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how do you heat your tractor?

Started by shinnlinger, March 16, 2015, 10:38:45 PM

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shinnlinger

Hello,

The older I get, the colder I get plowing snow with my tractor.  I have a roof over it already and it wouldn't take much to close it in but how to heat it?  For a while I was thinking of making a cowl on the front and rigging PVC pipe back to the cab from the radiator but never got off my frozen butt to do it.  Tonight a guy I was talking to mentions they sell prefabbed cab heaters for around $200 you plug into your bypass line.  Sounds great but I'm pretty cheap and thinking a heater core with a little fan would probably do the same thing for a lot less, particularly if I can rip one out of one my existing junkers.

But before I go too far, what ways have you all come up with. Don't want to reinvent the wheel or work harder  if I don't have too!

Dave
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

julio

School buses have the ones in the back of bus that is ready to go .12 volt fan and heater core
If you put your finger in your ear and scratch, it sounds like PacMan.

Hilltop366

My brother gave me a compact self-contained heater core with 2 speed fan from a early 70's Toyota Corolla "Canadian Edition"  It works well but is mounted on the right side of the dash so I have a nicely warmed right foot, the left not so much .

It is nice to have a valve somewhere in line to shut it off the rest of the year.

Southside

We found it was easier to just move south and east about 2700 miles, along with a 4,500 foot elevation drop,  now I need to figure out how to plumb A/C into my equipment. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

beenthere

I don't heat it.

I wear a snowmobile helmet, with warm clothes. The helmet handles the strong winds very well.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Holmes

I turn the knob from blue to red ,then turn the fan on low, medium or high.   ;D   
Think like a farmer.

red oaks lumber

x2  :D once in awhile use the wiper ;D
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

thurlow

Is this a farm tractor?  Way back when, we used what were known as "heat housers" or "weather breaks";  they worked great!  One example...............

http://www.burchheathouser-kabking.com/
Here's to us and those like us; DanG few of us left!

THUNDER BEAST

I have been really close to making my new tractor purchase. I would like a cab tractor for heat and air, but like the open station tractor for its simplicity and cost. I know if I come across an extra $13,000 before that day which one I will get. :o

Corley5

Surplus Center has some cab heaters.  I was going to get one for my Dynahoe's cab.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

4x4American

I prefer natural heat, just eat a lot of beans first, maybe some venison chilli.  That should heat up the cab in a hurry  ;D

Don't forget the air freshener!
Boy, back in my day..

John Mc

I just dress warmly. good long underwear (no cotton) and good middle and outer layers. When it gets really cold, I'll put some of those disposable chemical hand warmers in my gloves. I don't own a snowmobile helmet (though it sounds like a great idea for some of those really cold, windy days). I just wear a good windproof hat. If the temperature really drops, that gets augmented by a facemask and my ski goggles.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Peter Drouin

I use to ride in the open. But no more, sold the old tractor and got one with a cab. I'm getting older and I can't take my money with me. So i'm being good to myself.
Good luck with your quest.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

DeerMeadowFarm

When I did not have a cab I just wore insulated coveralls and a hat. In my cab tractor, I honestly use the AC when I'm removing snow and I have my jacket off.

4x4American

^^ are you from the north pole? lol!
Boy, back in my day..

POSTON WIDEHEAD

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

wesdor

I'm with Holmes. Just turn the knob to red. Bought a Deere 3720 with cab 2 winters ago.  Wondered about spending that much but the last two cold winters have made me feel the investment was well worth it.
I usually have a coat in the cab with me, but normally plow snow in shirt sleeves.  My neighbors are also happy since I clean everyone in our area (about 10 drives).

Heat Housers are a good idea if you don't have a cab - and much cheaper

Roger2561

I purchased and installed a Curtis Cab on my JD.  It came with a heater core that is plumbed to the engines coolant system.  It has a 12 volt blower behind it to move the heat around.  I works rather nice and the Curtis Cab wasn't that bad in price either.  For cooling in the summer, I simply remove the doors, they lift off their pins with little effort.  Roger 
Roger

r.man

One of the loggers I know reverses his rad fan. In the summer it pushes heat forward and in the winter it blows it past the motor to the operator area. Your exhaust system needs to be intact for this to be a good idea.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

loggah

Dave, On the old cats without a reversible fan they would make up a collector in front of the radiator top and run a 6" piece of stove pipe back toward the operator area.this makes you warm ,but extremely dusty while dozing ! ;D Don
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

47sawdust

Dave,
I think you would be happy with just an enclosure.I fabbed one up for my L3750.It a 1½"" square tube frame that sits on the fenders and is supported in the front by the loader.Front,rear,and 2 side windows are wood frames with lexan panels.Easy to remove in warm weather.The framework and top stay on all year.This fall I added doors and it is quite nice.The only open space at this point is above the foot rests.The geometry gets a little complex there and I also don't want to restrict my visibility.It is a big improvement over an open station.I still wear insulated coveralls.If you wants some pics send me your email.
Mick
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

Hilltop366

I made this cab, a few years back, it is made with 2"x2" steel tubing for the main frame as well as smaller square tubing for the removable door and rear window frames, strips of flat stock to mount the glass on. All together with the new steel and used safety glass was under $1000. This all came about because the rear end in the 79 case backhoe quit midwinter and I ended up using the tractor with no cab to plow, some of my customers were a ½ hour away from home so I made sure I had a cab the next year.

The whole cab is removable with 10 bolts holding it on but I have never removed it because I like the roof in the sumer for the shade I just take the doors off when it warms up.




 

Tim L

I saw a guy put an old piece of baseboard radiation in his jeep cab and a 12volt fan in the top corner.
Do the best you can and don't look back

thecfarm

I suppose there is no way to keep it in a heated space? We had a forklift at work that was all enclosed,kept inside. I would have to use it to get stuff outside. I would use it with just a t shirt on for ½ hour at a time and would be warm. I would suspect over an hour it would start to cool off. But the engine and tranny fuilds would throw off some heat.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

shinnlinger

Thanks folks,

I already have a roof and have an old piece of hockey glass for a windshield.  I don't want to spend much money so heater units from surplus center and what not are out.  I have the carhart suit and all that already as well.

I like the idea of the slant fin radiation vs a stove pipe blowing in from the engine.  I tore my house down last year and recycled a whole hecuva lot of that stuff.  Wonder if I missed a 2 foot section but a heater core should do it.

Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

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