BX25 Anti-Widowmaker

[Yooperman]

We are moving to woods and I will be taking my Babe (my BX25, silly) on may trips through the forest. Now, I have an absolute angel for a wife, but I prefer not to become an angel for her.:laughing: Accordingly, I have tried to fabricate an anti-widowmaker cage which, hopefully, the pictures make self evident. The steel is 1 1/2" sq tubing with 3/16" walls. For anyone who cares, the pole supports are 1/2" plate and 3/8" angle. It seems very heavy to me, but I am flying by the seat of my pants. I was wondering if anyone out there think it is insufficient. :confused2: The idea is that if needed, the bars will bend and slow any falling limbs enough to keep me out of par with the better half.

I know I have to put more in the roof. But, I don't want to add any more weight up that high than I have to. The thing is already much heavier than I ever thought it would be. It isn't the absolute weight, but the weight up that high making it even more unstable. You can see from the pictures that I made it so that it can easily be taken on and off... with the help of a modified engine crane.

Any thoughts on how much more steel/wood I need as roof panels to do the job?

 

[boomer1025]

Run another piece of tube or 2" angle turned 90 degrees down the middle & a piece of grating over the top and you should be good to go.

 

[AStanton]

Nice job. My B3030 has a pastic roof. I could of used that protection during the October Nor-easter we had. I was moving some firewood logs and got almost taken out by a widowmaker that came out of no where. Here's a pic of what the storm looked like before the snow melted.

 

[rsewill]

You might want to have sweeps coming from your grill guard.

 

[bcp]

I wonder why Kubota offers FOPS (falling object protection system) for their larger tractors but not the BX.

 

[Artisan]

Interesting...I had posted a similar thread a couple days ago. Eventually
I will build what I want, never too soon to start thinking about it. Grab
a big limb and wack it a few times when all bracing is in...then pretend
it fell from 75' up...it needs to hold...


PS; I am glad to see my BX25 is not the only one w/ that rusted spot.
If you look where you made your lower attachment, you see a rusted
spot on the frame, obviously it is some kind of afterthought at the factory.
I have it too.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

I wonder why Kubota offers FOPS (falling object protection system) for their larger tractors but not the BX.

Do not think the BX was engineered for use in enviroments that require a FOPS, most estates are well landscaped and manicured.

David Kb7uns

 

[Artisan]

Do not think the BX was engineered for use in enviroments that require a FOPS, most estates are well landscaped and manicured.

David Kb7uns

W/O a doubt the BX25 will work great on a "manicured" gentlemans estate
but trust me when I tell you it is a vicious pit bull for its size. SIZE is the
key word here, I think it is all of 44.5" wide! HELLO! That is a tiny little tractor!

Having said that I can give testimony that the BX25 is a HUGE machine
for its size! It amazes me every time I get on it. Today I turned on my
new to me and totally freshened up BearCAT chipper shreader and it
worked GREAT, again FOR ITS SIZE. I wanted a smal tractor, I got the
best in its class per my research 7 months ago, what a cool machine it is.

I can't wait to romp thru the woods with it! I think Harry at bxpanded.com
has an AWESOME skid plate for it if the OE fan protector is not enough.
I have NO DOUBT AT ALL that the BX25 would be AWESOME in a forest.
You will be able to slither in and out and thru groves of trees effortless
of this I am sure...

I believe I am going to buy the OE #1133 Canopy and add it then add
on to that some "A" pillars. I have my eyes open for a used
BX25 ROPS if anyone sees one for sale anywhere or has one.

 

[WaxMan]

Nice job. My B3030 has a pastic roof. I could of used that protection during the October Nor-easter we had. I was moving some firewood logs and got almost taken out by a widowmaker that came out of no where. Here's a pic of what the storm looked like before the snow melted.

Don't worry our B3030"s have a good very strong frame around that plastic top.
I don't know if that tree in the background would have bounced off it though.

 

[AStanton]

I like watching those AxMen type shows on cable. One guy was running a fella buncher cutting trees, when a windowmaker came down and went right thru the bulletproof glass on the roof of his machine. It gives ya cause for pause.