Front/rear ROPS

[Fastball]

Excuse this relative newbie question...but what is the deal with tractors that have their ROPS mounted in front of the operator vs the more traditional spot in the rear? It looks like a loader won’t even go on the front ones. Is there a dfference? A reason? Advantage?
Just curious.

 

[Rustyiron]

My observation is that the front (center) mounted tractors are generally on narrow/orchard models and or articulated european machines. Good question, I certainly don't have an educated answer and am guessing it's (perhaps) a physical space limitation for the rops on narrow models.

 

[MHarryE]

ROPS requirement is to protect the DLV which if my memory serves me right is the Displacement Limited Volume. It’s a space in which the operator theoretically seated. How it is protected is then up to the designer. Visibility and structure are the most common reasons for the design. Large machines like the largest dozers have 4 post ROPS to get enough strength. Typically the rear corners hurt visibility the least but depending on what the machine is used for that can change.