hi all, I am reposted a message for help on building a home-made cab for my 580ck. I not really sure where to start, or materials needed. I looked on youtube, didn't find anything specially for my case. Is there anyone able to help?
I think you need to have an idea what you want and we have no idea what kind of fabrication skills you have. I don't think there's a home made cab forum but check a site like tractorbynet. A few on there have built their own cabs for AG tractors.
Welder Dave, thank you for the input...I was hopeful to find cab measurements just to give me a basis idea. I know a request for information on something like so grave...as readers don't know one's ability. thanks jer
This probably won't be any help for your specific application but I will throw it out there anyway. About 5 years ago I bought a Komatsu D65 EX-12 dozer that was an open station machine. I went in search for a cab for it. I found a coupe of places that made aftermarket cabs but they were out of my price range and I wasn't having any luck finding anything at salvage yards for heavy equipment. Then one day I had called a farm equipment salvage yard looking for a part for a farm tractor and happen to mention my search for a cab for my dozer. Just by luck he knew of a guy that used a cab from an old White tractor to build a cab for a similar dozer. So I went and did some measuring and decided to give it a try. IIRC I gave $400 for the cab from the salvage yard. I got the cab home and basically cut it apart and put it back together under the ROPS of my dozer. We had to modify the door a little and the top a little. Otherwise it was nearly a perfect fit. It's not as nice as a factory cab or even an aftermarket cab but it is very functional. As I said earlier this is probably not much help for your application other than sometimes you have to look 'outside the box'. Good luck on your project.
bam ...thank you for your reply, I checked with a local salvage yard too, but the $1, 200.00 price tag for the rusted cab was insane.. I've seen a lot on youtube and well guess I'll just have to dive in and see what happens. thanks you
Are you just wanting a roof over your head to keep the sun off you or a full enclosed cab with glass? The latter seems pretty difficult to me and I like to fab and weld. Are you worried about roll over protection? Thats a whole thing in itself. Post back with pics and ideas on what youre thinking and you'll get feedback here!
Andy makes a very good point. If you are wanting your end result to be similar to a factory cab would get much more involved than simply a windbreak. I have quite a few 'skin kits' that guys have made. Some simply made from plywood and plexiglass and some that were made from sheet metal with glass windows that usually bolted together under the ROPS.
The downfall to homemade cab is no rollover protection. God forbid that anyone would be imprisoned and possibly killed in a homemade cab in the event of a rollover ! It would be OEM or nothing in my world.
Tinkerer never thought of it that way....thanks
geez Andy never thought about a roll over ...
What I have seen is a homemade enclosure, usually under the factory ROPs, or over it. Wait a minute, straight 580, no rollover protection now, do you?