Bucktop canopy with sliders and risers

[OkieG]

This Spring, I bought a canopy for my JD 855. I wanted a little protection from the scorching Summer sun that was soon to be upon me. My eldest is about 5'6" tall and kindly volunteered to model as driver while I took pictures.
This picture is taken with canopy in "standard" position.

 

[OkieG]

Most of my tractor time in the hot Summer sun is spent mowing with my MMM deck. The "standard" canopy position is fine for open yard, but can limit how close you can get to trees with branches at canopy level.
Also, I have a backhoe attachment that would be even more of a joy to use with a bit of sun protection. But as you can see, the canopy offers little headroom for backhoe work in "standard" position.

 

[OkieG]

Being able to slide the canopy back allows mowing closer to trees. Loosening a hand tight T-bolt on each slider, then sliding the canopy backward is all it takes.

 

[OkieG]

For backhoe work, just sliding the canopy back doesn't give me enough headroom. So, risers help give me the clearance I need. There are two risers on each of the two sliders. Each riser is held in place with a hand tightened T-bolt. Sliding, rising and securing in one position or another takes a matter of seconds.
This project was my attempt at a multi-use canopy. Those of you who have tried to tackle the "mowing around trees and/or backhoe" problems a canopy can present, please post your solutions. After all, Summer isn't over yet.

 

[rancar]

Hi George....

Great pics of the Bucktop canopy from a fellow Bucktop canopy owner (mounted on JD4710 -- see attached pic). Would it be possible to show a couple pics of the actual sliders and risers to show how they're mounted on the inside? Did you purchase the sliders/risers yourself and install?

Do you have any problems with negotiating low hanging branches, going through woods, storing your tractor with the Bucktop in raised position? I always have to remove mine in the above circumstances.

Regards,
Bob Ancar
Cambridge, NY

 

[Golfgar4]

Hi Bob,

I've had a question about canopies for awhile now. But not having my tractor yet /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif, I figured that I didn't need to ask it yet.

But since George and you have brought it up - I'll ask now! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

How easy do your canopies come off and go on? With my plans for my tractor and business, I could be in a different situation every day where one day I might not have a clearance problem, but the next day I might. That's one reason why I won't consider having anything but a foldable ROPS.

I've been thinking that I might have to get one of those canvas canopies just so I could get it on and off fairly easily.

But your comments about having to remove yours makes me think that maybe it's not such a big deal after all. How easy, or difficult, is it? Is it something that could be done out in the field?

As you know, I'm in no hurry - yet! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Just another bit of information for my growing file. Boy, I hope I can get my tractor soon, or I'm going to need to build a storage shed just for the information that I'm collecting! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[rancar]

Hi Garry....

<font color=blue>How easy do your canopies come off and go on?...How easy, or difficult, is it? Is it something that could be done out in the field?</font color=blue>

The canopy comes off real easy. It's attached with 4 U-bolts, 2 on each arm of the foldable ROPS. All I need is a wrench, loosen the nuts, and the canopy lifts off the top of the ROPS....no more than 5-7 minutes. It can easily be done in the field. Just keep a wrench with you in the fender's toolbox. The weight also isn't all that prohibitive...about 25lbs. What's annoying though is every time I go through the woods, I have to take the canopy off and fold back my ROPS to avoid the low hanging branches. Have to follow the same procedure to get the 4710 into the garage due to insufficiant clearance. I just can't fold the the ROPS back with canopy attached as front of canopy then is sticking up in the air at same level as the canopy originally was in the fully horizontal position. The benefit though is it's real nice having this canopy on hot sunny days if you're mowing in 90 degree temps.

Still waiting to see that post announcing your tractor purchase. Where do we place bets on what color it'll be?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bob

 

[Golfgar4]

Thanks for the info. Bob. It doesn't sound so bad, so maybe I can factor that into my plans too. I'd rather have a solid canopy than one of those canvas deals.

<font color=blue>"Still waiting to see that post announcing your tractor purchase. Where do we place bets on what color it'll be?"</font color=blue>

Well, don't hold your breath. As it stands right now, I'm still looking at the long haul. I keep bringing it up to the CFO, but it's still a financial problem, not a support problem.

It was interesting this weekend though. We had my sister and brother-in-law down for dinner. I was telling my brother-in-law all about my plans, and WOW'ing him with all my tractor knowledge. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif (Don't worry, I gave credit where credit was due. I even showed him my TBN hat!)

Anyway, while I'm trying to tell him what I'm going to do, my wife keeps interrupting me and explaining how I'm going to do this with the tractor, and how I'm going to do that with the tractor. She was talking more about it than I was! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Finally, the brother-in-law says to her that it sounds like she wants me to do all of this. She says "Absolutely! If we could afford it now, he'd be out doing it right now!".

Soooo, like I've always said. It's not that I don't have the support. It's just the money part that's holding things up. I keep hoping that I've got one of those rich uncles that you don't know about - if you get my drift! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[OkieG]

Here's a picture of what's under the canopy. The slider is attached at each end to the canopy, and is the original piece of square tubing that came in the Bucktop installation kit.
There is a stationary, short piece of square tubing that just fits over the slider. It is horizontal in the picture and has a T-bolt at it's midpoint that is tightened by hand. It will hold the slider in place at whatever position (forward to aft) that you wish. It is not illuminated well in this picture, but you will see it better later.

 

[OkieG]

This is a better shot of the T-bolt and stationary slider guide tubing. The T-bolt on the smaller vertical tubing (riser guide) secures one of the risers. Other than the sliders, which came with the Bucktop installation kit, all the other hardware was made from scraps that were collecting dust and occasional shakes of the head from my better half. The riser tubing was a sloppy fit in the next size bigger that I had available to guide it up and down. My solution was the bolts with lock nuts at each end of the riser guides to snug-up the fit (left side of picture).