Regret a cab tractor?

[LouNY]

I have operated both cabbed and open station tractors. I much prefer an open station tractor for a general chore tractor.

- Visibility is much better on an open station tractor, particularly visibility of things right next to the tractor. This makes an open station much better if you are working close next to tall things like mowing along a fenceline, trees, buildings, utility poles, etc. It also makes it easier to back up to implements to hook up.

I don't see much difference in any of these situations.

- You don't have to continually go dust off the windows on an open station tractor to be able to see when operating in a dusty situation. Likewise, you will never have fogged up windows in cool weather with an open station tractor.

Very true, unless you wear glasses.

- You don't have to go clean out the cab intake air filters every day or two if you are operating in a dusty situation.

If it's that dusty which would you rather clean a couple of filters or your lungs?

- The cab will strike low-hanging objects and makes it difficult or impossible to work close to trees, enter into buildings such as barns with relatively low clearance, and similar situations. You can fold down a ROPS to make the tractor much shorter, but you can't do that to a cab.

yep

- Much easier to get on and off of an open station tractor. This makes hooking up implements much easier as well.

I don't see that as an issue, it's not that hard to open a door.

- You can hear your implements working and can tell much more quickly that something is not quite right and correct the condition before you mess up the equipment, compared to if you run a cabbed tractor. Slip clutch equipped rotary cutters are a notable example here, better to raise the cutter or slow down when the clutch just starts to slip in a patch or thick stuff rather than keep going on until you see smoke billowing from the clutch.

It is a very minimal difference to me, but then if I am concerned about it I will have the rear window cracked open.
And the radio off.

- The inside of a cabbed tractor is generally dirtier than that of an open station tractor as the stuff you track in there stays in there. You also have to clean it with a vacuum like you would a car, you can't hose it off or use a leaf blower like you can an open station tractor.

A broom works good

- It is a whole lot easier to work on the rear half of an open station tractor than a cabbed tractor as components are much easier to access.

Yep

- Air conditioners seem to be a fairly common item to fail/require expensive repairs on cabbed tractors. A cabbed machine with a broken A/C is miserable, even with the doors open.

I have not seen that as an issue with over half a dozen cabbed tractors on the farm not that many ac issues.

- Getting a tractor with a cab where that model is available in either open station or cabbed often mandates other options as well, which you may or may not want or need.

OK

- You are actually outdoors when you are running an open station tractor while you are inside when you are running a cabbed tractor. Much of the appeal of having property is being outdoors, so why would I want to go inside of a cabbed tractor?

I guess that depends on how often you are outside.

I can recall the first time I ran a cab tractor all day long,
after 10 -12 hours of work a quick shower and ready to go to town for a few hours,
Not, drop into a chair to relax, doze off, get up shower, eat, and go to bed.
That was a great many years ago and I still prefer my cabs almost all the time and places.

 

[finn1]

Just curious as to if comments related to poor visibility from a cab are from a modern factory glass encased cab or some thirty year old aftermarket claptrap?

I certainly don’t have visibility issues in my little Kioti.

Same question applies to problems getting into the tractor...is that really an issue. My cab has more grab points than an open station does.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I spent 6 years in Waukesha. I understand. In Texas, I don't have to worry about real winter.

my brother lives on ocachee lake.

im pretty sure Les Paul, famous musician and guitar guy was born in waukesha.

 

[RoyJackson]

Just curious as to if comments related to poor visibility from a cab are from a modern factory glass encased cab or some thirty year old aftermarket claptrap?

I had a Curtis cab on my previous tractor...factory cab on my current tractor. Not really a lot of difference as far as visibility, IMHO.
The factory cab does have better wipers (both front and rear), but overall, not much difference

 

[Blue Mule]

For me a cab tractor was a no go for two reasons: cost and roof clearance.

With an open station tractor, I can fold down the ROPS and haul it in my enclosed trailer. I can mow under tree branches. I can fit into spaces that wouldn't be possible with a tall cab. The open station just opens more possibilities. It also kept $7,500 in my pocket for implements and attachments.

If the heat index is 120F or the wind chill is 0F I will pick another day to work. It's pretty simple.

If you get paid to push snow, buy a pickup truck with a plow.

 

[RickB]

If the heat index is 120F or the wind chill is 0F I will pick another day to work. It's pretty simple.

It's pretty easy to see that most posters that prefer cabs don't have that luxury.

 

[tradosaurus]

I tried very hard to justify a cab but with 45 acres of dense timber I just couldn't.
Maybe in time as I get older and get tired of eating dust on a zero turn I might trade my open station tractor for a cab tractor and a flail mower (and cash).

 

[4570Man]

I have operated both cabbed and open station tractors. I much prefer an open station tractor for a general chore tractor.

- Visibility is much better on an open station tractor, particularly visibility of things right next to the tractor. This makes an open station much better if you are working close next to tall things like mowing along a fenceline, trees, buildings, utility poles, etc. It also makes it easier to back up to implements to hook up.
- You don't have to continually go dust off the windows on an open station tractor to be able to see when operating in a dusty situation. Likewise, you will never have fogged up windows in cool weather with an open station tractor.
- You don't have to go clean out the cab intake air filters every day or two if you are operating in a dusty situation.
- The cab will strike low-hanging objects and makes it difficult or impossible to work close to trees, enter into buildings such as barns with relatively low clearance, and similar situations. You can fold down a ROPS to make the tractor much shorter, but you can't do that to a cab.
- Much easier to get on and off of an open station tractor. This makes hooking up implements much easier as well.
- You can hear your implements working and can tell much more quickly that something is not quite right and correct the condition before you mess up the equipment, compared to if you run a cabbed tractor. Slip clutch equipped rotary cutters are a notable example here, better to raise the cutter or slow down when the clutch just starts to slip in a patch or thick stuff rather than keep going on until you see smoke billowing from the clutch.
- The inside of a cabbed tractor is generally dirtier than that of an open station tractor as the stuff you track in there stays in there. You also have to clean it with a vacuum like you would a car, you can't hose it off or use a leaf blower like you can an open station tractor.
- It is a whole lot easier to work on the rear half of an open station tractor than a cabbed tractor as components are much easier to access.
- Air conditioners seem to be a fairly common item to fail/require expensive repairs on cabbed tractors. A cabbed machine with a broken A/C is miserable, even with the doors open.
- Getting a tractor with a cab where that model is available in either open station or cabbed often mandates other options as well, which you may or may not want or need.
- You are actually outdoors when you are running an open station tractor while you are inside when you are running a cabbed tractor. Much of the appeal of having property is being outdoors, so why would I want to go inside of a cabbed tractor?

An open station tractor without a canopy is miserable in the sun and a canopy even one not rated for such goes a long way to keep falling limbs off your head. If you have a canopy clearance issue are pretty negligible. I hose out my cabbed equipment. It’s the same interior as an open station so I don’t see what it’s going to hurt. And I blow my trucks out with a leaf blower. I haven’t vacuumed out a cab in years. And half the appeal to a cab is staying out of dust. I’m really not sure how you could spin that to an open station advantage.

 

[mo1]

Just curious as to if comments related to poor visibility from a cab are from a modern factory glass encased cab or some thirty year old aftermarket claptrap?

I certainly don’t have visibility issues in my little Kioti.

Same question applies to problems getting into the tractor...is that really an issue. My cab has more grab points than an open station does.

Modern cabs, although I have also operated equipment with an older factory cab. An early factory cab on a 50 year old piece of equipment has worse visibility than a cab on a new piece of equipment, but the difference between old cab vs. new cab is tremendously smaller than between a new cab and an open station.

I have noticed that the amount of dust and dirt that is generated by using a tractor even when doing something relatively dusty and dirty like baling hay or tillage of completely dry dusty land is no more than the amount of dust generated by mowing a lawn, and in general is quite a bit less as the dust is generated a lot farther away from the operator on a tractor than on a mower. I get far filthier running a string trimmer than I ever have running a tractor. There are very few lawnmowers that have cabs, and nobody complains about dying from dust inhalation from mowing their lawn. You are exposed to far more dust and dirt with working on equipment and working with already-made bales than you are exposed to while operating equipment making the bales. Unplugging a plugged up baler gets you absolutely filthy, and a cab isn't going to change that one iota. Ditto with handling small square bales.

 

[LouNY]

You must get more dust mowing your yard then I do mine, and less dust with tillage then I see much of the time.
As far as unplugging a baler or chopper that is an infrequent occurrence and once I get back in that nice cool cab and towel the sweat and chaff out of my neck and arms I'm going to be much more comfortable the rest of the day.
As far as handling small squares it's a two finger operation of hydraulics for me or the youngsters can do it.

 

[grsthegreat]

Open air is over rated…….I love my ac and heated cab.

if I want though, I can open up side and rear windows and have open air. But I rarely do want. I enjoy working on tractor for hours and not wearing my soil.
my unit is 10 years old and ac works GREAT.

A heated cab in the dead of winter, day or night, is a blessing.

 

[grsthegreat]

Bu

I had a Curtis cab on my previous tractor...factory cab on my current tractor. Not really a lot of difference as far as visibility, IMHO.
The factory cab does have better wipers (both front and rear), but overall, not much difference

But your new cab has heat and air doesn’t it? The Curtis cab did not. Unless there was an add on heater that I’m not familiar with.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have great visibility on my cab unit thanks to the mirrors, except have occasional issues with using forks at times due to limited headroom.

 

[4570Man]

Open air is over rated…….I love my ac and heated cab.

if I want though, I can open up side and rear windows and have open air. But I rarely do want. I enjoy working on tractor for hours and not wearing my soil.
my unit is 10 years old and ac works GREAT.

A heated cab in the dead of winter, day or night, is a blessing.

I run my equipment with the cabs open pretty frequently but when the weather or the dust isn’t ideal for open station work it’s sure nice to have the option to close the doors.

 

[mvoght]

I had the salesman desperately wanting me to buy a cab, but then he was also convinced my husband might buy a tractor. End result, I'm fixing my old tractor, yet again.

I drove a neighbor's cab Kubota, and hated how stifling the inside is. Since you cannot really open the windows, there is NO WAY, I want to be stuck inside. But, I regret that I don't have a convertible car anymore. If I could have a cab for 2 months of cold a year, that'd be great, but I LOVE being outside...and being inside a cab isn't outside IMO.

I have 15 acres, not 150 or 1500, and there isn't anything I'll be doing that doesn't allow me to go inside to warm up...or I guess cool off, did I mention I like summer?

 

[RoyJackson]

Bu

But your new cab has heat and air doesn’t it? The Curtis cab did not. Unless there was an add on heater that I’m not familiar with.

Yes, it did have a heater...but as old as this cab was when I bought the tractor, a number of the corner pieces and seals were shot, so a lot of wasted heat

 

[rScotty]

Both open station and cabs have their advantages and disadvantages.
There are times I'd love an open station (again) for many of the reasons you wrote, but mostly because I like to be in open air during good weather.
Although I never used to mind being out in cold, snowy weather, my old body just can't handle that as well as it used to.

So! The real answer is have two tractors (one open station, one cabbed)!!

I agree, but which one to get first??
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

I had the salesman desperately wanting me to buy a cab, but then he was also convinced my husband might buy a tractor. End result, I'm fixing my old tractor, yet again.

I drove a neighbor's cab Kubota, and hated how stifling the inside is. Since you cannot really open the windows, there is NO WAY, I want to be stuck inside. But, I regret that I don't have a convertible car anymore. If I could have a cab for 2 months of cold a year, that'd be great, but I LOVE being outside...and being inside a cab isn't outside IMO.

I have 15 acres, not 150 or 1500, and there isn't anything I'll be doing that doesn't allow me to go inside to warm up...or I guess cool off, did I mention I like summer?

Agreed. What a great idea!!
A convertible tractor - or convertible cab - would sell like hotcakes.
I'm mainly an open station guy, but I'd buy one.

rScotty

 

[deezler]

Agreed. What a great idea!!
A convertible tractor - or convertible cab - would sell like hotcakes.
I'm mainly an open station guy, but I'd buy one.

rScotty

So like, a permanent canopy off the ROPS, and then panels or curtains that you install to complete a basic enclosure? Sounds plausible.

 

[RickB]

So like, a permanent canopy off the ROPS, and then panels or curtains that you install to complete a basic enclosure? Sounds plausible.

Sounds like a POS rattletrap hot noisy cab that Curtis, Sims and others make only worse.