open cabs why?

Hjolli · Mar 15, 2011

Well, I´ve never been able to comprehend how it is possible to operate and own an expensive machine like a dozer without an enclosed cab. After all, you wouldn´t want to drive in your car without glass in the windows or sit in your living room or office exposed to the elements.

In Europe enclosed cabs have been standard on most machines for decades. In America I´m sure that dust and debris will fly ever as easily as in the rest of the world...
As for visibility for grading etc. front doors on new cab designs will open up quite well.

jbernd · Mar 15, 2011

when I operated equipment I prefered open cabs. Better visibility I thought. Now I think the cabs have become much more operator friendly and eaiser to see out of. If I had to vote today I probably would go climate control all the way.

Hendrik · Mar 15, 2011

Hjolli said:
Well, I´ve never been able to comprehend how it is possible to operate and own an expensive machine like a dozer without an enclosed cab. After all, you wouldn´t want to drive in your car without glass in the windows or sit in your living room or office exposed to the elements.

Well I guess if I lived in a place called Iceland, I would want a cab with all the goodies and a big big heater, however open cabs do have better visibility, which is a good thing for some jobs and not so important for others.

Randy88 · Mar 15, 2011

My vote goes to cabs, if I have to run the machine I'll trade operator comfort for visibility any day, I spend most of my day in the cold and wind and want something warm to step into to run for a while, sitting on the seat with my hands frozen to the controls isn't my idea of fun, I operate trenchers and some other odd stuff with no option of a fan blowing warm air onto me so a cab is a must in my opinion, don't care for ac, we just take the doors and some of the windows out for extreme summer heat but in colder weather my doors and windows get put back on and the heater gets fired up toasty warm.

shopteacher 1 · Mar 16, 2011

I run a backhoe not a dozer, but I dislike enclosed cabs. If there is no AC they are hot in the summer, and make it harder and slower to get in and out. Visibilty is reduced as well. Even in the winter I prefer an open cab as the windows fog up when plowing snow making it even harder to see!

Tinkerer · Mar 17, 2011

open cabs

If you do have to run an open cab in the winter here is tip that will make it a little more bearable in dry material. If you are running a dozer with the fan blowing back at you ,cut a tarp the same size as the radiator. After covering the radiator with it and when the engine warms up, lower the tarp from the top of the radiator. do it just enough to keep the motor up to operating temperature. This will decrease the amount of dirt that is blowing back at you and is a lot easier on the lungs.

JDOFMEMI · Mar 18, 2011

One of the big reasons for the open cab machines in California and other SouthWestern places was the operators union. They got it written into the union rules that if they were running a cab machine and the AC quit working at anything over I think 80 degrees, they got to go home with a full days pay. They had the right to park a machine and go home with pay due to a broken AC unit, but only if the machine was equipped with a cab. If there was no cab, then the operator was expected to dress for the conditions, be it hot or cold.

The union companies responded by going to all open cab machines to avoid the cost and downtime. I even seen a brand new 992C delivered to the job and less than a week later, the Cat dealer was there removing the cab and putting an open canopy on the new 992.
It was not until Cat refused to warrantee the electronics in the newer machines if they did not have a cab that they started showing back up here in CA.

There are other reasons for the small users of equipment, but that is the main reason in the big dirt spreads out of CA.

lgammon · Mar 18, 2011

we run a 953, 943,941b,420 hoe,312, and a couple of skid steers on mainly new home sites. i can see if you are pushing 100,000 yards a day then a cab would be fine but we are working with in inches all day every day and you just can not see as well. when you work with this close of tolerances you have to clean the glass. if it is dusty and you get a little mist of rain, you have to clean the glass. we don't work if it is 15 or below, you can't fine grade when the ground is all frozen here, it just comes up in chunks 4 inches thick. and with our clay if it rains we are out to. in the summer....well we act like men and go to work and sweat if we need to. another thing is sound, now i do hate our 941b with the open cab, staring at the loud stack in front of you all day, but you can hear alot about the machine, if it needs grease, if somthing fails. in a cab machine with the radio jamming you are not going to hear the starter hung eating your flywheel up! but in all fairness if you are in a place where you can have a cab and it does not hurt your preformance then by all means enjoy you office job while the rest of us do it like men=-)

Colorado Digger · Mar 18, 2011

open cab dozers

here are a few shot of my wintertime setup. it works really well:tong

Dozerboy · Mar 19, 2011

lgammon said:
we run a 953, 943,941b,420 hoe,312, and a couple of skid steers on mainly new home sites. i can see if you are pushing 100,000 yards a day then a cab would be fine but we are working with in inches all day every day and you just can not see as well. when you work with this close of tolerances you have to clean the glass. if it is dusty and you get a little mist of rain, you have to clean the glass. we don't work if it is 15 or below, you can't fine grade when the ground is all frozen here, it just comes up in chunks 4 inches thick. and with our clay if it rains we are out to. in the summer....well we act like men and go to work and sweat if we need to. another thing is sound, now i do hate our 941b with the open cab, staring at the loud stack in front of you all day, but you can hear alot about the machine, if it needs grease, if somthing fails. in a cab machine with the radio jamming you are not going to hear the starter hung eating your flywheel up! but in all fairness if you are in a place where you can have a cab and it does not hurt your preformance then by all means enjoy you office job while the rest of us do it like men=-)

:notworthy
Ya must be getting old. I nor do any blue top hand I have ever worked with have any trouble cutting finish all day every day with a cab. Nothing wrong with my hearing and I'm sure I hear as well as you can with ear plugs in. Now if you don't wear ear plugs I know I can hear better then you after a few year of that 941. I make sure to keep our groundmen busy enough to sweat for the both of us.

farmntilen · Mar 19, 2011

cheaper-hired help doesn't just sit in there soaking up the heat or ac.

WV earth mover · Mar 19, 2011

while were on the cab subject i just bought my first cab dozer a D4CXL hystat its identical to our other dozer other than the cab and i was surprised at how much louder the hydrostatic noise is .Its so bad ear protection is almost a must just for comfort and its never been an issue on the other .When i first started operating it i thought ther had to be a hydro problem but after 10 hrs it pushes great and hydro temp stays cool . The cab can be removed with some work and needs to be anyway due to no ac just heat .We didnt buy it because of the cab so it may come off for good to be more user friendly .Is this normal?

dust eater · Mar 20, 2011

We have a 6R an 8R and an 8T where I work all with cabs in either of the R series machines I wear ear plugs because of the transmission noise. I think the only reason it seems loud is because the engine and track noise isn't drowning it out. As far as the cab or no cab there are unseasonable days in early spring and late fall that I wish I was "outside". But most days I really appreciate going home clean, not having to worry about what chemicals are in the dust I'm breathing or if today's sunburn is going to be the one that gives me a melanoma

andoman · Apr 2, 2011

Never had a problem with AC units, and we power wash the windows every night when it comes into the yard. Washing windows is something you just get used to doing if you've ever run a grader, so not a big deal in my book.

alan cox · Apr 3, 2011

heat boys. heat. easy bake oven mean anything. imagine a cab on a roller on top of 2 lanes of new blak top all day. oh man. that would kill me . i have a 9g with 6 bolts. we put it on in the f all. take it off in the spring. totally different machine . toally. love the fresh air and the smell of the dirt instead of the heat and smoke of the trans coming up through the floor boards.. turn the fan around and its almost like riding a motor cycle.. well a big one that is.

dpwallace · Apr 3, 2011

open cab is less stuff to replace when you hit a bridge=)

wvlogger · Apr 5, 2011

I love a open cab. But i like mine to have a cage. No glass. Breaks to much in the sticks. Nothing like the smell of fresh cut dirt.

jms1387 · Apr 9, 2011

Bought a 963c brand new and 3 months later the operators never cleaned ac filter or cab filter etc... showed up and our 250k investment was running with no doors and windows open due to laziness. Our account at local cat was set up so employees could purchase any maintenance item needed and it would be delivered to shop same week. Needless to say that operator earned the privilege of running a 621 open cab non cushion hitch for the rest of the season. Firm believer in earning your way to luxury regardless of your rank. we run our operation in the manner of you treat our equipment with respect and responsibility your luxury of the job will increase. your machines are only as nice as the operators who run them so its somewhat of a catch 22.

hammerman · Apr 9, 2011

Wow! I prefer a good cab with a/c,radio-cd, CB transceiver (I have got one 12-24v very useful),at the end of your work day, your body is grateful to you.

Payday · Apr 10, 2011

Deeretime said:
Hah i dont think i have ever seen a open cab in alberta in the latst oh say ever!!! My grandfathers d2 even had a aftermarket cab put on it, I did see a feedlot here buy a 644 with a open cab on it and i thought they were stupid for that

Worked with a fellow this winter in Chipawyen lake Alberta. He has 8k set up for brushing, it worked every day and we had some cold days.

There's lots of open cab dozers in Ab, not sure where you've been hiding at Deertime :tong

open cabs why?

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