Tractor tunes

[JJZ 109]

$400 seems like a lot for something used inside of a cab. I got a $128 Pioneer with $30 speakers from WalMart and a $104 mounting bracket from Kubota for the cab of a B3030.
Even with a cab, it seems to me like it has to be turned up pretty loud to be heard over the motor. I sometimes wonder if it was worth the time and money.

 

[ccap74]

I like my IPOD

 

[srs]

$400 seems like a lot for something used inside of a cab.
Even with a cab, it seems to me like it has to be turned up pretty loud to be heard over the motor. I sometimes wonder if it was worth the time and money.

My two cents worth concerning tractor tunes. Since I know very little about tractor wiring I went ahead and purchased the radio and bracket through my dealer (Messicks). The dealer installed the radio antenna and speakers. I paid full retail price for it and installed the bracket and radio myself. It plays really nice and it was an easy install since you just plug the radio to the supplied connectors. I would love to have installed a better quality radio like JJZ and Waxman did but like I said I don't have the skill to splice wires, etc. Also I like the thought of moving the speakers to the headliner area. And yes you do have to turn the volume up a little to hear over the engine. I am kinda disappointed that the interior of my cabbed B3030 is not quieter. I know, I know, its a tractor and not an automobile. But I remember lawn_king saying how very quiet his cabbed Grand L3240 was. The cabbed B3030 (I feel) could be substantially quieter. Neil from Messicks did say the engineers had a tough time to get the noise level lower in the 3030. Would I do a cabbed tractor again, most definitely, but next time I would check out the Deere cabbed tractor. They are much quieter than the Kubota.

 

[JJZ 109]

I would love to have installed a better quality radio like JJZ and Waxman did but like I said I don't have the skill to splice wires, etc. Also I like the thought of moving the speakers to the headliner area. And yes you do have to turn the volume up a little to hear over the engine. I am kinda disappointed that the interior of my cabbed B3030 is not quieter. I know, I know, its a tractor and not an automobile. But I remember lawn_king saying how very quiet his cabbed Grand L3240 was. The cabbed B3030 (I feel) could be substantially quieter. Neil from Messicks did say the engineers had a tough time to get the noise level lower in the 3030. Would I do a cabbed tractor again, most definitely, but next time I would check out the Deere cabbed tractor. They are much quieter than the Kubota.

While I'm happy with how my job turned out (thanks Waxman!), I agree with you that the B3030 cab could be much quieter.
I did check out Deere before I bought my Kubota. In fact I had a JD 790 without a cab before the B3030. But JD's smallest cab tractor (I believe a 3230) was a little more machine that I needed and the price was substantially more than the B3030. Add to that the fact that all my online inquiries with Deere only yielded one response with no budging on price. Kubota, on the other hand had several dealers respond and they were willing to deal.

 

[tractorman99]

Jensen JHD910 Heavy-Duty Waterproof Mini AM/FM/WB Stereo with Audio Aux-in

Lawn Mower Radio

 

[schmism]

There have been a number of times when i wish there was a "boombox" style radio with me while i was tasked with doing some mundane chore by hand with the assist of the tractor while turned off.

For instance cutting sod off a small area for a flower bed and tossing sod in to the FEL. Or diging a hole for a tree or digging out a stump to large to simply pop out with the tractor etc.

Something were im in and around the tractor for an extended period of time when a radio attached to the tractor, running off of its battery would be preferable to the old style boom box running off of C batteries. (i dont have a dewalt style jobsite radio that runs off of drill batteries)

Id consider the use of any sort of radio while operating at near 540 rpm speed on an open platform tractor to be a waist in general.

 

[JoeinTX]

I absoutely love to listen to the radio while working.....sports, politics, music.....I listen to more radio than I watch TV.

Headsets? Don't really like them because they drown out the natural noise of the machine and what I'm doing. When running a tractor, sight, sound, and feel are all equal senses you use to figure out what's going on. Having something on that dims anyone of those beyond basic comfort can be bad IMHO. On a cabbed tractor with a radio, I can listen to it and still hear/feel all I should unlike wearing a radio headset.


Many of the makers offered fender-mounted radios on their open station tractors up until around 20 or so years ago and I always wondered how in the heck you were supposed to hear that thing unless you had it wide open. It looked like you'd constantly be fighting an engine vs. radio battle to hear both adequately. Besides, how flippin' loud would that radio have to be to understand anything on it if you're running all-out chiseling a field of hard pan? Wow.


I aspire one day to have a cabbed tractor of my own with AC and radio/CD but until then I've just gotta listen to the music of the machine for my enjoyment.

 

[mjncad]

Many of the makers offered fender-mounted radios on their open station tractors up until around 20 or so years ago and I always wondered how in the heck you were supposed to hear that thing unless you had it wide open. It looked like you'd constantly be fighting an engine vs. radio battle to hear both adequately. Besides, how flippin' loud would that radio have to be to understand anything on it if you're running all-out chiseling a field of hard pan? Wow.

I have the same thoughts about motorcycles (e.g. Goldwings) with radios that the owners don't have headsets in their helmets to hear the tunes with.

I wear hearing protection with my open station tractor and "Tractor Tunes" would be an utter waste of money for me.

 

[4shorts]

Well this is an interesting thread. Seeing my friend mjncad brought GoldWings into the equation I just had to add my 2 cents worth.

The one thing that really surprised me about the Grand L 4240 cab when I first sat in it was the way the cab suppressed the engine noise from outside. The sound system is so good in the tractor I've never seen the need to upgrade it. My only complaint with the system is that they didn't put an AUX jack on it for an IPod and it can't play MP3's but I got about 20 tunes on each CD and the sound is as good as anything I've heard so it's a keeper. As for the GoldWing. I play my tunes on that thing 90% of the time on it's external speakers around town and helmet speakers on the highway. The tires while traveling make more noise on the Wing than the engine do. Soon be time to ride that now seeing our winter is over.

If I had an open tractor I would go for the IPod and good quality ear buds before I would get an external sound system. Once you turn up the sound to much to try and drown out the tractor noise you end up with more noise from an external stereo system with no cab. I'm going to have to try a 3030 to see if there louder inside. To bad if they are because having tunes while operating makes it much more pleasurable in my opinion.

At the beginning of this video you'll hear my stereo and it was turned down low while operating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFDbrW7ThXw

Want to hear a GoldWing. Here's how mind sounds.
YouTube - My GoldWing

 

[Train]

The radio on my old tractor crapped out a long time ago. I started to use an Ipod but it seemed like every time I turned to look back one of the ear buds would pop out. I found a discarded pair of headphones in the house ( I have teenagers, these things are everywhere) that fit on the ear but don't cover it completely. The band holding them together fits around the back of your head and hangs on your ears. Kind of like wearing a pair of glasses backwards. You can twist and turn all you like and they don't come off. Best of all I can hear the music just fine AND I can hear the tractor just fine too which I think is important. The name on the side is Jensen. I don't know if they came with something or one of the kids bought them seperatly.

By the way, I use an Ipod but there are lots of Ipod like devices that have radio tuners in them if that's what you'd rather listen to. I also like this system because when I have to get of the tractor for various reasons my music goes with me.