Can lift retrofit kits be used on a tractor without a cab?
Yes. What decides is the cable-controlled mechanism, not the cab; without one, box placement, water management and cable entries come to the fore.
Yes. What decides is not the cab but the presence of a cable-controlled Lift-O-Matik mechanism. Because the kit will be left open to the weather on a tractor without a cab, the LFT20's IP66 galvanised metal enclosure, or the LFT54's galvanised sheet-metal box with its potted watertight board, gains importance. Position the switch where it is sheltered from the rain and the hand reaches it easily.
Points to watch in cabless use
- Main unit placement: Fix the box in a position that wheel impacts and direct mud spray cannot reach and where the cable entry faces downwards. The LFT20 needs 170 x 130 x 55 mm and the LFT54 155 x 175 x 70 mm of space. For choosing the spot, see the where on the tractor the kit is mounted page.
- Water: The LFT20's IP66 rating means complete dust tightness and resistance to powerful water jets from every direction, but continuous immersion is out of scope. Do not mount the box in a hollow where water collects. The full scope of the rating is on the what IP66 means page.
- Cable: Secure the supply cables with clips, do not run them over sharp sheet-metal edges, and use rubber grommets at pass-throughs. Leave a drip loop at the cable entries; that way water cannot follow the cable into the box.
- Switch: Choose a place the hand reaches naturally in the seated position, such as on top of the fender or beside the console.
Why a drip loop works
Water travels along the outer surface of the cable and drips off at the lowest point. If you leave the cable curving downwards before it enters the box, the lowest point is that curve and not the entry to the box; the water drips there. Independently of the protection rating, this simple measure closes off the most common route for water getting inside the box. Fit the cable tie after the curve so that the curve does not flatten out over time.
The same logic applies to the switch cable. If the cable of a switch mounted on top of the fender runs straight down from above, water follows the cable and reaches the switch body. Tie the cable off with a curve below the switch. Do not leave unused cable entries open either; the single weak point of a sealed enclosure is often a hole that has been left empty.
Washing and corrosion
Galvanising is a barrier against corrosion; as long as the coating is not pierced, the box is protected against rusting. That is why drilling the box or scratching the coating during installation makes every point you open the start of corrosion. The reasoning behind the choice of coating is explained on the why a galvanised enclosure was chosen page. When washing, remember that the protection rating does not cover a pressure jet; what to watch out for when pressure washing is covered separately.
| Risk | Measure without a cab |
|---|---|
| Mud spray | Placement outside the wheel line |
| Standing water | Cable entry downwards, do not mount in a hollow |
| Water along the cable | Drip loop, rubber grommet |
| Wear from vibration | Clipped fixing, avoid sharp edges |
| Corrosion | Do not pierce the coating, use the existing holes |
What to do in practice
On tractors with a cab the box is generally mounted behind the cab or on the inner face of the fender, and the switch on the in-cab console. Without a cab, choose the position of the box first and then draw the cable route; work the other way round and you will end up having to run the cable over sharp edges. At the end of the first season, go over the clips, the cable entries and the box fixing bolts once.
The full topic: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control