Compact Tractor

[John K Jordan]

ROFLOL! Those are some mighty aggressive grasshoppers!!

I like the cab because of yellowjackets and hornet nests. And because of the heat and air since i’m elderly and feeble. When I trade in my skidsteer the new one will have cab.

My Kubota dealer told me a lot of industry and municipal purchases are with cabs, not for comfort but for the health benefits of the reduced exposure to harmful dust.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, if I was in the position that I needed a new machine (not going to happen) I'd go at least the next step up so I could get the cab for weather, insects and yes, dust. Very practical in the long run and also gives opportunity for better forward lighting for night frolic.

[Jerome Stanek]

For those that have the cab are they heated and air conditioned. When I was working for a crop service his tractors all had AC as it would get unbearable in the summer working 16 hrs a day

[Jim Becker]

For those that have the cab are they heated and air conditioned. When I was working for a crop service his tractors all had AC as it would get unbearable in the summer working 16 hrs a day

That's usually an available thing...and I agree it's desirable. The cabs are like a fish bowl!

[Ronald Blue]

Trust me you don't want a cab if you don't have functioning A/C. Years ago you could open windows and make it bearable. Most if not all factory cabs these days are made as a "pod". This is to allow better sound proofing and dust control. The flip side is that if you don't have functioning climate control it quickly becomes a sauna.

[John K Jordan]

Trust me you don't want a cab if you don't have functioning A/C. Years ago you could open windows and make it bearable. Most if not all factory cabs these days are made as a "pod". This is to allow better sound proofing and dust control. The flip side is that if you don't have functioning climate control it quickly becomes a sauna.

Good point.

Fortunately my excavator has great AC, almost too good! It also has a good side sliding window, the side entry door that latches open, and my favorite feature for nice weather - by pushing thumb levers and pulling up the entire front window panel rides up on tracks and parks just below the ceiling - good visibility and fresh air, a joy in good weather. The new skidsteer I'm saving up for seems to have a similar feature front window feature which doubles as the entry door. A friend bought one a few months ago and loves it.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

ROFLOL! Those are some mighty aggressive grasshoppers!!

yes...grasshoppers the size of Florida Mullet.

Seriously though, if you do any spraying, the cab is the way to go. I use a 250 gallon boomless sprayer for herbicide and liquid fertilizer.

[Ronald Blue]

Good point. Fortunately my excavator has great AC, almost too good! It also has a good side sliding window, the side entry door that latches open, and my favorite feature for nice weather - by pushing thumb levers and pulling up the entire front window panel rides up on tracks and parks just below the ceiling - good visibility and fresh air, a joy in good weather. The new skidsteer I'm saving up for seems to have a similar feature front window feature which doubles as the entry door. A friend bought one a few months ago and loves it.

Excavators are the exception to this. They usually have a front glass that lifts out of the way and often a sliding glass in the door. Backhoes also have a rear glass that lifts away as well. Plus many have a right door that can be opened. Cranes also often have a windshield that opens and a glass in the roof that can be opened. There use is a little different though and needs are different. While backhoes can be moving a lot when using the loader when they are digging it is often necessary to communicate with workers on the ground. Same for an excavator.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a saved search at Purple Wave Auction, hoping for a newer tractor with a loader. There are several tempting Woodworking tools among the current auctions.

[Steve Demuth]

I think I'm the odd man out on this conversation. Last tractor I bought, I searched high and low to find one that had an actual transmission, rather than hydro, wasn't loaded with electronics, and didn't have a cab (when I'm working outdoors, I want to be outdoors,). I did find a nice Deere built in about 2010 that met all these and was sized to suit my needs (which is at the high end of what anyone would consider a compact tractor, because I need it to be able to load, unload and move 2000lb hay bales and similarly sized logs). I wouldn't trade it for anything newer, although I admit that as I get older, the idea of a cab in winter appeals, and having had a run in with hornets disturbed by my machine last summer, I totally understand John's point of view on that issue.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Here is what I have been working on with the Ford 1600. No hydro stat., no 4 WD, no power steering, no remote hydraulics, no loader.

[Bill Dufour]

I like the tool box on top of the hood. or is it part of the hood?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I like the tool box on top of the hood. or is it part of the hood?

Thanks. It is just a wooden box held on with rubber bungies. It holds the chainsaw and Pulaski axe. I hope the tractor is not humiliated by my home made "improvements" The front end weight gets in the way of opening the hood all of the way. The rear tires and rims are a hack I feel OK about, $500.00 for the pair on eBay. I had to re-create the bolt circle. Pouring rain here today for the first time in several weeks. We have had a great fall and winter for getting things done outside. Happy New Year, Maurice

This is long and a bit off topic. It has Tractor content that I like a lot.

[John K Jordan]

Thanks. It is just a wooden box held on with rubber bungies. It holds the chainsaw and Pulaski axe. …

I like that, I think I’ll make one for my tractor.

I need to devise something like that for my excavator to carry chainsaw, gas. and oil. In cleaning up deadfall and clearing around the farm I can take down and pick up and move a good-sized tree but just making a cut or two once on the ground would make things much easier. (It’s tricky to move a 50’ tree in a tight spot!) These machines don’t provide space to carry anything more than a grease gun and a couple of wrenches! As it is I have to walk back to get the little UTV with the tools then again after returning it - a 1/4 mile up the hill from where I’m working now.

I’m conflicted as to where to mount a carrier. The cab roof is too tall - it could get smashed by tree limbs, too easy to get knocked of off sides or back when working in tight spots. An easily removable crate on the front just behind the dozer blade might be best, removed after transport, but would need care to prevent crushing between the dozer arms and the boom. Or maybe a vertical rack/box fastened low to the left of the front windshield? There are threaded studs there for mounting a window guard.

Anyone devise a useful carrier for a fairly small trackhoe? It’s a Kubota Kx033.

JKJ

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

snow machine.jpg

This is my snow mover, dirt digger, wood hauler, Horse burying, gravel spreader machine. Driveway is 980 ft from road to porch. I can clear the driveway in 15 minutes. if the snow is under 14 inches. If higher add ten minutes per inch. The 55 hp Mahindra is for farm work.