Am I The Only One?

[DickS]

In spite of my own admonitions against a 'senior moment', I failed.

When I first purchased the BX-24, I measured to see if it would fit in the garage with the ROPS extended. The 7' door opening was about 2" too low so I promised myself to always make sure the ROPS was down when putting it away. Normally I use the tractor with the ROPS down because the ground is generally flat. However, I got tired of banging my head on it while installing the 3PT hitch. Sure enough, forgot to put it back down and drove into the garage. Damage to the garage and overhead door was minor and easily repaired. Had I simply raised the ROPS to the up position and used the friction knobs to hold it out of the way, there would have been sufficient clearance. But not superdunce. I had to insert the pins also to guarantee maximum height.

I just wondered if there are any companions in misery out there who made the same mistake

 

[Steve02]

Fortunatly, no I have not (knocks on wood desk). I too measured the height with the ROPS up and am also about 2-3" to tall. I've left mine down recently because I've not done anything that could come close to resulting in a roll-over. However in the Spring when I put it up to mow on some slopes then I too may whack the garage door.

Luckily there wasn't a lot of damage to your door (and hopefully tractor as well).

 

[Jimbrown]

yep me

 

[eanjay]

Never admit to 'senior moments' - that's when they think they should take the car keys away!

EanJay

 

[Ken_CT]

They other day I was rolling the lawn (I hate moles) and drove close to a tree. I wasn't paying attention to the fact that the tree had quite a lean to it. The tires made it by fine but when the ROPS hit it- wow. Those ROPS are pretty sturdy, I'm supprised it didn't take the tree down. Pucker factor = 10 .

Ken

 

[JJT]

I have 8' garage doors, but a few years ago I backed my L3710 into the garage with the bucket in the up position..... Needless to say I needed to install some new cedar trim. I then installed some decent lights on the ROPS, the bucket was up because the snow was too deep to drive with the bucket down and get any light from the headlights.

 

[spk64]

Been there twice I hate to admit. I am a new BX24 owner and really enjoy it so far. Now I just need to do something to remind me to lower the ROPS before pulling it into the garage. Lots of slopes so I really need it up most of the time.

 

[Dusty]

You are not the first, and you won't be the last. I have been careful and thought that it wouldn't happen to me, but it did. Realized that it was up as I was entering, but by the time that I stopped, I had kissed it. Now, I use the 9' door and don't have that problem. I am in the process of cleaning the garage, so when I am finished, I can enter from the rear of the garage and out the front. A drive through garage is a great idea if you don't put stuff in the middle to block it. Dusty..

 

[goaliedad]

This may be a very worthless idea, but it won't be my first....
we use to have a full size van and I found it hard to park it right in our garage- I hung a tennis ball from the rafters so that when the van was in the right spot the tennis ball hit the windsheild right on the rear view mirror mount. Worked like a charm. How about hanging a ball so that it is "in your face" as a reminder?

just a thought.....

 

[cabinfever]

I hate to admit it but I've been in a hurry and backed my pickup into the garage door ............twice. Once I completely forgot to open the door, the second the door was not all the way up and I clipped it with the topper. Fortunately neither incident caused major damage.
Everybody make mistakes, you just hope it's never you. The wife sure gets a kick out of harassing me about it though!
So far so good with not wrecking anything with the BX2350...where's that wood I can knock on?

 

[rdsaustintx]

I just wondered if there are any companions in misery out there who made the same mistake

Bud, it gets worse.

As soon as you repair the garage door trim, I can fairly guarantee you will turn too soon backing out (or in) and hit the side with the bucket.

We're all gettin' old (just some of you guys started earlier)

RDnT

 

[Volfandt]

No your not the only one
It's your tractor marking it's territory, kinda like it's right of passage
If whenever you visit someone and see the telltale marks above an overhead door you'll know a tractor lives there

They also like to make their mark via the FEL too! And this too is common.

Volfandt

 

[fishpick]

Bud -
A few weeks after I bought mine I "almost" pulled into the garage with the ROPS up - and saved the day... so while on a road trip with my wife I remarked about how smart and suave I was to have averted the disaster - I told her how I was going to make a sign to put in the garage every time I pulled out the tractor that in bright red letters said ROPS...
SO - couple days later - I'm out doin stuff - she calls me for dinner - I put it in H and come zipping around to park the tractor in the garage... strangely the front start to lift off the ground and the tractor pivots... as this new sound come from over my head...
Couple of points here -
1 - make the sign, don't talk about it.
2 - never brag about being slightly smarter than stupid - that's usually just luck.
3 - expect $$ you save in a jar as your "implement fund" to get quickly spent on replacing trim around the garage door when the equation include the wife...

Don't feel bad - sooner or later - I think we all do it...

 

[Toolguy]

I have a B3030. When I bought it I wanted the dealer to take off the folding ROPS and install the non-folding model. Both are available for a B3030. I don't plan on ever putting a BH on it and I have a lot of trees so the extra height would just be in the way. Well, the dealer forgot to change the ROPS and it was delivered with the taller, folding ROPS. Even with the 8 foot overhead door on my barn I still had to prop the door open even further with a 2x4 so it would be high enough to drive through without lowering the ROPS. No way would it fit in my 7 foot house garage. That did it for me. I had the dealer bring a non-folding ROPS to me and I changed it myself. Now I can drive through any door I have and get around the trees without worry. I knew if I had to raise and lower the ROPS all the time it would be down most of the time and not be doing it's job when I might need it. Bottom line is if you don't have a BH, I would figure out a way to shorten the ROPS so it can just be there and never need thinking about. I can guarantee that I would have hit my doors by now if I still had the taller ROPS. I have enough on my senior mind already without having to remember that thing sticking up behind me that is not right in front to remind me.

 

[Dusty]

Many of the tractors come with folding ROPS because the manufacturers know that they are going to be mostly homeowner use, and be stored in garages. They are also fairly low, unless there is a backhoe attachment. The BX comes with a low folding ROPS on all but the backhoe equipped one, but it still isn't low enough to get into a 7' garage door without hitting, unless folded. The ROPS has to be high enough to protect the operator's head. Dusty

 

[Doc_Bob]

Bud -
A few weeks after I bought mine I "almost" pulled into the garage with the ROPS up - and saved the day...

I lamost backed into my barn one night with the ROPS up. I back in at a very slow speed, first gear, 800 rpm. Missed it by inches. I am sure someday I will hit it. Just hope my slow rate of backward travel keeps the damage down!
Bob

 

[Atlas]

I have nine foot doors on my barn so that is not a problem for me. My concern is with the cab on my B3030 when I go around trees. I'm afraid one of these days I'm going to get too close and rip a light off or worse.

 

[CharlesP]

Perhaps windchimes attached to the center of your garage door or a cowbell tied to a stick attached horizontally to the top of the ROPS might serve as a low cost collision detector. :

Charles P

 

[chelebelly]

Makes an awful sound doesn't it.... made me wonder why the front wheels were coming off the ground. The only good thing about it happening, is that since then I have been very aware of the ROPS when approaching my garage.

 

[sactovalley]

The wife opened the garage door hi enough for her 5'2" body when I went through at 6' I figured it out. Ouch!