Cab or No Cab?

[Bob_Young]

As dependable as the weather, LBrown.

There have been days where being confined to a cab felt like being locked in a coffin. On those days, it was nice to have a cab that popped open on all four sides. Yeah, the dust and the noise got in; but so did that glorious fall air.

Other days I would've barely lasted 6 hours on an open station, where a cab let me work 10 or 12. And there have been a good many days where I thought I'd die from exposure or choke to death on the dust while working on an open station.

The extremes were always when doing 'real' farm work for the neighbor in open fields. Most of the time, the cab was very welcome.

On my own place, a cab would be impractical due to all the trees. Plus the place is small enough that only rarely would a full day be put in on a tractor doing anything. For my own work, I won't even consider a cab.

A few points to answer the O.P.'s question:
1) Hooking up the 3PH on a cab tractor can be tougher. You can't just reach over the fender and manipulate the control. The big iron often has an up/down switch on a fender. This helps a lot. Dunno about the Bs and Ls. Getting a top-n-tilt set right for hookup would pose much the same problem.
2) Standing up while operating relaxes some muscles and stretches some others. It can provide a welcome break during a long day in the field. It can also provide better visibility for loader operation. This usually isn't possible in a cab tractor.
3) Check that while seated you have a good view of the loader bucket in the fully raised position if you're considering a cab. If you're loading something on a truck or stacking you don't want to have to duck and weave to see what you're doing. Some of the new cabs on big tractors have a transparent section of roof for this.
4) If $ are an issue, I'd rather have MFWD or a loader or more HP/weight (within reason) than a cab. But, if these things are all covered and the money's available, go for it.
5) Too me, a cab is an almost required option on a tractor that's working day-to-day earning money to support itself and its owner. For the weekend warrior, not so much, unless there are special needs.
6) If working long days, a cab will keep you fresher and more alert. It could easily pay for itself if being alert (thanks to a cab) saves you from one expensive mistake or bad accident.
FWIW---sorry it's so long.
Bob

 

[ChuckinNH]

Very good post Bob, and it comes from experience we trust.

 

[sixdogs]

A lot of good advice here. I'll only add that when I was young and working a tractor hard in both summer and winter I was too broke to afford it. Now that I'm older and can afford it I don't use it enough to justify one. If I could live over I would get the cab.
I'd say if you can afford one, get it. If you can't, don't. If you have it you will love it.
Cabs are sweet enough to have and that is what I have been thinking about since I saw one this afternoon at a local dealer. I may just have to have it.

After all, the cost of a cab is not what you would think. If the cab costs, say $5,000 but when you sell it you can get $4,000 more than a non-cab model your cost of the cab was only $1,000 plus the loss of interest along the way. So the cost is not $5,000 but rather only $1,000. What spouse can deny that?
It's a little smoke-and-mirrors but helps with the wife and actually works out as stated.

 

[Builder]

A lot of good advice here. I'll only add that when I was young and working a tractor hard in both summer and winter I was too broke to afford it. Now that I'm older and can afford it I don't use it enough to justify one. If I could live over I would get the cab.
I'd say if you can afford one, get it. If you can't, don't. If you have it you will love it.
Cabs are sweet enough to have and that is what I have been thinking about since I saw one this afternoon at a local dealer. I may just have to have it.

After all, the cost of a cab is not what you would think. If the cab costs, say $5,000 but when you sell it you can get $4,000 more than a non-cab model your cost of the cab was only $1,000 plus the loss of interest along the way. So the cost is not $5,000 but rather only $1,000. What spouse can deny that?
It's a little smoke-and-mirrors but helps with the wife and actually works out as stated.

Soon as my next big job comes in, I'm getting a used 60HP utility 4x4 w/ FEL. Cab is a must for me, but I still look at lots of used open station models. I have noticed that cab models bring more like $6,000+ or more on 3-5 yr old used tractors in my size range compared to identical models with OROPS.

Most M-6800's bring in 22-25K, while open station brings in 16-19K. The disparity with Deere seems even greater. Cab models do unbelievably well at holding value compared to the same model with open station.

To me, a cab on a tractor holds value like a diesel engine in a pickup holds value. You lose very little, if any, when you sell and you get to enjoy all the benefits while you own.

 

[wally040]

Get the cab & you won't regret it. I had the same dilemma when I was shopping. I went with the cab after reading a long post on TBN explaining all the advantages of having a cab. Regardless of weather conditions, etc., there hasn't been a day that I wasn't glad I had it.

 

[lawn_king]

There have been days that have been too wet (heavy rainfall) to fertilize, yet not too wet to run mulch around to planting beds(commercial propertys) for some small landscapers here in town. In other words, i made a nice days pay, warm & dry in the cab as opossed to making nothing at all.

 

[bigdeer2000]

you mean they still sell tractors without cabs?

 

[mjarrels]

My next tractor will have a cab... but like with the B-1 bomber... trees will be the problem!

mark

 

[Z-Michigan]

Bubba, just ask about any heavy equipment operator the has any sense, what they prefer on a machine OROPS or CAB? It's not about getting in touch with the great outdoors. It's about not breathing dust,pollen and diesel fumes, just to mention a few advantages of a cab.
Sincerely, Dirt

+10

A few hours of mowing on a weekend can effect how I feel for several days. Tractor work is nowhere near as clean and pleasant as hiking, riding a horse, or doing garden work by hand. I'll bet I breath and eat as much dust and pollen (and other nasties, not to mention diesel soot) in 1 hour of tractoring as I would in 12 hours of handwork.

 

[froggy]

If you had to choose between a cab or a backhoe due to financial considerations, which would the majority choose?

 

[Ductape]

Get the cab now, add the backhoe later. You can reverse the process, but you'll regret it. Adding an aftermarket cab will cost nearly as much as the factory cab, but will lack A/C, any filtration, be noisier, less roomy, and not add much to resale value down the road.

 

[GinNB]

The backhoe is no help in the winter when you are blowing snow, but I haven't figured out yet how to dig a trench with my cab!

True dat!

Can't answer the cab/hoe choice without knowing how many shovels of theoretical dirt a cab would have to make up for. If I dug ditches for a living, well, guess what? I'd have an open-station with a backhoe. I have little use for a small backhoe myself, so I hire it out when I need something done. When I've got a use for a big hoe, I use the big hoe (JD690).

 

[bandit67]

If you had to choose between a cab or a backhoe due to financial considerations, which would the majority choose?

Only you can determine which option is more valuable to you.

Which will you get more work done with over the course of a year? Do you have a lot of backhoe chores lined up? Do you need to mow every 4 days in horrible heat and/or humidity, or clear snow for 3-4 months in frigid, windy temps? Do you need to log a lot of hours in drizzly conditions that a tractor could still get around in?

Now that I've moved away from the horrible 100+* summer heat, I can enjoy beautiful-weather open-canopy tractor work in the spring, summer, & fall.

I did a lot of plowing on the ATV this year, and even at -10, I was able to bundle up enough to not be too terribly uncomfortable. I don't mind the cold, and get acclimated to it in pretty short order. That first 20* day of the year is unbelievably cold, but within a week, the cold isn't that bad. The coldest day we went out on the dogsleds this winter was -24* - it was cold, but it was bearable. You just need the right gear.

I had a full size TLB for a few days last fall, and did not like the cab at all. I could see me only wanting the cab on the coldest of winter days. But I seem to be in the minority. The newer machines don't spit out anywhere near as much nasty diesel soot as the older engines seem to - I used an older L35 rental for 4 days last fall, and the black smoke was pretty bad - the new B7800 I rented was much, much cleaner, so for a new machine, there really isn't any choking on soot.

 

[froggy]

The only chore for the backhoe would be planting trees, but I figured I could do that just as easily with a hydraulic phd. The backhoe would be nice just to have, but figure the cab would be more handy in the future as I get older.

 

[radman1]

Been on both sides before. The significant reasons not to get a cab is because of additional cost or because of fixed cab height it will hit obstacles or won't fit in a place of storage.

The talk of smelling the air, experiencing mother nature, only needed by guys who make there living using a tractor, requires more fuel or hp, harder to hook onto equipment etc. are really poor arguments. I can leave my windows or doors open all day if I want that.

 

[ByronBob]

I'm 36 years old. My answer today is it's not necessary.

When I'm 56 I'll guarantee my answer will be absolutely.

 

[bandit67]

I'm 36 years old. My answer today is it's not necessary.

When I'm 56 I'll guarantee my answer will be absolutely.

I have a friend up here who's 59, and still clears snow on an open station tractor. In trying to determine if I should look into a cab yet, for when I get older and whimpier, I asked him if he ever found himself wishing for a cab, and he said no. I'm sure I'll start thinking about another machine in another 10-15 years, and I figure I can look into a factory cab at that point when I'm in my 50's.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

No one mentioned that a cab will also protect the "operator station" if the tractor can't be stored inside. Maybe why the value holds so well compared to OROPS. My IH 454 is parked under a carport but can still get covered in snow after a storm. Not fun cleaning all of the snow off the seat, dash, control levers etc. first before going out to blow out the lane.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'm 36 years old. My answer today is it's not necessary.

When I'm 56 I'll guarantee my answer will be absolutely.

Im 58. If a cab didnt compromise versatility Id want one. I just wont put up with the limitations imposed by the cab. Now, a convertible would be nice if you could painlessly switch. Til then its just too easy and cheap to provide needed creature comforts on open station, and in some cases more healthful to do without.
larry

 

[GinNB]

Im 58. If a cab didnt compromise versatility Id want one. I just wont put up with the limitations imposed by the cab. Now, a convertible would be nice if you could painlessly switch. Til then its just too easy and cheap to provide needed creature comforts on open station, and in some cases more healthful to do without.
larry

??? This I don't see. I've spent thousands of hours on open station tractors and over a thousand in a cab and for what I do a cab is MUCH healthier.