Question about tractor hood

[WhiffySpark]

How hard would it be for me to make a hood and panels out of sheet metal for this? It set outside for years and they just fell apart. Deere wants almost $1500 to replace all the panels. Yikes

 

[WhiffySpark]

Can only upload one..

 

[WhiffySpark]

Last one... Thanks

 

[jhn9840]

Maybe find a parts tractor around someone is trying to get rid of.

jhn9840
John

 

[WhiffySpark]

Maybe find a parts tractor around someone is trying to get rid of.

jhn9840
John

They all have same issue. Cheap plastic junk

 

[vpd66]

All depends on how handy you are with sheet metal work. Some guys could knock one out that would look good and others would look like a cardboard box. I say get some 18ga sheet metal and give it a try! Take measurements and make a wooden buck to form the steel metal around and for a guide line. If your not happy with it your only out your time and a little money for the sheetmetal.

 

[KRB52]

^^^^^This.

Only you know what your time and talents are. Another thought is, are you "restoring" the tractor or "fixing it up." If you are going for a full restoration, look around for factory stuff. If you are fixing to use, make it yourself, do your best and run it. If it doesn't look "professional", who cares while you are mowing, hauling carts of stuff, plowing and so on. It's a working tractor.

 

[countryroad82]

It wouldn't be horrible to fashion something up that would look decent and be functional. If you want to blow a lot of time and effort (which if one counted their time it would be well in excess of the $1,500 JD wants for the factory panels) one can make an exact metal replica of the fiberglass parts you're replacing.

 

[WhiffySpark]

^^^^^This.

Only you know what your time and talents are. Another thought is, are you "restoring" the tractor or "fixing it up." If you are going for a full restoration, look around for factory stuff. If you are fixing to use, make it yourself, do your best and run it. If it doesn't look "professional", who cares while you are mowing, hauling carts of stuff, plowing and so on. It's a working tractor.

My dad brought it new in 2000 it only has 400 hours on it. Not restoring it I just want it to look better. I have a landscaping business and use it occasionally. He brought it for a tax write off they hardly used t

 

[kkroger]

Not Rocket Surgery if you have stuff to work sheet metal...
18 Ga or 20 Ga should work fine for that not sure of dimensions etc... or attachment but you will probably have to arch it or brake it or form it somehow unless you want to cut a bunch of flats and just weld them together in the corners. or something...

 

[KRB52]

Check local tractor or small engine repair places, Craigslist, etc., too. The JD dealer may want to sell you a brand-new one, just because he gets his cut out of $1500. Someone in the area may have a used one that will fit and work for a heck of a lot less.

 

[csp]

I doubt if anyone here knows what your sheetmetal working abilities are or what tools you have available.

Chances are since you're asking here, neither one are what you need to make it look good.

 

[kbs2244]

JD restoring/rebuilding is a huge small co industry.
Do some searches.
The internet is your friend.

 

[toplessHO]

what model is it?
hard for me to tell with a sideways pic
and my cords too short to turn the monitor on its side.

 

[WhiffySpark]

4400. Like year 2000 or so. Think I might give it a try

 

[brownbagg]

get a plastic 55 cut in half long ways and duct tape on

 

[DekeT]

They all have same issue. Cheap plastic junk

Deere has been making hoods like these from the early 1960s. Not CHEAP plastic junk. The 4400 model is at most 16 years old. Mine is in superb condition, they don't just fall apart.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Deere has been making hoods like these from the early 1960s. Not CHEAP plastic junk. The 4400 model is at most 16 years old. Mine is in superb condition, they don't just fall apart.

Google it. They all crack and split.

 

[Toofast28]

Google it. They all crack and split.

Only if you beat the day lights out of them... Between dad and myself we've had about 10 different Deere lawn/utility tractors with the plastic hoods. The only one that ever cracked is one we had a tie down come loose in the trailer and it hit the trailer wall.

You can crack them opening the hood if you're not careful, but they don't randomly crack on their own.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Only if you beat the day lights out of them... Between dad and myself we've had about 10 different Deere lawn/utility tractors with the plastic hoods. The only one that ever cracked is one we had a tie down come loose in the trailer and it hit the trailer wall.

You can crack them opening the hood if you're not careful, but they don't randomly crack on their own.

It hasn't been beat on. It's sat outside most of its life. Trust me I've been reading about it for the last 6 years. If tou keep it in a garage or covered it's probably fine. But this one and the countless other ones in a Google search aren't lol. Not much different than a dash pad cracking

 

[Toofast28]

Gotcha, ours are all garage kept. Hell mine even get washed and waxed.

 

[RM209]

Before starting from scratch, I suggest that you search eBay, Amazon and C-L; you might be surprised that you find a new or slightly used one at highly discounted prices. More and more auto and equipment parts dealers are using these alternative channels to sell their parts, particularly the older stuff. If that doesn't work, I think might be easier to find a similar hood from a similar size tractor and modify it; much easier than starting from scratch.
RM209

 

[hawkeye2]

Might be easier to find a metal hood from another tractor and adapt it to make it fit.

 

[vpd66]

I didn't know the JD plastic hoods were that big of a problem. My 1983 JD 318 plastic hood is in great shape, but I keep it in the garage when not in use.

 

[WhiffySpark]

I'm using this as an excuse to finally buy a mig welder. Probably a Hobart 140 nothing crazy. No need for 220

Now if only I can convince her to let me replace my compressor and get a set of torches.. Lol

 

[WhiffySpark]

Hobart 140 or the Rockwell multi one everyone likes?

 

[purplezr2]

Surprised you had an issue with the hood. We had a 955 the last place I worked. The tractor was started on fire twice sat outside all the time and was just used as a work horse and the only issue with the hood is that the gas tank rubbed through it in one spot. Tractor had something like 3 hours when I left in in 2010 and they are still using to this day.