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Punkin Patch Plow


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I finally decided to add a cab on my Kubota tractor. Getting tired of dealing with nasty winter weather when plowing my lane. I did look at pre-fab'd canopies and soft cab enclosures that drape over a canopy but decided to build my own. Not only were those pre-fab'd parts too expensive but they also would not fit over the rollcage I added several years ago.

 

Instead I bought three 4x8 sheets of clear .118" thick shatterproof polycarbonate, several 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 6 ft long perforated steel angles and a crap load of 1/4-20 nuts, washers and bolts. 

 

I haven't made the doors yet but everything else is painted and installed. Speaking of paint, I decided because the plastic sheets are clear that it might make more sense to paint the inside surface rather than the outside. This is a work vehicle and I have been known to drive under low hanging tree limbs while brush hogging around the edges of fields and I didn't want those tree limbs to scrape all that pretty orange paint off. BTW, the paint is there mostly to provide shade in the summertime which also explains why I extended it down so far on the side and rear panels.

 

I'll probably add a 12V heater and I have an LED light bar that I plan to add above the windshield.

 

I was a little concerned about putting a bend in the middle of the windshield but it is surprisingly distortion free as you can see in the photo I took from the driver's seat. The front section of the rollcage was made from discarded 2" tubing that was originally part of a cage I bought for my Bronco. It already had bends where it fit behind the Bronco windshield and I decided to make the cab for the tractor fit the same contour. The tractor came from the factory with the rear hoop (ROPS bar), I just added to it. 

 

I also included an extension of the roof panel over the windshield to try and keep at least some of the crap from the weather off and also to provide a little extra shade. The frame for that will also serve as a mounting surface for the light bar. I don't plan on taking it to Bonneville so I'm perry sure the aerodynamics will be fine. ?

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Thanks!

 

Seeing as how the top speed is maybe 5 mph when plowing and 15 max I'm hoping between the roof extension and Rain-X that it won't be much of a problem. Like most people, I generally wait until the storm is over before I start plowing anyway. Plus the doors will be hinged at the rear (suicide style) so reaching out there won't be impossible. ? 

 

Come to think of it, there are quite a few Amish families in the area so maybe I can check out what they use on their winter buggies, besides the horse's tail.

 

"Lord, I apologize for that one there, and please be with all
the starving Pigmies down there in New Guinea! Amen!"

Larry The Cable Guy

 

The one thing I was a little surprised by was how much of an echo chamber the cab creates even without any doors. That diesel rattle is really magnified in there. Looks like I'll be wearing ear muffs anyway. ?

 

Seriously though, I was planning to close off the area below the windshield and beside the engine covers with sheet metal panels so besides keeping the wind and exhaust fumes out maybe that will also cut down on some of the engine noise.

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Maybe add some sound deadener to the sheet metal you add below the windshield?  Or something additional inside the cab to stop some of the reverb of the noise.  I love the sound of those little diesel engines (my dad has a similar Kubota and I think it sounds great), but I can imagine it's not as enjoyable bouncing around inside the cab!

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Excellent idea on the sound deadening fordmantpw and thanks tbone.

 

I cut the first door out today. Looks like my plan to put the hinges at the rear will work. I was concerned that there might be too much offset in the rear tires but the door will clear the tire when swung open, but just barely.

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Since I'm kinda at a standstill on the doors until I get the piano hinges and latches I ordered for them I decided to use the time to add the LED light bar on the roof frame above the windshield and the switch to operate it on the dash. The tractor has headlights but they aren't particularly effective especially considering the fact that they are mounted in the grille and can be totally blocked depending on the position of the loader bucket.

 

I also fabricated and installed a 1" thick aluminum spacer block between the loader control valve and the loader frame. The control valve handle has to move from side to side when using the tilt feature on the loader bucket. Tilting the bucket forward requires moving the handle all the way to the right. Without that 1" spacer the handle was going to hit the new cab door on that side.

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Got the piano hinges today. They are 3" wide in the open position and 32" long and made from 304 stainless with a .120" diameter pin. Still waiting on the door latches.

 

Once I get those and have the left side door fitting the way I want I can mask it  off and paint the boundaries similar to all of the other panels. Then I can do the right side door.

 

At some point I might try adding some weather stripping around the edges of the door openings. Not a top priority yet.

 

I also started making the sheet metal closure plates for the areas below the bottom of the cab. I'm making those from scrap pieces of galvanized steel left over from an earlier central AC duct project for the house.

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Here's some of the sheet metal I'm adding below the windshield and behind the seat to close off the larger gaps. I also removed the rubber floor mat and after I pressure wash and paint everything I plan to add Dynamat sound deadening on the floor as well as on the new sheet metal panels. The floor mat will then go back in.

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Got the other door cut out and it will soon be ready for paint.

 

I also added the latch mechanism and some internal bracing to the left side door. The latch is pretty basic. It's made for a shed door and came with an internal lock and keys. It should be fairly obvious by now that some of this stuff like the latch wasn't really planned out which means I'm sorta figuring it out as I go. When I ordered it I wasn't even sure it would work much less how to mount it.

 

It will be a few days before the sound deadener that I ordered gets here and I needed to get some of this other stuff done before adding that anyway.

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