Grill guard needed

[buck12]

Yesterday I was cleaning up our remote property. The property has been in my family since 1908 and there is over a hundred years of junk scattered around. I build a cabin and have been slowly cleaning up. Yesterday I was moving an old elevated dog pen with my grapple. I lifted the pen and was backing up. I was almost to the scrap pile and hit a bump causing the pen to move and one of the legs of the pen to hit my hood and grill.

The damage included the headlight assembly was pushed in, the upper part of the grill was pushed in, and the hood was bent. It took a couple of hours, but I was able to disassemble everything. There was no damage to the headlight assembly. The hood was bent and the bracket that the grill and headlight assembly bolts to was bent. The grill was bent but not broken. A pair of lineman pliers and a rag to protect the paint and I was to get everything almost back to normal. The hood has two small dimples and the grill has a couple of creases.

Three lessons learned:
1. I should have been more careful.
2. I have intended since I bought this tractor to add expanded metal to the grill guard. I will move this up the priority list.
3. All tractors should have metal hoods. If this had been a plastic hood it would have been an expensive lesson. I have a JD GT 235 with a plastic hood that breaks and cracks easily.

 

[nybirdman]

I smartened up after ruining my grill and battery,lucky it missed the radiator.

 

[Smokeydog]

Had several of the same motivational moments. Busting brush and trees this weekend and had several hit the reinforced grill and bonnet protectors. Before deciding on what kind of grapple to buy, should make grill guard improvements. Wish I was that smart.

 

[buck12]

I added protection soon after purchase for the third function lines and even extended the skid plate back to provide protection for the hydraulic filters. I should have done the grill guard at the same time.

 

[oosik]

I had read many posts regarding grill, headlight, radiator & battery damage here on TBN. I purchased a Land Pride SGC 1560, rock & root grapple. BEFORE I had the grapple installed - this is what I had a young fellow, at the local welding shop, do to my OEM grill guard. It has save expensive repairs, at least, a couple times.

View attachment 675829

 

[Frankenkubota]

I recently punched in the black plastic face of my tractor. Lucky it didn't do more damage.

I need to go find those welding shops!

Kinda wish kubota would tack in some welded wire or something.......better than nothing.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Adding some expanded metal wire as a grill on the back of the grapple is a good idea also, assuming your grapple style allows it. Keeps many items from poking through to the tractor grill. Between the two forms of protection it really helps.

 

[Thomas]

had couple close calls also moving stumps,any type of guard better than nothing at all and cost well worth it.
Lot of great ideas here on TBN

 

[Smokeydog]

In addition to the grill guard reinforcement, the hinged bonnet protector has deflected many hits. Great idea and the only factory option like that I’ve seen that fit the M59. Handy tool shelf when folded forward when servicing the tractor. Would test my fabrication skills to make something similar for another tractor. My lights are on the 4 post ROPS canopy.

 

[buck12]

I recently punched in the black plastic face of my tractor. Lucky it didn't do more damage.

I need to go find those welding shops!

Kinda wish kubota would tack in some welded wire or something.......better than nothing.

The grill material on my tractor is metal mesh which allowed me to get it back to almost original shape. I would have broke had it been plastic.