# Tractor seat Air ride or Mechanial?



## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

I have 1976 white tractor, seat is blown up not worth fixing. Looking at tractorseat.com I can get 3 different seats.

The cheapest one is $211.00 (search #7460 is the seat)
Next is mechanical $734.00 (search #6815 or 6814 is the seat)
Air ride $937.00 (search #6817 is the seat)

Would you go with vinyl or fabric? Is the air ride really worth the $200 difference? Than the electrical hooking up ect?
What about years of service?

The job is making hay with this tractor. Cutting and also bailing small squares. The fields are not the flattest. The most time spent at one time would be 5 hours each day.

Thanks


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

What kind of seat suspension does it have now? Does that seem like enough?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vinyl is cold in winter and hot in summer,and it cracks.Cloth is more comfortable to sit on by far.

I went to the local Tractor salvage yard and got a air ride seat out of a combine.I think I pd $200 for it.Had do redo the mounting braket a bit but got a nice seat for 1/5th of new.

It just takes a hot wire to the pump and a ground wire so no big deal.The controls are part of the seat.


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

Looks like an original seat. It has a single shock in the back. I look it out and is 100% blown out. Dealer wants $150.00 for the shock. Not putting the money in it with all the rest in this ruff shape.

Just thought of one more thing in considering this seat, I only weigh 175 LBS.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Yes, the air ride seat is worth $200 more and don't let some uninformed tight wad tell you it is not.....it is like comparing corn cobs to toilet paper.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

TORCH said:


> Looks like an original seat. It has a single shock in the back. I look it out and is 100% blown out. Dealer wants $150.00 for the shock. Not putting the money in it with all the rest in this ruff shape.
> 
> Just thought of one more thing in considering this seat, I only weigh 175 LBS.


With air ride you can adjust it easily for each driver.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Vol said:


> Yes, the air ride seat is worth $200 more and don't let some uninformed tight wad tell you it is not.....it is like comparing corn cobs to toilet paper.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I'll take your word for it Mike. I'll stick to TP


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

Air ride is the bee's knees.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Something else you might think about with an air suspension seat is for and aft slide rails, most can be locked out if don't want to use it for some reason. They allow the seat slide a couple inches back and forth on rough ground. The CaseIH 5140 here has an air seat with that feature.

That's not a bad looking seat for your White:

http://www.tractorseats.com/p-111968-white-late-km-440-wair-susp-bf.aspx


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

If I had my druthers just about everything would have air ride could you imagine an air ride commode? hehe


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Air ride all the way. K&M is a good company with good stuff. Took a perfectly good mechanical grammar out of my TL100A and replaced it with a complete air ride similar to the link. Makes the 350 hours a year on that tractor a lot more enjoyable.


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

AIR RIDE!


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

I have Deere air ride and a Deere with mechanical. I realize that Deere's are way expensive but they came on the tractors. The tractor that the air ride is on has a brush grapple on it so fence rows. berry patches and brush is where it spends it's time, basically hard time. I wouldn't any thing but a air ride. I only have a 1000 hours on the air ride and so far no problems. Would't want any thing but air ride.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Air ride may throw you in the air on a hard bump but it eliminates the back jarring on the way down. Any hard bump, you're going to move anyway so might as well have a soft landing.


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

Gee sounds like a no brainer. Now were can one find a good seat for this old white? Buying new will put a hurt on pocket book. In search of air ride starts now!


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

TORCH said:


> Gee sounds like a no brainer. Now were can one find a good seat for this old white? Buying new will put a hurt on pocket book. In search of air ride starts now!


You could try salvaging one from a semi. I think.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

The semi seats I've been around are plumbed into the trucks air system. The one on my tractor has it's own 12 volt pump. Just some thing to think about.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

A little late but, after yesterday, AIR RIDE!

Your wallet is going to hurt which ever seat you chose, so go with the one that hurts the least.

And, thinking of your wallet, your won't be sitting on that big, fat wad of farmer's cash if you go air ride.

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

TORCH said:


> Gee sounds like a no brainer. Now were can one find a good seat for this old white? Buying new will put a hurt on pocket book. In search of air ride starts now!


A tractor salvage yard.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

If using a used semi tractor seat, they do not have their own air supply, but they are not like the air-ride suspension which is adjusts air according to load etc.,, If one was to have a 12v air compressor as found in most jumper packs, emergency tire kits, etc... that should work. Once the seat is adjusted, it needs no more air unless it leaks off.

Theoretically, if the seat did not leak and you did have the desire to adjust it, you could fill it up with air at the shop and go. Much like your tires

Worked on semi tractors for @10 years and changed a LOT of seats that the cushion or upholstery was worn... threw the old ones in the scrap heap and would be more-than-workable for my needs in a tractor. I'm not too picky though. Might check with a local tractor trailer maint place to find one. We used to give em away. Had a few sitting around mounted to boards for lounging after work.

73, Mark


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

glasswrongsize said:


> If using a used semi tractor seat, they do not have their own air supply, but they are not like the air-ride suspension which is adjusts air according to load etc.,, If one was to have a 12v air compressor as found in most jumper packs, emergency tire kits, etc... that should work. Once the seat is adjusted, it needs no more air unless it leaks off.
> Theoretically, if the seat did not leak and you did have the desire to adjust it, you could fill it up with air at the shop and go. Much like your tires
> Worked on semi tractors for @10 years and changed a LOT of seats that the cushion or upholstery was worn... threw the old ones in the scrap heap and would be more-than-workable for my needs in a tractor. I'm not too picky though. Might check with a local tractor trailer maint place to find one. We used to give em away. Had a few sitting around mounted to boards for lounging after work.
> 73, Mark


But, won't a semi seat be way too big? It's going to eat up space in the cab and have a high back that won't be very conducive to turning around whenever necessary. I think if someone is going for an air seat in a tractor they should aim for an appropriately sized unit. I like the idea of getting a salvage unit but I'd stick to the tractor and combine boneyards if at all possible.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

The link to the seat for White tractors says that seat would work on my old 2-60.With that seat installed , valve of tractor could almost double. Well maybe not double but at least 20%.


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

haybaler101 said:


> Air ride all the way. K&M is a good company with good stuff. Took a perfectly good mechanical grammar out of my TL100A and replaced it with a complete air ride similar to the link. Makes the 350 hours a year on that tractor a lot more enjoyable.


What ya doing with the old seat? Wonder if it would fit in my 2-105 White? Ya just never know unless you ask. Called a few parts yards with no used air rides. Keep looking still have time.


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

Could not find good used so bought new air ride.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Looks awesome! I'm a bit late to the tread, but would have to agree air ride all the way. Vol explained it the best! 
Now the next step is to replace the tractor to go with the new seat! 

(Just kidding) 
Cheers,


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## TORCH (Jan 7, 2012)

DSLinc1017 said:


> Looks awesome! I'm a bit late to the tread, but would have to agree air ride all the way. Vol explained it the best!
> Now the next step is to replace the tractor to go with the new seat!
> 
> (Just kidding)
> Cheers,


If I had your money I'D throw mine away! Thanks for the tip!


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

I replaced my mechanical seat in a Kubota M7040 with a air ride suspension from a Case 2388 combine . I used my old seat and what a difference . No more mechanicals for me.


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## broadriverhay (Jun 13, 2014)

Always remember guys the combine seats have a built in compressor where the truck seats don't. The combine seats are plug and play. Pretty easy just had to make an adaptor plate for the seat.


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