JD 2305 Homemade Cab Build

[Nathan Fitzwater]

Hello everyone,
I recently just finished up a tractor cab build for my father's JD 2305 and thought I would share my journey. Up to this point I have never posted any of my projects online, but this tractor cab build was made possible by all of your posts and ideas. I felt it was only fair to share my experience with all of you. Thanks again for all your help and insight throughout this website. I randomly selected a couple photos to start off with many more if anyone is interested. Any questions please feel free to ask!!!! God Bless

V/R
Nathan

 

[chim]

Very nice! That'll keep Pop warm this Winter. Is that Plexi, Lexan? What did you do for door latches?

 

[Nathan Fitzwater]

Very nice! That'll keep Pop warm this Winter. Is that Plexi, Lexan? What did you do for door latches?

Chim,

I decided to use Lexan over Plexi for the hope of better scratch resistance. As for the door latches I went with a simple screen door handle. The handle latches over a metal catch welded to the door frame. I think Dad will stay nice and cozy. Thanks for the reply!

 

[paulfun9]

If you don't mind what is the cost of the Lexan you used for this project as I am contemplating making my own cab as well.

 

[Nathan Fitzwater]

Paulfun9,

I ended up using 3x4 sheets of LEXAN that cost roughly $70 a sheet. The cab took 6 sheets. If you have never worked with LEXAN it is a very strong and durable product! I wish I could have used glass but the prices I was getting back was not feasible. Very happy with the LEXAN! Good luck with the cab, any questions feel free to ask!

 

[dragoneggs]

So what do you estimate your total material costs were? Very nice... obviously a huge cost savings vs. an aftermarket product. Detail question... how did you attach the lexan to your frame?

 

[Nathan Fitzwater]

My estimated total cab cost was around $1,000-$1,200. Comparable aftermarket cab was roughly $4000. I am not a metal worker!!!! A woodworker and metal rarely mix, but I had a great time making this for my dad. As for the the attaching of the lexan, I used a 1/8 inch self adhesive foam padding in between the frame and the lexan to stop any vibration. As for fasteners I used 5/8 inch #10 Stainless Steel Self tapping screws. I pre drilled through the lexan and metal before using the self tappers. The foam padding worked perfect, however the screws have to be carefully put in to the right depth so that the lexan does not become wavy. I was concerned that screws may rip out, but that was before I had ever had any experience with lexan.

Thanks for your inquiry

God Bless,
Nathan

 

[chim]

Thanks Nathan. Nice work! I used tinted automotive safety glass for everything on my cab except under the windshield. Too many curves and holes to deal with. For that I used those thick strips of clear plastic that are made for drive-thru cooler doors. They leaked when it was windy and became very spotted/discolored. One project this year was replacing them with Lexan. The left side could be done in one piece, but I had to do pieces on the right.

It would take a whole lot of force to break the Lexan. We made roof covers for three of our forklifts that go outside at work from Lexan, and used our big press brake to bend little wings on the edges to direct rain.

Glass ran about $10/sqft and the Lexan was about the same money as yours. Since I planned on a windshield wiper on the front (added one in the back this year too) glass was needed for those places anyway.

 

[Nathan Fitzwater]

Chim,

I checked out your cab last night and you did a fantastic job. I really wanted to try and go with glass for the front windshield so I could put a windshield wiper on, but time did not allow. It is neat seeing others ideas and the mental picture they used to get to the final product. I ended up using the exact same weatherstripping around the doors as your did and it seemed to work perfect. For the price it is something cheap and simple to replace if it goes bad. Your lights are pretty impressive I bet they light up your work area really well. Great work and I wish I would have seen your cab sooner for some great ideas!!

Nathan

 

[chim]

The lights LOOKED impressive but didn't work very well. The picture to the left of this message still shows the old lights. They were designed for a plow truck. They were replaced with LED's on all 4 sides. Those little rectangular LED's are hard to beat. Here's a shot with all 6 lit for night mowing.