One thing is for sure, after you have operated a tractor with a good canopy under the hot sun, you will never again want to go without one. Also, I suspect that many of the cab folks would be better off with a good canopy on smaller tractors, which dont have too much hp to spare on an AC. My own canopy, which I made about 5 years ago, is a lot better in many ways than any commercially available canopy I have seen. The problem with the store-bought ones is that they are usually too small, too heavy, too hard to put on and off, or all of the above. I made mine using a wood frame covered with canvas to minimize weight. It only weighs about 30 lbs which makes putting it on and off an easy 3- minute, 1-man job, for the times when I need to fold the ROPS to get into standard garage doors and such. Most of the store-bought ones are square across the front, while I added some taper to mine to deflect branches and it hasn't needed any repairs in 5 years even though I operate a lot in the woods and along wooded hedgerows that would consume the front corners of most factory canopys. I also made it larger, and deeper than the factory jobs, so it keeps me in the shade even when the sun is at lower angles. Of course the store bought ones also cost money, while mine was free, and made from scraps I had laying around the barn, in about 2 hours time. It even looks pretty good, with the brown-duck canvas (old boat cover) contrasting nicely with the John Deere Green.
