Did it myself snocab

[professor]

My plan was to avoid the blasting wind this winter:http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/professor8/dadspictures2093.jpg

It's foundation is a roll bar I made last summer. The soft top came from Grandpa and I adapted it. Tried a metal top that I made and it made so much noise I abandoned that idea when the soft one came along. The metal structure magnified the engine vibration like an acoustic guitar.
The framing is hardwood with reinforced corners and plastic over that. I used 5 thousandths thick for the clear and scrap welding curtain for the black. The clear plexiglass comes off for opening the hood with velcro. Doors are hinged at the back with removable pins and velcro to hold them shut.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/professor8/dadspictures2094.jpg

The back window is like the doors except they are held on with a couple of clips. There are some steel plates bolted to the roll bar ( 160#) to help in the traction department along with sheet metal screws in the tire ribs.
Mike

[jodyand]

Nice job looks like to will keep the snow off of you. :fing32:

[Dachshund]

Looks like it will be toasty! Kinda takes all the FUN out of Winter, though..... :D

[simple_john]

Kinda takes all the FUN out of Winter, though..... :D

no way, that just keeps the snow out of your face....

great job... you saved yourself about 800$ (the soft cab for my prestige is about 800$)


with the plow i would not think it would be as snowy as with a thrower.....but, it should do great for wind protection....

[sixchows]

Looks good!
The good thing about having a cab with the plow blade is that you can keep up with a heavy storm rather than waiting for it to end and then trying to plow 2 feet of snow.
Might want to add a wiper. I think JC Whitney still sells those manual ones or you could add an electric one. Might want to add some warning lights on there somewhere too.

[Argee]

Nice job!! That will definetly keep the snow out of your face!

[USN_ED]

Nice work "Professor". Very nice job. Looks like OEM. :fing32:

[drbailey]

WoW , thats great . I m impressed , theres no end to what these MTF members can do.

[HydroHarold]

ALL RIGHT PROFESSOR!! Nice job. Guess it must get pretty windy and cold over there to inspire that cab! Izzat going to fog up if you take too many breaths? My cab is still Carhartts and goggles but as soon as I feel the "wimpy bug" biting me I'm goin' your route! :D:D I also admire your vertical exhaust which I hope I can duplicate for my JD next May (warranty abandons me)...

[horseman1]

Wow, great job! That will be nice and toasty. We are getting a storm here at the moment and I will be wishing for one like that tomorrow morning!

[professor]

Thanks for the comments guys, right up there in the "bad" department with the snow we get is the wind. WNY beats Chicago by a couple of tenths MPH in the average wind speed. It's fine in the summer but horrible in the winter. My plan is to get the car out of the way, put the remote door opener in my pocket, fire up the cub and drive out to battle (probably clean up one of my neighbors entrance too) and return without getting blasted with cold.
I'm at the end of a dead end street with a light over it so lighting on the tractor is not really necessary.

Mike

[Keweenaw4310]

Very nice job. It's hard to tell exactly from the picture, but it appears that you do have room to mount a wiper in the framework above the window.

[mark777]

Wow...great fabrication and design!

[glenn27]

Professor- you've outdone yourself!! Are you planning on running away from home and livin' in that "tent"?? Ha Ha-just messin w/ you..... How about some work lights/warning, and what about ol' hot breath fogging up inside windshield.....I admire it, shows what the average American guy can do. :congrats:
:trink40:

[Jim_WV]

Excellent work professor :fing32: , looks that should defintley work for your winter duties :).

[mla2ofus]

Professional look,Prof. With those cabs not having a heater, I've wondered if a computer cooling fan mounted in the roof to exhaust cab air would keep the windows from fogging?
Mike

[mla2ofus]

Looks excellent, Prof. I've wondered on the cabs without a heater, if a computer cooling fan mounted in the roof to exhaust cab air, would keep windows from fogging?
Mike

[mbkerk]

Outstanding job Professor! Very nice! How many hours do you have into it? Is there a way you could recover some engine heat for the cab, like side curtains or something? The vertical exhaust should eliminate any problem with the carbon monoxide.

Excellent post!

[Kid Muddy]

Man, that looks great professor! I'm jealous, I could use something like that just so my wife doesn't laugh at me when I come back in the house all covered in snow.

Definitely some quality work!

[professor]

Thanks for the nice comments guys!
A windshield wiper would wreck the plastic after a while, as soon as the plastic gets cold nothing sticks to it anyway so I doubt it will be an issue.
As for fogging up, there are plenty of drafts coming in to keep the moisture down. The big thing is to cut the wind! I remember going ice fishing with my dad (brrrrr) without the windbreak you freeze but with it you are OK.
I guess I should confess that I don't have a lot of driveway to do but I do have to do it often- wrestling the cub around will generate enough heat for me!

I don't know how long it took to do because I did it between other projects but it didn't cost much using scrap stuff - less than 50 bucks for the clear plastic and fasteners. I ripped the wood from an oak beam I had- pre drilling the various holes to keep from splitting it. I will say this- the noise level is higher inside the cab so I will wear earplugs where I would not without the cab- reflected and contained noise.
Phase 2 is a blower I'm doing that I posted about in a little blurb earlier today.

Needless to say I don't watch much TV, however, the winter cometh when no man can work.

Mike

[bontai Joe]

I admire the quality craftsmanship. Definitely looks like a factory unit, and better than some "store bought" models I've seen :fing32: :fing32:

[draddogs]

Nice job professor, and it looks very rugged just what one would expect of a cub cadet. As far as the windows fogging they make a thing called rainx which is known to help
curtail the fog.

[slkpk]

Most Excellent!!! Looks like a professoinal job. Looks like it should work well. Did you put wipers or a fan in there to defrost the window? slkpk

[professor]

Ernie- you just reminded me that I have a bottle of Rainx sitting unused for years!

Slkpk- see my comments a couple of spots above.

Mike

[Carl Wheeler]

Looks good!
The good thing about having a cab with the plow blade is that you can keep up with a heavy storm rather than waiting for it to end and then trying to plow 2 feet of snow.
Might want to add a wiper. I think JC Whitney still sells those manual ones or you could add an electric one. Might want to add some warning lights on there somewhere too.

Super job..Don't forget the heater and beer cooler. Carl

[CTtech]

Excellent job Professor,
I have been debating picking up one of the universal cabs as they do not make one for the LT180, but looking at your work is making me rethink. I think I'll take a stab at building one first. Any suggestions or issues you ran into when making yours?
Once again nice looking cab on a great machine,

[SnowMower]

CTTech, here is a little video about how I made mine. Hope you get some inspiration.

SnowCab Tractor Movie (http://www.zippyvideos.com/2965647602880466/tractorcabmovie_final/*bwiswell)

Bill

[454_72_4X4]

I also admire your vertical exhaust

That vertical exhaust sure looks like a Yamaha 660 Raptor exhaust.
Am I right or just seeing things?

BTW, Excellent cab professor!! :fing32: