Built Canopy for the L3560

[kubotacres]

I've never owned a tractor with a canopy but now I see what I've been missing. About 4 years ago I acquired a piece of shiny Kubota Orange aluminum that I "planned" to install on the L3200. I tucked it away in storage and forgot about it. I found it a couple days ago and decided to spend the time and install on my new L3560. It took about 4 hours bending the aluminum, welding the frame, drilling, ect. Overall I think it came out nice considering the fact that I have zero $$ in it. I done a little bushogging here in the 107 deg index sun and I have to admit it sure is nice.

 

[USCG1]

Nice job

 

[CreekyB]

Nice job, I regret not getting a canopy for my L2501 until I start taking it in among the trees. I think it would probably get in the way more than the ROPS does and do not want to raise the entire canopy that high.

 

[JWR]

Nice job for sure. I would have liked making my own and considered using 'diamond plate' as I have seen others do. I bought a CoverMyTractor brand canopy for my MF2660 and it sat in the shed for 2yrs before I finally installed it this spring. Really nice to have shade, prevent a few skin cancers, and shed minor rain squalls. I do have a question or maybe suggestion on yours: Looking at the "under the frame" picture there are no braces to prevent up/down flapping of the canopy other than what your U-bolts provide. That works of course, but I would think that vertical vibration (rotating up/down around the ROPS bar) might be an issue (?) mainly because the frame has such large leverage on those U-bolts. I'm wondering if you will want to add braces of some kind ?

 

[k0ua]

Canopies sure make a lot of difference in being able to work out in the sun. Of course they don't work so well in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun angles are low, but during midday when you really need them is when they work the best. I sure enjoy having mine. It is kinda of nice in a light straight down rain too. Being able to finish a job when a little rain comes up is a benefit.

 

[kubotacres]

Nice job for sure. I would have liked making my own and considered using 'diamond plate' as I have seen others do. I bought a CoverMyTractor brand canopy for my MF2660 and it sat in the shed for 2yrs before I finally installed it this spring. Really nice to have shade, prevent a few skin cancers, and shed minor rain squalls. I do have a question or maybe suggestion on yours: Looking at the "under the frame" picture there are no braces to prevent up/down flapping of the canopy other than what your U-bolts provide. That works of course, but I would think that vertical vibration (rotating up/down around the ROPS bar) might be an issue (?) mainly because the frame has such large leverage on those U-bolts. I'm wondering if you will want to add braces of some kind ?

In regards to the braces....It's hard to see in the picture but there are two braces 3" wide running along both side of the rops horizontal. The u bolts are bolted over the rops , into both braces and run out the top of the canopy. The braces alone without the ubolts fit so tight on the rops that it would take a sledge to get it off. I initially was gonna weld some angled braces after the install but I didn't feel it was needed.

 

[kubotacres]

Canopies sure make a lot of difference in being able to work out in the sun. Of course they don't work so well in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun angles are low, but during midday when you really need them is when they work the best. I sure enjoy having mine. It is kinda of nice in a light straight down rain too. Being able to finish a job when a little rain comes up is a benefit.

I agree . Plus it'll give my ole strawhat a break every now and then.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Well done.

 

[jeff9366]

If you install foam insulation between the roof and supporting frame you will enjoy a significant decrease in temperature in the seat. Conduction, convection and radiation will each be reduced.


Heat transfer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heat transfer is the exchange of thermal energy between physical systems. The rate of heat transfer is dependent on the temperatures of the systems and the properties of the intervening medium through which the heat is transferred. The three fundamental modes of heat transfer are conduction, convection and radiation.

 

[kubotacres]

If you install foam insulation between the roof and supporting frame you will enjoy a decrease in temperature in the seat.

good idea. I have a roll from when I did my shop. I may try it out.

 

[k0ua]

Mine has something like celotex between the frame and the canopy cover.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I'm wondering if the tractor is noisier now than it was without the canopy? My quad is significantly louder with a wind faring than without.

Nice build by the way. I like it.

 

[CCWKen]

I'm wondering if the tractor is noisier now than it was without the canopy? My quad is significantly louder with a wind faring than without.

Insulation will help there too.

That other thread must have got you going. Nice job on the top!

 

[kubotacres]

I'm wondering if the tractor is noisier now than it was without the canopy? My quad is significantly louder with a wind faring than without.

Nice build by the way. I like it.

I haven't noticed any increase in noise. I was on it 2 hrs this morning and it was the same noise level as usual.

 

[JWR]

In regards to the braces....It's hard to see in the picture but there are two braces 3" wide running along both side of the rops horizontal. The u bolts are bolted over the rops , into both braces and run out the top of the canopy. The braces alone without the ubolts fit so tight on the rops that it would take a sledge to get it off. I initially was gonna weld some angled braces after the install but I didn't feel it was needed.

Apparently you understood the need for supports of some kind in that axis and took care of it. You are right, I can't see the braces in the picture but the whole rig looks VERY well made and should make work a lot more comfortable.

 

[hawkeye08]

My canopy is made from a golf cart canopy... It made a hugh difference.

 

[JWR]

Jeff said: If you install foam insulation between the roof and supporting frame you will enjoy a significant decrease in temperature in the seat. Conduction, convection and radiation will each be reduced.


Jeff366 - I disagree. There are several reasons why. 1) The orange aluminum top surface amounts to a heat shield from the radiation onto it. It is also several square feet of radiator up there in the air. The air is significantly lower temp than the piece of metal in direct sunshine. There is good air flow on BOTH top and bottom of the large surface. Wide open. Therefore, most of the heat will be lost to the air. I understand heat transfer quite well, though I did not love my courses in thermodynamics. 2) The steel involved is very solidly connected to the ROPS which is very solidly connected to the tractor frame. That amounts to a large conducting heat sink and the temperature of the steel frame will stabilize to the same temp as the ROPS within a few degrees. Any significant heat in that frame will be conducted through the steel. 3) The large surface of the aluminum top will be the hottest thing in the picture and that completely dwarfs the radiating surface of the steel frame. Around 100 to 1. For that reason alone it will not matter at all whether the aluminum is insulated from the steel. 4) Even if those things were not factors (which they certainly are) the driver will never feel heat radiation from that steel frame. There is a large insulator of air between him and the steel frame and the air is moving and dissipating heat all the time from the frame. No driver will ever feel even noticeable, much less significant, heat from that frame. Completely negligible in my opinion. Sorry if I'm too wordy about it.