Poor man's canopy

[jodieadair]

Its Awfully hot in Alabama this time of year so I decided I was going to buy a tractor canopy.
I don't consider myself cheap by any means but I just couldn't justify spending three or more hundred dollars on a decent canopy.
I figured I could come up with something myself but with no welding skills or equipment I knew my options were limited.
Wood would likely work but didn't seem like a good choice and cutting and bolting metal together seemed expensive and tedious.
PVC maybe? I couldn't really find anything online that made me feel good about it but it's relatively inexpensive and easy to work with.
So I gave it a shot. I used 1 1/2" pipe and plastic roofing panels for the cover. It is bolted to to the ROPS using U bolts so I didn't have to compromise the roll bar integrity by drilling.

Overall I am very pleased. It is light weight, holds up well to the vibrations and certainly serves its purpose.
All together for pipe, plastic panel and paint it cost about $60 to complete.

 

[Pixguy]

Nice! If it holds up to the continued vibration, I'd say you got more than your monies worth!

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Our bigger tractor's canopy has a 1" thick insulation on the underside that keeps the top's heat from radiating through. It works so much better than a canvas yellow umbrella. The smaller tractor only has the umbrella.

 

[Thomas]

Solid built and serve purpose :thumbsup:

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Works! Looks pretty good too!

 

[sodamo]

Great job

 

[txdon]

My canopy was tilted slightly to the front so it would not catch wind when being trailered. I don't know if that would be a problem for you but at least if it rains your water won't drip on the steering wheel. The only time my tractor was ever trailered was on delivery. Your angle looks very slight, I think you will be OK.

 

[caver]

I like it!!

 

[Hroller]

Why are there companies out there that sell canopies that refuse to just GIVE YOU A PRICE... (ibullmfg.com comes to mind, no listed price and they won't give you a quote without giving them your email or phone number... what a waste of time!)

I guess I'll make my own, I like the roof on this version, it's pretty ingenious, but I'll probably make the frame out of metal for mine.

 

[jodieadair]

That's a good point about the wind catching when its on a trailer.
I can easily take it off by removing the U bolts. But I may not have thought of that without your suggestion.
That's a lesson I'm glad I don't have to learn the hard way.