Have you ever heard of a defective ROPS responsible for injury?

[Rustyiron]

Then there is this guy in another online forum...

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Flatter than a pancake also.
BTW I've never folded my rops.

 

[flyerdan]

I think that one of the reasons that manufacturers have such a hard-on against ROPS alteration is they have to consider the lowest common factor, the mouth breathing troglodyte who'll cut a big notch out for something without reinforcement, or shorten it and refasten with TEK screws instead of welds.
Properly done, any mods will be far superior to the factory work, and it isn't hard to match angles and cut the same amount from each leg to lower it and use the factory mounts. Welding in threaded inserts for mounting stuff would in no way compromise integrity; a piece of round tubing welded into through holes on square or rectangle tube will negate the drilling and prevent collapsing when bolting through. It just takes a bit of fussing to do it right, it's not that big of deal.

 

[ultrarunner]

Without folding could trailer in my enclosed trailer or park inside… folding feature important to me.

A large tree just happen to choose the precise time and moment of my passing on the trail below and hit exactly over the operator seat of my D3 Dozer.

I would not be here had the ROPS not protected me.

Had a hard time extricating myself and had to get a chain saw to free the dozer

 

[dfkrug]

I think that one of the reasons that manufacturers have such a hard-on against ROPS alteration is they have to consider the lowest common factor, the mouth breathing troglodyte who'll cut a big notch out for something without reinforcement, or shorten it and refasten with TEK screws instead of welds.

True enough. I certainly see the manufacturer perspective.

That's what happened with the infamous Kioti loader issue 15y ago. FELs were breaking, and the fix, provided by the maker, really needed to be welded. Who was going to weld it well enough? A certified shop? Well, that was going to be tough to arrange, so a factory-designed bolted-on compromise was offered, and sent to owners. Sometimes. I never got mine, but have not needed it.

Can't really count on the quality of those troglodyte welds.

 

[CalG]

That's certainly a tractor survival story like I've never heard before! Kinda sucks that it made your tractor unavailable though.

it's a good thing to have more than one tractor, just in case something like this would happen.

;-)

 

[number two]

Hey,there's always a reason to have more than one tractor!

 

[jyoutz]

I run the ROPS on the two tractors fitted in the folded position. So many trees and low branches etc.
I do sung up the seat belt on the hilly stuff. (keeps from de-activating the operator presence switch)

But

I have seen SO MANY admonishments not to "VIOLATE" the ROPS structure with drilled holes etc.

But, I've not ever heard of any ROPS failing it's intent. Or for that matter, a ROPS "saving " someone.
Of course, the news never reports the survival , That is just a trivial incident.

Anyone have any real life experience other than the safety cops . "ROPS are designed to protect" or
"don't do anything because you don't have a structural engineering degree" ?

I do know of a few people who have tipped their tractors on the side and walked away without injury. The ROPs prevented the machine from rolling completely over and they land on the side. Wearing seat belts prevented the operators from falling out and being crushed.

 

[Rustyiron]

I do know of a few people who have tipped their tractors on the side and walked away without injury. The ROPs prevented the machine from rolling completely over and they land on the side. Wearing seat belts prevented the operators from falling out and being crushed.

I think this is exactly why the rops towers several feet above the operators head, seemingly unnecessary and requiring the "folding" aspect to their design for the consumers storage convenience.
Imagine being belted in and rolling multiple times vs just laying it on its side.

 

[CaptPat]

The only time I've folded my ROPS was to fit the tractor into the garage. I trim everything up so I don't hit it with the ROPS or now the cab.

 

[HayFarmer]

My ROPS became a FOPS when a tree fell on the tractor while I was on it. Crushed the canopy down to the ROPS, but I didn't get squished. Was hard to get off it after!