Tuff Top Canopy review

[EddieWalker]

I've been wanting a canopy for my tractor for several years now, but I haven't been able to decide on which one to get, or to fabricate one myself. Then when I'm ready to commit to spending the money, I usually decided I needed something else more and put it off again.

So after a lot of looking online, comparing different brands, materials and sizes, I went with the Femco Tuff Top. I found the best price on Rural King's website for $208. Crazy how much it goes up at other sites!!!

Femco 48" x 52" Tuff Top Canopy 3020221 for $207.97 in Mowers & Accessories - Power Equipment - Lawn & Garden : Rural King

It took about a week to get here and it was all in one fair sized box. All the metal is powder coated. The top is two heavy pieces of plastic. Smooth on the bottom, textured on the top. It's maybe half an inch thick.

The instructions where simple enough and it took me just at an hour to go get my tractor, park it, open the box and assemble it on my truck tailgate, to installing it on the ROPS of my tractor. Not too bad for an after dinner project while it's still light outside.

It has a bracket that goes around the top of the ROPS, so the width of your ROPS does not matter. It comes with some pretty long bolts, so the thickness shouldn't matter either. It has several options on adjusting the angle in case your ROPS goes straight up or has an angle to it like mine does.

One of the concerns I had when comparing them was getting as much shade as I could. At 48x52 inches, it's one of the biggest canopies out there. After using it during the heat of the day, I wouldn't want anything smaller. I also don't think I would want anything too much bigger. I got a lot of comments on FB about it being a branch catcher and to be careful around the trees. It really does attract the branches, but so far, they just slide right past the canopy. I am being careful and not getting too close, so there is that concern about the first time I forget and hit it good. It's supposed to flex and bend back into shape if that happens. Just have to wait and see.

The difference in comfort is huge. I always wear a hat while mowing to help fight off the bugs. Wasps are very common here, and if one is messing with me, I can sometimes hit it in the air with my hat like a fly swatter. I haven't ever felt that a hat does anything to keep you cool, just protects my skull from the sun. The canopy definitely made it just a little cooler and more comfortable. It's very obvious.



Eddie

 

[RDrancher]

Rural King has some excellent prices here and there. I just purchased a medium size Montezuma Professional tool box from them last week to mount on my flatbed. At $299 shipped it was over $75 less than everyone else.

I can't imagine not having a canopy in the Texas sun. The one I have was the only surviving part from a neighbor's John Deere after it caught on fire. It's old and bent, but I love it!

 

[Billrog]

That's a nice looking canopy Eddie.

 

[coobie]

Great looking canopy eddie.Sure beats the sunshine beating down on your head.Enjoy...

 

[mddorange]

Eddie, did you paint it black as I didn't see that color?

 

[sseelhoff]

Looks Good. I went to their site-looks like a nice set for aftermarket. Just be careful. I have a canopy (metal) and it has been beaten do death by trees.

 

[Sysop]

Good lookin cap man! Thanks for the review!

 

[murphy1244]

I too have the Tuff Top and you can smoosh it if you hit a tree good.

 

[gsganzer]

I was brush hogging yesterday and was telling myself I need to get a canopy for the new tractor. I was planning to research them tonight, but now it looks like Eddie already did the work for me.

Eddie, how much higher does it stick up over your ROPS?

 

[davrow]

Also, Eddie, I park in a garage and have to put my ROPS down to fit. I even remember to do so most of the time.

How tall is it when the ROPS is folded to the halfway point? Higher or lower than the upright ROPS height?

edit to add: I know all ROPS are different, so it may not be relevant to mine... interested in the answer anyway. Thanks.

 

[murphy1244]

Well I just smooshed my top again, Hard to watch the front sides when your watching the mower. But I pushed it back in shape. Good thing about these is you can buy parts.

 

[von-mil]

Also, Eddie, I park in a garage and have to put my ROPS down to fit. I even remember to do so most of the time.

How tall is it when the ROPS is folded to the halfway point? Higher or lower than the upright ROPS height?

edit to add: I know all ROPS are different, so it may not be relevant to mine... interested in the answer anyway. Thanks.

I have the same canopy that you are asking about. I have not folded my ROPS since the canopy was installed so I can't answer your question, but I can tell you that it is fairly easy to swing down the canopy to the vertical, transport position. Then, folding the ROPS back halfway would result in the canopy being back in a horizontal position, but just a few inches above the top of the folded ROPS.

 

[williaty]

Also, Eddie, I park in a garage and have to put my ROPS down to fit. I even remember to do so most of the time.

How tall is it when the ROPS is folded to the halfway point? Higher or lower than the upright ROPS height?

edit to add: I know all ROPS are different, so it may not be relevant to mine... interested in the answer anyway. Thanks.

I have a JD 1023e. With the ROPS folded half way, the tip of the sun shade is a foot or more higher than the fully extended ROPS. Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in my TuffTop. Because the ROPS is so tall, I can't fold/dismount the sun shade from the seat like the show in the video and the sun shade is not NEARLY long enough front to back to provide any usable shade if the sun is at all in front of you.

 

[davrow]

... but I can tell you that it is fairly easy to swing down the canopy to the vertical, transport position. Then, folding the ROPS back halfway would result in the canopy being back in a horizontal position, but just a few inches above the top of the folded ROPS.

That's what I needed. The picture on their site looked like it had knobs so it could be lowered like that, but I couldn't be sure. Thanks!

 

[EddieWalker]

Also, Eddie, I park in a garage and have to put my ROPS down to fit. I even remember to do so most of the time.

How tall is it when the ROPS is folded to the halfway point? Higher or lower than the upright ROPS height?

edit to add: I know all ROPS are different, so it may not be relevant to mine... interested in the answer anyway. Thanks.

Just guessing, I'm thinking it is about six inches taller then my ROPS.

There are four hand knobs that you tighten to attach the canopy to the bracket. I installed it once and don't plan on messing with it again, but I would think it would be relatively simple to take it off or lower it if you wanted to. If I ever trailer my tractor somewhere, I'll take it off for that, but otherwise, I don't have any plans to ever touch it.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I like this canopy so much that I bought another for my riding mower. It's becoming more and more of a chore sitting out in the hot sun while mowing that I've been putting it off for the evenings, and even then, if it's too hot, I put it off another day. The box came Friday, I put it together Saturday morning and spent about 4 hours during the heat of the day out mowing. The difference is HUGE!!!! I bet it felt ten degrees cooler under the canopy, and when I was done mowing, I wasn't wore out or drained. Sometimes I sweat so much that it takes awhile to get hydrated and back to feeling normal. I barely even broke a sweat!!!




Eddie

 

[Dishpointer]

Good stuff Eddie! I ended up buying one for my dad for fathers day. Only I bought the orange on for his Kubota F series mower. He loved it and said it made a big difference. Now he's adding 2 12 volt fans.

 

[EddieWalker]

Fans would make it even nicer. Post some pics of them when he has them installed, I'd love to see how he did it.

Eddie

 

[audsp98]

Hey Eddie
Following up on this canopy...how's it held up over the past few years?

 

[EddieWalker]

It's been great. I really like that and will buy another if I get another open station canopy. It feels like its 10 degrees cooler under it.