Canopy. Are they good to have or not?

NHSleddog

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B2650
Dec 19, 2019
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Southern, NH
The cart roof I went with is for a EZGO.

canopy-roof.jpeg

I got it from a local golf cart guy.

I mounted it handles forward.

The install was a design/build. There is a channel that runs right across the back that I set on the ROPS and then propped up the front with a 2x4 down to the hood to get the height/angle right. From there I measured/made the frame for it to bolt to. It handles highway speeds without issue.
 
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Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
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That is the route I will go if I ever get the time.
 

mikester

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M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,603
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Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
I'd prefer a rigid OEM ROPS canopy that could handle the occasional tree branch and strong enough to mount folding mirrors and lights to. I wouldn't want an umbrella or flimsy golf cart canopy.
 
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D2Cat

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
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Mikester, the golf cart canopy that is from E-Z-Go are far from flimsy. I'd venture to say they are much more durable then any product sold as a tractor canopy. I have 4 other canopys and one from E-Z-Go. The E-Z-Go is a good size, strong, easy to mount and inexpensive. I paid $25 for the one I got and the man had a dumpster full of them. Said take any you want, and even gave me a couple tire gauges with the company name on them!
 
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old and tired

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L2800 HST; 2005; R4
...or flimsy golf cart canopy.
I can assure you they are not flimsy and will add that I'm very happy with how branches now glide over the top without any help - where I used to have to hand guide them over the ROPS... YMMV.

If by chance it does break... what, I'll have to spend another $20.
 
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NHSleddog

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B2650
Dec 19, 2019
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Southern, NH
I'd prefer a rigid OEM ROPS canopy that could handle the occasional tree branch and strong enough to mount folding mirrors and lights to. I wouldn't want an umbrella or flimsy golf cart canopy.
I had the beautiful OEM fiberglass canopy on my last tractor. It was cracked in a dozen places.

So far the plastic EZGO golf cart canopy just bounces back.

So in my experience the plastic one with a little give is much better if you will be dealing with trees and such. And it doesn't cost 900.00

I also have lights and a mirror mounted.
 
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armylifer

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BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
Mar 26, 2013
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Thurston County, WA
I just bought a canopy from a Yamaha Golf Cart dealer yesterday. It is hard flexible rubber and I am sure that it will handle tree branches much better than my Kubota fiberglass canopy did. I was able to use the Kubota canopy hardware to mount the Yamaha one. This Yamaha cart top is even a little bigger than the Kubota one was, so that is a plus for me. For the $20.00 I spent on it I will take it any day. As old and tired said, if this one happens to get broken, I would spend just get another one.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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North of Pittsburgh PA
I'd prefer a rigid OEM ROPS canopy that could handle the occasional tree branch and strong enough to mount folding mirrors and lights to. I wouldn't want an umbrella or flimsy golf cart canopy.
Hey! Do not bad mouth flimsy sun shades! I had great results using a golf umbrella attached to the rops of my BX2200 for a while...do not remember why I stopped using it, but it was not because of the shade it provided...
 

Joemonstermaker

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3901
Oct 10, 2020
10
3
3
Seattle WA
I ordered my L3901 with the top from the dealer. I consider it mandatory!
it gives you a place to put lights too.
I put eight LED floods on, two on each corner.
I have mine more because if rain than sun.
It’s very durable. I tow my tractor on the freeway with no issues.
 

PapaJ

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L2501 HST
Apr 28, 2020
284
107
43
TX
I bought mine with the "OEM" canopy, which is a BS angle iron frame with a fiberglass canopy painted orange. I sold if after my first time mowing, when it caught a low tree branch and nearly flipped me backwards.

Totally the equipments fault, and not fault of mine for not paying attention while mowing. Yeah, that's it.
 
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Steppenwolfe

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Kubota L3301, MX5100, RTV 1140, ZD331, KX-71, MX5400
Dec 22, 2020
156
88
28
Blue Ridge Mountains
I wouldn't mind the shade, and protection from rain. I also plow my property with my MX5800, and I get tired of the roll bar knocking the snow off branches, which then goes right down my neck.

That said, it's $525 and I want to make sure it's worth it. Do they work pretty well? Does it reflect engine noise back down and make things more noisy? I've noticed when I wear a cowboy hat on the tractor, it's much more loud than no hat or a baseball hat.

Any other opinions on a canopy?
I'm ordering one of these come spring for my mx 5400. The fan is an added bonus.
 

OrangeKrush

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BX2680, LA344 with Piranha tooth bar, LP PF 1242, LP Rear Blade, KK 60" BB
Nov 15, 2020
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Indy
I'm ordering one of these come spring for my mx 5400. The fan is an added bonus.
I like the way they mount, especially since I mounted my lights down where most of these tops brackets mount to. Easy on and off also! I just wonder how sturdy they are while running the machine with no other supports other than what’s mounted in those two uppers.
 

mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
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Kalamazoo, MI
I'm ordering one of these come spring for my mx 5400. The fan is an added bonus.
The fan costs nearly as much as the canopy itself. I'm opting for a salvaged radiator fan from a car for my cooling needs.
 
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UpNorthMI

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L3200, L3901, MX5800, SVL75-2, KX040
May 12, 2020
850
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Up North, MI
You mention hitting branches with your rops, I run my tractors mainly in a woodland setting most of the year and I had a canopy on one tractor, it’s great for field work in the summer, which for me is maybe 6 weeks, then I have to remove the canopy as I’m mainly in the woods and a canopy is a total liability. I will not add canopies to my other tractors, I will just keep wearing my wide brim hat!
 

nbryan

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B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Jan 3, 2019
1,240
773
113
Hadashville, Manitoba, Canada
I'm in the woods so much with my B2650, and on and off the tractor many times a session, that having a canopy would be a problem for me, not a solution.
I'm a year-round outdoor kind of guy, have good outerwear for all Manitoba weather conditions any time of year.
And I can just imagine fogging up the cab in -25C conditions, heated or not.
Keep your cab, it's rops for me!
 
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