Cheap Canopy , real cheap! $8

[MRCONCDID]

I will be the first to say I am cheap, some things I just can't seem to want to pay for or at least not as much as they want for it.
Heres what I did.
I need/wanted a hard canopy.
shopped around and for a alluminum on for 325$ ouch and a tin one for 200$
fiberglass for 400$

I have some skills so I made one for 8$ insted
At the local salvage yard (heaven) I found a
4x4x1/4 road sign made of alluminum paid $6 for it
1- 10ft piece of 1 in round pipe and bent it into a squared-U
1-10ft of 1inch pipe insulation foam and some self tapping screws 2$
welded 2-2 1/4x2 1/4x3 box to my ROPS up and down
slid inside a piece of 2 in about 10in long and drilled for a bolt or pin.
welded 1/8 triangle to the 2in and the round pipe were they met for a gussett
painted and wrapped the round pipe with the insullation and screwed through the sign/insulation into the pipe, the insulation is for any sound or vibration.which I have none!
so now I have a alluminum 4x4 canopy with a steel frame and so far on a trailer I have had it up to 75mph with not problems and it is really tuff on tree limbs too.

side note my sign says "men at work" on it and it faces up the reflective coating should help with the suns heat and you could grind it off if you wanted to. I like having the "men at work" sign just incase the wife thinks Im out playing and not working...again

I have 2 orders for the cheap canopys one for a zero trun and the other for a deere. being cheap is begaining to cost me.

 

[GE222]

How about some pictures!

 

[MRCONCDID]

pics are on the way

 

[jb62901]

Your going to like it there in Fl.. You beat Me with your $8 canopy I have a whole 20 bucks in mine

http://i25.tinypic.com/xmrajt.jpg

 

[Travelover]

Very clever use of recycled materials. I love to see people do stuff like this.

 

[MRCONCDID]

here are some pics to better explain

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=143617&stc=1&d=1256571917

 

[EddieWalker]

Very Nice. I like how clean and simple you made it. No waste or extra's used to get the job done. Congratultions on both your budget and accomplishment.

Eddie

 

[blueriver]

A good job done .... and a job done good. Way to go.

 

[GE222]

Looks better than you initially described.

I'll bet it really looks great looking down on it!!!

 

[MRCONCDID]

Thanks
for all the compliments this was something I just threw together this summer.The reason for the pins/blots was I wanted to be able to take it on and off quickly, my neighbors is a factory canopy and it uses clamps on the ROPS it takes him about 10 min to get it on and then level it up, mine just drops into the outer square tubing and the blots line it up level, takes about 2minutes on or off. I wasn't sure how high to mount it so I left the inner tubing longer set in the seat and then stood up to piered over the bucket, that told me how high it needed to be not to hit my head and also getting on and off the tractor. once I knew that I drilled the holes for the pins and was done. I have always like making something out of nothing but it still has to look and work like store bought.

 

[Scotty370]

And just think....if you have the unfortunate experiance of 'flopping' over your tractor, at least people will know you are "working"!!

 

[radioman]

Looks great! cleaver use of recycled stuff. I am now thinking of doing the same !

 

[gazoo1]

hey buddy it looks great i will for sure look into doing that we priced out a canopy for my 4105 deere it is 545.00 plus tax thx

 

[MRCONCDID]

Summers over and the Cheap Canopy has worked great it kept the sun off my back, it was so hot steam came off of it when I poured water on it.
I have caught it on several limbs and branches with out any damage try that with cavas
As for the top having a sign on it I have thought about a coat of Cool Seal its bright white and thick like a tar it would acts as an insulator and a better refective surface.
But honestly it may be the best cheap thing I have ever built.
I have seen alot of great ideas here and I am Happy I could share this one with you all.

 

[spo307]

hope the sign doesnt have an H with a circle around it, youll have a helicopter trying to land on you

 

[RickeyS]

They call that a moving helipad.lol

 

[skylarkguy]

You should check google earth of where you work. Chances are good there will be an image of "men at work" from high above.

 

[k0ua]

Very nice, simple but elegant. Having a canopy sure is nice on a sunny day isn't it?

 

[blake037374]

Great job I've been looking and searching and your idea is the best I've seen.

 

[drizler]

I like it. That's the best idea since the golf cart roof people spoke of . Around here golf cart roofs are nearly impossible to find but those old road signs aren't . Nice idea and it's not going to crack and split from the sun. What I want to know is how you can rig one of those so I can pull it easily out of the way when I have the ROPS down. Just aint no way I'm going to leave that headache bar up all the time knocking dents in my shed and garage entries. It sure would be nice to have something up top like that though when you want it.