Seat Cover for Excavator

I would like to get a decent seat cover for my 2005 Kobleco SK80cs = New Holland E80 CS, to help protect the seat bottom/high seat back & to make them easier to keep clean. I got the seat bottom locally re-upholstered a few years ago.

Does anyone have a good source for such a seat cover??

Some sources I've found on-line are:

• Ultra Seat Corporation in Alberta, Canada - https://www.ultraseat.com/cover-kits?regioncheck=t
• Jay's Equipment Seat Covers, in Eugene, OR - https://www.equipmentseatcovers.com/
• TractorSeats.com, in Renville, MN - https://www.tractorseats.com/p-783-km-high-back-truck-seatbackrest-cover-kits.aspx
• Diamond Saddle, in San Francisco, CA - http://www.diamondsaddle.com/products
• Covercraft, in Pauls Valley, OK - https://www.covercraft.com/us/en/seat-covers/carhartt-seat-covers

The Covercraft ones are the Carhartt fabric ones, & I don't know yet if I could order just one rather than a normal set of 2. They seem a little $$ as well.

I have used ultra seat before and they deliver a great product. But I’m not sure on the price compared to the others you have listed.

I have several from Jay's in Oregon and they are heavy duty. Also bought some Dickie brand off Amazon for cheap, they work well in the CTL's.

My seat back with headrest is about 28" high, which is usually considered a "medium back" cover, & after some more research & calls:

• I dismissed Diamond Saddle as presenting too little info, although the price was right at about $60.
• Covercraft does not/would not sell just one cover, had to be a set of 2, were sketchy on dimensions.
• Jay's Equipment Seat Covers didn't look bad, were called a "high back" at 28", were canvas, had one front pocket, seemed to use a slip over fit, & were $69.95.
• TractorSeats were called a "high back" at 28-35", were a polyester canvas, had multiple pockets, used side-lacing to tighten the covers, & were $119.
• Ultra Seat's cover was a "medium back", had the most complete dimensions, has a document pocket in back, uses velco straps plus elastic cord & "S" hooks to tighten, & was offered in cloth, or cordura, or vinyl, all for the same $137.33.

It seemed to me that Ultra really had the best system, & DefenderHD above liked them. Plus the toughness of cordura was something I wanted, so I ordered one in cordura (black is the only color). I'm waiting for a email from them with a shipping cost, & unless it's completely outrageous I will complete my order.

you can even go the extra mile and get your logo added to the seat cover. I know Finning the CAT dealer here as well as many other rental Companies all get their logo on them. it looks sharp.

Also our dollar works in your favour by allot right now.

An update while I wait for my seat cover, which has shipped:

• The $137.33 quoted price on the web was already in US dollars, so I don't think the Canadian dollar worked in my favor much...
• They have a warehouse in Oregon & Kentucky, & of course the cover I wanted wasn't in stock in Kentucky, so add on the ridiculous UPS shipping cost from Oregon of $42. So, this will be a $179.33 seat cover...hope I like it.

For the heck of it you should send me the part number and I can call and see what its worth in Alberta in Canadian dollars.

DefenderHD said:

For the heck of it you should send me the part number and I can call and see what its worth in Alberta in Canadian dollars.

Click to expand...

Part # is 350-100CK...

I got my seat cover, & it finally stopped raining (pouring!!) for a day, so I set about installing it.

The bottom was easy enough, it just slips over & on the seat, with a loop under the seat back that engages a "S" hook in an elastic cord that goes around the cover bottom. It could fit a little at the back of the seat bottom, but it is a "fits-all" after all.

The cover for the back is one piece that is supposed to just slip down & over the seat back. Why am I ever hopeful that any job will be easy??? First, I had to remove the arm rests, each of which were held on by 2 socket head screws. I think the screws were put in with a hydraulic torque wrench!!! It was all I could do to get them out without completely stripping the 5 mm socket heads!! I'll probably replace them with normal hex head bolts (that's my usual fix for OEMs attempts to put in "nice-looking" screws, but which usually get stripped heads on the way out!!

Next, I have to remove the head rest, which is the normal style on 2 slide rods that come up out of the seat back. But I can't figure out how to remove the rods from the seat back!! Does anyone know?? It's a KAB air-suspension seat, & here is a pic of one of the rods as it enters the seat back:

The rod doesn't just pull out (I've tried, that would be too easy), & it looks like there are notches in the inner ring around the rod. I thought that I could put a 2-probe spanner in those notches & turn the ring to unlock it. No luck...I'm afraid to turn it harder for fear of buggering up the notches. So how in hell do I get the rod out???

Use a wire or probe and push in at the notch as you pull up. It’s a safety catch so headrest doesn’t fly out if in a crash. One on each of the two rods.

John

Wilson892 said:

Use a wire or probe and push in at the notch as you pull up. It’s a safety catch so headrest doesn’t fly out if in a crash. One on each of the two rods.

John

Click to expand...

I tried what you suggested...nothing pushed in. I finally called Ultra Seat & asked how, & they told me that it is a characteristic of KAB seats that the head rests are NOT readily removable. The only way is to pull up or pry on the head rest until you hear the tiny plastic retention tabs built in to each rod socket break.

So, sure enough, that's what I had to do, & off came the head rest! Now it comes off & goes back on easily, which is quite handy when trying to work/clean behind the seat. I don't think my excavator will ever go fast enough for me to worry about my head rest flying off in a crash!! But, it certainly is an asinine design on KAB's part.

Now my seat cover install is complete. The bottom cover is a little loose, the back is a much tighter fit. The back cover has its own pocket built in, so I cut the original pocket on the back of the seat off. After that, I had to install the back cover once to mark the hole locations for the seat arm brackets (they are not pre-punched like the back rest rod holes), & then a final install after I punched holes in the seat cover.

Reinstalling the seat arm brackets was a bit of chore because you have to line up the hole in the seat cover with the hole in the original seat back fabric, with the hole in a metal spacer, with the tapped hole in the seat back frame, & then insert the M8-1.25x40mm socket head screw (2 on each bracket), all the while with you head jammed between the side of the seat & the cab glass!! A lot of line up with drift punches & such!!

But finally it's done. Here is a photo of the finished install. The seat cover looks gray in the photo (rather than black) because of the bright sun.

Does the cover have draw strings or elastic to tighten it?

Geeez that doesn’t look at all like a fit that I have gotten from an ultra seat product. They have always been perfect like your favourite pair of gloves. Next time I am near one I will post a picture

Welder Dave said:

Does the cover have draw strings or elastic to tighten it?

Click to expand...

Elastic drawstring on the bottom cover, & velcro flap under the back cover. The bottom cover is just a little too long front to back, the drawstring can't do much more because the cover is against the frame of the seat back.