How to Repair your tractor seat DIY

This is a DIY video on how to rebuild your tractor's seat starting with the steel frame, adding foam, adding vinyl.
The seat used for this demonstration is from a 1973 Bolens Husky 1556 which is of fairly typical construction; seat back plate to which molded foam is glued, which is covered in vinyl. Over time, the steel rusts, letting go of the foam, and the vinyl wears, tearing and letting the elements into the seat.
The quick and dirty:
Remove all the old foam and vinyl.
Clean all the rust off the steel seat.
Cut 2" foam to the contours of the steel seat.
Glue foam to steel seat.
Cut new vinyl into shape of seat.
Glue Vinyl to foam.
Resecure the vinyl to the steel seat.
It's that easy...some notes...you an never leave too much extra, but you can cut too much.
This is my first time totally reconstructing a seat. I have glued the original foam/vinyl back on the steel plate before but that was more of a repair instead of replacement of materials.

[@isaachenry902]

Awesome video. I'm in the process of redoing my mower seat and this video was key for me taking the project on. Two things I did different was use 3m 80 spray adhesive to give a stronger bond, and also glue the entire foam section to the seat without trimming before hand. I then used a expandable box cutter that has the break away blades, set it to the max, and cut the excess foam from the seat using the contour of the seat from the back as a guide. It gave me a really clean cut. Thanks again !!!

[@dontknowdad4039]

I appreciate this video....needed to rehab my Dad's John Deere seat and this was golden!

[@mrstanskaggs1]

Just a thought.. In another video I watched on redoing a motorcycle seat, they put the vinyl in a tumble dryer for a few minutes and it made the material really easy to manipulate because it was more fluid. Not sure if it will help in your case, but would seem to help in forming into the seat shape in the crack where your bottom goes... Good job on your video!

[@t.d.mich.7064]

Try cutting the upholstery into 2 pieces, overlapping the top on the bottom piece about a 1/4 of the way of the back, gluing the seam or even sewing it together. That should get rid of the puckering at the corner. Using a heat gun to warm the vinyl and stretching it into place.

[@Turbo231]

Yes, that would no doubt work better.

[@Turbo231]

Thank you. What I needed to do was weld a small plate where the seat bolts connect to the bottom of the seat. If you grabbed the seat and pulled up hard enough, you'd rip them right out. I wanted to just get the thing covered as cheap as I could and as fast as I could. I think it was $7 for the foam, $10 for the vinyl, and $11 for the glue. I have enough vinyl and glue to actually do another seat.

[@pauriclawler3340]

Thank you for a good life lesson that will help me to restore machinery

[@Turbo231]

Sure thing.

[@MsLorisM]

Happy to see your video is still up. My old John Deere will be given this seat treatment soon. Thank you.

[@Turbo231]

Old but awesome!

[@mwithrow6778]

for a better smoother cut you can use an electric knife they work really good on cutting foam.

[@geronimotudor3386]

You can use a steamer like professional upholsterers (steam iron) do for stretching edges or in this case a heat gun.

[@Turbo231]

You could, it doesn't really matter, however if you glue it down and then mess up, you're busy ripping out what you just did. This way you cut it, if it's great you glue it, if you need to do it again, then so be it. As for the other items, yes, but I don't own those, The foam will be hidden by the fabric anyways so a great cut really isn't required.

[@Turbo231]

I saw your tractor...very neat. I was wondering, are there special mounts on the engine or transaxle made of rubber, hence the "Vibra-Mount" name?

[@drjones5039]

Great video!! What was the fabric called that you used and where did you get it? I have an old cub cadet seat that needs to be fixed.

[@Turbo231]

Upholstery Vinyl and most fabric specific stores will have it in several colors.

[@drjones5039]

Turbo231 thank you!!

[@brokkenstar]

Hey, I got the same tractor, and same seat! Howdie from Schenectady, N.Y.

[@tfehlen167]

cut the foam with an electric bread knife.if you are short on the foam glue on some waste form and trim with the electric knife.pleat the corners and where the wrinkle is in the seat

[@chortiz11]

Where did you buy your vinyl at?

[@markosalomaki5835]

Thanks vid

[@grandtheftauto5online-funn524]

Nice vid

[@Turbo231]

Well, given I'm not a professional, good guess. Better then it was.

[@budthomason8890]

An electric knife works great on foam.

[@Turbo231]

@chortiz11 Local fabric store.

[@TheCubanMan728]

yep there is rubber... i saw them, then figured out what vibra mout meant..lol

[@TheCubanMan728]

Cool! i know how to fix my seat on my yardman tractor now...LOL... i also painted my tractor too. check out my 2 vids of my tractor if you got a chance. my tractor just needs a new seat to make it look better. i took pictures of it transformation..LOL

[@garybrownfie]

Not very professional looking.

[@mikespain8655]

Polishing a turd.