Operating in woodlands

[majorwager]

Short and succinct.
Many memers advise AGAINST a cab for woods work. Wonder how many actually used a cab tractor in that environment?

I have a cab, have 55 acres of woods, drive tractor on trails, collect firewood, feel trees on occasion. I am careful, have no issues.

Opinions will vary.

EDIT: Forestry skidders work in woods extensively. Many of the new models are built w/ cabs. Just Saying!!. Recently had my woods thinned, the company used a cabbed skidder.

 

[CMV]

I think a big difference is operating on an established trail vs cutting in a new one. The new one I did/am doing I think a cab would have made it much tougher and very good chance I would have damaged it - or worked incredibly slower worried about causing damage.

Not saying cabs are bad. If I had the extra $ to put into machine I would very much like one for the climate controls, no bugs, lower noise, and clean air while mowing. Just what you are doing in the woods, what kind of trees - size, density - probably makes it fine for some, terrible for others.

 

[TractorNH]

I agree, if cutting a new trail then you need to be more careful but are you using it to cut a new trail and then use it on the trail? Meaning, how often will you be cutting a new trail vs using it on existing ones? Mine is used on existing trails in the woods. Every year or two we need to go around and cut back any branches that encroach on the trail (and the glass) but it's not that big of a problem.

I use my dozer for cutting new trails and that doesn't have windows to worry about.

 

[MossRoad]

Given the choice of just one machine, for my needs, I'd have to go cabless. Now if I could have two machines, one would most likely have a cab. :thumbsup:

I had a full-cabbed tractor for about 15 years. IH2500b tractor loader. HST. 50PTOHP. 8000# machine. It could not go into the woods as I'd have like it too, as the branches would hit the cab, snap, and sometimes break glass. Going into the woods with that machine meant I'd have to chainsaw paths wider (of course) AND taller than the machine. That got old very fast, and just wasn't gonna happen. Moving to a much, much smaller articulated machine with no cab was the best thing I ever did. It can go just about anywhere that I can walk, the top of the ROPS/Canopy is only 5'6". The ROPS is in front of the operator, and I can see branches that are getting brushed aside and articulate around them.

So, I guess you have to define what the definition of "operating in the woods" means:

If it means traveling down already constructed roads/paths, etc... a cab is the bees knees for keeping you warm, cool, dry, bug-free, etc...

If it means breaking trails through heavy brush and forest, then I think you're gonna break some glass and possibly get hung up on a lot of branches, depending on how thick your woodland is.

 

[LouNY]

Also you can have a forestry package installed on a cab tractor which will alleviate most of the glass concern.

 

[M5farms]

skidsteer and a tractor are 2 different animals the skid steer loader arms bucket offer protection and a low center of gravity . cab tractors are twice as tall and you have atleast 5 ft from bucket to front of glass of tractor .

 

[rd_macgregor]

I use my cabbed tractor to make and maintain my woods trails. I quickly lost the radio antenna and then the bracket for the slow-moving vehicle sign. I removed the mirrors before they got whacked too badly, but the spotlights on the cab point skyward since their brackets got mangled by branches sweeping past. Fortunately, I haven't broken any glass yet. I have learned that these small units aren't up to pushing over large trees; one summer, I managed to break both bevel gear cases about two months apart pushing over trees...I'm a slow learner, but catch on eventually.