M9540 Belly Skid Plate/Brush Guard

[bandit67]

Nice job! :thumbsup:

 

[E/S]

Very nice !

Watch the nuts on the 3rd function loader solenoids, they can get loose and fall off.
Also check the hard line running under the engine for the loader, poor guard.
Did you bend the fuel tank skid plate yet ?

E/S

 

[mvwicker]

Great pictures of a nice build!

 

[Ken45101]

Good job.

It seems that the newer tractors (M5040, M9540) have a lot more hanging underneath and are much more vulnerable than the older tractors (M4700 in my experience.) It's a shame that Kubota has left them so unprotected.

I hit the remnants of a stump while bushhogging with the M9540 and messed up some of the hydraulics.

The current M series definitely is not a rough terrain type of tractor. If I had done half of what I did with the M4700, I would have destroyed the newer tractors.

Ken

 

[eglaude]

Nice work my friend. Same thing happened to my L3400. I don't have the tools to make something like that but that would be a great something that Kubota should design into their tractors. I realize that they are not tanks, but it's amazing how vulnerable these hydraulic filters are to damage.
Great looking tractor too!

 

[NativeSon]

A Masterful piece of design and fabrication.

Charlie

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice! This is on my "winter list" to do. I plan on guarding the oil pan as well and incorporate a grill and side panel protection as well. Would you be able to save me some leg work and tell me what size(s) bolts go into those transmission holes in a 9540? It looks like there are 2 sizes, I assume metric. Working in the woods is hard on equipment! Thanks, and very nice work!

Thanks to everyone for the compliments.

Bolt sizes, the four orange colored bolts are 14mm x 1.50 thread pitch x 1 1/4 long. Bigger two are 16mm x 1.50 thread pitch x 1 1/4 long. Where the larger silver bolt comes up from the bottom there was a tab bolted there from the factory holding a return spring that fastened to the PTO engagement lever. The one in the rear axle housing just had a plastic plug in it.

I looked at the oil pan but didn't bother with it. The pan is formed from very thick metal and would be extremely hard to dent. I think you'd have to be on a rock to dent it.

As for the grill, I built this guard, modifying the factory one. It doesn't have any dents in it yet but sure has a lot of paint skinned off. When piling brush with the grapple the grill is always in the pile. I've dented one of the steering protector boxes already.

First pic is the factory guard, the rest are what I ended up with.

 

[ovrszd]

Very, nice, I am surprised no one is marketing something like that, I's sure buy one.

Yeah, I thought of you and DT86 both when I was building this one. I know you both work your tractors in brush.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm a Jeep guy. Everyone and their Brother is marketing add-on equipment for Jeeps. Doesn't seem like it's that way in the tractor world. I'd think the tractor manufacturers could offer add-ons such as grill guards, skid plates, etc.

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice !

Watch the nuts on the 3rd function loader solenoids, they can get loose and fall off.
Also check the hard line running under the engine for the loader, poor guard.
Did you bend the fuel tank skid plate yet ?

E/S

I haven't had any problems with the third function nuts. I was shocked the first time I rolled under this tractor and looked at the exposed hydraulics. The first few days in the brush I lost several clips, springs, etc.

I haven't bent the tank skid yet but it's got some scrapes and dings. I'm concerned that the front corner of the plastic tank, near the step, isn't protected at all.