Homemade Cab for Deere 2320 CUT

[cast_and_blast]

Excellent work!

Are you keeping a tab of time/materials? Just curious how this compares to a Curtis Cab for $3K.

Scott

 

[mjncad]

Husker's cab looks better than a Curtis Cab.

 

[cast_and_blast]

Husker's cab looks better than a Curtis Cab.

I won't argue that! It looks great - just wondering white kind of time/money is going into it.

Scott

 

[Huskerplowboy]

Thanks for the compliments!

Tried to tally things up the yesterday. I think I'll have about $1200 in materials in it when I'm done. That's for a cab with a more-or-less hard side door and rear window, "styled" roof, 4 worklights, and hazzard lights.

For grins (and to motivate me to keep going) I went to Sims Cab Depot and priced out a cab for a 2210/2305. Base cab was $2691. Add $1287 for LH and RH hard side doors, $280 for the styled green roof (ABS), $283 for 4-way flashers, and $270 for 4 worklights. Totals up to $4205.

As far as hours on the project, I didn't keep track very well. Work started around the first of July. Didn't do much at all during September due to house projects. Probably did something on it over about 12 weeks total. If I somehow managed to average 15 hours a week (would be a stretch lately with work and house selling activities), thats a guess of 180 hours in it.

So, with that guesstimate, as long as I don't overpay myself at over $16 an hour, I'm probably break-even or slightly ahead. Besides, it's been (mostly) a fun project. I also feel that I have at least a few advantages on my cab that help:

1. The rear of the cab is behind where the factory ROPS was, providing more elbow room when turning around to blow snow, hook up implements, etc.
2. Width: The cab frame sits outboard of the fenders and fender handles. So far it seems like this will be wide enough to keep me from bumping my head when leaning to the side to see the front tire or even mower deck. It's also plenty wide enough on the RH side so I don't run out of room to operate the loader joystick.
3. Style: At least in my own head, I think my cab looks better than most of the aftermarket cabs with the exception of the Jodale-Perry cab. For one, it's a black cab with green roof, just like the big boys. Deere cabs stopped being green with the Sound-Gard cab in 1973 or. Might be just me, but green cabs on newer style tractors bugs me...

 

[Huskerplowboy]

Great job on the cab!!!

You've probably mentioned it in previous posts, so I appologize for asking again......but where did you get the gasket material from?? What is it called??
What type and thickness of plexiglass are you using??

I'm going to start making a cab for my tractor, so I've been watching the progress on your's. You'll really have a nice time plowing snow this winter!!!

McMaster-Carr

See page 3370 for the window gasket. It's item #3275T22
The weatherstripping came from page 3371. Item #93085K515

Originally planned to just get weatherstrip from Wally World or Home Depot, but McMaster had different styles and in black instead of white or brown. Seemed like that'd look nicer, plus I was already ordering the gasket, so had to pay some shipping either way...

 

[mjncad]

I'd say your cab is competitive price wise Husker. Plus prototypes, which is what your is always cost more to make than actual production units.

I ordered a Curtis Cab for my rig back in the 2003 - 2004 time period and it arrived damaged due to flimsy crating. In retrospect, I'm glad it arrived damaged as the quality wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. It took a while; but I got my $3,000 grand back from Curtis after I promptly crated it up properly and had it shipped back at their expense. The unrecouped cost of materials and time for me to crate the thing up was worth it to me in order to get rid of it and get my money back.

Always pay with a credit card so you can dispute the charge if need be.

 

[RRbota]

McMaster-Carr

See page 3370 for the window gasket. It's item #3275T22
The weatherstripping came from page 3371. Item #93085K515

Originally planned to just get weatherstrip from Wally World or Home Depot, but McMaster had different styles and in black instead of white or brown. Seemed like that'd look nicer, plus I was already ordering the gasket, so had to pay some shipping either way...

Thanks for the info

 

[JSR LLS]

I haven't posted on here in awhile, but still check in. Somehow I've missed this thread. As a fellow 2320 owner, all I can say is WOW! And, I want one. Great job. Thanks for posting your progress and pics. I'd also like to place my order.

 

[Huskerplowboy]

Getting closer...

Getting closer to having the cab complete, or at least functional. The other day, put plexiglass in the RH side window and windshield. Yesterday I was able to buttong up installing the "glass" in the little windows on either side of the hood. I also painted and installed a filler panel below the rear window. I ended up making this out of wood rather than metal. A couple reasons for that: 1) laziness... cutting a 1x8" piece of oak I had lying around to length, drilling a couple holes, and painting it was easier than fabricating a steel piece. 2) I may want/need to change this piece someday as I add options, etc, so I figured this would be a good disposable piece.

Mounted in that back panel is an electrical outlet with a sealed outdoor cover plate with door. This is my aux. hookup. Inside the cab, I attached the control knob for a small 12V winch I had from another failed project. The outputs of the control knob wired to the outlet. I placed the control to be right where my hand will be when driving backwards with the snowblower. I added a standard male plug end to the wires on the winch. Today, I removed the manual crank handle and cable from my snowblower. I removed the cable from the winch, drilled a new holle through the reel in about the middle, and mounted the winch to the blower. Using a chunk of the cable that came with the winch, I wrapped and attached a new cable around the winch and chute for electric rotation. I can plug the wires into the back of the cab now, easy on, easy off. After a little adjusting and some grease on the chute, it moves perfectly and my arm won't have to freeze off to turn the crank!

Before calling it a day tonight, I sanded, primed, and painted the LH door frame. Should be able to get the plexiglass in tomorrow night and have a door to complete the box. Then it'll be a matter of filling in gaps here and there and this project will be almost complete...for now...

Didn't get any pics of the winch setup, will try to do that tomorrow. Glad I took the pics I did today, weather turned nasty this afternoon, high winds, dropping temps and snow flurries! Better get that door done fast!

 

[Sherweld]

Outstanding project!

Congats on a great design very well executed.

Regards
Sherweld