There was no issue with debris being caught on the skid plate. Its quite open actually. I made a subframe which goes into position the same as the backhoe. It basically just hangs there. It is a bit heavy because I used 1/4 inch steel plate, but I can lift the back end of it easy and push into the c-channel on back of the tractor, walk around to the front, and lift up to put the 1" pins on each side. Then I just lift up front plate and put 2 3/8 inche bolts through. I can have it on and off in 3 minutes I say. It is thicker, being 1/4, and I'm guessing 250 lbs. But being thicker, when the groun is not perfectly flat, it would deform while running over it to position the tractor. The only thing is, where the front wheels turn so sharp, the plate cannot be very wide in this area. I thought that when I got more time I would make 6 or 8" walls to bolt on the edge of the plate to keep sticks that find their way working over the plate, at least in position of that hydraulic block the loader plugs into. Or bending the wings of the plate up a little between the front and backwheels....but then the plate may rock back and fourth while running over it . It worked fine the way it was. Because there are no edges on it....water and debris will just fall out or wash out. It goes under the front end protecting the driveshaft. It probably would take a good smack on a stump, but it really wasn't my intention to be running the tractor in over that stuff. Where the tractor is so narrow, being only 5 feet. Its amazing the little trails you can make between larger stumps. what it does is protect thos hydraulic filters stuff from sticks finding their way. If I had one of those logging winches, I could make a decent little trail and winch to the trail. That would be alright.