Jd 4720 woods canopy build

   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build #1  

andy1981

Silver Member
Joined
May 23, 2012
Messages
175
Location
Western ny
Tractor
two John Deere 4720, John Deere 350b dozer, bobcat 435 excavator, 87 f600 dump truck
Well after reading a few threads on here and being inspired by Rustyiron, and Dieselcrawler I decided to start building my own canopy for my tractor . I have two deere 4720s and they get used what I consider comercially from April to November for a variety of tasks in maintaining a campground such as mowing lawns , maintains roads , moving and spotting trailers, ect. This spring I puchased a skidding winch and plan to use it this winter extensively for fire wood and some hemlock saw logs for redecking a 300 ft walking bridge.
Being that I will be working alone this winter I figured i should make it a little safer for myself with this canopy but I also want it easily removable for the rest of the year when I'm not working in the woods.
My factory rops are made from 2"x3" 3/16" box tubing so that's whan I'm going to build the framework from and I think I will end up using 1/4" plate for the roof panel .
I spent most of the day today mocking up the frame work out of 2x4s that I ripped down 1 1/2 x 3 to get me as close to the size of the box tubing as I will be using. I figured it would be easier for mock up to use some lumber that I spent about $35 on instead of screwing it up with expensive steel. Here are some pics of what I got so far, let me know what you guys think.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 359
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 263
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 239
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 502
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 235
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 240
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 258
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 262
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 304
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 454
Last edited:
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build #2  
Cool design! It looks like it would keep the weather and sun off you pretty well too, and be a great place for some work lights!

If you'll pardon an opinion, I'll suggest that 1/4" plate for the roof may be a bit beyond overkill... I should think that 14 ga would be fine, especially if you add a brace across the middle to keep it from oil canning or caving in... Even just going with 1/8" would be somewhat overkill IMO. (We are talking about steel, right?)
Plus, a 4x5' sheet of 1/4" plate weighs 200lbs... Not exactly going to make install/removal an easy task.

Just an opinion from a guy who built a flatbed out of 1/8" steel, and wishes he'd used 14ga. 1/4" is just a LOT of metal... :)

Keep us posted on the build!!
 
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I was thinking 1/4" to stop a widow maker from spearing through the top , this is more to protect me from a falling object then for shade or weather protection maybe I can get away with 1/8" or 3/16".
 
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build #4  
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery! *grin*

FYI... Cycle the loader, I had some clearance issues with the limb riser and bucket level indicator rod.

I agree, 1/4" steel plate is WAY too heavy, you dont want that much weight up that high. Maybe aluminum sheet as the top skin, lighter and just as strong, and 11 gauge.

Looks good!
 
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Yes I seen that I am going to have to modify the bucket indicator, it barely clears it but I don't like how it looks, and I am going to use 1/8 plate at the most for the roof panel, this thing is going t be heavy. I got the the frame work for the roof panel welded up yesterday.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    413.9 KB · Views: 156
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    454.7 KB · Views: 165
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    457.6 KB · Views: 127
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    445.2 KB · Views: 146
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Today I strarted by removing the John Deere grill guard and started facing the new one it sticks out quite a bit further but allows me to open the hood a still clears the loader. The factory one you had to pull a pin and it pivoted forward to clear the hood. Here is what I got so far
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    544.9 KB · Views: 154
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    406.2 KB · Views: 149
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    525.6 KB · Views: 145
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    410.5 KB · Views: 141
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    532.2 KB · Views: 130
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    493.2 KB · Views: 120
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    436.4 KB · Views: 130
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    539.7 KB · Views: 141
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#7  
A little more progress today , some more work on the grill guard and I got the radius cuts for the front posts on the canopy were they sit on the loader mounts
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    497.2 KB · Views: 176
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    471.5 KB · Views: 138
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    537.3 KB · Views: 162
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    502.2 KB · Views: 162
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build #8  
Looking forward to seeing how you do the mounts at the loader brackets. Thats one he!! of a hole saw.
 
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I used a 4-1/4" hole saw , my drill press wasn't to happy with it. I plan on bending a piece of 3/8 by 2-1/2" bar in a u shape around 3-1/2" steel tubing , that is the same size as the the tube of the loader mount the the box tubing that was cut with the hole saw will get welded to the curved part of the U and I plan to put a nut and bolt through the end of the U to clamp it to the tube of the loader mount
 
   / Jd 4720 woods canopy build
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Well I got a little progress tonight, I made a jig to bend the flat bar around as I heated it with a torch. I'm happy with how the mounts fit together. I also made the pieces that are going to clamp the canopy to the factory ROPS. Hopefully tomorrow night I can get the canopy on for a test fit and tack together some mounts for the front posts.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    438.5 KB · Views: 141
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    413 KB · Views: 163
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    468.5 KB · Views: 137
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    464.8 KB · Views: 149
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    424.3 KB · Views: 137
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    388.9 KB · Views: 157
 
Top