Protection Screen - thrown objects

[jiminsc]

New to forum and have been impressed with the amount of common sense advice available. I'm getting ready to use a 16' boom mower, 3pt hitch model on my Kubota M9540 with Rops & canopy.

I would like to fabricate a screen for protection from thrown objects. I notice in some of the state contract specs they mention 1&1/2", #9 expanded steel.

I am looking for a solution that is removeable when I'm not cutting.

Interested in any comments or suggestions you may have. Thank you.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

U bolts with wing nuts through the ROPS comes to mind off the top of my head. And it is great that you are taking that factor into consideration...

 

[J_J]

I would think 1/2 in thick Plexiglas in a frame, which bolts on to the cage. If you only use the 1&1/2 in grid mentioned above, you might get rocks , bolts, glass, parts of dead animals coming through the grid. I would use both.

Do you have insurance, and what so they require?

 

[wvpolekat]

The problem with most plastics is they don't wear real well. They will get scratched, yellow, crack, etc. It's great for a little while, but doesn't age real gracefully.

I would say that expanded metal would be best, you get protection from anything sizable enough to hurt you, but also retain visibility.

If you attached U bolts with straps so they stay on there, you could just put the "studs" through the holes in the expanded metal and use wingnuts.

 

[Lil_FarmerJim]

I would take JJ and Treemonkeys ideas and go one step further, get yourself 4 tractor work light mounts that wrap around the ROPS and use that to mount a steel/aluminium frame too. That way you are not damaging the integrity of the ROPS with drilling any holes in it.

Messicks has some nice ones -> http://www.messicks.com/dept46/Tractor/Work_Lights.aspx

 

[Soundguy]

yep... even u-bolt some perfed angle iron brackets to the rops, then use studs/wingnuts to hang some expanded metal on.. etc... could probably stretch some windo screeing on that expanded metal to help with dust and bugs.. yet let air still flow good.

painted up all black and i bet it looks nice.

soundguy

 

[sandman2234]

My boom mower has a piece of 1/2" lexan (plexiglas) bolted to the ROPS on the back edge and bolted to a piece of 1x1 angle iron that is mounted to the fender. Top of lexan is mounted to the underside of the canopy. It protects me when the cutting head is up close to the side of the tractor (rear mounted but will come up close to the fender when turned to the side). There is a wall of expanded metal across the rear of my head between the ROPS uprights, but I can't remember ever throwing anything into it, due to the amount of metal in the way (the arms/tank/etc). Probably a good idea also, but the lexan gets a workout when I trim trees along side the ditch.
David from jax

 

[flusher]

New to forum and have been impressed with the amount of common sense advice available. I'm getting ready to use a 16' boom mower, 3pt hitch model on my Kubota M9540 with Rops & canopy.

I would like to fabricate a screen for protection from thrown objects. I notice in some of the state contract specs they mention 1&1/2", #9 expanded steel.

I am looking for a solution that is removeable when I'm not cutting.

Interested in any comments or suggestions you may have. Thank you.

I just use hose clamps to hold an expanded metal safety screen to the ROPS on my Mahindra 5525

 

[jiminsc]

all great ideas & advice so far, keep em coming and thanks.

​

 

[dirt ditch]

You could build a frame out of pipe or square tubing, notching around the ropes hinges and any thing else that needs it. Cut the expanded metal to fit the frame and weld them together. Then make shield mounts that bolt to the canopy mount u bolts. Hang the shield on when mowing take it off when done.

 

[jiminsc]

You could build a frame out of pipe or square tubing, notching around the ropes hinges and any thing else that needs it. Cut the expanded metal to fit the frame and weld them together. Then make shield mounts that bolt to the canopy mount u bolts. Hang the shield on when mowing take it off when done.

This is sort of the plan I'm following. Waiting on delivery of some expanded metal and will be getting started at the end of next week. I'll post some pics of the finished product. Got the mower on Thursday and tested it, but put it in the garage until I get the protection screen finished.

 

[sandman2234]

That expanded metal guard that Flusher has posted the picture of is probably not nearly enough protection for a boom mower. It should do fine for a rear mounted rotary mower or finish mower, or a flail mower, but I don't think I would operate my boom mower with nothing more than that for protection. My 7710 has that same guard, and I can't remember ever throwing anything into it with the cutting head. The 1/2" plexiglas mounted on the right side fender (controls are on left fender) where all the cutting takes place is what takes all the abuses. I can't count the number of times I have jerked my head back in reaction to a piece of wood hitting the plexiglas window. It is really bad if you are able to turn the cutter head forward to cut. I have learned to keep the cutterhead between me and the stuff I am cutting so the debris is thrown away from me.
David from jax

 

[shinnlinger]

Hi,

It is pissing rain right now or I would go snap a picture, but I have a hurricane fence gate that I rachet strapped to my ROPS. If I felt I needed finer protection I would put hardware cloth on it, but it hasn't come to that. Easy on easy off.

 

[hackalot]

Here is what we came up with so far.

rear screen attached with pins to empty r/o holes:

View attachment 136847

Side screen thats slides into rear screen and then secured by floor bolt and to canopy mounting frame:

View attachment 136848

View attachment 136850

View attachment 136849

more in next post

 

[hackalot]

Floor bolt:

View attachment 136851

Tractor w mower attached:

View attachment 136852

Last problem, getting everything into garage:

empty slot:

View attachment 136853

parked with 2" to spare

View attachment 136854

Have some lexan ordered to make an additional shield that can hang on expanded metal.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions & help on this project.

 

[dirt ditch]

Very nice job on the fabrication. Looks like it will work.

 

[BearKiller]

My boom mower has a piece of 1/2" lexan (plexiglas)

A little primer on clear plastics, just so someone doesn't end up with the wrong stuff.


LEXAN is a particular brand-name of POLYCARBONATE, a very tough, impact resistant, almost bullet-proof clear plastic that can easily be sawed, drilled, routed, and thermally contoured; but, it scratches very easily and is not quite so rigid as Plexiglas.

PLEXIGLAS is a particular brand-name of ACRYLIC, a clear plastic that is very rigid and highly scratch resistant, also easily thermally contoured; but, it is easily broken and will crack/break easily if extreme care and proper tools are not used when drilling or cutting; often, it will shatter even when you do everything right.

Both have their uses, but always remember that LEXAN and PLEXIGLAS are entirely different animals.

There are many other brand-names of both polycarbonate and acrylic; Lexan and Plexiglas are just the more consumer prevalent brands available.