Which windshield would you get?
- Thread starter mshaver
- Start date
Some say that glass is to easy to break if you are going into the woods a lot. Just looked at your personal info and as there isn't much there it doesnt give a hint as to how you will use the RTV.......
Some say that the plastic is good because it is cheaper, easy to replace, and tougher than glass.
Some say that taking the heat shrink wrap and making a wind screen out of that is adequate for a season........
I have had glass forever on my 05, go into the woods on a constant basis; but watch my speed and how I go through the brush and low hanging branches......No problems; but if you are perhaps the kind of driver or there is someone that will drive full throttle to the wall then perhaps glass is not such a good choice......
For me, I have ridden motorcycles for awhile with plastic windscreens and for me, I really don't like to put up with the scratches THAT DO HAPPEN no matter how you take care of it..........
So......I am sure others will soon give their two cents worth so good luck to YOU..........
and
Welcome aboard Bud.......God bless........Dennis
Some say that the plastic is good because it is cheaper, easy to replace, and tougher than glass.
Some say that taking the heat shrink wrap and making a wind screen out of that is adequate for a season........
I have had glass forever on my 05, go into the woods on a constant basis; but watch my speed and how I go through the brush and low hanging branches......No problems; but if you are perhaps the kind of driver or there is someone that will drive full throttle to the wall then perhaps glass is not such a good choice......
For me, I have ridden motorcycles for awhile with plastic windscreens and for me, I really don't like to put up with the scratches THAT DO HAPPEN no matter how you take care of it..........
So......I am sure others will soon give their two cents worth so good luck to YOU..........
and
Welcome aboard Bud.......God bless........Dennis
Heatwave
Active member
MSHAVER: The Internet returned this answer to your question:
"There are primarily two types of safety glass.
"Tempered glass is used to create entrance doors and other components in commercial buildings. It’s also used in vehicles as door, vent and back glass. During the manufacturing process, tempered glass is heated to over 1,100 degrees. It’s then shot with cold air, which forces the glass to cool very rapidly. That process causes the outer surface to become much harder than the inner material. As a result, tempered glass shatters into tiny fragments with rounded edges when it’s broken.
"Laminated glass is used primarily for vehicle windshields. Two sheets of glass are bonded together by a plastic inner layer known as polyvinyl butyral. The inner layer softens the blow when anything hits the windshield and prevents the glass from separating. That, in turn, reduces the chances that you and your passengers will be seriously cut in the event of an accident."
Unfortunately, I've busted out one Kubota RTV900 windshield. It musta been laminated, 'cause it exploded into a gazillion pieces, but they were all contained in slabs of broken glass held together by the plastic inner layer. So ... I think laminated is the way to go.
Plastic: no. First, it's going to scratch ... no matter how careful you are in using plastic cleaners and proper wiping procedures, it's gonna scratch. And it's gonna fog over in certain weather conditions, and when you wipe off the fog ... scratches. It's gonna get frost, snow, or ice on it, and when you try to scrape it ... scratches. You're gonna drive through the woods and tree limbs and branches are gonna smack the windshield ... scratches. Over time, the plastic windshield may get hazy from the thousands and thousands of scratches, scars, gouges, and other indignities it will suffer ... scratches.
Plastic works fine on my motorcycle windshields and helmet face masks. I use Novus plastic cleaner and it takes out all (or most) of the fine scratches. I also use Plexus Plastic Cleaner ... get it from Amazon.com or just about any motorcycle dealership. It's good stuff and easy to use, but still ... scratches happen.
I have the metal frame from my busted windshield. If you have access to a glass shop that can do custom work, you might could get them to cut a glass for the frame. If you're interested, we can probably do a deal. Shipping would be a royal PITA because of the frame's size and weight.
Good luck with your decision. I hope you enjoy your 900 as much as we enjoy ours. Happy New Year.
"There are primarily two types of safety glass.
"Tempered glass is used to create entrance doors and other components in commercial buildings. It’s also used in vehicles as door, vent and back glass. During the manufacturing process, tempered glass is heated to over 1,100 degrees. It’s then shot with cold air, which forces the glass to cool very rapidly. That process causes the outer surface to become much harder than the inner material. As a result, tempered glass shatters into tiny fragments with rounded edges when it’s broken.
"Laminated glass is used primarily for vehicle windshields. Two sheets of glass are bonded together by a plastic inner layer known as polyvinyl butyral. The inner layer softens the blow when anything hits the windshield and prevents the glass from separating. That, in turn, reduces the chances that you and your passengers will be seriously cut in the event of an accident."
Unfortunately, I've busted out one Kubota RTV900 windshield. It musta been laminated, 'cause it exploded into a gazillion pieces, but they were all contained in slabs of broken glass held together by the plastic inner layer. So ... I think laminated is the way to go.
Plastic: no. First, it's going to scratch ... no matter how careful you are in using plastic cleaners and proper wiping procedures, it's gonna scratch. And it's gonna fog over in certain weather conditions, and when you wipe off the fog ... scratches. It's gonna get frost, snow, or ice on it, and when you try to scrape it ... scratches. You're gonna drive through the woods and tree limbs and branches are gonna smack the windshield ... scratches. Over time, the plastic windshield may get hazy from the thousands and thousands of scratches, scars, gouges, and other indignities it will suffer ... scratches.
Plastic works fine on my motorcycle windshields and helmet face masks. I use Novus plastic cleaner and it takes out all (or most) of the fine scratches. I also use Plexus Plastic Cleaner ... get it from Amazon.com or just about any motorcycle dealership. It's good stuff and easy to use, but still ... scratches happen.
I have the metal frame from my busted windshield. If you have access to a glass shop that can do custom work, you might could get them to cut a glass for the frame. If you're interested, we can probably do a deal. Shipping would be a royal PITA because of the frame's size and weight.
Good luck with your decision. I hope you enjoy your 900 as much as we enjoy ours. Happy New Year.
Have Glass
Like my Glass.....
Now, a friend asked me just two months ago which one should he get. I told him just what I've told the forum. I like glass over plastic for you can't get the scratches out of the Plastic windshield. PERIOD !!!
So he decided to save a few bucks and purchased the OEM KUBOTA Plastic windhield.
HE HATES IT ......... HE HATE IT ........... HE HATES IT !!!!!!
Took a picture the other day when it was in discussion. Now he has a glass ordered which will be in this week..
Now, this man is very careful and treats his RTV with care. With that being said,
his plastic is still scratched up to hell and back.
This is just a small portion, his whole window is screwed !!!!
Post Script:
I know there is some reflections of some trees. But there is much scratches in that plastic, trust me !!!!
Like my Glass.....
Now, a friend asked me just two months ago which one should he get. I told him just what I've told the forum. I like glass over plastic for you can't get the scratches out of the Plastic windshield. PERIOD !!!
So he decided to save a few bucks and purchased the OEM KUBOTA Plastic windhield.
HE HATES IT ......... HE HATE IT ........... HE HATES IT !!!!!!
Took a picture the other day when it was in discussion. Now he has a glass ordered which will be in this week..
Now, this man is very careful and treats his RTV with care. With that being said,
his plastic is still scratched up to hell and back.
This is just a small portion, his whole window is screwed !!!!
Post Script:
I know there is some reflections of some trees. But there is much scratches in that plastic, trust me !!!!
Attachments
Heatwave
Active member
Two: I can't see the scratches in your photo ... but I can imagine what they look like. And I bet I could get most of those scratches out using Novus 2 and Novus 1 Plastic Cleaners.
One of the secrets ... well, not really a secret--more like just a proper technique ... is to wipe the surface all in one direction. You gotta get all the scratches going one way only. On an RTV windshield, you'd wipe everything vertically ... nothing horizontally and certainly no swirling wipes. When all the scratches are aligned vertical to your plane of view, they are just about invisible. And ... this is important ... as the sunlight moves across the sky, its varying angles of incidence don't highlight vertical scratches.
Our Navy aircraft maintenance crews knew how to do this expertly. The Navy provides liquid cleaner for aircraft windscreens and canopies ... sailors and Marines have a name for it, but this is a family forum and I shall avoid nautical terms of affection. They were masters and prided themselves on keeping windscreens immaculately free of scratches. Canopies were a bit more problematic and a devil to get to in some places, depending on type of aircraft. If scratches are missed, they show up as distractions during flight, especially during a lotta maneuvering that rapidly changes the sun's angle of incidence. And they really become distracting at night when all you see are a few guidance lights on the ship and you're trying to plant your bird in a precisely defined tiny spot on a solid steel deck. But those aren't problems we encounter with our RTVs.
Anyhow ... I could get your friend's scratches buffed out pretty well, and he can too if he follows the right methods. Whatever he does, don't let him try any kind of orbiting or swirling polishing/buffing gadget.
Lemme emphasize that: WHATEVER HE DOES, DON'T LET HIM TRY ANY KIND OF ORBITING OR SWIRLING POLISHING/BUFFING GADGET. Those things only produce scratches that are worse than the ones they're supposed to remove. They may ...MAY ... work OK on headlight plastic covers, but they're murder on anything the driver has to look through. Don't ever put one of those spinning things on your windshields.
One of the secrets ... well, not really a secret--more like just a proper technique ... is to wipe the surface all in one direction. You gotta get all the scratches going one way only. On an RTV windshield, you'd wipe everything vertically ... nothing horizontally and certainly no swirling wipes. When all the scratches are aligned vertical to your plane of view, they are just about invisible. And ... this is important ... as the sunlight moves across the sky, its varying angles of incidence don't highlight vertical scratches.
Our Navy aircraft maintenance crews knew how to do this expertly. The Navy provides liquid cleaner for aircraft windscreens and canopies ... sailors and Marines have a name for it, but this is a family forum and I shall avoid nautical terms of affection. They were masters and prided themselves on keeping windscreens immaculately free of scratches. Canopies were a bit more problematic and a devil to get to in some places, depending on type of aircraft. If scratches are missed, they show up as distractions during flight, especially during a lotta maneuvering that rapidly changes the sun's angle of incidence. And they really become distracting at night when all you see are a few guidance lights on the ship and you're trying to plant your bird in a precisely defined tiny spot on a solid steel deck. But those aren't problems we encounter with our RTVs.
Anyhow ... I could get your friend's scratches buffed out pretty well, and he can too if he follows the right methods. Whatever he does, don't let him try any kind of orbiting or swirling polishing/buffing gadget.
Lemme emphasize that: WHATEVER HE DOES, DON'T LET HIM TRY ANY KIND OF ORBITING OR SWIRLING POLISHING/BUFFING GADGET. Those things only produce scratches that are worse than the ones they're supposed to remove. They may ...MAY ... work OK on headlight plastic covers, but they're murder on anything the driver has to look through. Don't ever put one of those spinning things on your windshields.
Just a heads-up, that's the perfect stuff for all the orange plastic on the RTV (e.g. the hood). Don't use it on the black plastic.
BaiJiu
Active member
I've used the Novus products for years, it works quite well, it's a three step process and with arm power and a little patience you can get most of the smaller scratches out. I used it mainly on helmet visors and on my aircraft windshield. Pay attention to the directions and life is good.
I think glass is great for those who don't chase cows under and around trees and such with their machines. My work lights are always getting wacked and turned around with those goomer limbs. Sometimes, I have to dunk or else.. Imagine one of the shoot um up movies but with cows and limbs.. More than a few times large limbs have come in on me. Those cows know weak points and they are fond of dancing around trees when being cocky and not going where I want them to and where they want to... If I didn't do that kind of work, I would stick with glass .. for now it is open air for me...although much cold like is coming our way this week.. 11 degrees and .....well much of that and these short haired cows.. and me both would be out ....
Mark.Sibole
Well-known member
I had the lexon on mine for 4 years and it does get scratched.It was expensive.When i decided to replace it i looked at a lot of options and decided to weld a steel frame out of 16th thich by 3 inches wide steel.Painted it and took the frame to a local auto glass compny and they installed autosafty glass in it then i bolted the grame to the rops.Total cost for a quality windshield was 110.00.ill see if i can find an old photo of it on the board and repost it
Mark.Sibole
Well-known member
Pic links on an old thread with some of the mods ive done including the windshield
http://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13705&highlight=mark+sibole
http://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13705&highlight=mark+sibole
Well, I have a Lexan windshield. It's going on 10 years old and looks like new. I do avoid branches as much as possible but it's still clear (no clouding or yellowing) and I think there's one little scratch in it.
The Lexan I have has the Margard finish/coating.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23753
Excerpts from that link related to the product:
The ideal glazing for high traffic and high impact areas such as: educational institutions, psychiatric hospitals, storefronts and windows, low-level physical attack areas, entrance doors and patios, hurricane protection, railings and sound barriers.
10 yr. prorated replacement warranty against breakage, yellowing, abrasion, loss of light transmission and coating delamination.^ 15 year warranty against yellowing and light transmission for qualified dual glazed systems.** Virtually unbreakable.
The Lexan I have has the Margard finish/coating.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23753
Excerpts from that link related to the product:
The ideal glazing for high traffic and high impact areas such as: educational institutions, psychiatric hospitals, storefronts and windows, low-level physical attack areas, entrance doors and patios, hurricane protection, railings and sound barriers.
10 yr. prorated replacement warranty against breakage, yellowing, abrasion, loss of light transmission and coating delamination.^ 15 year warranty against yellowing and light transmission for qualified dual glazed systems.** Virtually unbreakable.
BaiJiu
Active member
Great job Mark.
Mark.Sibole
Well-known member
Thanks BaiJiu all of my mods on the 900 are here thrugh the pages as well as cvjoint repairs and rear u joint replacement.You can find just about anything excepr a liberal Democrate lol
Just a little FYI for any of you that have busted the glass on your Kubota windshields, Curtis Manufacturing (makes windshields and hard cab enclosures for Kubota) does offer just the replacement glass with new latches and hinges. You'll have to order through your Kubota rep. they don't sell to the public. When I get back to work I'll find the part number and post it for anyone interested. They aren't cheap but are less than a new windshield assembly.