Here’s my grille guard mod on the B2650. At the local machine shop I found a piece of expanded metal in the “shorts” bin that looked about the right size and weight. $12 and some tax and it was out the door. Admittedly a little concerned at first about grinding and welding on a new grill guard frame it turned out a lot easier than I expected. To preserve the “mounting width” on the frame itself two pieces of “ready rod” with washers and nuts on each side of the four holes were used to mimic the actual tractor frame. Using the ready rod and nuts, I spread the guard framework a tad extra to allow for easy mounting. I removed the paint off the front edges and a spot by the mounting hole for the welding ground clamp. Laying the larger piece across the framework to see where the best use of the expanded metal could be made, I tried to keep as many of the full “diamonds” intact and centered on the framework. A small cut off wheel in a hand grinder zipped through the metal quite nicely after determining the shape. At first it was cut to the widest width and thereafter trimmed to size as it was welded into place. A very minor problem was getting a clamp to stay in place while bending the metal around the curves and down into place. But with a little fussing it went well. A spot weld at each joint on the frame and it was ready for cleanup work and paint. After all the dread and worrying, it turned out to be an easy afternoon project. Tools used: handheld grinder, mig welder and one large “C” clamp. Here’s the pics of the finished product.
But it sure is fun trying to do a little better each time!