To cab or not to cab? Tired of being cold snow plowing

[Brokermike]

So I once owned a Kioti DK40SE that I loved. In an effort to get more HP and ground clearance for skidding logs to supply the wood boiler and sugarhouse I "upgraded" to a Mahindra 5035 (with about 350 hours now). Both of those tractors are open cab tractors. I like the tractor but the fit and finish isn't nearly as nice as my Kioti, simple things like leaking hydraulic fittings, a shredded front differential (replaced under warranty), poorly run hydraulic lines that frayed on the frame and needed to be replaced. In general it's been an okay tractor, but not quite as nice as I had hoped. It's also a tier III so engine wise it has been pretty bullet proof. My dealer service is impeccable, they come right to the house, they're reasonably priced and dead honest (Capital Tractor over the border in NY)

I use the tractor for grading the driveway, snow plowing with an 8' snow pusher, some brush hogging, skidding logs, moving pallets of firewood, and lots of food plots pulling a 7' plotmaster as well as a small two row corn planter. I do run in to some spots on the food plots where clearance/height because of low branches is an issue. I also have an old international 460 Utility that I could use for food plots and brush hogging if needed.

I have been leaning towards a cab tractor because I'm sick and tired of freezing my rear end off clearing snow here in VT. My driveway is about a 1/2 mile long and gravel. I'm at 1500 FT and we get probably 20+ plowable snows every year.

This weekend was the fair, and in talking to my Mahindra dealer they can add a factory cab for about 6k. Alternatively my local Kioti dealer was there and he has a NX5510 with a cab for about $36k (not sure if that a good price), which if I sold both of my tractors I'd need to add about $10k to upgrade, but it's new. The kioti dealer doesn't do on the road service though....He also has a used NX5510 Cab with 500 hours for $26k

Any thoughts? I'm concerned about breaking glass in the cab when winching logs and in the woods, but I'm tired of being cold plowing snow. I guess I could buy a plow for my truck, but it wouldn't fit in the garage with a plow on it

What are you folks doing that face a similar dilemna?

 

[atsah]

Cabs in the woods don't mix.. Plow truck, turn the heat on, radio and plow the 1/2 mile in comfort and use the open station for woods work..

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have used my cabbed LS lots of times in the woods where branches are lower than the cab and many times where the lane between trees have overlapped limbs. I simply raise the FEL up to start the branches bending in the right direction and the cab frame does the rest.
You do have to be careful of low hanging limbs that might rip off the top though. The only issue I have had is the black pine sap getting on my fenders when going thru pine thickets and off course the limbs folding back the mirrors and lights but no damage to them, the cab or the lights.

 

[oosik]

I've been out here on my 80 acres since '82. I've had two tractors - both were/are cabless. My property is bunch grass and ancient Ponderosa pines. If I had to get in and around my pines with a cab - I'd be lopping off low limbs with a pole chain saw.

However - I enjoy the open station tractor. I'm loooong retired( retired @ 40 ) and don't need to plow my mile long gravel driveway to get anywhere at any specific time. Plus there are many years where I really don't need to plow. I have a 4WD truck and it will bust thru most any snowfall we might get. Those years - I plow just to relieve the boredom.

I've helped my neighbor with his haying and driven his LARGE cabbed tractors. I can't get comfortable in a cabbed tractor. It limits my view, it's either too hot or too cold - I feel hemmed in. If I REALLY need to be out in the cold and doing tractor work - I have a complete set of Eddie Bauer down.

Also - I will never have to use a rotary cutter. Nothing worth cutting. My big annual project - thinning and chipping my MANY stands of small pines.

I've seen BIG rotary cutters used down south in the Palouse wheat fields. The dust cloud rivals anything you might find elsewhere. Cabbed tractor & air conditioning are a must there.

If I had to plow my driveway 20+ times - I just might learn to love a cabbed tractor also.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It's nice to have both. I was cleaning up my shed, installing racking with a friend a few weeks ago. The glare coming from light behind me, inside a building, made operating a cab loader almost impossible!

 

[shooterdon]

I decided a cab was worth it to me.

I have 20+ snow events a year and it can get cold here. Plus I will be using a blower so it was an easy decision for me when I upgraded.

My duties are similar to yours but I do very little woods work. Mostly clearing out saplings and I just work carefully near the larger tress I want to keep.

Having AC is a must as the cab is a small greenhouse. I enjoy the comfort of working in an AC'ed cab without getting pestered by bugs.

But if you will be doing a lot of skidding in denser cover, a cab will be a PITA.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I have a cabbed Kioti DK50. It is my 1st and only tractor but I wouldn't even consider being without a cab. Yes, I've lost 2 pieces of glass in 5 years. For me, the glass risks are more than offset by heat, cold, rain, dust, herbicide spray and wasps.

 

[cdaigle430]

So I once owned a Kioti DK40SE that I loved. In an effort to get more HP and ground clearance for skidding logs to supply the wood boiler and sugarhouse I "upgraded" to a Mahindra 5035 (with about 350 hours now). Both of those tractors are open cab tractors. I like the tractor but the fit and finish isn't nearly as nice as my Kioti, simple things like leaking hydraulic fittings, a shredded front differential (replaced under warranty), poorly run hydraulic lines that frayed on the frame and needed to be replaced. In general it's been an okay tractor, but not quite as nice as I had hoped. It's also a tier III so engine wise it has been pretty bullet proof. My dealer service is impeccable, they come right to the house, they're reasonably priced and dead honest (Capital Tractor over the border in NY)

I use the tractor for grading the driveway, snow plowing with an 8' snow pusher, some brush hogging, skidding logs, moving pallets of firewood, and lots of food plots pulling a 7' plotmaster as well as a small two row corn planter. I do run in to some spots on the food plots where clearance/height because of low branches is an issue. I also have an old international 460 Utility that I could use for food plots and brush hogging if needed.

I have been leaning towards a cab tractor because I'm sick and tired of freezing my rear end off clearing snow here in VT. My driveway is about a 1/2 mile long and gravel. I'm at 1500 FT and we get probably 20+ plowable snows every year.

This weekend was the fair, and in talking to my Mahindra dealer they can add a factory cab for about 6k. Alternatively my local Kioti dealer was there and he has a NX5510 with a cab for about $36k (not sure if that a good price), which if I sold both of my tractors I'd need to add about $10k to upgrade, but it's new. The kioti dealer doesn't do on the road service though....He also has a used NX5510 Cab with 500 hours for $26k

Any thoughts? I'm concerned about breaking glass in the cab when winching logs and in the woods, but I'm tired of being cold plowing snow. I guess I could buy a plow for my truck, but it wouldn't fit in the garage with a plow on it



What are you folks doing that face a similar dilemna?

I went with a softcab from Berco....easy to take off, easy to put on. If I damage it its much less painful. My Dad has a DK40 and he has a Berco cab as well....as a matter of fact I bought one thanks to him.

 

[5030]

I have 2, one with and one without. The one without stays in the barn all winter. Nothing beats a cab for moving snow, putting out cattle feed and any wintertime chores and I too have used my cab in the woods. You just need to be cognizant of branches.

 

[CobyRupert]

:2cents: If you buy a cab, buy a pole saw for trimming branches. Maybe even more so for edge of field mowing than winching in woods.

Was it a "factory cab" they would put on your existing tractor or one of these: Mahindra 535 Tractor Cabs and Cab Enclosures - Sims Cab Depot

BTW: Which fair?