Front grill protector for MX5000

jab240 · Jul 13, 2017

I have a MX5000 about 12 years old. I use it a lot with forks to move logs and brush on my timbered property. There is no protection over the front of the grill in front of the battery and limbs are continually punching through the grill work and hitting the battery which is right inside the grill. There are heavy duty bars in front of the grill for big stuff but they are of no benefit for limbs etc. Is there an after market product that is out there that would fix the problem?

Ed Williams

oosik · Jul 14, 2017

View attachment 515367 I had expanded metal added to the standard OEM grill guard on my M6040. What doesn't show in this picture is the fantastic grapple - Land Pride SGC1560 on the
end of the FEL.

N80 · Jul 14, 2017

That's a good idea. I should have done that a long time ago on my L4400 which goes into the woods a lot. I don't weld so I'd either have to have someone do it or either come up with a 'bolt on' solution.

nybirdman · Jul 14, 2017

Do it before you take out your battery(like me),grill (like me) ,missed the radiator by luck.

oosik · Jul 14, 2017

Once again, I was very fortunate. Been a member of TBN about year and a half before I bit the bullet and bought the grapple. Had read many threads regarding - punctured radiators, gored batteries etc, etc. Got a local welding shop, I don't weld either, to make up the expanded metal guard. The welder got a bit fancy with the tongue arrangement but otherwise its saved the grill/radiator at least a couple times.

N80 · Jul 14, 2017

I punctured my radiator. A grill would not have helped. It came in from the side while I was backing up. Most radiator shops wouldn't touch it. Found a little old man in a dingy back road radiator shop who repaired it for $80. That was 10 years ago. No problems.

So, where do you buy expanded metal? How do you cut it? I have a friend who can weld it for me.