Paystar
Elite Member
I can afford a cab. Bought an open station.
Cab tractor for around the home?
- Thread starter willysmb
- Start date
DK35vince
Super Member
I have an open station and would love to have a factory cab.
If I ever buy another tractor it will have a cab.
If I ever buy another tractor it will have a cab.
The main tractors I have been looking at are Mahindra, LS, & Massey. I hear great things about the Massey but obviously the price is higher. I also hear great things about Mahindra & LS but I am unwilling to compromise on quality and have not gone to check them out yet.
At this point, if one of the more affordable brands has the quality I am looking for then I think I am going to go with a smaller open station and then purchase a larger, cabbed tractor, in a couple years.
At this point, if one of the more affordable brands has the quality I am looking for then I think I am going to go with a smaller open station and then purchase a larger, cabbed tractor, in a couple years.
CADplans
Elite Member
I mow with an open tractor,,, get a flail mower, no need for a cab to keep the bugs away,,
you will be going fast enough to keep the bugs from bothering you.
I learned this in the 1970's cultivating soybeans.
The first cultivation, we had to go slow, the bugs would eat you alive.
When the plants got taller, and I could go faster, there was not a bug that could keep up.
That includes bees,, I NEVER mow at less than 5MPH,, the ground bees will get you.
5MPH, or faster, you are long gone!! :thumbsup:
Joy ride the kids when you are not doing anything, and you can give them 100% of your attention,,,
adventure bob
Platinum Member
Mowed 1 season on an open and by the end of the mow, I was covered in dust, sweat and bug bites. I mow in an air conditioned cab. No dust, no bugs, no sweat. I log burnt trees and the black is all over everything, except in the cab. I wouldn't run an open at this point.
PJSprog
Elite Member
Yes. Look at LS, Mahindra, Kioti, ... and any other tractors you can get your butt on. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of some of the "other" brands of tractors out there, especially the ones who are likely making many of the the small tractors for those bigger named companies, and sell their own branded versions for thousands less.
Massey is really the only "premium brand" that I am considering. Aside from that I am mainly focused on Mahindra, LS, TYM, and possibly Kioti. I was interested in Yanmar but the prices were insane. Higher than even the premium brands.
I know that TYM builds a lot of tractors for Mahindra. I am not sure who builds the Masseys.
daugen
Super Star Member
Willy, if you look up the tractor in tractordata.com, it will tell you country of manufacturer and sometimes the engine mfg. That often helps a lot, like my 49hp Massey is one of the ones built
in India. I believe JD also has Indian built tractors in the utility range. Most SCUTS and CUTS are built in South Korea, Japan or China and shipped in pieces over here for assembly. With lots of different brand stickers on them. Apparently the US is no longer capable of building small tractors and making money, so they have outsourced the entire industry.
India tractors, btw, have a history of being heavier than average, lots of iron on them, my Massey's back end looks enormous compared to the one on my L5740 and I'm sure part of that is just heavier larger castings of iron and steel. The result is a heavier tractor. Heavy is wonderful for grip. Heavy is terrible for going over lawns.
Mahindras, for example, are usually a little heavier. But then again, my Kubota is far more sophisticated and drives almost like a car. The Massey is old style, like I grew up with, and you need all your arms and legs to make them work. I like driving both, the Massey has a bark to it that says constantly it's large and in charge. The Kubota purrs along. But when the Kubota is screaming its hydraulic whine as you try to get down the road in front of cars, the Massey in top gear will go a lot faster than I want to drive any tractor and it feels like it's on the Autobahn. The hydrostatic whine can get nasty when you are cranked up, so test that when looking around. If you can, don't just putter around the dealer lot.
All the brands you mention make excellent tractors. A local dealer can be a real help and convenience, I'd put some priority there.
Particularly if you are new to current implements, getting some advice on sizing is helpful.
Or you can ask those questions here. I'd also read some of the tractor specific forums and see if you find any concerns there.
good luck. It's a fun process.
in India. I believe JD also has Indian built tractors in the utility range. Most SCUTS and CUTS are built in South Korea, Japan or China and shipped in pieces over here for assembly. With lots of different brand stickers on them. Apparently the US is no longer capable of building small tractors and making money, so they have outsourced the entire industry.
India tractors, btw, have a history of being heavier than average, lots of iron on them, my Massey's back end looks enormous compared to the one on my L5740 and I'm sure part of that is just heavier larger castings of iron and steel. The result is a heavier tractor. Heavy is wonderful for grip. Heavy is terrible for going over lawns.
Mahindras, for example, are usually a little heavier. But then again, my Kubota is far more sophisticated and drives almost like a car. The Massey is old style, like I grew up with, and you need all your arms and legs to make them work. I like driving both, the Massey has a bark to it that says constantly it's large and in charge. The Kubota purrs along. But when the Kubota is screaming its hydraulic whine as you try to get down the road in front of cars, the Massey in top gear will go a lot faster than I want to drive any tractor and it feels like it's on the Autobahn. The hydrostatic whine can get nasty when you are cranked up, so test that when looking around. If you can, don't just putter around the dealer lot.
All the brands you mention make excellent tractors. A local dealer can be a real help and convenience, I'd put some priority there.
Particularly if you are new to current implements, getting some advice on sizing is helpful.
Or you can ask those questions here. I'd also read some of the tractor specific forums and see if you find any concerns there.
good luck. It's a fun process.
Last edited:
MultiMow
Gold Member
If you can afford a cab (with money that wouldn't be better spent on implements, or a larger unit)... I would HIGHLY suggest a cab.... but ONLY if you can afford the heat/AC to go with it.
The only three reasons not to own a cab, are:
-constantly mounting/dismounting the operator's station... and this only applies to buying older equipment that doesn't have quick release doors that can be removed during these times
-TREES: if you have a lot of low hanging trees to be working around, don't want to clearance the limbs, and don't already require a roll bar... cabs are not for you....
-COST: of you would be better served to spend the money on a larger unit, implements/attachments, or other accessories.... stick with what will make you more productive
What it all boils down to, is productivity.... and BELIEVE ME.... a cab with heat/AC makes 98% of operating conditions FAR MORE COMFORTABLE, and that WILL lead to higher productivity.
Another point worth mentioning, is longevity and trade-in value.
A cab is like having a garage for the components most sensitive to exposure (operator's station). If you plan on owning this tractor for any length of time, this will help tremendously to avoid future maintenance problems. Should you ever decide to trade in, the most important and hard to maintain area of the tractor will be in far better shape than even a garaged unit with an open station.
If you can afford to go full-tilt (heat/AC/work lamps/etc.), do it. You won't be sorry.
The only three reasons not to own a cab, are:
-constantly mounting/dismounting the operator's station... and this only applies to buying older equipment that doesn't have quick release doors that can be removed during these times
-TREES: if you have a lot of low hanging trees to be working around, don't want to clearance the limbs, and don't already require a roll bar... cabs are not for you....
-COST: of you would be better served to spend the money on a larger unit, implements/attachments, or other accessories.... stick with what will make you more productive
What it all boils down to, is productivity.... and BELIEVE ME.... a cab with heat/AC makes 98% of operating conditions FAR MORE COMFORTABLE, and that WILL lead to higher productivity.
Another point worth mentioning, is longevity and trade-in value.
A cab is like having a garage for the components most sensitive to exposure (operator's station). If you plan on owning this tractor for any length of time, this will help tremendously to avoid future maintenance problems. Should you ever decide to trade in, the most important and hard to maintain area of the tractor will be in far better shape than even a garaged unit with an open station.
If you can afford to go full-tilt (heat/AC/work lamps/etc.), do it. You won't be sorry.