Get the CAB!

[gemini5362]

I love the girly men comments. I have posted this before but I will repeat it for your benfit. When I went to buy a new tractor my wife said I dont mind you buying a new tractor but I want you to get one with a cab. I ( and I swear this is the truth) told her that real men did not have cabs on their tractors. If you are planting 1000 acres or something like that maybe but real men did not have cabs on their tractors for small farms. She listened and smiled and said ok but I dont want you buying a tractor without a cab. She pointed out that I am alergic to wasps and she did not want me brushhogging and hitting a nest and her come home to find me sitting in the tractor dead. I could not find a defense to that arguement so I said ok and bought a tractor with a factory cab. I can tell you beyond any shadow of doubt it is the best arguement I have ever lost. The first week I had my tractor it was 100 degrees outside and I would have to make myself alot time to play with the tractor other wise I would be late for work.

If you can afford it buy the cab

 

[wolc123]

On a tractor under 50 hp, A canopy has many advantages over a cab. Starting of course is the cost at several thousand less. Also important is hp and fuel savings because the ammount robbed by the AC is a significant chunk on these little engines. I have have never been stung by a bee while operating or suffered from alergies, so for myself at least that stuff is not an issue. Maintenence of a canopy is easier and cheaper than a cab, required overhead clearance is less, and center of gravity is lower. The canopy I fabricated for my tractor only weighs around 30 lbs and can be removed in less than 5 minutes alowing me to fold the rollbar and get into a standard 7 ft door, try that with a cab. Simply blocking out the sun on an open station tractor with a good, big-enough canopy makes a huge difference in operator comfort. If the AC goes down on a cabbed tractor, and they all do sooner or later, you are stuck literally in a hot greenhouse and far hotter than if you were under an open canopy. When I see cabs on little tractors I think of the old expression "a fool an his money are soon parted".

 

[gemini5362]

On a tractor under 50 hp, A canopy has many advantages over a cab. Starting of course is the cost at several thousand less. Also important is hp and fuel savings because the ammount robbed by the AC is a significant chunk on these little engines. I have have never been stung by a bee while operating or suffered from alergies, so for myself at least that stuff is not an issue. Maintenence of a canopy is easier and cheaper than a cab, required overhead clearance is less, and center of gravity is lower. The canopy I fabricated for my tractor only weighs around 30 lbs and can be removed in less than 5 minutes alowing me to fold the rollbar and get into a standard 7 ft door, try that with a cab. Simply blocking out the sun on an open station tractor with a good, big-enough canopy makes a huge difference in operator comfort. If the AC goes down on a cabbed tractor, and they all do sooner or later, you are stuck literally in a hot greenhouse and far hotter than if you were under an open canopy. When I see cabs on little tractors I think of the old expression "a fool an his money are soon parted".

well this fool and his money must have been parted quickly I have a 49 horse tractor with a cab and I would not even think about owning one without it

 

[buckeyefarmer]

A friend of mine spent the last 2 days in the hospital with a heat stroke from working in the heat. be careful out there. I wish I had the cab myself, but spent the money for more HP instead but have the sunshade which helps a lot.

 

[Kendrick]

If the AC goes down on a cabbed tractor, and they all do sooner or later, you are stuck literally in a hot greenhouse and far hotter than if you were under an open canopy. When I see cabs on little tractors I think of the old expression "a fool an his money are soon parted".

your right and I hope its not cancer from a pesticide, or farmers lung that gets you early. you dont have allergys YET and be thankful. its kinda like flood insurance though. right now im sure there are MANY people that saw it as "a fool and his money..." dont think they consider it that way now.

 

[Legdoc]

I am a medical provider and "part time" rancher and have put over 800 hours on a M6800 open cab in 8 years. Also 300 hours on a 580M open cab in 3 years. I have had numerous encounters with killer bees, herbicide reactions and heat exhaustion. I was a little hesitant to go to a cab machine due to the cost and future a/c maintenance issues. I recently purchased a M9540 with cab and will never go back to a open cab for field work!
The air ride seat and stereo is nice also.
Legdoc

 

[LarryRB]

On a tractor under 50 hp, A canopy has many advantages over a cab. Starting of course is the cost at several thousand less. Also important is hp and fuel savings because the ammount robbed by the AC is a significant chunk on these little engines. ".

I use to think the same until two years ago when plowing snow,, heavily wind driven, the ambient temp was 15 or so below and the wind chill in the 40 below neighborhood. From that one storm, a hand made cab was made. Not fancy, it does keep me out of the wind and that is all I care about,,, The canopy under these conditions make things like a wind tunnel,., no more of that for me

 

[patrick_g]

Most but not all posters casting aspersions on cabs suffer from the sour grapes syndrome. It is the "I don't have one so they aren't good" sort of thing. You can justify (rationalize?) most decisions some of the time and some of the decisions most of the time but saying those with cabs are wrong because you don't have one is just plain tacky.

Of course you can get along without, without nearly anything. You could be driving a gasoline or propane powered tractor and make fun of the diesels. You could be plowing with a pair of mules using a bent stick instead of a tractor and a steel plow and calling everyone with a steel plow a girlie man.

If you have work to do in inclement weather a cab is much more conducive to your getting on the tractor and doing it. It can be safer for your health, preventing heat stroke or hypothermia or breathing chemical sprays or breathing dust. Hand cranked cars had their place and I'm sure if the term "girlie men" were in fashion back then it would have been used by some against the folks who paid extra for an electric starter. Windmill? GIRLIE MAN, can't you pull a bucket of water by hand? Indoor plumbing? GIRLIE MAN, can't your wife draw and tote water to run the kitchen? Flush toilets? GIRLIE MAN, is it too far to walk to the outhouse? You gonna let a little blizzard keep you from doing your "business?"

Of course there is no work you can do with a cab that you can't do without a cab. You may be safer, healthier, exposed to less risk, and more comfortable but surely you cab owners are envious of the fold down ROPS or does having a ROPS make you a GIRLIE MAN TOO?

There are lots of usage patterns that make the open tractor tolerable. Usage patterns that tend to be intolerable in an open tractor call for more protection be it a surrey top, flexible plastic cover to thwart the wind or a fully enclosed cab with heat and A/C. How many open tractor drivers are driving a convertible car (in winter) and NEVER RAISE THE TOP or have removed the top of their truck?

Of course economics does enter into it but if you can't afford a heated and air conditioned cab or choose to put the money elsewhere and suffer what ever discomfort or danger is associated with an open tractor then that is fine BUT it does not make everyone with a cab wrong. I choose to use a chainsaw to fell trees and suffer the added expense of the saw, gas, oil, chain loops, safety equipment, and so forth. An axe or hand saw will git 'er done with less pollution, less noise, and a little more effort on my part so does that make me a girlie man? How many detractors of cabs on tractors use an inexpensive axe instead of the expensive girlie man chainsaw?

I think a large part of the nay saying is a smoke screen to dodge the facts. I do not claim an open tractor is a bad idea for many tasks. Clearly it is not comfortable in many situations so not as conducive to getting you to do the work and surely you can do more in a comfortable shirtsleeve environment than you can bundled up or sweating yourself into a puddle.

To avoid a cab because it doesn't have a folding ROPS that will let you drive under low branches is a realistic concern. I wonder what percentage of time someone would be driving under low branches? I trim all branches about the 10 ft off the ground level of the trees which are repetitively in my way. To me, it looks better and lets light get under the tree to grow grass. Of course not everyone would agree it is an improvement.

When I spray chemicals I am safer in a cab. No matter how careful you are, eventually a flaw in the wind or some turbulence, or a moments inattention and the wind will drift your chemical plume over you. If you spray chemicals that you would not like to shower in or breath in then you would be better served with a cab. If you are plowing or disking or other wise making dust clouds you will breath less dust in a cab (there is a filter on the air drawn in.) If you have allergies with regard to some of the stuff you mow you will be better off in a cab as the allergens are mostly filtered out by the cab air filiter. If you have problems with biting and stinging insects you are better off in a cab.

I can't say driving an open tractor isn't fun under the right conditions because it certainly is. I like to ride horses too but not for my ordinary transportation. If tractoring is something you do when it is fun and don't have to do when it isn't then an open tractor may suit your needs just fine. Some of us have obligations that are best met by using a tractor. These obligations continue through all kinds of weather and sometimes can NOT be delayed.

If you keep stock, for example, you are obligated to care for them. They need to be cared for irrespective of the weather or conditions. Would you rather spend the day in a freezing rain with blowing wind on an open tractor or in a heated cab? I have a friend/neighbor with 3 tractors and no cabs. He has to change clothes 2-3 times a day in bad weather but he DOES TEND HIS STOCK. Terrific moral fiber, fantastic sense of duty, great character and just a whole lot easier for me with a cab.

Pat

 

[RoyJackson]

Biggest problem I have with cabs is the weight raising the C of G.
Personally, i have no use for one, but I'm not spending too many hours on the tractor at any given time.
Farmers and others who may spend a full day (after day, after day) on their machines have only to justify the extra costs to their accountants.
Even plowing snow..well PA is a fairly temperate area. A parka and decent cold weather hat precludes the need for a cab.

As far as residential owners, such as myself...a cab is nothing more then a rather useless status symbol. But those folks aren't spending my money...so they ought to do what they want.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I like not having a cab. But I think its like everything else - different things for different conditions on tractors.

Up here summer days usually hit a high of 80. And winters aren't that cold. And I don't use my tractor professionally - if the weather is miserable I stay inside. I want every bit of outside time I can have, so no cab for me.

But if I lived down South, a cab would be a no brainer. If I were earning a living on the tractor, same deal. And if I were far enough north that I actually had to clear snow on a regular basis, I'd get a cab too.

All depends on your needs and uses, like everything else, to my mind.

 

[Bob_Young]

Like anything else, cabs have their good and bad points. For the hobby work on my own land, they're not needed and probably wouldn't work anyway. Too many trees to work around and, like another said, if the conditions are miserable enough, the work gets left 'til later.

For professional usage, it's a different matter. The work must get done and you can't pick and choose the conditions in which you do it. Cabs have kept me in the field and working when wind, rain, blowing dust and cold would've driven me out. They're a definite advantage in this setting, but come with continuing costs.

At this latitude, heat is not a huge problem but, with a cab, an air conditioner will be needed in any season other than winter. This can be a no-go item in warm weather; especially if the cab windows cannot be fully opened. It's the air conditioning reliability aspect that, in my mind, limits the choice of cabbed tractors to new/late models. Keeping a 20 yr. old AC system working on an otherwise capable tractor demands resources and skills many lack. So if you think you want one, plan on buying new (or nearly so) and trading before the climatic system goes south. Somehow I think that approach would be acceptable to most here.
FWIW
Bob

 

[tjkadar]

Last week the afternoon temps were already breaking the 100 degree mark. Of course, last week I still had my open station tractor too. Now that we are in the mid-90's, I finally have a cab. Boy, I sure would have appreciated that AC a little more last week.

If a person doesn't want to maintain the AC system past a certain point, he can always remove all the glass from a cab tractor and essentially convert it to an open station with a roll cage instead of a roll bar. Myself, I'll be looking at the extended warranty.

 

[Lewiston]

This is my first tractor with a cab. After spending years mowing 2 acres of lawn, 3+ miles of walking trails in hot, muggy, buggy conditions and plowing snow (front mounted) on a 1/2+ mile driveway in fridged weather in the open, the cab was worth every penny!

Being a long term investment, I view the cab no differently than any other option - 4 remotes, tnt, draft, etc. all of which make "tractor time" that much more enjoyable. In my case it meant holding off purchasing a "wish list" attachment; it's easier adding an attachment than a cab at a later date.

Rik

 

[Kendrick]

Rik is quite right about a "factory cab" I have seen a DK65c? after a tree fell on it. the driver would have died wo the cab. the tree would have landed right on his lap. I have a farm and a day job that I can get called in at all times. with 1500' of driveway and a posibility of ice storms I see my life far more important. I have seen what a good ice storm can do. if your playing in suberbia you probably wont need a cab. if you have any ammount of property its worth every penny.

The aftermarket cabs are nice but lack the same saftey as the factory units. most coexist with the rops not replace it. a nice aftermarket cab could give many benifits if it is built well.

the sad part is to many people take for gantet what could harm their health. I hate hearing about preventable damage. one old guy who used to play paintball when i was younger forgot his mask and the quote was "ah who cares i have a bad eye any ways its not like it will matter" about 2 hrs later he became nearly blind in both eyes. I cant remember if he lost site all together or not. it all adds up just ask a old coal miner.

 

[Crash101]

Cab or no cab? Only one answer to that question, and that answer can only be answered by one person. The person who is spending his or her money. My wife and I have as a 3rd car a small 2 passenger convertable. It serves as our 4wheeled mororcycle and we enjoy it a lot, but now after reading some of these comments regarding fools and their money or question of manhood, perhaps on those 100 degree days when the sun wants to fry eggs, I need to make sure the top is down. After all, real men just sweat it out, right? No air conditioning or comfort features allowed. Can't be thought of as girly.
Oh and speaking of paintball. I went 48 years being able to brag about never knowing what a broken bone feels like, that is until that day when I let my son talk me into playing paint ball. I'm a Viet Nam veteran, infantry medic. Been there, done that right? no problem. Man I broke my left ankle running down that hill. Kendrick, I promise not to take things for granted any more.. that thing 10 years later still hurts....

 

[mjarrels]

WOW... Neighbor was baling hay yesterday next to the golf course fairway... I'm picking up golf balls... he stops, opens the door on the JD tractor and I step in... WOW climat control is great! He has 3 JD cab tractors plus a couple open station tractors. Stacked round bales 3 high in my barn using a skidsteer... I asked how he did it and he grinned and said skill! Got to love dairy farmers!

mark

 

[patrick_g]

WOW... Neighbor was baling hay yesterday Stacked round bales 3 high in my barn using a skidsteer... I asked how he did it and he grinned and said skill! Mark

I stack round bales 3 high with either pallet forks or hay spike using my 39 HP (PTO) Kubota CUT. It really isn't hard. Even with a full size tractor I couldn't go higher due to trusses in the way.

Pat

 

[m7040]

Yes Glowplug you should have gotten the cab option

 

[Rara Avis]

Cab or no cab? Only one answer to that question, and that answer can only be answered by one person. The person who is spending his or her money. My wife and I have as a 3rd car a small 2 passenger convertable. It serves as our 4wheeled mororcycle and we enjoy it a lot, but now after reading some of these comments regarding fools and their money or question of manhood, perhaps on those 100 degree days when the sun wants to fry eggs, I need to make sure the top is down. After all, real men just sweat it out, right? No air conditioning or comfort features allowed. Can't be thought of as girly.
Oh and speaking of paintball. I went 48 years being able to brag about never knowing what a broken bone feels like, that is until that day when I let my son talk me into playing paint ball. I'm a Viet Nam veteran, infantry medic. Been there, done that right? no problem. Man I broke my left ankle running down that hill. Kendrick, I promise not to take things for granted any more.. that thing 10 years later still hurts....

It's girly only if you run the A/C with the top down on your convertible...

OPEN STATION forever...