Wind Test #1
Kubota B2320 snow plowing with makeshift cab made from golf cart cover.
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I wanted to have some sort of weather protection when plowing snow in the winter on the Kubota B2320 compact tractor, so some sort of tractor cab was in order. I also wanted to be able to remove the cab for spring/summer/fall chores where I didn't need to be enclosed and could use the loader and other implements without having to deal with an enclosure.
So, I figured that I could build some sort of removable cab and not spend the thousands of dollars for a real cab, be it canvas, vinyl, or hard panel. I like to think of myself as "thrifty" and resourceful. Others might use other words for these characteristics. I found a golf cart cover that was about the right size, and very reasonably priced. The cover is made of water proof canvas and clear vinyl for the windows. The side "doors" are simply zipper openings. All I needed was something to hang it over, and a way to fasten it down. I built a framework out of mostly 1" and 3/4" PVC pipe and fittings from the hardware store, with a couple small aluminum reinforcement cross braces, and some bungee cord and Velcro tie downs. Rather than glue the pipe and fittings, I just ran a set screw through each fitting into the pipe so that making modifications or doing repairs would be easier. I probably have well under $200 in materials for the golf cart cover, PVC pipe and fittings, screws, velcro, and bungee cord.
I finished putting this together in the late fall of 2011. The winter of 2011/2012 ended up being a dud as far as record snow falls. The above video, caught on my trail cam, was taken when there was barely enough snow to bother with getting the plow out, but it was quite windy. I thought that it would be a good opportunity to make sure that the cab would hold up in high gusts. It did fine.
