Canopy. Are they good to have or not?

NHSleddog

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2650
Dec 19, 2019
2,149
1,823
113
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Lil Foot

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
7,281
2,232
113
Peoria, AZ
That is the route I will go if I ever get the time.
 

mikester

Well-known member

Equipment
M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,145
1,627
113
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
12,974
4,361
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
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!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

old and tired

Well-known member

Equipment
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

NHSleddog

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2650
Dec 19, 2019
2,149
1,823
113
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

armylifer

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
Mar 26, 2013
1,955
696
113
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,151
2,363
113
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

Active member

Equipment
BX2680 - PFL1242 - RCK54 MMM - Fimco 3PH Sprayer - Trailer Mover
Apr 28, 2020
281
106
43
VA
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Steppenwolfe

Active member

Equipment
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

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2680, LA344 with Piranha tooth bar, LP PF 1242, LP Rear Blade, KK 60" BB
Nov 15, 2020
1,047
514
113
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

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
1,383
1,652
113
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

UpNorthMI

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200, L3901, MX5800, SVL75-2, KX040
May 12, 2020
850
564
93
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

Well-known member

Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Jan 3, 2019
1,165
708
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!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users