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.

 

[sw03]

good topic but some might not need it, including me. I own 1.5 acres and I removed the rops and the old switches on my bx24; to be like my old bx22.

Rops is installed on the bx when big loader work and backhoe work is needed.

 

[k0ua]

Put the angle iron on, and the expanded metal grating, and load the tires to add some weight down low, and you should be good.

James K0UA

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Live in the middle of logging country have friends that have been on Modern Marvels and the girl that used to live down the road was on AXMEN. So I know how the woods are.
The BX is good for doing cleanup and other tasks, but when it comes down to the heavy or risky stuff the BX2230 gets put away and the L3130GST with the grapple bucket comes out for the work as the BX does not have enough clearance or tire height for brush work as it gets high centered too easy.

Replaced a friends hydro fan on their BX2350 two weeks ago in around 5 hours start to finish and told them again to keep it out of the brush and to leave the mower deck on or nget the skid plate, otherwise they should buy a B series for that work.

The BX is a lot in a small package but the things that make it compact also handicap it in the brush because of the exposed componets.

If I am doing serious brush hogging I will use the old MF35 as there is no wiring underneath like the Kubota has. Forestry kits and cabs for most equipment around here is almost bullet proof grade for a reason as the brush will find every weakness and use it against you and rip things out or destroy them. The terrain is steeper and the logs are larger then many areas in the country and you would be very supprised what trees can do if not handled properly.

David Kb7uns

 

[Artisan]

...and well penned David...