Pros and Cons of Enclosed Cab v. Open Cab

[gwhammy]

Don't have air in any of my excavators but the heat sure is nice in the Missouri winters. Excavators are one of the coldest jobs around in the winter if you don't have heat.

 

[Tinkerer]

I ran open ROPS machines nearly all my working life.
The few times I ran anything with a cab I didn't care for the diminished view.
But the heater and AC when needed was well worth any inconvenience the cab imposed.
It was not unusual to see a carbide tipped tool, permanently mounted in the cabs for breaking the glass in an emergency.

 

[skyking1]

That little plastic hammer is all but rotted away in my 120. The place where it clips to is broken but it still wanders around on the cab floor. I hadn't noticed if the mini has The glass breaker in it.

 

[Steve Frazier]

The Cat I mentioned has an escape hammer hung on one of the cab pillars

 

[Keith Merrell]

Speaking of seat belts, I already posted in another thread, but I'm pretty certain it saved me from severe injury or maybe worse the other day running a roller. I vote for enclosed cabs on equipment. After working my open cab skid steer all day in Sedona, I am covered in dirt and can't go anywhere without someone asking me "what the heck happened to you??"

 

[Willie B]

If I knew where to look, Mrs. B took a shot of my friend. He had been rolling my driveway. He was doing the shoulder where it tips down only a few feet to the lawn. I wouldn't have believed it was steep enough to slide the smooth drum vibratory roller, but it was. His brother saw it happen, he describes it as him hanging on for dear life! no seat belt.

 

[Keith Merrell]

The vibration is a funny thing, it will just kick you out on even a slight incline if your not careful. But I learned my lesson…

 

[Allan M]

Well I'll add my $.035 adjusted for inflation.

For mini's - 305 sized and down we prefer open cabs for many reasons that are specific to what we do with yellow iron.

Our 305 is used for digging around utilities in tight places, running small diameter piping (12" and down) like roof leaders and domestic water lines in addition to tight space excavation and demolition. All of these situations include groundmen with shovels in addition to existing utilities or structures you don't want to damage.

As far as the operator being out in the dust, heat and other elements well so our our groundmen. I think an open cab is a safer option for what we do as line of sight is not distorted by glass and verbal communication is easier.

The other plus's are it's not another A/C system to maintain or glass to replace, not that we have major issues with either. CTL's and everything else has full cabs with A/C, the next compactor we buy will have a cab and A/C if nothing more than to protect all the electronics in the operator station.

Hey CM1995, per your thought above: "As far as the operator being out in the dust, heat and other elements well so our our groundmen. I think an open cab is a safer option for what we do as line of sight is not distorted by glass and verbal communication is easier."
I don't doubt your experience and expertise. I don't have that as an operator. My thinking about an enclosed cab is this: A ground man with a shovel, tired, distracted, in the rain, in the heat, is not going to kill someone with a shovel. Obviously, an operator of an excavator can--easily. We all know the power of hydraulics and weight against a human body. Don't you think a well trained operator in an air conditioned or heated cab against the elements is safer than an operator that is out in the dust, heat, cold, etc... not unlike a tired or distracted auto driver on the road. I would really like to see some operator accident statistics: Do open cab operators have more or less accidents than enclosed cab operators. Maybe these stats aren't kept...and again, I totally get your point. Best, A

 

[CM1995]

I don't doubt your experience and expertise. I don't have that as an operator. My thinking about an enclosed cab is this: A ground man with a shovel, tired, distracted, in the rain, in the heat, is not going to kill someone with a shovel. Obviously, an operator of an excavator can--easily. We all know the power of hydraulics and weight against a human body. Don't you think a well trained operator in an air conditioned or heated cab against the elements is safer than an operator that is out in the dust, heat, cold, etc... not unlike a tired or distracted auto driver on the road. I would really like to see some operator accident statistics: Do open cab operators have more or less accidents than enclosed cab operators. Maybe these stats aren't kept...and again, I totally get your point. Best, A

In a mini-ex digging around fiber optics or a live gas line in tight quarters? No, we would rather have an open cab for the reasons I stated which comes from many, many hours in the seat doing such.

Now laying 24" RCP with a 325 yes of course cab with A/C. When laying pipe with the larger hoes the front door is open with the A/C going, yeah I know it lets some dust in but the safety factor of vision and communication is more important.

For mini's - 305 sized and down we prefer open cabs for many reasons that are specific to what we do with yellow iron.

Like I said in my OP that some must've skipped over. We only prefer open cabs on mini's for the work we do which is commercial site work. Our mini is only used either digging or demo'ing in tight places usually with live existing utilities involved. Our mini isn't cleaning fence rows or performing other tasks where a cab machine is more suitable.

 

[zeroo]

I dig around fiber and gas. I hate people who design this stuff. But just carry windex when things get tight. Gas line is just to the right of tap. This is window up.This is window down, which I dug with it down.

 

[Allan M]

I dig around fiber and gas. I hate people who design this stuff. But just carry windex when things get tight. Gas line is just to the right of tap. This is window up.View attachment 262800This is window down, which I dug with it down.
View attachment 262801

Wow. You have serious digging skills! I tried to locate our septic system for a guest house on our property. I had a rough idea where it would be. I worked as gently as I could with an 18" bucket...just barely scraping back dirt after getting down through 14" of top soil. On one draw I felt a slight tug on the bucket, lifted it up, and guess what? A piece of curved rebar in the shape of a handle. Yes, I broke the lid on one side of the tank. $100 to replace it. I'm not skilled enough to dig around gas or electricity! I'll call you. I really do get the points that CM1995 articulated. It's nice of you guys to take the time to educate newbies like me. Thanks.

 

[zeroo]

Lol. Lots of hand digging goes into it. Lots. 34 years and an estimated 2500 residential sewers hookups will force you to be an operator around utilities. Here’s the finished hookup. This picture gets sent to inspector.

 

[CM1995]

Utilities are always a challenge.

Replacing around 160' of of 8x12 box culvert on a project 2 year ago.

The box culvert section weighs in around 22K lbs. The fiber line is in the orange conduit ratchet strapped to the trench box, the black line is 6" metal gas line that's live.



Closer pic of the utilities and the discharge line running along the top of the trench shield from the 2 pumps we had to run constantly in order to dewater the work area.



Nothing like a fragile metal gas line that's in service. It was fun getting that first piece of pre-cast in place under the trench shield and under the gas line.



Hoisting a rental 305 in the hole to clean up the existing box culvert. No enclosed cab required.



Horses of courses - there are 10,000 ways to skin a cat.

 

[zeroo]

@Allan M , I just noticed your pic in your avatar. Might have addressed but what is your machine? It looks like mine. U48-5. I may have read it in another post but memory is short. Here’s mine.

 

[zeroo]

Utilities are always a challenge.

Replacing around 160' of of 8x12 box culvert on a project 2 year ago.

The box culvert section weighs in around 22K lbs. The fiber line is in the orange conduit ratchet strapped to the trench box, the black line is 6" metal gas line that's live.

View attachment 262817

Closer pic of the utilities and the discharge line running along the top of the trench shield from the 2 pumps we had to run constantly in order to dewater the work area.

View attachment 262821

Nothing like a fragile metal gas line that's in service. It was fun getting that first piece of pre-cast in place under the trench shield and under the gas line.

View attachment 262818

Hoisting a rental 305 in the hole to clean up the existing box culvert. No enclosed cab required.

View attachment 262820

Horses of courses - there are 10,000 ways to skin a cat.

That looks fun. I’ve never worked on large commercial(union?) jobs. Would like to get in on that profit though(without the union).

 

[Allan M]

Utilities are always a challenge.

Replacing around 160' of of 8x12 box culvert on a project 2 year ago.

The box culvert section weighs in around 22K lbs. The fiber line is in the orange conduit ratchet strapped to the trench box, the black line is 6" metal gas line that's live.

View attachment 262817

Closer pic of the utilities and the discharge line running along the top of the trench shield from the 2 pumps we had to run constantly in order to dewater the work area.

View attachment 262821

Nothing like a fragile metal gas line that's in service. It was fun getting that first piece of pre-cast in place under the trench shield and under the gas line.

View attachment 262818

Hoisting a rental 305 in the hole to clean up the existing box culvert. No enclosed cab required.

View attachment 262820

Horses of courses - there are 10,000 ways to skin a cat.

I think you might be an adrenalin junkie working on stuff like this. One wrong move and you get blown up or electrocuted or both. You probably don't need coffee in the morning on jobs like this. Amazing!

 

[Allan M]

@Allan M , I just noticed your pic in your avatar. Might have addressed but what is your machine? It looks like mine. U48-5. I may have read it in another post but memory is short. Here’s mine.View attachment 262822

I've got a 2016 Kubota U55-4 with enclosed cab--so about 12.6k pounds. I think this is a very well made machine. All joints tight, engine and electronics no issues, DPF no problems, about 2300 hours at this point. I'm getting somewhat proficient clearing land, taking down trees and cutting trails on 45 degree sloped mountains on the back of our property. I think our machines are very close in size and power. CM1995's pic showing him lowering a CAT 305 into a hole really blows my mind (that's the size of my machine). That CAT he is driving is a monster by comparison. I'd love to get into the cab of one of those and give it a try...and yes, I would need adult supervision so as not to get into trouble!

 

[CM1995]

I think you might be an adrenalin junkie working on stuff like this. One wrong move and you get blown up or electrocuted or both. You probably don't need coffee in the morning on jobs like this. Amazing!

Nah - proper planning and experience, along with a little luck usually gets the job done.

 

[zeroo]

What do you do with all the rebar sticking out on both ends? Drill?

 

[skyking1]

those box culverts are some hefty stuff. I have not set objects like that. I see dowels out of both pieces, the old and the new. Did you form up a pourback between them?