Is the ROPS really needed?

[TomSeller]

I like the four post FOPS system........ runner rails going from front of the tractor to the top like some dozers have to guide branches up and over the top. .

Agree and agree. Surprised they are not more common options.

 

[CobyRupert]

It's funny to see all the "there are no accidents that can't be avoided! All accidents can be avoided if you plan ahead and take precautions" hubris on this thread and others. (There was a recent thread where the OP was injured.) No matter how smart, careful or creative you are in imagining what can go wrong, Mother Nature can and will be more creative in inventing a scenario you could of ever imagined.

 

[whis]

haven't read all the reply's but you really only need it if you turn over

 

[TomSeller]

haven't read all the reply's but you really only need it if you turn over

... BEFORE you turn over

 

[CobyRupert]

haven't read all the reply's but you really only need it if you turn over

Exactly! They are (the same as) insurance. You only need it if something bad happens. Otherwise it's a waste of money. And like insurance, there's also taking a risk because you have it (you may need the money for something else important, or could invest & self-insure and actually have that pile of money spent) similar to the risk of ROPS (hitting branches, barn door, head, etc..)

It's all a gamble folks. You're in the casino, there's no escaping it. It comes down to a combination of individual risk tolerances, the (perceived) odds, and the value you place on the opposing stakes. These are all things with no real concrete answers.

 

[Garycw]

Like the saying... Better to have it & not need it , than need it & not have it. The problem with the latter is if you need it & don't have it may be the last thing you do.
I wouldn't be surprised to see further development in designs to overcome some of the drawbacks.
I'd also like to see a retrofit bolt on design for all older tractors that would give owners a easy option to add.
Many people, myself included think that in a pre rollover situtuation , you could simply jump clear. We might get lucky, but believe we're fooling ourselves.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I've been reading the thread with interest. My B21 has ROPS/FOPS. I have had wheels lift off the ground. I have had stuff fall on the FOPS. I would never think of removing the protective parts and usually use a seat belt. Looked up some numbers this morning. Tractor rollover deaths seem to be in the range of 8-10 per 100,000 workers in the hilly parts of the country, and about 2-3 per 100,000 in the flatter areas. Skydiving, which most anyone would consider risky, has a fatality rate of about 1 per 100,000. So you could say, climbing on a tractor is quite a bit riskier than jumping out of an airplane.

 

[Baby Grand]

"Tractors are by far the biggest cause of U.S. farm injuries and deaths. rollover technology has made current machines safer, but many farmers use older models lacking safety features." Modern Farmer

Death on the Farm - Modern Farmer

 

[TomSeller]

.
I'd also like to see a retrofit bolt on design for all older tractors that would give owners a easy option to add.
.

Here you are

ROPS

 

[k0ua]

... BEFORE you turn over

Just before you turn over... no sense having that thing on there even a second longer than you need it..:laughing: