My first experience with a canopy, was with my 1970 something Ford 2110, that had a huge fiberglass rops canopy on it. That was very nice on hot summer days, when out on the open fields. It was also nice in the rain. The front corners did sustain a little damage from trees, when operating in the woods, or too close to the hedgerows.
I replaced that tractor, with my JD 4120, in 2005. It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed a canopy for that. I made one that same year, with a wood frame, canvas top, and metal support rods.
It’s now on its second canvas, which was given to me by my brother in law, when he scrapped out his old tent camper. The first canvas was made from an old brown-duck boat cover that I got at garage sale got $ 5.
I made the wood frame from scrap lumber, that I had in the barn, and the metal supports were cut from an old fertilizer spreader. It took me about an hour to make this canopy. It has held up quite well for the last 18 years.
I made it about the same size as the one on my old Ford, but I gave it a little more depth, so that it works better when the sun is at lower angles. I also tapered it towards the front, so that it clears and deflects overhead branches better.
The canvas over wood construction is also significantly lighter than the fiberglass, making it easy to put on and take off, with just one arm.
I leave it on the tractor from spring thru fall, and only remove it in the winter, when I use the tractor for snow plowing. I take it off then, so that I can fold the roll-bar down and get the tractor into regular, car-sized garage doors.
