M7060 Skid plate build

[ranger danger]

Looks nice.... Until it's time to change the fluids....

Simple to accommodate for.

 

[Rustyiron]

Looks nice.... Until it's time to change the fluids....

I broke my "plate's" into 3 parts. I do have to drop the rear plate to change the transmission oil but that's easy with a floor Jack in the middle. The center section can stay there and in the front plate under the motor has a pair of holes for each half of the oil pan. I do try to drop them all every year too clean out the accumulation of junk that accumulates.
I have a thread floating around here on TBN.

 

[5030]

I guess if you are slogging around in the woods and stuff, the plates are a necessity but for me they aren't. Both my M9's have plenty of ground clearance and all that brushes on the underside is hay plants anyway and they really don't have anything hanging down to catch on stuff anyway. Only item that 'hangs down' is the fuel tank crossover and it is already enclosed in a metal conduit to protect it.

Only drawback I can see is the potential accumulation of mud and junk that would have to be cleaned off regularly.

Like I said, nice job but for my uses totally not needed.

 

[MD2595]

I contacted Josh Barnes at www.barnesweldinginc.com. Super nice Guy! He said he would be willing to design and manufacture skid plates for our M5660, M6060 and M7060 tractors. It would be more cost effective if he were building more than a "one off". If there are others who would like to get in on these skid plate, you might want to contact him. I am willing to work with him on measurements and pictures to accomplish the mission. Anyone else interested??

I am.
I bought a new M7060HDC12 and at about 66 hours while using a Baumalight PTO forestry mulcher had a piece of wood thrown up into the belly. It bent a bracket, damaged my fuel guage line and loosened a hydraulic banjo bolt. Insurance is covering it (so far) but I don't want a repeat.

 

[COOKN]

After a lot of searching and compiling ideas for my skid plate design I have hit a small roadblock. I am trying to determine what size and type of bolt I will need for these particular areas of my tractor so I can begin to measure with precision the subframe I will be building for the skid plate.


I tried the bolts shown in the pictures but they do not thread in after 1/4-1/2 turn so Im thinking maybe 1.75, 1.5, 1.25 M14 and M16?

do you have this available to be purchased ??