B7500 upgrades

[alansz400]

Bought a B7500 3 weeks ago to redo my yard after getting a new septic system. It came with a woods rear blade and a mower deck. I got the yard roughed in going to finish it in the spring so I have been busy making stuff.


Bought the quick hitch at HF after fighting with the woods blade. Made the hitch to move my trailer.




Pull the pin out and the bucket dumps.


More to come

 

[mikkeeh]

Nice work!

 

[alansz400]

Finished up the hood protector yesterday. It should also work good to strap chain saws and gas cans on when cutting fire wood.
Front view


Rear view. It flips forward so I can open the hood.

 

[olthumpa]

I like the hood protector.
Could have used one a couple of times.

 

[mendonsy]

That hood protector is a good idea!!
I'm gonna have to make one of those!!

 

[ipz2222]

Just need some metal 0 rings off to the side for bungee straps..

 

[alansz400]

I like having my Hi Lift jack with me when I am in the woods so I made a mount for it. Welded up a angle iron box for the bottom to sit in and a clamp on bracket to hold the top.

 

[alansz400]

The last time I used the bucket to haul wood I was wishing I could get more wood in the bucket. So I made this. The ground is to wet to get to the woods but I will post some pictures the next time we cut wood. No more holes in my bucket made it to slide into the hitch on top of the bucket.

 

[alansz400]

Grill guard. 4 2x2x2 angle irons bolted on and then the metal with the holes welded to them. Not sure what the metal with the holes is from but its nice and heavy. It was one long piece that I cut in half and welded together.

 

[mendonsy]

You DO have a thing for expanded metal!!
I like it!!

 

[alansz400]

You DO have a thing for expanded metal!!
I like it!!

Its good stuff, light weight, strong, easy to work with and you can see through it. I just wish it didnt cost so much. That peice over the hood was $25.

 

[alansz400]

Installed a block heater today. Bought the 17mm hex socket from harbor freight. The plug was crazy tight. I ended up using my 1/2 drive impact and it took a lot of hammering to get it loose.



Had the heater Teflon taped up and ready to go, unscrewed the plug got the heater in as fast as possible. Its crazy how much antifreeze comes out of a 1 inch hole in 1/2 a second.



$55 with tax. I called 5 dealers all within 25 miles of me and got 5 different prices from $47-$58.

 

[mendonsy]

Had the heater Teflon taped up and ready to go, unscrewed the plug got the heater in as fast as possible. Its crazy how much antifreeze comes out of a 1 inch hole in 1/2 a second.

Maybe you should have tipped the B7500 on it's side so the water wouldn't come out??

My B7500 has survived being outside every winter without the block heater. It has started OK at temps as low as -5^F.

 

[alansz400]

Maybe you should have tipped the B7500 on it's side so the water wouldn't come out??

My B7500 has survived being outside every winter without the block heater. It has started OK at temps as low as -5^F.

Funny thing is after I got the heater in I was cleaning up the spilled antifreeze I found the drain hose with a real nice valve on it that would have prevented all the mess.

I plan on keeping this tractor a long time and I feel like the less cold starts the better.

 

[alansz400]

Filled my rear tires with washer fluid today. RKO had it on sale so I bought 33 gals. last night. I was worried that might not be enough so I bought 2 more today TSC while I was there I weighed a gal. I used 34 3/4 gals.



8.13 pounds


The local tire shop wanted $25 to put it in I was going to pay them to do it but I would have had to take my tractor to town and it just seemed like a hassle so I made my own pump. The pump is from a Ford Escort that I scraped and the fittings were $11 at the hardware store. I had 5/16 fuel line and wiring. It worked real good I would stop about every 4 gals. pull the brass plug out of the tee to let the air out and then keep pumping. When the tire got full I took the plug out to drain off the extra fluid. Took just over 2 hours but I was taking it slow on the first tire since I was not sure how much it was going to hold.


If anyone want to use my set up just let me know and I will mail it to you as long as you send it back.

 

[mikkeeh]

So does it feel more stable? I have ag tires on mine, and a home made weight box, and was considering loading the tires too.
Did you completely fill the tires? Ive been told that more than half full starts to be counter productive as the weight is above the axle and changes the COG.

 

[t33jetman]

alansz400

Great job on your Mods , nice tractor.

Hay, It was an unexpected pleasure running into and getting to know you at our TSC.

Thanks for the heads up on lewis at " Mohican Steel Fabricators, Inc. in Mohican , Ohio where to get steel plates. He really did me a soild on the prices. He just blew away Lowes and Home Depot on their prices for steel plates.

 

[alansz400]

So does it feel more stable? I have ag tires on mine, and a home made weight box, and was considering loading the tires too.
Did you completely fill the tires? Ive been told that more than half full starts to be counter productive as the weight is above the axle and changes the COG.

Yes I filled them to valve stem with the valve stem at 12 oclock. It was dark and cold out when I finished up last night so I didn't have a chance to try it out. Should be 260lbs. total. Do you have tire chains? That's going to be my next investment.

 

[alansz400]

alansz400

Great job on your Mods , nice tractor.

Hay, It was an unexpected pleasure running into and getting to know you at our TSC.

Thanks for the heads up on lewis at " Mohican Steel Fabricators, Inc. in Mohican , Ohio where to get steel plates. He really did me a soild on the prices. He just blew away Lowes and Home Depot on their prices for steel plates.

Nice talking to you. Keep wearing that Kubota hat and you will meet some nice people. Next time you are in Loudonville stop in and say hi.

 

[mendonsy]

Yes I filled them to valve stem with the valve stem at 12 oclock. It was dark and cold out when I finished up last night so I didn't have a chance to try it out. Should be 260lbs. total. Do you have tire chains? That's going to be my next investment.

I do have a set for mine, but I hardly ever use them. I guess it depends on the conditions you are working in. If it's really icy they are nice, but a waste of time for almost everything else.