My Iseki Bolens cab project

[radioman]

very nice cab! is that 1 inch thin wall tubing you used for cab frame? I have been debating what I should use for my BX as I am on a tight budget.

 

[amanda11270]

I actually used 1" square tube for the frame, and it is about an 1/8" thick wall. You could actually tip the tractor over with the cab frame I think, when you shake it the tractor shakes with it, its definitely not flimsy. The doors I used 3/4" square tube that is also about 1/8" thick wall. This sounds like it would be heavy, but two guys could remove it easily still, its not tremendously heavy. I wanna say til im done the cab alone will weigh around 200 LBs. thats without the doors since they lift off separately. The plexi pieces definitely added most of the weight.
Originally I would have loved to make this out of square aluminum, however I dont own a spool gun for my MIG welder. And after building it to the point I am at and driving it around, I think the weight of the steel helps to drown out the boiling feel of the diesel engine simply because, well steel is heavier in weight.
Im probably gonna be slow in my progress for the next week or two, I had a mishap at work that I have to heal from, but I will still be around the forum. Luckily the hard work of this project is almost over, next im on to the lights, wiper, and trim.

 

[Sideways]

Looks great! Hope you have a speedy recovery as well

 

[amanda11270]

Well I managed to do a little more to the tractor as of late, the cab is finished for now except for a wiper kit I ordered for it. I even went as far as to apply some Bolens/Iseki decals on the doors as a finishing touch. And trim it here and there just for cosmetics. This project has really turned out exactly as I wanted it to. I even added some forward-high mounted lamps for use with the plow as well, as the factory headlights dont seem to do much for driving the tractor at night, they are more to "be seen" than for driver visibility.

 

[Ductape]

Nice job on the cab !

Forgive me if I missed it....... but are you the original owner of your tractor? That has got to be the most minty ole Bolens I've seen ! :licking:

 

[Chooglin]

Nice job on the cab !

Forgive me if I missed it....... but are you the original owner of your tractor? That has got to be the most minty ole Bolens I've seen ! :licking:

I have to agree......................love the tractor and nice job on the cab.

 

[ampa]

I agree as well this ISEKI is in mint condition.....but I have one extra question to ask.....how do you open the hood with the cab in place ?.....Ampa<>

 

[amanda11270]

I have no idea how many owners my Bolens has had, 730 hrs on it. I bought it the beginning of the summer upon moving into my new home and having too large of a yard for my existing (at the time) Troybilt tractor. The guy I picked it up from said usually these old Bolens tractors are all rusted up, unlike this one and I thought that to be true as I think mine is like 1985 or 86 in age, but you know since I have owned mine I have seen a few in pretty nice condition, I guess since I own one I've really been looking out for them. I found my plow from a local member of this forum and he actually has two Bolens similar to mine in the same condition. So they are out there. I can say this is one tough little machine, I dont have alot of experience with compact tractors, but I have alot of experience with all types of different equipment and believe me I know junk when I see it, and this tractor is anything but. I will say at times its a scavenger hunt for parts though (filters,belts,blades etc) and if I didnt have the internet, parts would be hard to locate.

 

[ampa]

Hi amanda.....just curious to how much you have invested totaly in your cab... I'm still kickin' the idea around to build one out of the same 1" sqaure tubing etc....still also wonderin' how the hood opens...bein' the steerin' wheel and the hood and the way it opens...is a bit iffy to me...I wouldn't build it too much higher than the height of the uprite exhaust stack....I've shrunk about an inch...so I'm around 5' 7"...thanks in advance..... Ampa <>

 

[amanda11270]

The hood actually will not open with the cab in place, it removes. I almost made the entire cab hinge on the rear tranny mount, then swing upward to be able to open the hood, however that whole idea got left behind when I discovered how easy the hood just lifts off the tractor once you remove the front hinge bolts, then undo the hood stay straps in the rear. Very easy and much less metal working involved. I may decide to weld small band steel pieces to the front bolts to make them like large wing nuts for easy removal with no tools, I say "may" but I will more than likely do it as I have been engineering this whole project in my head for sometime, actually since April upon purchasing this tractor, and that was my first discovery was how easy the hood can be unbolted and completely lifted off. And the entire cab is 79" off the floor, tall enuf to give me room for an overhead wiper motor, yet short enuf to fit in all my garage doors and into my workshop for maintenance on it. Im 6' 1" so I needed the height also. It is actually just right for me in all dimensions.

 

[ampa]

Thank you Amanda....I seen where one member made a cab where the front wing/windshield lifted up and out of the way....like you mentioned having the whole cab tilt upwards would work as well....

maybe another idea would be to install a coulple of regular hydraulic jack cylinders to ease in lifting the whole cab upwards using a rear hinge...I think that even though you used 1" sqaure tubing your cab it would still have some weight to it....

yes I also found it quite easy to remove the whole hood. when I painted mine coulple of years ago...needs redoin' now I have my new compressor up and runnin'....last year I was looking at an old Case International 255 that had a section behind the hood and the steering wheel....where installing a cab would not be in the way of opening the hood....but then again....

I like the short stubby look of the ISEKI....if and when you decied to modify yours would it be possible to share the info for us ISEKI owners?....Happy Holidays....take care Ampa :thumbsup:

 

[Mike.ASC]

Very nice cab build . I also have a 2wd H-1502 . I am in the process of retrofitting a 54" JD 4 way hydraulic plow onto it , hope to be done by the time snow arrives this year . I plan on building a cab also similar to yours with the high visibility as a priority .

Mike

 

[terraformer]

Nice looking cab project. I have a rear 3pt blade for my 19 hp 2wd with turf tires. I tried it in snow on my driveway 3-4 years ago. I couldn't get any traction and just slipped all over. Perhaps wheel chains or narrow lug tires would have helped. My driveway is not flat but not a big grade either.