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DYI Farm Tractor Cage

O

Ohiohills

Member
I use a 4 whd, open station, JD 5300 to brush-hog around the edges of my fields in SE Ohio. Needless to say, this entails cutting thorn bushes, multi-flora rose, Russian olives, and countless other brush as well as dodging hundreds of low hanging tree branches from perimeter trees.

Id love to add a simple cage (independent from the ROPS) to this tractor to save my face, arms, and body from whipping branches and ripping thorns. I see the natural gas companies use caged tractors to keep their pipeline rights-of-way mowed and I covet something similar. Has anyone built a DYI cage for light brush protection or have any related design ideas?
 
OhioHills. Great idea you have for personal safety. But dont forget that Goggle ( or similar ) is your friend. Lots of information out there on the InterWeb. Wingnut
 
Cincinnati Craigslist (and maybe Lexington), had/has a 7610(?) New Holland tractor set up the you are describing for sale for a while. Maybe the pics in the ad could help you, if it is still up. Mark.
 
I put one on our 4600 a few years ago, I wish I would of done it 20 years ago when we bought the tractor. I use it mainly for bush cutting and mowing on our forest roads. Because it wouldn't quite fit in an 8 foot garage door with the ROPS up, I left it down most of the time, but then I got hit on the head by a small tree. So the first thing I did is cut 5 inches out of the ROPS, and then I had a local steel company bend up this canopy out of 11 ga. I was using it to water trees this summer.
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Thanks! Yeah, that's sort of what I'm looking for. Are the triangular side pieces welded or bolted to the ROPS?
 
alot of skid steer cabs have the square hole sheet metal sides and roof. maybe you could adapt/modify a junk one to work for you?
 
Everything is bolted to the ROPS, so it can be taken off. Around the edge of the canopy I ran a 1 1/2 square tube. The front support pipes come out easy if I want to take the loader off.
 
Oops!! :) I guess my fingers got ahead of my brain! I meant DIY. Or, maybe it was a Freudian slip or something and your Do yourself in got into my subconscious!
 
I have been wading around on the internet and have found lots of companies that build cage systems mostly for tractors used in logging applications. Their cages look quite sturdy and are probably bigger and heavier than what I envision. Im not done plodding through the internet for cages, but so far Ive found very little info on light-weight homemade cages; hence, my post on YT.
 
Yes I do, I had forgotten that I took pictures! The triangular side pieces are part of the top, it's bent. I took a detailed drawing to the steel company and they sheared and bent it perfectly, they have a shear/brake just like I used in the paper mill. I had to buy the whole 4x8 sheet of 11 ga, so I have a piece left over for something. I had the pipe and square tubing so I don't think the whole project cost over $100. I put a longer bolt in the bottom, and the holes in the loader frame were already there. The dowel pin it the top is to make it stronger and easier to assemble. I have never taken the loader off since putting the canopy on, it's nice to have it on, and in tight quarters I take off the forks or bucket. One thing, I would like to glue some carpet or other sound absorbing material to the bottom of the canopy, it's seems to reflect sound down, but I always wear hearing protection when mowing anyhow. I added the plexiglass recently to make it easier to drive into the sun, that will make it harder to take the loader off. When I'm out mowing I usually bring home a load of wood!
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Both terramites came with roll cage. I've added plexiglass front window and metal over the top to go through brush and not get smacked. Not sure exactly when but the original terramite had no ROP. Later they added a roll bar. My oldest is a 2000 and all after they came with a full cage.
No way would I ever think of talking to cab tractor where I go in a woods. Glass is too expensive to replace.
 

Maybe keep an eye out for "tool crib panels".
They are woven wire maybe 3/16" dia. With square space for about two fat fingers.
they can be cut up and used for a cab sides.
 
There is also flattened expanded metal. It is smooth where the flexed points are in the metal so it is not rough to be scraped on like regular expanded metal is. Or there is perforated though would probably cost more for that.
 
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