[dellwas]

Anyone ever dealt with Bro-Tek? The company is next door to me in New Brunswick, Canada. Just bought a front and rear skid plate for my 2305, and I'll try and shoot some pics this weekend of it. Very well constructed and I sure do feel safer now that the plates are on. He also makes forks and a thumb as well. Site is primarily for Kubota, but accessories are also designed for JD:

http://www.bro-tek.biz/default.html

 

[tackit]

They look good on the orange machine and must work good by what customers had to say about them, but wouldn't heavy expandable metal allow for better air movement for cooling purposes? The machine pictured whole bottom was closed off, on a hot summer day I don't see how it could get enough fresh air to cool properly.

 

[dellwas]

Can't speak to the Kubota model, but the JD one has lots of space to allow cooling air. I'll see if I can snap some pics, won't be this weekend though, we're in for a nasty storm starting Friday into Sunday.

They look good on the orange machine and must work good by what customers had to say about them, but wouldn't heavy expandable metal allow for better air movement for cooling purposes? The machine pictured whole bottom was closed off, on a hot summer day I don't see how it could get enough fresh air to cool properly.

 

[tackit]

Can't speak to the Kubota model, but the JD one has lots of space to allow cooling air. I'll see if I can snap some pics, won't be this weekend though, we're in for a nasty storm starting Friday into Sunday.

I hope your nasty storm fizzles out dellwas, wind and water damage is bad news. This winter was hard one, I sure hope our spring goes easy on us..

I'll see if I can find the picture of the Kubota.

 

[tackit]

Heres the picture. if the center part was heavy expanded metal I think it would be better.

 

[dellwas]

They keep changing the damn forecast. Latest is rain to snow to freezing rain, then back to snow... Lord, I have a F350 plow truck, and the 2305 for snow removal, but I'm sick of it :lol:

I hope your nasty storm fizzles out dellwas, wind and water damage is bad news. This winter was hard one, I sure hope our spring goes easy on us..

I'll see if I can find the picture of the Kubota.

 

[dellwas]

Yeah, the Kubota is boxed in, the JD not so much so, expanded would be better for the Kubota...

Heres the picture. if the center part was heavy expanded metal I think it would be better.

 

[RandyM]

You guys must use your machines in some rough places? Mine is a yard queen and has no need of this heavy armor. :fed:

 

[tackit]

The roughest duty my machine sees is the ditches along the highway. I have to be careful, people toss all kinds thing out of their windows and trucks drop things too. Once I hit a 1" solid bar of steel about 18' long with the rotary cutter, man that was some kind of noise, good thing the blades swing and the cutter has a clutch.

The drive shaft and rotary cutter started shimmying to where I thought the cutter and drive shaft were going to come off the machine. I pulled the PTO, investigated and found the steel bar about 5' to the right front of the cutter, I then inspected the blades to see if they were bent which luckily they weren't.

I hit the PTO again and noticed the shimmying leaving the cutter and drive shaft. I think what happens the blades swing and straighten themselves out. I've hit stones, bottles, beer cans and lucky for me I thankfully saw what turned out to be a sex toy sticking up in the grass in time to avoid hitting it. I went around that thing for over a month... I've learned to be on the look out for things hidden in the grass but some get down in the grass so far I miss them. ray:

 

[dellwas]

Problem with the 2305 is that the tranny has a filter on it, really down low, prime candidate to get whacked. Also, the tranny fan can be hit by branches. Fan only costs $26, but it's a 9 hour job to pull the tranny to replace it according to the folks on mytractorforum and tractorbynet. I ain't taking no chances :lol:

You guys must use your machines in some rough places? Mine is a yard queen and has no need of this heavy armor. :fed:

 

[dellwas]

Ouch, that would've scarred the bejesus out of me. I don't do any mowing, but use it for snow removal. Also got an F-350 that I use. Never hit anything, but there is an interesting thread on plowsite.com, on what the guys have hit while plowing. One guy hit a body that someone whacked the nite before with a gun prior to the storm, or so he claimed....

The roughest duty my machine sees is the ditches along the highway. I have to be careful, people toss all kinds thing out of their windows and trucks drop things too. Once I hit a 1" solid bar of steel about 18' long with the rotary cutter, man that was some kind of noise, good thing the blades swing and the cutter has a clutch.

The drive shaft and rotary cutter started shimmying to where I thought the cutter and drive shaft were going to come off the machine. I pulled the PTO, investigated and found the steel bar about 5' to the right front of the cutter, I then inspected the blades to see if they were bent which luckily they weren't.

I hit the PTO again and noticed the shimmying leaving the cutter and drive shaft. I think what happens the blades swing and straighten themselves out. I've hit stones, bottles, beer cans and lucky for me I thankfully saw what turned out to be a sex toy sticking up in the grass in time to avoid hitting it. I went around that thing for over a month... I've learned to be on the look out for things hidden in the grass but some get down in the grass so far I miss them. ray: