Cab tractor for around the home?

[TractorTYMe]

"Get an open station, it will be fun" they said. This was me this weekend on a side job mowing 6 acres with a 68'' Flail mower.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

"Get an open station, it will be fun" they said. This was me this weekend on a side job mowing 6 acres with a 68'' Flail mower.
View attachment 754942

I've had mine look like that from pollen instead of dust.

Still not something I want to be covered in on an open station.

 

[daugen]

better check your air filters...

 

[TractorTYMe]

better check your air filters...

Oh, no worries....it got full R & R after that day.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I used to wear an eskimo suit when plowing with my open station tractor. This is my view now, plowing at -5F in a T shirt.

No brainer.

 

[Williy]

It would be kinda rough for someone in
an oper cab trying to plow at them temps
Many Many moons ago when I lived in the
city had an 8hp snow blower and the drive
way always filled in with snow and the snow
was higher than the snow blower but I would
start in the center of the drive way wearing a
snowmobile suit, helmet, goggles sorrel boots
it would take a couple of hours to clean it out
then I purchased a riding mower and snow blower
from sears and the belt would not stay on so
returned it. A small tractor with a blower would
have been nice, now believe its been over 5 years
that I have seen snow. Also have tractor with cab
wouldn't be with out one. Temps have been 110
last few days with an open cab would be well done
and covered in dust as we haven't had rain for weeks

willy

 

[mo1]

I have read many threads on cab vs no cab and the basic consensus is that if you can afford a cab you should get a cab. My question is, if the primary use for a tractor was going to be for around the home would a cab be annoying? I plan to use the tractor mostly around my yard and shop and also on a hunting property. Although it will get used at the hunting property a couple times a month it will mostly be used at the house.

Around the house: Moving pallets, assisting with vehicle work (lifting motors, moving axles, etc), landscaping, garden etc. A lot of these tasks are going to require a lot of on and off the tractor which is making me thick a cab could get annoying.

Hunting Property: Food Plots, landscaping/ponds (puddles/watering hole), wood cutting, etc.

I do have a need for snow removal but I can snowplow with my Jeep. I have a few acres of fields to do. I would like to expand upon this but nothing is in the works now so I can't really plan for it. My thought is that I would maybe be better off to go with a smaller tractor now and a second larger cab tractor later if my need for field work ever increases beyond the couple acres of field work I have now.

The best answer is that your usage situation and personal preferences will dictate what you get.

- If you get on and off the tractor a lot, it is much easier to get on and off of an open station tractor than one with a cab. It is particularly a pain in the behind to try to hook up some non-quick-hitch mounted implement with a cabbed tractor vs. an open station tractor as you are constantly in and out of the cab.
- Visibility ranges from a little bit better to a whole lot better on an open station machine.
- You can hear things a whole lot better with an open station machine. This includes both things that you want to hear such as some new/different sound with your implements, as well as general noise you don't want to hear.
- An open station machine, particularly with a foldable ROPS, can fit into low-clearance areas such as under trees or in low buildings a cabbed machine cannot go into.
- If you are doing something dusty, a cab can keep the dust off of you but the dust can dirty up the windows to the point you can't see well, and you may have to clean out the cab air filters frequently operating in those conditions.
- Speaking of air conditioning, unless your A/C is top-notch it will get far hotter in a cab than an open station machine, even if you pop all of the cab windows open.
- Operating around trees is a mixed bag, the cab can keep the branches from whapping you (good) but they can break windows (very expensive.)
- It is often easier to work on an open station tractor due to no cab being in the way of getting at the major components behind the firewall.

I chose an open station unit mainly due to the better visibility and that it really isn't a big deal to not have a cab. I know, I've run cabbed tractors. I put a couple hundred hours a year on my tractor, much of it brush hogging and haying. It is considerably cooler and less dusty running an open station tractor than it is bucking bales, digging fence posts where it's too rocky for the post hole auger to dig in, or any one of a bunch of other tasks around a farm. It is rarely hotter or dustier in running an open station tractor than it is running a riding lawnmower in the summer, and few really complain about doing that. I would likely only have a cabbed tractor if I got one north of about 150 HP where there is no choice but to get a cab as they don't make open station tractors that large.

 

[TimberFarm]

The best answer is that your usage situation and personal preferences will dictate what you get.

- If you get on and off the tractor a lot, it is much easier to get on and off of an open station tractor than one with a cab. It is particularly a pain in the behind to try to hook up some non-quick-hitch mounted implement with a cabbed tractor vs. an open station tractor as you are constantly in and out of the cab.
- Visibility ranges from a little bit better to a whole lot better on an open station machine.
- You can hear things a whole lot better with an open station machine. This includes both things that you want to hear such as some new/different sound with your implements, as well as general noise you don't want to hear.
- An open station machine, particularly with a foldable ROPS, can fit into low-clearance areas such as under trees or in low buildings a cabbed machine cannot go into.
- If you are doing something dusty, a cab can keep the dust off of you but the dust can dirty up the windows to the point you can't see well, and you may have to clean out the cab air filters frequently operating in those conditions.
- Speaking of air conditioning, unless your A/C is top-notch it will get far hotter in a cab than an open station machine, even if you pop all of the cab windows open.
- Operating around trees is a mixed bag, the cab can keep the branches from whapping you (good) but they can break windows (very expensive.)
- It is often easier to work on an open station tractor due to no cab being in the way of getting at the major components behind the firewall.

I chose an open station unit mainly due to the better visibility and that it really isn't a big deal to not have a cab. I know, I've run cabbed tractors. I put a couple hundred hours a year on my tractor, much of it brush hogging and haying. It is considerably cooler and less dusty running an open station tractor than it is bucking bales, digging fence posts where it's too rocky for the post hole auger to dig in, or any one of a bunch of other tasks around a farm. It is rarely hotter or dustier in running an open station tractor than it is running a riding lawnmower in the summer, and few really complain about doing that. I would likely only have a cabbed tractor if I got one north of about 150 HP where there is no choice but to get a cab as they don't make open station tractors that large.

Cab tractors usually have a way to operate the 3 pt from outside the cab.

 

[mo1]

Cab tractors usually have a way to operate the 3 pt from outside the cab.

Depends on the tractor. I've used some cabbed tractors that do, I've used some that don't.

 

[mrgreenjeanstx]

We use the "more tractors the better", but in my experience, if you are in good health, good mobility, ease/difficulty of mounting/dismounting of cab v open station is really not all that significant. As to trees, I added limb risers and cab guards to prevent damage.

Forgive my ignorance, What are limb risers and cab guards?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have certainly whacked some tree branches with my cab. You'd have to *really* hit a big branch to damage a cab window. That is a common misconception that folk have about cab glass. It is much more like auto safety glass than it is a plate glass window pane like in a house window. I've pushed branches to the sides going between trees that would have easily swept someone off of the seat of an open station. I'm not talking about going *fast* through the trees, but easing between trees in a hedge or tree row is a common thing for me.

It is a non-event.

2 weekends ago I was mowing pastures at 95 F outside temp. A/C in cab had me very comfortable and cool.

I can stand next to my tractor and reach in through the right side door and move my 3 pt lever up/down, whatever I need, while standing with both feet on the ground. You certainly don't have to climb in and out of the cab to move the 3pt lever while hitching/unhitching implements.

Look, you guys buy what you want, and that's fine.

But some of this stuff being stated is just pure hogwash.

 

[Raul-02]

My question is, if the primary use for a tractor was going to be for around the home would a cab be annoying?

Excellent question.
I can say that mine is not annoying. When the weather is harsh I am in HVAC comfort. When It rains I am dry, when it snows and is cold I am comfy and warm, When the midges, gnats, and mosquitos are swarming they just can't get to me.
And here's a good one. When I stumble upon a yellow jacket or baldfaced hornet nest, clearing brush piles or wherever, well they can try all they want, but they just can't find me. I am immune to their fury.

So is it a PITA to have to open the cab door to get in and out? Nope not at all. I haven't felt the slightest inconvienence.

 

[Raul-02]

Forgive my ignorance, What are limb risers and cab guards?

I had the same question I think it's this #10 would be the limb riser

 

[cathy liebchen]

I never see anyone around here using a cab tractor

 

[K5lwq]

I have both open station and cab. I prefer the cab. Maybe I should get rid of the open station and get another cab. Guess that is asking for too much.

 

[Williy]

You must be blind to think that you can't
see with the cab on a tractor as I can see
all 4 tires with no problem and just look
out the back window you can see very
clearly on hooking up your attachments
And for someone to think that an open
station is cooler than a cab with a/c is
something I would like to see unless its
in the winder time and that's the time I
turn on the heat! It dosen't faze me that
guys with open station tractors can come
up with all kinds of ideas not to have a
cab on their tractor however I really enjoy
my cab on the tractor with the temps hitting
107F degrees I was nice and cool and no
dust in the cab etc.

willy

 

[ljjhouser]

The best reason for a cab - hours of mowing in the hot summer/minutes of plowing snow in the freezing weather.
The best reason for NOT having. Using pallet forks, working in brush or woods, box blade and manual adjusting the 3 point/ and anything that puts strain on the glass door. (damn expensive stuff).

A cab looks attractive to me, but I cannot use it. I am off and on the tractor too often.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I think the answer here depends entirely on how, where and when you use your tractor. As already mentioned above, rain, heat, cold and tree cover all play major roles. Personal comfort is also a factor, especially as you age. You might want to take this into consideration if you plan to keep the tractor for the foreseeable future.

The roof on the L series Kubota's is made of plastic and easily damaged by a 3/4" branch. The lights are also easily damaged by even small branches.

I have both an open station and a cab tractor and I find it easier to get on and off the cab model. On the Kubota, the door has a sturdy handle which provides convenient support for mounting & dismounting.

On the Kubota anyway, the 3pt and remote levers are easily reached through an open window.

 

[chim]

Since building here in '89 I've had a 3 open station, one open station that I built a cab for and a factory-cabbed model. Hands down favorite is the factory cab. Second choice would be the L3200 with the DIY cab. Still have the open station Ford we got back around 1991 for odds and ends. It's handy to have two tractors with different implements on some projects.

At 73 I don't have any trouble getting in and out of the cab. Can even manage getting myself in and out with our 2YO daughter. She loves to go along while mowing and with the cab, don't need to worry about her falling off.

The most enjoyable things about a cab are the already-mentioned HVAC (mowed yesterday in the heat with the A/C in the first setting), and not getting bothered by the dust, pollen and insects. It's also very nice to be able to run the sprayer and not drive through the overspray when the breeze shifts.

There IS one visibility issue that I've noticed. Depending on the angle of the sun, I occasionally get some reflection on the inside of the front window if I wear a really light colored shirt. Not a big deal, and if it's late afternoon i will often grab a darker shirt before mowing.

 

[paulfun9]

Hmmmmmmm,,,,
In hind sight,,, I was going out to purchase a cab tractor,,,
I ended up with an open tractor, that is much higher HP than the cab tractor would have been.

What a great decision!! I get the tractor work done with the larger tractor so fast, I do not mind the open station.

For the same money, you could have:
40 HP with a cab,,, or 60 HP open station,,, I would lean towards the horsepower EVERY time.

The last two winters We had snow storms that would have required multiple hours to clear the snow with a smaller tractor.
My 60 HP did it in thirty minutes.

This is sort of my husband approach.
We usually don't have a need to go out in the middle of a storm, so he just sits it out and when its all over he clears it quickly.
When he was still doing plowing and clearing for others I wanted him to have a cab. But he is cheep sometimes and seemed to know he didn't want to keep clearing all those driveways long enough to make a new one pay off for him

Myself I would welcome a cab and it might have me wanting to help more often.

Janet