CAT C series Dust in Cab

Tri-Star said:

Sounds to me like some of you guys could use a desk and the new remote control bobcat came out with. You could sit in a office and run your machine. I mean, I dont like to get nasty, but I move dirt for a living and am probably going to get a little on me and thats part of it. And theres a plus side to it, women like a man with a little dirt on them!!!!

Click to expand...

I don't think anyone here minds getting dirty, but the main point was that he paid extra money for a machine that was advertised as "the first sealed pressurized skid skeer cab in the industry". I would think it was a bonus if I bought a machine that was better than most when it comes to dust in the cab, but I would be upset if they sold the machine to me with the claim that it was dust free due to being sealed and pressurized.

Tri-Star said:

Sounds to me like some of you guys could use a desk and the new remote control bobcat came out with. You could sit in a office and run your machine. I mean, I dont like to get nasty, but I move dirt for a living and am probably going to get a little on me and thats part of it. And theres a plus side to it, women like a man with a little dirt on them!!!!

Click to expand...

oh, okay! I hate getting nasty. What if a hot chick doesn't dig the dirt?

I am concerned about the $650/cd/xm radio that is full of saw dust! Specs say "sealed and pressurized cab option". I have determined that the cab is pressurized but it isn't much. It is the sealing part I am wondering about and the dealer has been responsive thanks to my salesman who has helped out.

I am simply asking, for those operators who may have bought, rented, or used a C series CAT Skidsteer, whether or not they have had similar experiences with dust in the cab enclosed cabs. "If you don't have a sealed or pressurized cab (and your woman likes a dirty guy anyway) then you probably won't have a good reference point of what I am asking about. The question isn't about playing in the dirt, or moving dirt, or smearing dirt on your face so you can pick up a chick. I don't do much of that since I live in a rocky area and long ago decided to let the dozer operators beat up their machines which were designed for that type of work. Instead, I grind brush, eat brush, and shred brush about 1/2 to 3/4 of the time. It's a dusty and ultimately unhealthy job if you are breathing the sawdust, so, in an effort to give my lungs a break, I invested about 20k more than I did with Bobcat so that I could sit in a machine and not breathe sawdust all day. And no, I'm not a surgeon or TB patient so I am not going to wear a mask all day.

KSSS said:

It would appear that maybe CAT oversold this new cab. If it rains in your cab it sure isn't going to keep dirt out. Maybe this pressurized thing is not all that it is made out to be. I will be demoing a CASE pressurized cab as soon as one hits the lot. I am curious to see if they were any more successful.

Click to expand...

Please post as soon as you demo the case!

Tri-Star said:

Sounds to me like some of you guys could use a desk and the new remote control bobcat came out with. You could sit in a office and run your machine. I mean, I dont like to get nasty, but I move dirt for a living and am probably going to get a little on me and thats part of it. And theres a plus side to it, women like a man with a little dirt on them!!!!

Click to expand...

I don't agree, how much more productive am I when there is no dust, climate controlled (air or heat)? 25%, 50% Its hard to say but I don't need to look like I rolled in the dirt to run equipment.

I was thinking about this today, to run the machine in air or heat not getting dirty and not having to wear ear plugs would be awesome, that means I can run equipment for the next 40 years.

stuvecorp said:

I don't agree, how much more productive am I when there is no dust, climate controlled (air or heat)? 25%, 50% Its hard to say but I don't need to look like I rolled in the dirt to run equipment.

I was thinking about this today, to run the machine in air or heat not getting dirty and not having to wear ear plugs would be awesome, that means I can run equipment for the next 40 years.

Click to expand...

Exactly. I run a RC50 and I can't put a price tag on the benefits of having a suspension but I can tell you that a guy running a machine with a suspension vs. a rigid machine will have less wear and tear on his body over time.

I am use to running machines with no cab and no suspension sun up to sun down, and was surprised how much fatigue was attributable to the environment. Now, with cab and suspension I do miss adjusting my cap, wiping my brow, fidgeting in the seat, clearing junk out of my eyes and swatting bugs but, at the risk of being less a man, I am a better operator.

jmf

Yellowdog said:

I am concerned about the $650/cd/xm radio that is full of saw dust! Specs say "sealed and pressurized cab option". I have determined that the cab is pressurized but it isn't much. It is the sealing part I am wondering about and the dealer has been responsive thanks to my salesman who has helped out.

I am simply asking, for those operators who may have bought, rented, or used a C series CAT Skidsteer, whether or not they have had similar experiences with dust in the cab enclosed cabs. "If you don't have a sealed or pressurized cab (and your woman likes a dirty guy anyway) then you probably won't have a good reference point of what I am asking about.

Click to expand...

I have a 226B2 and my CD player is dust free.....and so is the rest of the cab until I get into it The dust/rain sealing is very good.

Sounds to me like the fan/pressurisation system might be the source/cause of your dust ingestion. If its got even a tad of pressure no dust can come in...unless its forced in.

an the ole lady says "Urrrrrr...go an have a shower...your all smelly"

jmf said:

I am use to running machines with no cab and no suspension sun up to sun down, and was surprised how much fatigue was attributable to the environment. Now, with cab and suspension I do miss adjusting my cap, wiping my brow, fidgeting in the seat, clearing junk out of my eyes and swatting bugs but, at the risk of being less a man, I am a better operator.

jmf

Click to expand...

don't forget about bee's, holding your breath when the dust kicks up, and frost bite in the winter!

Yellowdog said:

don't forget about bee's, holding your breath when the dust kicks up, and frost bite in the winter!

Click to expand...

Ah yes, a few more of my less favorite things. And we cannot forget the branches in the face and the larger pieces of dirt thrown by springing and popping things under the ground. I don't have a pressurized cab and do get a puff of dust once in awhile just to remind me what I'm missing. If I paid $$$$ for a more effective system this little bit of dust would be very irritating, and I would be wondering what invisible things are contaminating my environment, like allergens etc.

jmf

jmf said:

Ah yes, a few more of my less favorite things. And we cannot forget the branches in the face and the larger pieces of dirt thrown by springing and popping things under the ground. I don't have a pressurized cab and do get a puff of dust once in awhile just to remind me what I'm missing. If I paid $$$$ for a more effective system this little bit of dust would be very irritating, and I would be wondering what invisible things are contaminating my environment, like allergens etc.

jmf

Click to expand...

No problem, replace OEM cab filter with a HEPA filter and your good to go.

The cabs on my machines are too porous to be concerned with such things. The heaters work real well though, which to me is most important.

jmf said:

Ah yes, a few more of my less favorite things. And we cannot forget the branches in the face and the larger pieces of dirt thrown by springing and popping things under the ground. I don't have a pressurized cab and do get a puff of dust once in awhile just to remind me what I'm missing. If I paid $$$$ for a more effective system this little bit of dust would be very irritating, and I would be wondering what invisible things are contaminating my environment, like allergens etc.

jmf

Click to expand...

I had a miserable day today while grinding. Got it figured out, as for the cause of most of the dust, and CAT says they have some solutions. My dealer has at least been on top of things and some of Tigerotor's advice has helped me search for the leaks. I figured out that as the cab vibrates, the doors and windows vibrate with a fast frequency that creates small gaps that let the majority of the saw dust fall into the cab.

Here's a better picture from 5/2 after the last post. This is what I'm talking about. Cat supposedly has a fix. We'll see and I will keep the forum updated in case anyone else has issues while brush mowing or working in really dusty environments.

If they had a separate frame, where the windows slide in like the big excavators, that wouldn't be a problem, then they would have dual seals with the glass in the middle, but space might be at a premium, so that was the only way. Even Bobcat's sliding windows are done wrong, the felt gasket just gets ripped or worn out.

My suggestion would be 1 piece windows for people that work in the woods or in really dusty environments. What do you think of this alternative idea if CAT can't get the windows to seal? I want to get lexan cut to fit for the outside of the window frame (over rops mesh) and attach it through window frame bolt holes then seal all the way around the lexan with a high quality silicone. I would only be 1/4" thick, UV stabalized lexan and would be professionally cut.
I can't think of anything else that is going to stop the dust. My AC is already not working as it should at only 95 hrs and I have replaced filters already. My cab smells bad {not from me }, and it just seems dirty. I don't think I am supposed to wash out the C series cab especially with the radio (which I think I want to get a marine style cover for.

Is the dust entering there or is it just a place where dust collects?

jmf

jmf said:

Is the dust entering there or is it just a place where dust collects?

jmf

Click to expand...

dust falls like rain from top of window frame and from the felt area between windows and gets pulled up from the bottom rail as the machine vibrates. The front door lets dust fall in, too but supposedly they can resolve that.

Here's how I deal with pressurized/un-pressurized cabs.
Parts include a Parker Pump, pieces from the vacuum cleaner that I never use and a surplus military chemical warfare mask.
It may not look pretty and you will still get dirty.
But the air you breathe will still be clean.
No more dirt buggers :thumbsup

RollOver Pete said:

Here's how I deal with pressurized/un-pressurized cabs.
Parts include a Parker Pump, pieces from the vacuum cleaner that I never use and a surplus military chemical warfare mask.
It may not look pretty and you will still get dirty.
But the air you breathe will still be clean.
No more dirt buggers :thumbsup

Click to expand...

You get an A for innovation. I used to think that a survive-aire and mask was what I needed!
I just can't see myself spending the money I did only to end up waring a mask all day and scaring my customers!

your problems with the cat are just like our problems with the ASV we have...I dont know where you are located but there is a dealer in tenn called Vermeer of Tenn or something like that...they make their own cab pressure systems and they WORK..we tested a rc100 with the kit out there with a gyrotrac head (we went out there to test the gyrotrac gt18) no dust in the cab and the ac was WAY better than ours which feels almost like a heater now...i also feel like a machine costing over 50grand should work as advertised...but I will admit that if I am doing anything other than mulching I will leave my windows open...i get to cooped up otherwise!! ha ha