Sun Shade

   / Sun Shade #21  
Are the canopys really that much help in keeping the sun off? It seems to me that it wouldn't protect much except around high noon. Other times the lower angle of the sun would allow the rays to come in under the canopy.

Early in the morning and late in the evening the sun reaches under my canopy. But for the most part I am in the shade or the majority of my body is in the shade all day. My arms will catch the sun at times depending on what way I am driving and what time of the day it is but for the most part there is no comparison compared to just wearing a hat or using an open station tractor.

Here is a pic of my canopy, I know I have seen smaller ones but this one is a good sized unit and I am happy with it.
 

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   / Sun Shade
  • Thread Starter
#23  
Thanks for all of the posts. Robert in New York, I love the pic of your
tractor. I was drawn to the fact that if you took a multimeter from your tractor
frame to the ground I think you would see voltage. The overhead lines in the picture are probably 250KV+ .On the right day at the wrong time I think you
would get a zap when you jumped from the ground to your tractor.
I've seen it with a pickup under a 120KV line to a pickup. Voltage measured
600+ but the amperage was minimal. Nice pic.
Regards,
David
 
   / Sun Shade #24  
Are the canopys really that much help in keeping the sun off? It seems to me that it wouldn't protect much except around high noon. Other times the lower angle of the sun would allow the rays to come in under the canopy.

Yes, it has been my experience that a good canopy is well worth it. For example over the weekend I used the tractor with canopy to move my trailers around the yard then got on the mower with no canopy to mow where the trailers had been seeting. I thought to myself that it was much cooler on the tractor.
 
   / Sun Shade #25  
Thanks for all of the posts. Robert in New York, I love the pic of your
tractor. I was drawn to the fact that if you took a multimeter from your tractor
frame to the ground I think you would see voltage. The overhead lines in the picture are probably 250KV+ .On the right day at the wrong time I think you
would get a zap when you jumped from the ground to your tractor.
I've seen it with a pickup under a 120KV line to a pickup. Voltage measured
600+ but the amperage was minimal. Nice pic.
Regards,
David


Thanks, so far I have never felt any shocks. I have seen the lines arc when the weather is just right. Makes for quite a show and sound but never has happened when I was close. There is the line pictured in my photo and on the back side of the property is another set of transmission lines.
 
   / Sun Shade #26  
GeneR, you are sort of right in that a store bought-canopy is most effective at high noon. The problem with them, is that they use fairly heavy material (typically fiberglass), and if they were big enough to work for more of the day, the weight would get too high, raising the center of gravity of a little CUT too much, or, they would extend out too far putting them at risk from trees and stuff. As I mentioned in my earlier post, these problems can be avoided by making your own, with canvas over a wood frame. My canopy, made from these materials, is big and deep enough to provide excellent protection during the hours of aproximately 9:00-4:00, and adequate protection all day long. One thing to consider is that these are the hours when the sun does the most damage, and you need protection the most. I would not think a typical store-bought canopy that I have seen mounted on CUT's would protect much beyond the 11:00 - 1:00 hours, but they are still better than nothing. Unfortunately, I do not have the means of posting pictures, but if you want to make one, think about making it as wide as you can directly over your head with about 5 foot as the minimum width. Build some taper in it towards the front, to deflect trees and I would go with about 6 ft minimum in length. You will also want to make it about a foot deep over your head, so that you can bring the outer edges down a bit, providing some more afternoon and morning protection. I made mine as large as I could, so that it would not interfere with the loader at full height and not stick out beyond the tractor width (my tractor is just under 6 ft wide). On the JD 4120, it is supported by (2) 3/8" bolts thru the top of the rollbar (yes I drilled (2) holes here). I also used a little steel, in the form of 3/4" tube diagonal supports, that run from the center of both side edges, and back to the rollbar hinge where they attach with 3/8" bolts with big washers (to the larger holes that were already there on the hinge brackets). The frame itself is made from 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" pine (untreated 2x4's ripped in half), glued and screwed together. Cover is heavy, brown-duck boat cover canvas. The canopy also woks well in the rain, as long as it is not too windy. I like bush-hogging in a light rain because it keeps the dust down. As I said in the other post, the whole thing weighs about 30 lbs, has lasted 5 years needing no repairs, and I can have it on or off by myself in under 5 minutes. Tell me about a store bought one that can protect for as many daylight hours, and do all this.
 
   / Sun Shade #27  
I made me one. The heat has been hard on me for some reason this year. I just wanted something that I could try to see if I like it, had to be easy to take off because I'm in the woods and creek alot doing loader work and ect.
I think I'm going to like it, and if I do I'm going to make it out of metal.
Here is the Redneck sunshade.

Don't poke to much fun at me.......
 
   / Sun Shade #28  
Just a thought, but make sure the canopy or sun shade will fit into the garage with the rops up/folded, prior to purchasing one. My rops have to be folded down for my tractor to fit in the garage, and the canopy is still too high with it folded to fit in the garage. So now I have to put it on every time I want to use it. Not the biggest chore I have to do, but sometimes you don't want to play around and just want to get to your work. I can put it on and take it off rather quickly, after working out the steps needed and making a modification.

Thought I would add that tidbit, you may have a large enough garage that this would not be an issue for you. I'm too cheap to install larger garage doors just to have the canopy fit in there.

You aren't the first one with that problem... here is our solution. Might make taking your on and off easier...
 
   / Sun Shade #29  
all nice looking caps. i have a masswey gc2610 with backhoe does anyone know if there is a canopy that you can also turn around & cover the rear while using the hoe.
thanks

candyman
 
   / Sun Shade #30  
 

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