# Brush Guard / Bumper for 1720 (or others)



## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

I made a brushguard / bumper for my 1720 yesterday. Originally I had light weight 1" x 1" sq steel tube fashioned into a sort of vertical bar type brush guard, and relied solely on the OEM bumper /weight attach bracket for a bumper. What I did not really like about the orignal weight attach bracket mount was that when you put those suitcase weights on it it extended the front of the tractor out pretty far. I realize the further out they are the more weight trasnfer they have, but I do not need all this extra length as every inch counts when I put my equipment up in the barn, and an inch or two can prevent me from closing the doors, so I made a new combination bumper/brushguard/weight bracket.

I removed that short stub frame the weights attach to onb the front of the frame and fashioned a new mount from 1/2" x 3" flat iron. I had acquired a length or two of oddball angle iron of 1 1/2" leg length and 1/8" thick that was was not made in the traditional 90 deg bend form but more at a 60 deg V shape. Since it did not ever fill any particular need due to its weird V shape instead of the L shape it laid around here for a few years unused.
I cut this V shaped angle iron into pieces to form vertical uprights, and welded them on a piece of 2" x 46" x 1/4" formed channel iron, bent into a shallow vee . I used my log splitter to form this shallow V shape. I then welded the vertical pieces of the V angles on top spaced at 3" apart and topped them with a piece of 1 1/2" x 1/4" flat iron also formed into a shallow vee to match the bumper shape. I also added shorter pieces of the V shaped angles to the bottom of the bumpers channel iron and also capped this off with a piece of flat iron. I used the original mount holes in the end of the frame to attach this new bumper and made the adapter for the frame out of 1/2" x 4" flat iron to match the original frame size. Now I can push something if need be, and not worry about bending this bumber. Where I bush hog is a dense growth of vines some of which are very thick and go way up in the trees, and these were forever getting past the original bumper and contacting the front axle and operators station floor panels, now that problem is also solved. I sort of fashioned this bumper assembly from those old bumper and brush guards that were found on old Ford tractors.

There is sufficient space on the bumpers attach points to hang additonal suitcase weights if need be, so I did not loose that capability, but after all was finished and before final mounting of this bumper, I thought about filling the entire channel section up with lead, so I fired up the crucible furnace and melted down a heap of lead and poured the entire front bumper full. Total of 140# of lead in additon to the weight of the bumper (estimate at 60#) gives me roughly 200# on the front now without any suitcase weights. Its nice and clean looking and gives more than adequate protection, and is heavy but has no visible weights on it. I also added a front mounted trailer ball to it as well.

Previously I had 4 suitcase weights on this front bumper in addition to close to 250# of lead(bolted on behind the suitcase weights ).

At the time I needed additonal weight for handling large round bales of hay, and was just to lazy to remove and replace weights when needed. Now all I need counter weights for is the occasional round bales of hay (I now use smaller round bales) and my bush hog. I'll post some pics when I get it finish painted.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*Chipmaker*

You get any pics of your brushguard yet?


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