Welded 'Bota Schnozz Guards

[SkyPup]

Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Finally got around to welding on some protection to our Kubotas Brush Guards to protect the front end from damage from branches and such.

This helps to protect the lights, radiator, and grill on the L-3130 from inadvertent damage when working in difficult conditions in the woods.

 

[SkyPup]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Also welded on some similar protection for the L-39 as it is even more susceptible to brush damage seeing as the hydraulic oil cooler and lines are in front of the radiator and the battery is located on the side of the machine, leaving the entire front end open for some serious damage.

 

[SkyPup]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Here's another pic of the L39 Grill Guard.

The Miller 210 MIG with 0.35 ER70S-6 wire and 75% CO2-25% Argon did an excellent job welding together the 3/8 solid steel rods and the Miller 375 Spectrum Plasma Cutter sliced up the pieces to weld with in short order.

 

[txdon]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

I did the same, but "U" bolted mine on. I installed it before welding school. I have gone through some thick brush and it has worked well.


(Sorry about the leaning picture, it's the only one I could find showing my grill. In the picture, I got myself in a bind, and either way I moved I tilted more. I ended up having to hand dig the tractor level. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

 

[johnday]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Thom and Don; Nice work on both your machines. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
And that comes from a BLUE driver. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JoeR]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

That tractor looks like it was washed and waxed!!! Is that your display tractor? My wife had us buy furniture like that for the living room. You know, the stuff that looks good, but nobody can sit on? Just kidding! Nice looking tractor. Now I want to go wash mine. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SkyPup]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

LOL, that L-3130 GST has >800 hours on it now without a hiccup, it takes a serious beating and still looks and runs like new, although the FEL bucket has taken quite a lot of abuse as you can see a little bit in this pic.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[sneaky_pete]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Looks great Thom; I'm going to make something like that One Of These Days...

 

[smittyd3]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Those guards look great.
Thanks for posting the pictures.

Smittyd

 

[SkyPup]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

They are not that difficult to fabricate and install and they really work good, I've had to use vise grips and wire cutters to pull imbedded chunks of branches and limbs out of them already, not to mentions some large boulders have bounced off them too! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[JimMorrissey]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

Nice.....Like to do something like that for the hood of the L39. It won't take much abuse before the sheetmetal bends.

 

[SkyPup]

Re: Welded \'Bota Schnozz Guards

That top 1/4" bar running across the top of the OEM L39 Brush Guard is worthless.....as I found out when a huge oak rootball I had excavated with the BH and scooped up with the FEL proceeded to roll back into the L-39 nose and put a major dent in that top bar!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I took a three-ton automotive hydraulic jack and stuck it in between the nice round brush guard tubing pipes and managed to restraighten it back to normal. Then I welded a 1/2" X 1/2" solid steel square bar underneath it so that never happens again... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nest welding project is an undercarriage skid plate....