brush guard design

[ovrszd]

Well, unfortunately I won't be doing it until hopefully summer of this coming year. Excellent call on the wire. I haven't looked into any winches or set ups yet. I just had a few ideas myself that I hope to work into the application.

Concerning the design ideas. If you think there's any chance you'll want a winch later, build the receiver into your design. Even if you didn't get a Winch for awhile, you might find uses for the receiver. Makes backing a 4 wheel wagon a breeze for example!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Ovrsd .... I did a similar brush guard on the first M7040 I had. I did not have the sides. I've since moved Texas to Illinois, and sold it. Now acquired a second M7040 and was thinking of that again.

It did work pretty good. The downside....it literally killed the light output. Headlights put out near nothing behind that expanded metal. Need a solution to that before I'd do it again.

Thoughts?

Good point. I do very little work at night, especially critical FEL work. My lights, in my opinion, are marginal at best without a guard. Add the guard and they just keep you from running over a large object in your path.

I do not have a solution for that. Larger gaps in the metal would let out more light. But keep in mind, the more light that can get out, the more objects that can get in. I already have small scratches in my hood front and headlight lens from small twigs. I don't want anything bigger getting thru.

A solution might be lights added on the ROPS or something like that?? I don't like lights mounted back there because they tend to light up the tractor too much and now you are blinded by that. You can buy lights that have shields built into the case that minimizes light projecting out of one side, put that toward the tractor and it might not reflect off the tractor so much???

 

[KenB2920]

Concerning the design ideas. If you think there's any chance you'll want a winch later, build the receiver into your design. Even if you didn't get a Winch for awhile, you might find uses for the receiver. Makes backing a 4 wheel wagon a breeze for example!!!

I definitely agree. I currently have a receiver mounted on the top of my bucket. Works wonders. I plan to make one for the front of the tractor as well. That little 2" box can have numerous applications.



Using a homemade rake off the hitch here. Works great for reaching into the pond.

 

[ovrszd]

I definitely agree. I currently have a receiver mounted on the top of my bucket. Works wonders. I plan to make one for the front of the tractor as well. That little 2" box can have numerous applications.

View attachment 350414

Using a homemade rake off the hitch here. Works great for reaching into the pond.

If you don't mind, I'll share this photo with the neighbor that lives next to our farm. He's a retired farmer and has a nice sized pond in his front yard. It's wooded around three sides. He's always talking about trying to fish something out of the pond. This might save him some work!!!

 

[KenB2920]

If you don't mind, I'll share this photo with the neighbor that lives next to our farm. He's a retired farmer and has a nice sized pond in his front yard. It's wooded around three sides. He's always talking about trying to fish something out of the pond. This might save him some work!!!

Absolutely, I am flattered. Whenever I see a good photo online, I store it away in my tractor "idea" file. I happen to take a concept from the "pond guy" rake that is for use by hand and a 3pt attachment I saw and came up with this. This was originally used for me as a three point attachment but this was more effective. If I had top and tilt, it would of worked better. Again, I am flattered, that's why in love this site, sharing.....

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[bandaidmd]

Started my guard project, added one crossbar and some mesh I had on hand.
I was thinking of adding some "wings" but theres only a couple inches of space so I'm passing on that plan. All that's left is to clean and paint. I would have had it primed today but I use my shop vac as a dust collector for my blast cabinet and its sitting at a job site.

 

[sleepybozo]

One solution to the light problem (assuming a guard like ovrszd) would be to cut the expanded metal out from in front of the lights, maybe weld a little angle around the edges of the hole for reinforcement (on ovrszd's guard you could just cut next to the cross pieces), then re-mount the pieces you cut out on hinges and install a latch. Now during the day you could keep them closed for full protection, when you need the lights you open them up for (almost) full lighting and still have some protection present. I guess if you wanted to get fancy you could do some work with a solenoid so that when you turned the lights on the guard would automatically open, but that seems a bit over the top to me.

 

[wsessions1005]

I just found this design and I love it. What dose everyone think. I want to build one just like this for my L175 and B6000.

 

[KenB2920]

I just found this design and I love it. What dose everyone think. I want to build one just like this for my L175 and B6000.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=350511"/>

Wow, that's intense!!!

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[Redbug]

One solution to the light problem (assuming a guard like ovrszd) would be to cut the expanded metal out from in front of the lights, maybe weld a little angle around the edges of the hole for reinforcement (on ovrszd's guard you could just cut next to the cross pieces), then re-mount the pieces you cut out on hinges and install a latch. Now during the day you could keep them closed for full protection, when you need the lights you open them up for (almost) full lighting and still have some protection present. I guess if you wanted to get fancy you could do some work with a solenoid so that when you turned the lights on the guard would automatically open, but that seems a bit over the top to me.

That's a darned good idea. I also welded some expanded metal on mine and was wondering about what to do with the lights.

And that's one heck of a customized brush guard Sessions posted.

Here's a pic of mine...

 

[wsessions1005]

I seen this. I think it looks bad.

 

[ovrszd]

I just found this design and I love it. What dose everyone think. I want to build one just like this for my L175 and B6000.

I think it offers great coverage!!! Not crazy about the light holes. You will MOST CERTAINLY knock your lights out with those. But you could use sleepybozo's idea and make some sort of covers. In this case they could even be solid metal and have slots to drop them into for coverage, remove for lighting???

 

[wsessions1005]

I think it offers great coverage!!! Not crazy about the light holes. You will MOST CERTAINLY knock your lights out with those. But you could use sleepybozo's idea and make some sort of covers. In this case they could even be solid metal and have slots to drop them into for coverage, remove for lighting???

Yea I don't think I will do the light holes at all. I am going to change my front lights to led and add fender lights so I think I will be ok on light.

 

[Redbug]

On that B7500 with that cross member in front of the driver's station...that would be a good and easy place to add some lights.

 

[clee4020]

I 4wheel as a hobby. Have ran winches on my Jeeps/Buggys for 15 years. Nothing beats having a winch. It's never caused me to go in too deep. It's always got me out when I ended up deeper than I thought!!!

I posted these pics on another thread about Grill Guards but they should apply here too.

As for the Winch. In my case I could easily add a receiver hitch female end in the middle of my weight rack. Then build a winch mount on a receiver tube. Buy a power plug and add it somewhere handy near the front of the tractor. Slip the Winch into the receiver. Plug in the power. Bingo Winch. When not needed it's easily removeable and out of the way. You could even be innovative and add another receiver somewhere else on the tractor to store the Winch so it's not hanging on the front of the tractor where it might get banged up.

Do you use the D-ring to hook to if your stuck or as an anchor point when trailering? I agree with you on mounting a receiver hitch to the front so you could take it to different tractors/trucks. I've mounted a receiver hitch to mine with a chain box, but haven't had a need to put a winch on yet.

 

[ovrszd]

Do you use the D-ring to hook to if your stuck or as an anchor point when trailering? I agree with you on mounting a receiver hitch to the front so you could take it to different tractors/trucks. I've mounted a receiver hitch to mine with a chain box, but haven't had a need to put a winch on yet.

I use the D ring to tie down on the trailer if I don't have the FEL on.

I haven't had a need for a Winch yet...... Probably just jinxed myself.....