap ******* and finally replacing it.:laughing:
Every piece of glass on today's tractors as far as I've seen needs to come acro$$ the dealers part$ counter.

We were a bit concerned about glass breakage as we had to replace our left side glass twice on our CX80, once we were no where near the woods. We now have been running three Kubota cab model for quite a few years, seems like a non issue for our uses. Cabs are now a necessity due to health issues on my part, but we have to have some open stations my brother ad sons use.

 

[IXLR8]

Another option-
My tractor is an open tractor, I couldn't justify the additional $4500+ for a full cab at the time of purchase. After several years of plowing snow out in the open I coughed up the $1600 for a soft cab and a canopy from www.covermytractor.com. I had a few fitment issues and the folks at CMT were very responsive getting things corrected. CMT also threw in a "free" 12dc heater which I have never installed, I have found no need to. I wish I had bought the cab sooner. The first time I used it to clear snow, I went out in my usual winter gear; "mad bomber" hat, gloves, jacket, scarf and Sorrel boots. With the sun shining I had soon removed my hat, gloves, scarf and unzipped my coat I was so warm. The weather at the time was 14dF with winds blowing at 20+ mph. The way I see it, I have the best of both worlds. In the winter I have a full enclosure, in the spring and fall I can remove one or both doors, or any of the other 4 panels. In the summer I can remove all doors and panels and be back to a fully open tractor. The cab came in a soft case to store all the panels in. It takes me about 15 minutes to go from full enclosure to no enclosure.

 

[johncanfield]

I put 500 hours on my open station Kubota and now I have a cab tractor, I will never go back to an open station. Yes, if you are getting in and out of the cab a bunch it is a bit tiresome but overall not a negative factor when choosing between the two.

 

[Texasmark]

Trying to help a newbie with a tractor decision and he is undecided between a cab or traditional open station. The tractor is to be 40 to 60 hp. with a front loader but doesn't need AC. Any brand, probably a new machine.
We do get snow here, & sometimes heavy snow. The tractor is for year round chore use half woodland and half meadow. Looking at cabs really cuts down on the tractor choices, so we're looking for some opinions.
Thanks, rScotty

My first new tractor purchase (6530C) was because I wanted a new tractor with all the whistles and bells including heat and AC and some isolation from dust created when I work. The rest are open station and most of the time that's OK, but some of the time (weather dependent) it's not OK. So I work around the weather's limitations.

 

[GoldenCityMuse]

Definately cabbed, as I get older, I don't want all the environmental issues.

Sure is nice in winter when the snow is flying, and in summer the AC is very pleasant.

Yeah, you have to open a door to get out and adjust something, but really, how different is than from a car/truck.
I got the Cabela/TYM tractor with cab, excellent visibility with it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I put 500 hours on my open station Kubota and now I have a cab tractor, I will never go back to an open station. Yes, if you are getting in and out of the cab a bunch it is a bit tiresome but overall not a negative factor when choosing between the two.

I don't understand the issue of getting in and out of a cabbed tractor being more difficult than an open station. Given the same tractor, they are the same height so you climb up/down the same amount. With the large handle on the door of the cab (mine at least), you have plenty of hand holds rather than just the fender hold on an open station. I have a 2010, been in, out and under a lot of trees and never broke anything. Cabs are tougher than you think. Can you drop a tree on them NO. Can you leave the door open and back into a post NO. They are just like an automobile, watch what you are doing and especially monitor low hanging limbs (and garage door height) and you wont have any problem. I did have to do a lot of trimming of my pasture trees so I could get close to them, but the trimming made the trees look much better than them having limbs all the way to the ground.

 

[Gary Fowler]

photo of trimmed trees so tractors and mowers can get under them. All my trees are trimmed up appropriately. It was a lot of work at first but now just a yearly cropping of the limbs that tend to hang down.
This is an old photo and trees are now about twice that height, but still trimmed up the same way.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Some folks say they cant afford the cost of a cab, well I say, some things should not be bought just for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses, but when it comes to your comfort when outside, go for a cab. You wouldn't sacrifice your comfort when it comes to seating in your home by sitting in a hard solid wood chair rather than a comfortable recliner, so why do it with your tractor.