Hood Guard for Use With Front End Loader

[Groo]

I think the bucket guard is a very good idea and also from an operator safety standpoint. My problem is that the previous owner dumped what must have been a large rock(s) on the hood and then tried to repair the damage with less than amateur skill doing more harm than good. The result is an eyesore and my first choice would be to find a used replacement hood but that is turning out to be a very difficult find.
So that is what put me on the trail of the hood guard. At least I wouldn't have to see the damage every time I look at what is otherwise a very solid tractor. True, I would know that the damage is there but out of sight out of mind.

if you just want to cover up an ugly spot, add-on armor hardly seams the best way.

make a hood cover out of some aluminum diamond plate. It will look custom.:thumbsup:

 

[moored4]

For the money to buy all the material for the armor plate, you could likely repair your hood even if you took it to a professional body shop. If it is metal and not plastic, then if should be easy enough to take off and work the dents out with some body tools and then maybe a skim coat of bondo, wet sand and some JD green paint to match and good as new.

Why would he want to paint it green when it's a KABOTA! :laughing:

 

[eray1066]

One of our tractors had been a rental in a previous life. With a real powerful loader that is not self leveling, rocks had been dumped on the hood on this tractor too. There is a hood guard attached to the grill guard that pivots forward to allow the hood to be opened. Also there is a piece of light metal on the bucket to decrease spillage back towards the operator. If you are paying attention none of these things are necessary. If they work I have attached photos to explain better.

 

[Reg]

One of our tractors had been a rental in a previous life. With a real powerful loader that is not self leveling, rocks had been dumped on the hood on this tractor too. There is a hood guard attached to the grill guard that pivots forward to allow the hood to be opened. Also there is a piece of light metal on the bucket to decrease spillage back towards the operator. If you are paying attention none of these things are necessary. If they work I have attached photos to explain better.

I agree, "If you are paying attention none of these things are necessary."
Carry as low as possible, PAY ATTENTION when lifting to dump into a truck, or wherever.
I don't much care about the hoods, it is the chance of anything rolling back and hitting me in the lap (OK, in the CROTCH) that I am concerned about - concerned enough to just not DO that (-:

 

[Gary Fowler]

Why would he want to paint it green when it's a KABOTA! :laughing:

Well he said he wanted it like the John Deere armor. Arent John Deere's green?:laughing:

Actually so many photos of everyones fixes, I got confused as to who we were really addressing

Rather than cover up a bit of damage, I would vote to fix the damage, then add an extension plate on the bucket with expanded metal. Much less work other than the repair itself and I would want to do that anyway regardless of the bucket guard. I cant see it taking that long to take a rubber mallet and laying the hood on a flat surface like plywood and beat it back in shape and repaint. At the most maybe a light skim coat of bondo, to fill in any scratches, sand smooth, then prime and paint

 

[High Compression]

Guess I'm missing something. I don't have the problem of materials rolling out of the back of any loader bucket that I'm operating. Guess that just comes from being an equipment operator for 15+ years. :confused2:

 

[Reg]

Guess I'm missing something. I don't have the problem of materials rolling out of the back of any loader bucket that I'm operating. Guess that just comes from being an equipment operator for 15+ years. :confused2:

I think it takes a LOT LESS that 15 years to figure this out (-:

First time on first tractor with a loader should do it at the first lift.

It might be better if someone can actually EXPLAIN that lift also tips the bucket back and that HIGH lift a) tips it back a LOT and b) that lifting high gets the bucket over the tractor.
If self preservation doesn't stop you doing this I can't see that adding guards would - in fact they are more likely to encourage bad habits.
As so often has been said in this forum "common sense" isn't all that common.

I'm generally against such "solutions" on the grounds that they encourage bad practices, just learn how to operate a loader properly - it ain't THAT HARD.

 

[nickel plate]

Here is one I built for my L3300. Hope this helps.
J.

Nice and simple with very clean lines. It looks like you're designing it to fold forward if need be. Good job!

 

[npalen]

Nice work, 4shorts!
Have you added an extra cutting edge under the bucket or is that factory?

 

[4shorts]

Nice work, 4shorts!
Have you added an extra cutting edge under the bucket or is that factory?

Thanks! That's the factory optional edge on that bucket but when I did the mod on my snow bucket I put the cutting edge on that one. Here's the thread for that.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/203865-new-snow-bucket-mods.html

I operated heavy equipment for many years in an open pit iron ore mine and I've seen many times where something fell out off the top of a bucket and came back at the operator. It got to the point that if it was a front end loader it HAD to have a spill guard or it wasn't allowed in on the project.