Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series?

   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #31  
Hey Smoke, maybe my post just above is misleading-I was trying to express gladness that I can get the stuff cut to fit the shape of existing pipe guard at local metal vendor. That cutting was the part I was unsure about. This is not a rectangle, it slims down towards bottom. Maybe I'm wrong, but I was envisioning my getting a nice clean cut on that expanded stuff might be tricky. Never cut the stuff.

We got the welding covered👌.


The key to getting the expanded metal fit to the contours of a grill guard is to take an oversized piece and lay it on top of the guard. Align the expanded like you want it. Then clamp in place. Tack weld starting in one corner. Move the clamps as needed to keep the expanded metal tight to the grill guard as you move along to the next area. When it's all welded, then cut off the excess with a cutting disk in a grinder.

If you try to cut the expanded metal to profile first, it's probably not going to work out as well and it makes the job harder.
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #32  
Thanks 2many, that makes sense. Gonna pull the factory guard off today. I'll take to that metal shop and have them cut me a little oversized all the way around. Great tip.
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #33  
I should have also warned to look at your front factory guard in relationship to your front grill on your tractor.

This is a photo of my L2501 when I was in the process of making a guard. The factory guard necks down at the bottom in a way that leaves the front grill exposed if all I did was cover the factory guard with expanded metal following the contours of the factory guard. I ended up welding some tabs to the factory guard to widen the protected area as an afterthought. I also welded a separate section of expanded metal to the chin below the factory guard.

You may want your expanded metal to go past the factory guard and then add some solid metal support to the expanded metal itself depending on how you want yours to work.

I don't know if all the L2501 factory guards are like mine or if you have something a bit different.
 

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   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #34  
Thanks again sir. Actually, I've got a Bobcat 2025. Just looked, on mine, it does narrow slightly towards the bottom, then narrows a bit more but by this section, it's solid plate that is in turn bolting flat onto bullnose of frame, so no need to go down that far. Looks like my final piece will be nearly rectangular.

Think my son's little mig will work for this? It's all the welder we got. I'm sure it would handle the 9 gauge or whatever, I'm wondering about the pipe frame stuff on the factory unit. A little extra heating maybe?
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #35  
It doesn't take a lot of power to weld expanded metal onto a frame. If you go too hot, the expanded metal will disintegrate. Just make sure both the expanded metal and the frame are well cleaned and that you have a solid ground for your welder's ground cable.
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #36  
(y)
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #37  
One other thing may be helpful. When welding a thinner metal like expanded metal onto a thicker frame material, start your weld on the thicker frame and then let the weld capture the thinner metal. If you start on the thinner metal first, you'll probably melt the expanded metal instead of getting it welded to the frame.
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #38  
There are no ready made bolt on solutions available. You have to add expanded metal your self or have a metal fabrication shop do it for you.

I did my own.
Lown performance seems to make them. Pricey but they are really nice. I was super pleased with the kit I got for my mx.
 
   / Anyone know of better grill guard protection for an L Series? #39  
I took my OEM grill guard to the local welding shop. This is what they did. It's saved me from damage more than a couple times.
IMG_0016.jpeg
 

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