Anyone have experience with "Heater Cabs"

[Billdog350]

I see these advertised on fleabay and elsewhere, looks like vinyl sides to capture the heat from your motor and direct it back to the operator station. At the same time, it has clear vinyl on 4 sides and the top to shield the operator.

The price is compelling....$300 won't break the bank and is less than 10% of the cost of a soft side curtis or similar.

Anyone install/use one? I'm considering taking the plunge but would like to hear confirmation that someone bought and used one if possible....

 

[skeets]

Got a link for them?

 

[Billdog350]

I thought we couldn't post links?

Here they are: https://www.tractorpartsasap.com/Heater-Cab-Kit-Vinyl-p/123073.htm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121621137307?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&fromMakeTrack=true

 

[tcrote5516]

I can't see that doing much besides getting in the way. You can direct heat all you want but heat rises and with no roof I can't see that making much of a difference.

 

[PHPaul]

It is way, WAY better than an unprotected open station.

I had one for my JD750. The amount of heat coming back from the engine was certainly noticeable and added to the wind protection it provided made working in all but the nastiest conditions almost comfortable.

 

[Billdog350]

PHPaul, thanks for your post, pics and opinion. (tcrote thanks for your opinion as well). How did you operate your loader? It looks like your levers were outside your "cab".

Looks like they make them for your B2650 as well, is it something you'd consider for that too?

I'm thinking if I combined this setup with a canopy.....then I'd have a "lid" on the heater cab holding in some of the heat. Of course some air would need to escape, but that would keep constant flow to prevent fogging and so on.

For the $300 investment, its worth taking a chance I think. For $4000 that's another story.

Our winters in CT the past few years have been the coldest on record...dipping down into the single digits or less as a high for days on end...coupled with lots of snow (over 4' last year) I'm thinking this might be the ticket.....

 

[Ike]

These are nothing more than a heat houser on the older tractors and they do work. I have a brand new one for a side entry tractor that I bought at an auction for 15.00 still in box. I have used them for years on my older tractors and I plan on making the one I have work on my Kubota. Not as good as a cab but better than nothing. Many days when plowing snow I had my jacket unzipped and glove off

 

[tcrote5516]

Well if they do anything to help for $300 your right, cant go wrong. I felt the same way about the pricing on cabs. So much so, in fact, I spent a couple months building my own. I refuse to pay $4-5k for something that, if it was part of the manufacturing process of building a tractor wouldn't add more than $400 to the supply cost.

Tractors should come with cabs....yea, good luck to me in making that stick

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I see you have a snowblower. When you get caught by the blower plume in swirling winds you will be covered with snow and will have a cab full of snow by the time you are done. I think you will want to seal the canopy to the vinyl sides as much as possible to keep the snow out. Just keeping out the snow and wind will make it a lot more comfortable and what ever heat from the engine will be a bonus.
Like tcrote I built my own cab (mine is wood) as I agree $4000 is a ridiculous amount for a cab.

 

[PHPaul]

PHPaul, thanks for your post, pics and opinion. (tcrote thanks for your opinion as well). How did you operate your loader? It looks like your levers were outside your "cab".

The loader levers were inside, but tight against the canvas/plastic. What you see on the outside is the selector valve I used to divert the curl circuit for front and rear hydraulics. (Poor man's third function...)

Looks like they make them for your B2650 as well, is it something you'd consider for that too?

My 2650 is the HSDC (Cab). Main reason I traded. Had I bought the open station version, a heat houser would have been my first purchase.

I'm thinking if I combined this setup with a canopy.....then I'd have a "lid" on the heater cab holding in some of the heat. Of course some air would need to escape, but that would keep constant flow to prevent fogging and so on.

I agree. I think you'll be happy.

Had to post something outside the original quoted message so this iggerant software would recognize it as a new post...

 

[PHPaul]

I choked pretty hard on the additional cost of a cab when I bought my B2650, and wondered if I'd finally lost what was left of my mind.

Having lived with it for 7+ months now, I'm VERY glad I stuck a crowbar in my wallet and sprung for the cab.

Yup, they're spendy, but I guaran-damn-tee they set the manufacturer back a good deal more than the $400 somebody mentioned. Good Lord, there's more than that just in glass alone! Add to that the wiring, the frame, hinges, ROPS engineering, heat, AC, lights, sound control insulation, wipers, washers, defroster, upgraded seat and various other niceties, it's probably closer to $4000 than $400.

Sure, they make money on the deal, that's what they're in business for. I haven't even had the pleasure of blowing snow with it yet, and I'm well satisfied with the extra money I spend.

But then, I'm turning into a wimp in my old age...

 

[Tooljunkie]

Try clearing snow in a snowmobile suit and helmet. Throw in a pair of damp boots and im in heaven! Must be, because the other place is supposed to be really hot. And no snow.

 

[tcrote5516]

I choked pretty hard on the additional cost of a cab when I bought my B2650, and wondered if I'd finally lost what was left of my mind.

Having lived with it for 7+ months now, I'm VERY glad I stuck a crowbar in my wallet and sprung for the cab.

Yup, they're spendy, but I guaran-damn-tee they set the manufacturer back a good deal more than the $400 somebody mentioned. Good Lord, there's more than that just in glass alone! Add to that the wiring, the frame, hinges, ROPS engineering, heat, AC, lights, sound control insulation, wipers, washers, defroster, upgraded seat and various other niceties, it's probably closer to $4000 than $400.

Sure, they make money on the deal, that's what they're in business for. I haven't even had the pleasure of blowing snow with it yet, and I'm well satisfied with the extra money I spend.

But then, I'm turning into a wimp in my old age...

Well, that somebody's me and I based my $400 on experiance not guessing. I spent: safety glass($220), heat($110), wiper ($30), LED front and rear floods ($40), Interior carpeting and seals ($40), Defroster fan ($15)ROPS (Comes with the darn tractor so not sure why that's in your list) plus steel I'm into it for about $750 TOTAL. If I can build one for $750 I'll gauren-damn-tee a massive company churning them out in bulk with their buying power is MUCH closer to $400 than $4000.

If you still don't believe me, let me spin it this way for ya, why can I buy TWO (almost THREE) new lawn tractors for $4k which have hundreds of lbs more materials including well engineered engines, frames, wheels, tires, body parts, gauges, wiring and lights? Oh and you dont have to allready have spent $15k++++ with the lawnmower company in order to need one....$4k still feel like a bargin?

With that said, you will not regret buying one when the snow flies. It's the best but it's also the most overpriced customer abuse story in the industry.

 

[Corney]

That made me laughTJ!

When I started reading this thread I was remembering backing into hard wind blown snow trying to blow it somewhere besides my driveway with a 15 hp tractor with no cab?

Singing to myself " this must be like livin in paradise" by David Lee Roth!

I have so much £#***8364;#!# fun in my life!

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Try clearing snow in a snowmobile suit and helmet. Throw in a pair of damp boots and im in heaven! Must be, because the other place is supposed to be really hot. And no snow.

But you are a canuck from the Great White North, a. You expect to live in your snowmobile suit for 6 months a year, a. Three feet of snow, enough beer for antifreeze, and a snowblower on your tractor and your in heaven, a. Shawn Blake down there in the red dirt of Georgia probably thinks driving in a half inch of snow is hell and goes back in side to partake of his antifreeze, you all.

 

[Corney]

Hey now your stereotyping!

Probably correct though.

Beer doesn't make good anti freeze because you just have to pee a lot! A good rum or rye whiskey is better.

 

[PHPaul]

Well, that somebody's me and I based my $400 on experiance not guessing. I spent: safety glass($220), heat($110), wiper ($30), LED front and rear floods ($40), Interior carpeting and seals ($40), Defroster fan ($15)ROPS (Comes with the darn tractor so not sure why that's in your list) plus steel I'm into it for about $750 TOTAL. If I can build one for $750 I'll gauren-damn-tee a massive company churning them out in bulk with their buying power is MUCH closer to $400 than $4000.

If you still don't believe me, let me spin it this way for ya, why can I buy TWO (almost THREE) new lawn tractors for $4k which have hundreds of lbs more materials including well engineered engines, frames, wheels, tires, body parts, gauges, wiring and lights? Oh and you dont have to allready have spent $15k++++ with the lawnmower company in order to need one....$4k still feel like a bargin?

With that said, you will not regret buying one when the snow flies. It's the best but it's also the most overpriced customer abuse story in the industry.

I have no doubt you can build your own cab for the prices you quoted, nor do I doubt that it's just as warm.

We'll have to agree to disagree on reproducing a factory cab for that kind of money tho.

I WILL agree that it's a major cash cow for them, but I don't have the skills or the ambition to build my own and the older I get the more likely I am to just sign the check rather than get out my pencil and tools.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I want to build a cab. I have enough materials around. But kubota doesent come out much in winter. I bought a nice used cab for my cockshutt for 50.00 and 100 worth of lexan to fix windows. Its as wide as the kubota (45")
And would be a challenge to fit it.

 

[Billdog350]

Thanks guys for all the opinions and comments. Looks like my next purchase before it gets too cold will be the heater cab for the winter. I need to figure out the best canopy option...I've seen all sorts of home-made deals out there, as well as aftermarket. Its hard to swallow $400+ for a piece of fiberglass or plastic plus a few pieces of angle iron or tubing....seems that I could do it for cheaper but pending time and cash I may just go for it...

 

[skeets]

Hey Frank that " cockshutt " is that like an old Ford 8N?