Soft cab for a JD 5045E

[vtsnowedin]

Well winter approaches and not wanting to wait for the last minute I ordered a soft cab for my 5045E today from Covermytractor.com With shipping it comes to just under $1900. A lot less then a hard cab if you could even get one from the factory and I'll be able to take it off in the summer when I'm working in the woods.
Any thought or experiences guys?

 

[bigtiller]

Soft sides are better than no sides, that cold wind has a big bite sometimes. Are you going to have a heater in the cab? If not and you find the windows fogging over and freezing, try a defroster fan.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Soft sides are better than no sides, that cold wind has a big bite sometimes. Are you going to have a heater in the cab? If not and you find the windows fogging over and freezing, try a defroster fan.

They have a 12 volt heater availablefor about $60. I'll probably end up with one but perhaps not from them. Just being out of the wind while wearing coveralls will be a godsend. I would only need the heater if I need it to keep the windows from fogging up.

 

[bigtiller]

Our bodys give off a lot of heat and moisture, so if the cab has a good tight fit to the tractor then a fan to move the air around helps to prevent fogging. But if their are a few gaps between the cab and tractor there probably won't be much of a problem with fogging.

I spent a lot of time in a JD 480 back in the '70's with a soft cab and no heater.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I could always leave a door half zipped I suppose. I notice that the transmission case is quite warm when I'm using the tractor but don't know if that will be enough heat in the winter if I'm not using the PTO. And if we get a good old fashioned winter with 40 below it wouldn't be . Most all our snow comes in well above 0 F but the day after while your cleaning up can get right down there to tree popping cold. In the soft cab I won't have to worry about wind chill which is the major worry. Add a good set of boots so the steel floor dosn't freeze my feet and I should be good to go. Maybe add some old carpet on the floor.

 

[jenkinsph]

Skip the carpet idea, besides being a mess remember that heat rises and you don't want to block it from warming the cab area. I see that Deere is introducing cabs for the 5055E and up this year, somebody is going to be toasty warm in the winter now.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Skip the carpet idea, besides being a mess remember that heat rises and you don't want to block it from warming the cab area. I see that Deere is introducing cabs for the 5055E and up this year, somebody is going to be toasty warm in the winter now.

I wasn't thinking of capping over the center frame castings ,just the flat sheet steel decks with the holes in them you rest your feet on. Also I will have to wait and see how the cab fits in around the back and sides of the seat and control levers to see if any holes need plugging there.
I'll keep everybody here posted on how I make out.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I see that Deere is introducing cabs for the 5055E and up this year, .

Where did you see this? It will be a very interesting development and I wonder if present owners will be able to get one from JD as a retrofit kit.

 

[jenkinsph]

On the TBN home page, there is a recent article about Deere 5000 upgrades. Read the article for more information.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Well the canopy parts arrived today all in good condition. No sign of the enclosure as yet. The web site says it has also been shipped but it doesn't say when. If I was nervous I'd start following the tracking numbers but I'm fully engaged with work at the moment so can be patient.

 

[vtsnowedin]

The rest of it came today as predicted by the tracking email they sent me along with a copy of the invoice marked "Paid" for my records. It will be Sunday before I can start the assembly and take some pictures for you. So far so good.

 

[shortthrow50]

sounds exciting! you will be ready for whatever winter throws at you sounds like. Did you decide on a heater yet. I think that you will definately want one

 

[vtsnowedin]

sounds exciting! you will be ready for whatever winter throws at you sounds like. Did you decide on a heater yet. I think that you will definately want one

I don't know as I would call a soft cab exciting? I'd settle for satisfied. I pinched a nerve in my lower back Labor day weekend so haven't been mobile enough to fuss with the installation. The box is still unopened. Perhaps tomorrow? The heater will have to wait until after I get her chained up good and sharp for snow removal and sugarin chores.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Well I opened the box today and put everything together. I like it. It took me about an hour to install the canopy by myself and less then half an hour to install the soft cab. They could have more complete assembly instructions and I was annoyed that after I installed the canopy as per it's instructions the first thing I read when I open the soft cabs paper work is to check the fit of the cab before setting and tightening the canopy bolts. As it turned out I was on the mark already so it didn't cost me any time. They could include some tips on how to get the sliding door panels on their rail and how to start two zippers in the same corner.
Actually it is a very simple installation if you already have the canopy mounted, no holes to drill or zip tabs to glue or screw in place. They give you a vinyl (not sure what they call the material they are using) top that goes over the canopy that has zippers and slide rails that all the side panels zip too and the bottom of each piece has tether clips that hook onto parts of the tractor to keep everything tight. The drivers door has both zippers and Velcro fasteners down both sides and you can slide it back on its rail if you want more air. The one thing that surprised me was the carrying case they shipped it in. A nice piece made from the same black vinyl of the cab roof.
This is going to be very handy as I can zip it completely off in about ten minutes and put it back on in twenty.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I have found an adjustment I need to make. The soft cab covers over all the lights that came mounted on the ROPS lower section. There is clear sections around them so they can be seen from outside the tractor but it is like being inside a sealed headlight bulb from the drivers seat. The glare makes it impossible to see clearly what is in front or to the rear of the tractor. The worst offenders are the two rear work lights. I think I will move one of them to a position on the rear fender outside the cab pointed to the rear ,and the other to a position at the top of the canopy pointed forward and down where the loader bucket or blade is working. As to the other stock lights, turn signal and four way flashers there is a vinyl panel beside them that appears to be there to keep the lights from chafing though the side of the cab. I think I might be able to slit this with a pair of scissors and let the lights pop out and be on the outside of the cab.
Has anybody done this before? I'd really appreciate your input before I make the first cut.

 

[rlhatejd]

Sounds like you have a success story in the making & ready for snow moving in the cold winds. Any idea if that firm has soft cabs for a JD 4120 Compact Utility ? Any other possible sources?

 

[jbwmann]

I recently ran across a site that looks like they sell cabs similar to the one the OP posted about called Tractor Cab Depot. They also have a free heater promo going on with a purchase of a full cab. I don't know how good it is, but it's a 12volt 300 watt heater. Looks like they have something available for your JD 4120 rlhatejd, might be worth checking out