As swish as modern tractors are, there’s always room an upgrade or two. James Andrews eyes up a few options, some purely functional and others a little more frivolous…

Stainless-steel mirror guards

Smashed cab mirrors are one of the perils of driving along narrow tree-lined roads.

But investing in a set of guards can help fend off wayward branches and other solid obstacles.  

Tom Lee of Devon firm Agri-Guards offers custom stainless-steel options to suit any make or model of tractor.

Polished raw metal is the standard finish, but buyers can opt to have them powder coated in a colour of their choice or have a bespoke vinyl wrap applied.

See also: Tractors: where are they made?

Flags are a popular wrap option, as well as company names and logos. Prices start at £150 for basic guards, with extra for painting and wrapping.

Also in the Agri-Guards product line-up are front fender spray guards that prevent mud and water flicking off the wheels onto the windows and bonnet.

They’re made of stainless steel and include a brush that wipes the tyre lugs clean as they turn.

Spray guards are built to order to suit the measurements of each fender, with prices starting at £150.

Other products offered by the firm include £35 side plates to create seat-side storage on John Deere tractors, tailor-made rubber and carpet mats and a range of LED marker lights.

Tom also makes laser-cut tow ball guards for pickups and 4x4s.

Nifty interior storage

They might be getting better, but most tractor cabs are still wanting on storage space, particularly for operators who virtually live in their machines.

Will Jones of Shropshire-based Fold Agri has been on a mission to correct that, with a collection of cleverly designed storage units that integrate seamlessly into the cabin.

A few of these are brand- and model-specific, but most are universal, meaning they can be transferred between machines.

Popular items include the XL pillar mounted storage box, which makes the most of the dead space between the accelerator pedal and front right cab pillar.

This is fashioned out of 2mm folded aluminium with a black powder-coat finish and features a large main storage area, plus a shallow top tray for smaller items.

The contents are kept secure thanks to a double-hinged lockable lid and it has a limpet-like 150mm suction mount to hold it in place.

Prices range from £144.20 to £192 and it’s compatible with 6R-Series John Deere tractors, Case Puma and New Holland T6/T7, and Claas Arion and Axion models.

Another neat item is the £134 boot container and storage cubby. This sits at the top of the steps, securing to the windscreen with a suction cup, and features a chequer plate boot tray and open-topped storage container.

Also in the range are holders for bottles of cleaning products, front pillar- or windscreen-mounted storage trays with integrated cup holders, and plates that convert the seat-side floor area on John Deere tractors into useful storage.

There are some neat tablet and phone holders too, plus a security device that allows John Deere Starfire receivers to be locked to the cab roof.

Tailor-made bonnet covers

Tractor paintwork has been kept fresh with many a makeshift guard over the years, but few will be as slick as those offered by Cunningham Covers.

The County Londonderry firm’s tailored PVC bonnet protectors are custom-made to hug the contours of the metalwork and they have holes in all the right places to ensure proper air flow and lighting.

They come in a range of colours to match the tractor’s original paintwork and, because they’re printed in-house, buyers have the option of adding their own text and branding.

Templates exist for a wide range of tractor models, but designers can make bespoke versions to suit any make, model or age of machine. A handy measuring guide is provided to help with this process.

Prices vary according to the complexity of each job, but a standard-spec bonnet cover costs about £450. For those who want even greater levels of protection, rear mudguard covers are available too.

Suction cup window guards

Smashed windows are costly and mightily inconvenient, so it makes sense to protect them when carrying out tasks involving flying debris.

Tractor Guard’s clear polycarbonate offerings claim to be 200 times more impact resistant than glass and come in a range of shapes and sizes to suit most makes and models of tractor.

They’re simple to fit, attaching to the glass using suction pads, with elasticated cord that loops around the inside of the pane for added security.

Prices vary according to the type of tractor, as some are more complex than others.

As a guide, a protector for a standard-sized door comes in at £350, with larger versions for four-pillar cabs about £400.

The firm also offers mirror, bonnet and wheel protectors made of the same material.

Bolt-on window guards

Fashioned out of tough 3mm polycarbonate sheet, cab glass protectors from Applied Protection Guards are designed to fend off projectile sticks, stones and wire.

The Cab Guard Highway Plus is the firm’s most popular offering, affixing to glass using semi-permanent brackets that clip around the edges of the pane, underneath the seal.

Guards then screw onto these using hand-tightened nuts, giving them a secure connection while allowing them to be removed quickly and easily.

Each guard is custom made and priced accordingly but, to give a rough idea, a panel to protect a four-pillar New Holland or Case IH cab door is £336.

Older tractors with framed doors are also catered for, with a version that attaches using suction cups, and the firm offers small guards to protect mirror glass.

Stainless steel exhaust guards

Exhaust guards might serve the practical purpose of preventing operators getting singed, but they’re also an opportunity to make a statement.

Mirror-polished stainless steel versions from Aberdeenshire outfit Stellar Engineering fall firmly into the latter category.

These are custom made to suit any tractor and are available with a laser-cut logo or text of the buyer’s choosing. Prices start at £200.

LED light upgrades

Ropey lights make night-time working more tedious than it needs to be, so a gloom-lifting LED conversion can often be a worthwhile investment.

Many options are available online, but Cheshire-based UTV products offers a plethora of units designed specifically for agricultural vehicles.

Lights are available individually, for those who want to upgrade gradually, as well as in kits to replace every light on a machine.

Popular sellers include the 90W round UTV369 work light which puts out a punchy 7,200 lumens, and its square UTV322 counterpart.

These cost £99.50 and £95, respectively, and are most commonly used as belt line or cab roof-mounted work lights.

The £240 UTV332 is a road-legal combination that includes high- and low-beam headlights, a daytime running light and amber turn signal in one unit.

These are commonly fitted to self-propelled sprayers and telehandlers.

Examples of kits to convert an entire tractor include the R-Series John Deere pack, which comes in at £1,560 for all work lights and headlights. A cheaper kit with work lights only is £1,290.

Customisable mounts

If there’s a device that needs securing in a tractor cab, chances are Ram Mounts will have a gadget to hold it firmly in place.

Scores of components and kits are available, featuring attachment methods from suction cups and clamps to adhesive pads and bases that fit into a cup holder.

A popular phone holder kit is the £71.99 Quick-Grip XL with Twist-Grip suction cup mounting.

This has a spring-loaded holder that allows the phone to be attached and released single-handedly, and comes with an adjustable arm so the operator can angle it to their liking.

For heavier items such as control boxes and tablets, there’s a mounting bracket with three suction cups that can be teamed with many attachments.

These include the Tab-Tite range of tablet holders with sprung securing cups, priced at about £38.

Most products in the Ram Mount range are interchangeable, so parts can be swapped around and upgraded as needed.

In-cab cleaning products

Step into the workspace of a cab-proud tractor operator and chances are you’ll find a holder full of cleaning products on display.

Chrome North West is one of the leading brands in this market, manufacturing a comprehensive array of products from its base in Sandbach, Cheshire.

Popular tonics for in-cab sprucing include Grassmen Green, which is sprayed sparingly onto interior surfaces and wiped away with a cloth to gently lift grime.

Mega Clean is a tougher cookie, removing oil, grease and nicotine from interior and exterior surfaces, as well as acting as a pre-spray applied via a pressure washer.

Super Fabric Cleaner and Window and Glass Cleaner are other common products found in tractor cabs, which do exactly what the names suggest.

Prices for most products start at £7 for a 500ml spray bottle with larger qualities available for topping up.

Holders to keep three or four bottles secured neatly in the cab are £15.99 and £17.99, respectively.

Full-coverage mudguards

Chafer’s handy mudguard extensions hook on to the three-point linkage and intercept mud flying off tyres before it can cake trailed sprayers and other implements.

The simple design consists of a metal frame with large rubber flaps that reach almost to the ground. They cost £771 and can be adjusted to suit different track widths.

Agriweld offers a similar item – featured in the 26 January FW – which cost £670.

These offer height and width adjustment and come in a range of colours. Buyers can also have a name or logo of their choosing laser cut into the metalwork.

Custom seat covers

Fitting a cover might keep tractor seat fabric in fine fettle, but many are ill-fitting and need constant rearranging.

There are a few slicker options, though, such as those offered by County Londonderry firm Car Seat Covers Direct.

These are tailor made to give a snug fit so that there’s no movement or uncomfortable bunching during use.

Top-of-the-range fabric options – to suit Grammer Maximo Dynamic seats – cost £160 and come in a range of colours with branding to match the tractor.

Matching passenger seat covers are available for an extra £100.

Waterproof leatherette versions can be had for the same price, as can versions with half leatherette and fabric.

There’s also the option of waterproof canvas covers which come in at about £120 for a driver and passenger set.

Buyers can pick from the firm’s existing patterns or come up with their own custom design. Covers for more basic seats start at about £65.

Hand wash station

Hand washing facilities are generally non-existent when working away from home, which is where the Danish-made Shoulder Sink comes in.

This compact kit can be mounted in a van, pickup, tractor or combine, allowing quick off-site clean-ups without relying on access to mains water.

Slotted into the box is a 4.7-litre cold water tank, which begins to pour steadily through the gravity-fed nozzle of the flexible hose – the sort you would typically find supplying coolant to a lathe – as soon as it is nudged below the waterline.

The beauty of this setup, say Shoulder Sink, is that it can be operated using an elbow, avoiding touching anything with mucky hands.

And because it works without an electric pump or heater element, it’s as simple as it gets.

The company reckons it could last for upwards of 30 washes if users are economical with the water.

Also housed in the unit are two dispensers, for soap and lotion, sanitiser or sunscreen, and it comes with a powder-coated steel mounting bracket. It can be purchased through several retailers for about £225.

12V heated lunchbox

There’s nothing like a piping hot meal to lift the spirits when clocking up the hours away from home.

This isn’t always easy to achieve in a tractor cab, but a simple 12V heated lunch box provides a simple solution.

Click away on Amazon and scores of options pop up, one of which is the HeatsBox heated lunchbox.

Sitting at the pricier end of the spectrum, it’s made by Swiss company Faitron and comes in both plug-in and battery-powered versions.

All models will heat a meal in 15-25 minutes and the higher-grade versions can be controlled via a phone app.

The Style + model can be found online for about £80 and features a 1,200W element capable of warming food to 80C. This can be plugged into the mains or a 12V socket.

Meals are held in a 925ml stainless steel container sealed with a leak-proof lid and an LED indicates when food has reached the desired temperature.

Pairing the lunchbox to the app allows users to control the temperature food is heated to and set a timer so that it is ready at a specific time.

Upgrading to the battery powered Heatsbox Go removes the need to plug the box in and it holds sufficient charge to heat up to two meals.

12V coffee machine

For those who like a decent cup of coffee, a lukewarm flask of instant just doesn’t cut it.

That’s where portable handheld coffee makers such as the Handspresso come in.

These are available in various versions to suit either conventional-style Senso pods, Nespresso-type capsules or regular ground coffee.

There are 12V versions designed specifically for use in vehicles, as well as a battery powered model that holds enough charge to produce five espressos or three regular coffees.

The Handscoffee Auto, which works with Senso pods, is the cheapest 12V version at £99. All the user needs to do it is plug it into a 12V socket, load a capsule, fill it with water and turn it on. An 80ml coffee will be ready in four minutes.

Kits are also available, such as the Nespresso-compatible Handspresso Auto, pictured, which can be found for £216.50, including a carry case, two cups and storage space for sugar and spoons.

Bluetooth on a budget

Bluetooth streaming of music and podcasts might be a given on modern tractors, but for those running older kit a crackly radio is often the only entertainment on offer.

There is a cheap way to get similar results, though. Devices such as the pictured Kitsound MYFM3 simply plug into a 12V lighter socket and use both Bluetooth and FM radio to stream sound from a phone to the vehicle’s speakers.

All the user needs to do is pair their phone or tablet to the device, select an unused FM channel and tune their radio to the same frequency.

This model has USB and USB C sockets so other devices can be charged while it’s plugged in. It’s priced at £25.

Air horns

Nothing gets you heard like a set of air horns. Kuda Automotive seels a range of horns and kits including 24.5in Hadley twin round units. Black powder coated, they cost about £320, including a 12V fitting kit.

This includes 6m of air pipe, a few fittings and a 12V solenoid. For tractors with air brakes, the horns can be tapped into the supply, avoiding the need for a separate compressor.

When wiring up, it’s sensible to fit a separate button so the original horn can be used for more subtle toots.