Go BottomCurtis Soft Cabs for Deere 4310
 | 2flints
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 13 MA-ME 
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2003-09-08 63346
Hi Guys,
I recently purchased a 4310 with a 430 loader and having been doing so much work with it...its been great! I have a snow blower on order, and am now considering a "soft" Curtis Cab for Maine winters. Are there any advantages or disadvantages I should be mulling over besides the obvious advantage of protection from blowing snow?
Thanks, for any ideas,
2flints
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 | TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2003-09-08 63381
Defrosters and wipers are good features for snow blowing. If it's a 3ph blower, you got to see out the back too. ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-09-08 63382
Nice cabs but pricey. Will they work with a 430 loader? Looking at the pictures of them on the Curtis web site, they don't show any pics with a loader and it looks like the cab sits where the loader mounts go. Anyone have any experience in this area? ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-09-08 63384
I know several people who have 'soft' cabs on various machines, including ATV's.
The one single problem they all share is keeping the windows clear, if the cab is even slightly warmed, even just by the operator's breath & body heat the windows fog & or ice up. If you can get & keep enough air moving across them you can keep it to a minimum, but I've heard a near hurricane is required.
Best of luck. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-08 63390
Murf: I think I owe my window fogging insight to you from a few years back now that I think about it.
Chief: I recall something about cab and loader mounts sharing space awhile back. I can't recall which tractor or which cab. If I recall something I should be able to find it in the archives. I forget who it was that built a do-it-yourself hard cab. That one should be in the archives too. Looked like a good job from the pics.
Somebody talked about tapping a port into their water-pump flange to run a hot water heater. Most tractors should have enough electrical power to run a blower. That type of unit, including a water pump flange with an extra port on it are still in my Ford '10-series compact parts manual. Too bad they only went on European models.
I'm still blowing snow in the open and my face still ends up like a glacier when the wind is from the wrong direction. I need wipers on my glasses too. This winter, maybe a snowmobile helmet.
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-09-08 63393
Since the lion's share of my business goes south for the winter, literally, we do a lot of snow removal in order to keep equipment & employees gainfully employed the year-round.
While most of our units that are used for snow removal are equipped with a cab, I do have one holdout (an ardent snowmobiler also) who will not work on a machine with a cab, he says it's not healthy, the logic escapes me.
He has always worked in a snowmobile suit and full-face helmet, the visor of the helmet is equipped with a tiny electric defogger unit. He claims, and probably rightly so, that his vision & hearing is far superior to that of an operator in a cab. All he does is sidewalks around a large shopping mall, so visibility is critical.
Some nights he looks like the Abominable Snowman, a very happy one at that, too.
Best of luck. ....
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| 2flints
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 13 MA-ME
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2003-09-08 63416
Thanks guys,
The Curtis Cab can be installed with the loader & bucket still attached and in working order, but it will be removed and replaced by the snowblower. The cab will be come with an interior fan and heater and glass front with wipers. There will be a top dome emergency light and rear working light.
Again my question, will all of this have any effect on the operating ability of my 4310. Should I get the larger alternator and "stronger" battery? Any other things I should upgrade to?
Can anyone help me?
2flints
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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-09-08 63418
I've never even seen a Curtis Cab, but I'll throw out some ideas. Maybe something will stick :)
Does Curtis have any recommendations for power requirements? Worst case I'd think you could add up the power requirements of all electrical components that you would be using simultaneously (lights, blowers, wipers, radio, heater, whatever) and see how they match up to the standard alternator output. My gut instinct is that you will need the bigger alternator, and I would probably upgrade as a matter of course, but you could always try it with the standard one and see how it goes. Heavier duty components can be installed later if you need them. Just be sure to test it all before the heavy snows hit.
Remember that my suggestions are probably worth exactly what you paid for them. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-09 63435
A 35A rated alternator puts out about 420W max at 12V (w = a x v), but most systems would have a 30A main fuse so not much more than 300 watts could be used through the auxiliary circuits without risking blowing fuses due to surges.
A power rating probably is available from the cab manufacturer. I'd just take that rating and add the wattages of tractor mounted equipment such as lights, safety solenoids etc. There's really no way to avoid estimating the total continuous power consumption and comparing that to the alternator's rated output. Getting from wattage to amps is: watts = amps x volts. Using the charge voltage rather than a 12V battery voltage would be conservative. I'd keep in mind that running an alternator near max capacity for extended periods will shorten the life of a charging system. Power consumption that is a high percent of max alternator output will extend battery recharge times.
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| 2flints
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 13 MA-ME
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2003-09-09 63439
Sorry guys, but I messed up with my post...my Curtis Cab will have a glass windshield with wipers, a fan to move the heat around from the heater installed. It will also ahve a dome light and rear working light. With all of these add-ons will I need a stronger alternator & battery? Will they make a difference? Will I lose HP?
Appreciate any additional comments.
2flints ....
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| 2flints
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 13 MA-ME
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2003-09-09 63440
Sorry again guys, new at this, my Curtis Cab for my 4310 will come with a glass windshield, wipers and heater and fan to move the warm air around inside the cab, a dome light and rear working lights. Should I consider a stronger alternator and battery? Do I lose HP in any way?
Your thoughts please!
2flints ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-09-10 63479
Well, I did some really dumb arithmetic early yesterday morning--now corrected. A 35A rated alternator puts out 420W max at 12V or about 500W at charge voltage. W = A x V--wonder what I was thinking?
To answer the question the total power requirements and the rated alternator outputs need to be known. However, if the heat is electric, I'd guess that a larger alternator would be a good idea. You'd need a larger battery too if the power requirements exceed the alternator output since the battery would carry the load until it discharges and then the load will drag down the alternator voltage and the regulator will limit output. The tractor likely has a main fuse that usually is 30A for a 35A rated alternator. Chances are that the cab would have to be wired directly from the battery through an in-line fuse. A heavily loaded alternator isn't likely to keep a battery fully charged.
In terms of HP, 1hp = 748W. Max alternator output would take less than 1hp.
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| kadorken
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 67 Canada
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2004-02-01 75676
From your pics, it appears you now have the curtis cab. Is it what you expected?
You pictures indicate the height of the cab is below the ROPS (critical for me since where I park the tractor there is 1 inch clearance between the ROPS and the entrance). Is it safe to assume the cab didn't add to overall height ?
What is the rear of the cab ? Glass or plastic, or open? (no one ever shows pictures of the rear of these things).
I need to blow snow in reverse so need to determine the feasibility of using a cab for this?
[of course, then I would have to mount a hydraulic chute movement system rather than the manual one, but I'll cross that bridge when necessary).
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.
Keith ....
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| 2flints
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 13 MA-ME
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2004-02-01 75697
Hi Keith,
Yes, the height of the cab is several inches below the ROPS, which was critical for me to, since I keep the 4310 in its own bay in my 2 bay garage. The rear of the cab is plastic with snap ons...but you have the option of getting a glass replacement window that swings up when open. I think you will have more than enough "sight room" if you plan to blow snow in reverse. With the soft cab model you can also, at a later time, buy the glass doors that normally are sold with the soft cab model.
I had a hard time trying to decide between the soft cab and hard cab. Money wasn't the issue, and I finally settled on the soft cab because I see me using the 4310 more during the warmer weather months than the cold weather months.
Is it what I expected? I still have not used the 4310 in really cold, snow or wet weather, since I live in Massachusetts (at least until I retire this June) and have the tractor in Maine. After this June, I'll be living in Maine and using the tractor for snow and such....
If you need any more info let me know. The soft cab was put on by the dealer for me and is solid as far as I am concerned. Geez, you have 100 acres, is the 4310 big enough?
Regards,
2flints ....
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 | Wildman1
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 196 Chugiak, Alaska
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2004-02-01 75698
I have the Curtis heater, 3 worklights & the wiper on my 2210, which has only a 20a alternator and I have no problems. Oh, I have the softside cab.
The cab added about 1/2" to the total height. It has a robust frame and I believe the shipping weight was around 300lbs.
The rear has a velcro'd curtain, much like the curtains on a boat cover. I pull the bottom of the curtain up so that I can reach the lever on the spreader. A hardside cab would be a problem there. ....
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| kadorken
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 67 Canada
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2004-02-02 75740
2flints,
Thanks for the information.
The key test point will be whether the visibility stays clear in cold weather either with the plastic or the glass window.
The 4310 only has to handle 5 of the 100 acres. 70 acres is done by a neighbor (with a really BIG JD tractor), the rest is being renaturalized with trees and reclaimed wetland.
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| yodaddyo
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 13 lancaster pa
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2004-02-19 77278
hi guys, we recently purchased a 4310 and i put a used soft side cab on it, 2 negatives on it that ive noticed, one you get a real bad exhaust smeel from having the exhaust pipe point to the ground, i want to look into extending upwards, and two it is really noisy inside. other than that i love being warm has i am working outside, for my father though he'd rather not have it he likes it out in the cold! ....
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