Rear Tractor Window Protector

While Jason Schmit and his brother were spreading manure on the family’s eastern Nebraska farm, a large chunk of rock flew and broke out the back window of the tractor. Schmit said that had never happened to them before.

“Out of concern for the safety of the driver and machine, we decided to invest in a protective device,” he said. Commercially available protective screens seemed reasonable, but the brothers were concerned about glare from the tractor lights after dark, and general visibility issues while switching from the spreader to the box scraper and back. 

Schmit decided to design and fabricate a screen with a hydraulically operated window panel using a program called Sketchup. 

For a better understanding of how to construct this unit, refer to the photo below:

Jason Schmit is the son of Paul and Corinne Schmit. Jason and his siblings, Melissa, Tim, and Nick are the third generation of a 500-acre crop and livestock operation. Schmit holds a degree in construction engineering. While he lives in rural New York state, he manages the farm’s repair and construction work, returning to Nebraska yearly to build projects. In the last few years, he has designed and built a steel tornado/safe room in a basement; a specialized pedestal lawn mower blade sharpener; and a pneumatic gate opener, for quick field access.

Schmit and his wife, Kristi, met while pursuing engineering degrees. They have been married for 14 years and have  three children: Maura (10), Giles (7), and Lucy (3). Besides raising kids, Schmit loves woodworking (he used to own a cabinetmaking business), welding and construction projects for the family farm, and construction projects for his church. Email him at jasonpschmit@gmail.com