Aircon or Not

[H200GT]

It still amazes me how many people don’t have it on, especially in new cars cars. Always have mine on or in auto in whatever I’m driving. Keeps cabs clean, comfortable, de-misted and fresh smelling. It’s pretty much standard equipment on anything now

 

[egbert]

Maybe the OP should ask the question again....
how much does aircon add to the price, bearing in mind subs are winding down?

I'm not involved in any tillage/crop work, and only miss aircon on machines without it for a handful of days per year.

 

[GeorgeK]

Lack of A/C would probably hit resale value by more than the saving from not speccing it.

 

[GmB]

As a farmer who suffers from hay fever, I spent most of my early farming years shut in a MF590 sweating my nuts off whilst round baling. Begged Dad to get me some AC, but apparently the cost was too high. Roll on a few years and when it was time to change a tractor, the spec was: AC, nice seat, 4WD. Roll on again and my middle daughter is driving for me, on the 590 I drove back in the day! After seeing her suffer from the heat during her first summer, I soon set about fitting AC to the old tractor. Transformed the tractor, now she wants a radio. So for us, as others have said, AC is a no brainer.

 

[stevedave]

Would you even be able to spec down a cabbed tractor to not have it?

 

[egbert]

Would you even be able to spec down a cabbed tractor to not have it?

certainly JD would within last 10 years - mind, i don't know that I'd be buying another new'un from them now.

 

[David.]

I remember, early 80s, a local farmer buying a new tractor, in those days you might have actually had to choose between extras, because money was expensive; rather than going fully loaded, as they now say, and 2wd was still commonplace. This man, liking his creature comforts, chose aircon over 4wd on the tick list.
When the tractor was proper bogged down one day, and tempers very frayed, the farmers good mate and neighbour came on the cb, advising that perhaps he should try turning the aircon on.

 

[7610 super q]

Nope. We had 3 hot days in 1976, 2 in 1984, and one last summer. Not spending £500 per year gassing up, and replacing expensive parts for that.

 

[David.]

If you were paying £500yr you would be being forked.

 

[Highland Mule]

Costs almost a penny a mile to turn it on in my road car (roughly 2-3mpg penalty), so easy £200 per year in diesel alone. Has anyone worked out how much does it add to fuel consumption in a modern tractor?

 

[Lakesdigger]

Worst thing you can do with aircon is not use it. Regular use keeps oil around the system which helps stop seals drying out which are a common cause of low gas.

 

[Highland Mule]

Worst thing you can do with aircon is not use it. Regular use keeps oil around the system which helps stop seals drying out which are a common cause of low gas.

Absolutely - I use mine a lot (probably most weeks), but not 100% of the time.

 

[Wilksy]

I once did some spraying for a mate when had a trapped nerve, it was hot day too hot for spraying probably with no air con it was awful, felt sick and headache from dehydration

 

[icanshootwell]

What about in a telehandler, I hardly ever use mine with the top window closed.

To be fair, you only really need ac in a th when operating in dusty conditions, a bit of summer time.

 

[glasshouse]

Costs almost a penny a mile to turn it on in my road car (roughly 2-3mpg penalty), so easy £200 per year in diesel alone. Has anyone worked out how much does it add to fuel consumption in a modern tractor?

Jesus sufferin

 

[Lofty1984]

To be fair, you only really need ac in a th when operating in dusty conditions, a bit of summer time.

I disagree what about those pissy wet days when your in and out with wet clothes got to have the door shut for the driving rain can’t have the heater blowing hot air flat out to de mist the windows or your sweating everytime you get in, flick air con on windows clear in no time, if anything air con is more important on a handler than anything

 

[GeorgeK]

Costs almost a penny a mile to turn it on in my road car (roughly 2-3mpg penalty), so easy £200 per year in diesel alone. Has anyone worked out how much does it add to fuel consumption in a modern tractor?

Car a/c uses 1-4 hp depending on conditions which is a fair bit. For comparison a healthy person can generate about 1 hp flat out.
Tractor systems might use more, modern cabs are like big greenhouses.

 

[glasshouse]

Car a/c uses 1-4 hp depending on conditions which is a fair bit. For comparison a healthy person can generate about 1 hp flat out.
Tractor systems might use more, modern cabs are like big greenhouses.

So a hp is really about ten horse power?

 

[GeorgeK]

So a hp is really about ten horse power?

From Wikipedia:
"The term was adopted in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses.
A common legend states that the unit was created when one of Watt's first customers, a brewer, specifically demanded an engine that would match a horse, and chose the strongest horse he had and driving it to the limit. Watt, while aware of the trick, accepted the challenge and built a machine that was actually even stronger than the figure achieved by the brewer, and it was the output of that machine which became the horsepower."

Horsepower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[An Gof]

To be fair, you only really need ac in a th when operating in dusty conditions, a bit of summer time.

Air con is on continuously in my telehandler. Keeps me cool in summer and keeps the windows clear of mist in the winter. Absolutely essential. Oh and never run the handler with top half of door open, keep it clean dust and free in the cab.