Looking for some shade here

Bill the Elder · Jul 6, 2017

I've got my little green JD2305 with its flail and my (for me) big old Ford 4600 with its flail. It's getting toasty up here in north central WA and some serious mowing has to happen in very bright sun and hot days. I can only drive one tractor at a time and would like to find some sort of shade attachment that I can move from tractor to tractor.

Anybody have any experience trying to be cheap this way? Any ideas on something that might be doable?

Thanks

Cataclysm · Jul 6, 2017

Put a bonnet on there. Cheap and easy. I used to use them quite a bit.

oosik · Jul 7, 2017

Well, I was raised in the Okanogan valley, so I know what hot is. It got up to 102 earlier this evening - I'm 25 miles due SW of Spokane.

I put a canopy on my roll bar. That little bit of shade has helped a lot and now I have a reason for the roll bar to be in the "up" position.

Unfortunately the system is not allowing me to upload a small picture of the canopy.

oosik · Jul 7, 2017

I forgot - I've changed avatars - if you look closely and squint a lot, you can see the canopy in the avatar.

rustyshakelford · Jul 7, 2017

oosik said:
Well, I was raised in the Okanogan valley, so I know what hot is. It got up to 102 earlier this evening - I'm 25 miles due SW of Spokane.

I put a canopy on my roll bar. That little bit of shade has helped a lot and now I have a reason for the roll bar to be in the "up" position.

Unfortunately the system is not allowing me to upload a small picture of the canopy.

I'll be honest, I had no idea y'all knew what hot was but 102 is pretty toasty! I thought it was mild and rainy all the time in Washington! How's the humidity? That's what's brutal in the Houston area

Brett

oosik · Jul 7, 2017

Brett - I live on the East side of WA state. There is a range of mountains - Cascade Range - that splits WA state into two portions. West side is the wet side - east side is dry/semi-arid. Right now its 55 degrees/ 28% relative humidity @ 4:52 am PST. This afternoon its predicted to hit 100 degrees and the humidity will probably be between 25% to 30%. The fact that the humidity stays so bloody low is what saves our scrawny rears.

I was in Houston in 1969 in July. They were just finishing up the new international airport and the air conditioning was not up to full speed yet. I had just hit Houston on a direct flight from Anchorage, AK where I lived and worked. The heat and HUMIDITY were so intense in the airport I darn near passed out.

I KNOW for a fact I could not make it - e.g. - I'd croak - if I had to live down south with the heat & humidity.

IMVHO - our wx here is just about perfect. It can get bloody hot, but no humidity - - and at night it will cool down to 45 to 60 degrees.

JRobyn · Jul 7, 2017

Agri-Supply (and others) sell an umbrella-type shade that should be easily movable from one machine to another. You'd probably have to buy a second mount from the manufacturer.

Deluxe Tractor Umbrella, Yellow

Bill the Elder · Jul 7, 2017

Cataclysm said:
Put a bonnet on there. Cheap and easy. I used to use them quite a bit.

I would love something like that but not sure how I'd be able to move it from one machine to the other. JD's got a ROPS but no fenders. Ford's got fenders but no ROPS.

Bill the Elder · Jul 7, 2017

Called Agri-Supply to find out if I could get a second mount shipped with the shade, that looks like my best bet due to the very different configurations of the two tractors. Gentleman will contact the vendor and get back to me Monday. Meanwhile I'm mowing early and late. Currently it's 93 up here at 2900 ft but the UV is 8.6 and that's what really kicks my butt.

Thank you all for your help and enjoy the weekend. I'll let you know how it works out.

Plantation Paul · Jul 7, 2017

I wear a super wide brim hat I bought from the JD dealership..... and Carhartt long sleeve white cotton chambray. Down here in Northeast Louisiana where the temps and humidity soar passed 100 degrees with 90% humidity. Exert yourself for 30 minutes and you are soaking wet. I make my crew take a break and drink fluids. I have a dedicated refrigerator with a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler with added Gatoraid... Because water alone is not enough!

You don't know hot....

Ribz · Jul 7, 2017

Same basic umbrella made to attach to ROPS.

Umbrella Rollover Bar | Agri Supply 53563

smstonypoint · Jul 7, 2017

Ribz said:
Same basic umbrella made to attach to ROPS.

Umbrella Rollover Bar | Agri Supply 53563

Caveat emptor.

Steve

Bill the Elder · Jul 7, 2017

Ho boy, now that is where you are mistaken. I do know heat, my folk's idea of a good summer vacation back in the 60s was to load us up in the vintage Plymouth Valiant station wagon and drive from northeast Ohio to Panama City on the Gulf Coast of the Florida panhandle. My grandfather had a place there. He stayed in the winter and came up north for the summer. We would go down for a couple of weeks in July. Your description brought all those memories crashing back. I'll take the dry heat every time and you are welcome to my share of the southeast, couldn't drag me down there with a team of mules.

Glad you take care of yourself and your crew and no, water by itself is not enough!! People up here think I nuts for wearing long sleeve shirts. I've got one of those caps that have the back and side curtains. Lets me wear my mickey mouse ears (with built in speakers that let me listen to music or audiobooks via a bluetooth) while I'm working and keep the sun off my face, ears, and the back of my neck.

Stay safe!!

kebo · Jul 7, 2017

I bought a Great Day canopy two years ago. Not suggesting this would be an ideal solution for the OP, but it's the best money I've spent, as far as add-on's are concerned. I added the "headache rack" to keep FO's (flying objects) behind me.:thumbsup:

Ribz · Jul 8, 2017

kebo said:
I bought a Great Day canopy two years ago. Not suggesting this would be an ideal solution for the OP, but it's the best money I've spent, as far as add-on's are concerned. I added the "headache rack" to keep FO's (flying objects) behind me.:thumbsup:

View attachment 514627

Hey, I wanna see the rest of that tractor. I really like the mods in that photo. In particular what is that fender storage on the right side?
Nice to see somebody else with a fire extinguisher on board. I just carry a small one unless I'm burning. Then I add the big old h20 extinguisher that I refill and pressurize with the compressor. Makes one heck of a super soaker.

kebo · Jul 8, 2017

Ribz said:
Hey, I wanna see the rest of that tractor. I really like the mods in that photo. In particular what is that fender storage on the right side?
Nice to see somebody else with a fire extinguisher on board. I just carry a small one unless I'm burning. Then I add the big old h20 extinguisher that I refill and pressurize with the compressor. Makes one heck of a super soaker.

The "fender storage" is just an ammo box that I added on for a small tool box. I decided to "pimp" it out with a black vinyl padded console lol. It was the first mod I did, so the canopy wasn't on it at the time. I just have to be careful about resting my arm on it on a hot, sunny day.

The other addition is a chain tube to carry my chains in.

Complete thread here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/223460-heres-my-chain-bucket.html?highlight=

bigtiller · Jul 9, 2017

Sombrero?

Rara Avis · Jul 9, 2017

Island Mountain Farm said:
I've got my little green JD2305 with its flail and my (for me) big old Ford 4600 with its flail. It's getting toasty up here in north central WA and some serious mowing has to happen in very bright sun and hot days. I can only drive one tractor at a time and would like to find some sort of shade attachment that I can move from tractor to tractor.

Anybody have any experience trying to be cheap this way? Any ideas on something that might be doable?

Thanks

Cool Tops Down Draft System, ROPS Fan, ROPS Canopy, ROPS Sunshade, Tractor Fan, Tractor Canopy, Tractor Sunshade, Mower Fan, Mower Canopy, Mower Sunshade