Most cost efficent way to replace front glass (flat, for a JD 490D)?

[TreeHogger]

...searched for this answer in the forum - so my apologies if it's in here!

My front glass was replaced with plexiglass some time ago, and you literally can barely see anything though it... Of course this means that is a good template for a glass shop to cut me a new piece - BUT, is this most economical way to go? E.g., there may be an after market supplier that has them ready to go with the wiper hole etc.(?)

The machine is a 1990, John Deere 490D excavator, this is the main, front upper flat glass that is in the sliding window (the bottom's out too).

Also, in my search I located the term 'grey market'. What is this? (Sounds shady!)

Thanks,
Mark

 

[alaskaforby4]

"Gray Market" Is the term used for machines that were intended for sale overseas but were brought to the US. Not need to worry about your JD though as there are no John deeres sold overseas, just Hitachi's
Good luck on the glass, a glass cutting shop would be your most economical as anything from a dealer tends to be a tad more.

 

[CM1995]

A glass shop will be your cheapest way to go. I busted the front glass in my 321 a month ago and a local shop that specializes in equipment and truck glass cut it and installed it on site for $250. The glass from Cat was $250, of course I would have had to install it.

Grey Market refers to equipment made for markets outside the US and Canada that is imported here. The blue Kobelcos are a good example of grey market. There are differences in specifications, safety, etc. from machines built for our market.

 

[excavator]

Have your local glass shop cut a piece of safety glass to put in it and have them put the hole in it for the wiper motor. It came with tempered glass which shatters into a thousand pieces when hit whereas safety glass will just crack.

 

[CM1995]

Second on the safety glass. I still find pieces of tempered glass from prior incidents in the cabs.

 

[TreeHogger]

Ahhh - safety glass, makes sense - glad I asked.

Thanks!!

 

[eric12]

have you checked with the dealer to get a price to work off of? I've gotten glass cheaper from a dealer before surprisingly.

 

[TreeHogger]

Have not Eric - but will do, good to know as a baseline, as you say if nothing else...

Thanks!

 

[Delmer]

I assume factory glass is tempered, the stuff that breaks into a thousand pieces. It's a mess to clean up, but that stuff is incredibly strong. Does anybody know the strength of safety glass? is it laminated glass like car windshields that breaks easily? I'd spend double the money for OEM tempered vs laminated glass, just take a hammer to a junk car and you will too.

 

[woorarra]

I made my own windscreens for my Menzi Muck using lexan, pay $140 a sheet and cut myself using a vibratory cutting tool, work really well, also polishes up ok using a very fine polish.

 

[TreeHogger]

Hmmm, Lexan may work, if it really does polish up well... I like CLEAR viewing...

So Delmer, your position is that the tempered is less likely to break, therefore a better value, as the safety glass won't fall in a million pesky cubes if 'touched' by a branch etc., but will crack real easily?

Eric, priced my glass at the dealer, and it'd be $364 - FYI.

Mark

 

[Delmer]

So Delmer, your position is that the tempered is less likely to break, therefore a better value, as the safety glass won't fall in a million pesky cubes if 'touched' by a branch etc., but will crack real easily?

Yes, if you take a hammer to a junk car the side and back windows will be difficult to break (unless you roll down a window and hit the glass on the edge). The front windshield is relatively easy to crack.

I don't know if I'd pay $364, but you could check aftermarket maybe?

 

[CM1995]

I would bet that a local glass shop could beat $364 for the windshield.

Go with safety glass, the kind with a the film between the 2 pieces of glass. When I put the pine tree in the front glass of my 321 it basically "poked" a hole in it. The small pine was in a topsoil pile, the sun was in my eyes and I took a bucket out of the pile and wham! The tree shot up and then down on the glass, didn't come horizontally but vertically down. To be honest I didn't see it and don't really know how it happened.:beatsme

Anyway, the glass stayed intact except for the hole. There was some slivers on me and in the cab but nothing like the little glass pellets from tempered glass.

 

[grandpa]

Yeah right CM...... I wanna know what ur grandpa said....??????:falldownlaugh

 

[smithfarms4@hot]

JUNIORS Parts in Michigan. I bought both top and bottom glasses thru them for a 690E for about 200.00. Picked them up at A&I parts warehouse in Merryville In. and put them in myself

 

[typ4]

There is NO d model aftermarket glass, there is E model. we have several of both and Ive been thru this. factory glass is stupid expensive.
Just trying to save some time for you.
Also , if you have a wiper that works ,that is amazing. We use lexan and the guys always have the window up anyway rain or shine.