Welding guard on tractor with HF flux wire welder

[cqaigy2]

Certainly!

I've never disconnected a battery on any vehicle ever, in 40 years welding. But I ALWAYS put my ground close to the item being welded, and ON THE ITEM not going across a bolted joint etc. Not to say you shouldn't disconnect the battery. Just that I've NEVER HEARD a verifiable problem from welding on a vehicle. But it sure makes sense to put the ground close to the weld.

Many years ago, I was watching someone weld on his dirt bike. After a few moments there was a load boom, with water released from the bottom of the motorcycle. That battery had exploded and had a large piece missing missing out of the bottom and side. If i can't remove the part to be welded, i make sure to place the ground as close as possible to the weld too.

 

[Arc weld]

Despite if a ROPS is 10 times stronger than it needs to be, the certification doesn't allow for any modifications such as welding, drilling, heating or cutting. Just food for thought.

 

[dragoneggs]

Despite if a ROPS is 10 times stronger than it needs to be, the certification doesn't allow for any modifications such as welding, drilling, heating or cutting. Just food for thought.

Not to mention a hole is a starter for corrosion or a crack.

 

[NTG]

Looks good.
Keep an eye on those zip ties. I'd be concerned about the metal cutting through them when bouncing around.

10-4. This is very temporary. Well, I say that, I'll probably be riding around like that 2 years from now. LOL But I *will* check my zip ties every day to check for wear. I'll look for some square U bolts next time I'm at HD or TSC, but these click bond studs that Dragoneggs just posted look intersting as well.

 

[NTG]

Back to the old grind....

Yep, I'm a grinder.

 

[Fallon]

10-4. This is very temporary. Well, I say that, I'll probably be riding around like that 2 years from now. LOL But I *will* check my zip ties every day to check for wear. I'll look for some square U bolts next time I'm at HD or TSC, but these click bond studs that Dragoneggs just posted look intersting as well.

Know that feeling... but if the ROPS is between the guard & you they will just be holding the guard in place & not directly protecting you. Worst case realistically your guard would just fall off at an inconvenient time when the zip ties break. As long as you use good black UV stabilized ones they are unlikely to wear out. Non UV stabilized ones will get brittle & break in under a year, probably well under given tractor vibrations.

 

[shadetree]

NTG
Before zip ties became the thing - I would use hose clamps for that job, the kind with the worm screw. I am glad you have not welded or drilled your ROPS.

 

[Plantation Paul]

Not trying to get into a Peeing contest with anybody, but anyone that says welding on anything with electronics without unhooking the battery isnt a problem, just hasnt ever burnt up $10grand worth of computer boards. I had it happen, twice. Of course that was a specialized piece of equipment and not a farm tractor. Just a fact that all the electronic control modules dont like electrical discharge. If you have a old 8n tractor, you can get away with not unhooking the battery. This new stuff with all the electronic control modules, you might get lucky and you might not. Hooking the ground as close to whats being welded helps, but isnt a guarantee. Unhooking the battery dont take much time and can save you hundreds in repair cost.

As for welding the expaned metal to the rops, not a good ideal. Making all those tack welds along the edge of the expanded metal will warp the rops. I would make a frame out of angle and weld the expaned metal to the angle, then bolt the angle onto the rops. this way if yo want to take the guard off, you just have to remove a few small bolts.

Amen to that!!! Even my '93 JD 4960 has a computer. All the JD mechanics at the dealership advise to disconnect the battery whether welding on the tractor itself or the piece of equipment it attached to.

That is what I did on my 685, built a frame out of angle and welded some flat bar tabs with holes in them. Drilled and tapped 4 1/4" holes in it. If four little holes compromise the roll guard, it was any good to begin with.