never liked the ROPS now i have a reason

[SimpleSimon]

This is the reason my ROPS is down, and also no seatbelt. The land is flat here, but lots of trees! You could have been killed, but I'm glad you were not!!
Simon

 

[WinterDeere]

We keep the ROPS down 100% of the time on our eXmark mowers because if a tree limb grabs the ROPS it'll flip you over in a split second. Extremely dangerous.

I've done this. Thankfully, the one branch that was strong enough to not break when my ROPS caught it at speed, was high enough to not completely flip me over backwards. I did pop one hell of a wheelie at 11 mph, though... still not sure how I didn't break both front casters on the landing.

The second time I caught a branch was more like DaBear's situation, the branch clobbered me on the back and pinned me forward against the control levers of the zero turn. Left one heck of a road rash across my back, shoulder, neck, and side of my face.

I've never put the ROPS up on any machine since then, ever, for any reason. They are just flat-out dangerous, if you have trees. Terrible solution to a terrible problem, IMO.

Someday, someone will invent a retractable ROPS that fires upward like an airbag, when the machine detects rollover.

 

[DaBear3428]

I don't remember Orange Grove as being very hilly. Is there a need for the rops?

property is mostly gentle slope but i have hi-way frontage with a steep embankment to mow as well as a pond that i dig out when the water dries out in it, coupled with the huge PITA that folding that ROPS is i just leave it up, also i sometimes get carried away with pulling up trees with the FEL and it gets a little tipy. after this event i may re-think that.

 

[DaBear3428]

I've done this. Thankfully, the one branch that was strong enough to not break when my ROPS caught it at speed, was high enough to not completely flip me over backwards. I did pop one hell of a wheelie at 11 mph, though... still not sure how I didn't break both front casters on the landing.

The second time I caught a branch was more like DaBear's situation, the branch clobbered me on the back and pinned me forward against the control levers of the zero turn. Left one heck of a road rash across my back, shoulder, neck, and side of my face.

I've never put the ROPS up on any machine since then, ever, for any reason. They are just flat-out dangerous, if you have trees. Terrible solution to a terrible problem, IMO.

Someday, someone will invent a retractable ROPS that fires upward like an airbag, when the machine detects rollover.

MB cars had that tech back in the 80s

 

[kenmbz]

I have many little rolling hills, when carrying something heavy, rops up, set belt on.
When light and flat, rops down.

Rops has already saved me some head hits with falling branches and side swipes when the slope was muddy and I slid a bit.

With hills and rain gullies, the rops are required for me though in the woods.

It's a judgement call. I know plenty of people who have farmed on hills for their whole life without rops and still doing just fine.

 

[CliffordK]

shhh! still trying to talk the CFO into an AC cab.

You might also ask how much replacement glass costs, and the availability of the glass in the future.

 

[DaBear3428]

You might also ask how much replacement glass costs, and the availability of the glass in the future.

ain't that the truth, but shhh the CFO is looking.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I have many little rolling hills, when carrying something heavy, rops up, set belt on.
When light and flat, rops down.

Rops has already saved me some head hits with falling branches and side swipes when the slope was muddy and I slid a bit.

With hills and rain gullies, the rops are required for me though in the woods.

It's a judgement call. I know plenty of people who have farmed on hills for their whole life without rops and still doing just fine.

It's important also that you DON'T wear your seatbelt with rops down.

 

[SARG]

I call that operator error.
I have rops on a Ferris zero turn with a mounted TuffTop canopy ..... and then one day I "accidently" found the anchor cables on the power pole .............. that cost several hundred for a replacment.

 

[DaBear3428]

I call that operator error.
I have rops on a Ferris zero turn with a mounted TuffTop canopy ..... and then one day I "accidently" found the anchor cables on the power pole .............. that cost several hundred for a replacment.

no doubt, error #1 was leaving the limb in the first place. #2 not cutting it off on the several incidents where i hit it but no damage. #3 forgetting about it while cruising thru dragging the box blade.
I promptly fixed all of that on this one and any other limb that i could find. I have declared war on the Ninja trees.
I always hate it when those inanimate objects jump out and grab me.

 

[Ken]

no doubt, error #1 was leaving the limb in the first place. #2 not cutting it off on the several incidents where i hit it but no damage. #3 forgetting about it while cruising thru dragging the box blade.
I promptly fixed all of that on this one and any other limb that i could find. I have declared war on the Ninja trees.
I always hate it when those inanimate objects jump out and grab me.

Several years ago 20 close
Had a John Deere T model 40/ and a friend had retired needing to build a drive with box blade. and since I was traveling into Canada let him use the tractor. The next day after leaving the place received a call from his family that he had used the box blade and turning clockwise had run the rear tire up on a downed tree rolling the tractor. was found when the wife called him for lunch. had fallen under the tractor with the steering wheel on his neck. rescue came and had to lift the tractor to remove the body. Before ROPS and no belt.
ROPS and of course no belt either. Bad time to be traveling. Be careful the ROPS are there for a reason.
ken

 

[DaBear3428]

Several years ago 20 close
Had a John Deere T model 40/ and a friend had retired needing to build a drive with box blade. and since I was traveling into Canada let him use the tractor. The next day after leaving the place received a call from his family that he had used the box blade and turning clockwise had run the rear tire up on a downed tree rolling the tractor. was found when the wife called him for lunch. had fallen under the tractor with the steering wheel on his neck. rescue came and had to lift the tractor to remove the body. Before ROPS and no belt.
ROPS and of course no belt either. Bad time to be traveling. Be careful the ROPS are there for a reason.
ken

yes the ROPS is there to snag tree limbs and drop them on me, i spent my youth mowing hay in the hills of East Texas, nothing will make your @$$ pucker better than going over the crest of a steep hill driving on a pile of cut grass with a sickle running in part of your exit path.

 

[oosik]

I had a large, dead limb fall off one of my pine trees the other day. You could hear it falling thru the other limbs and the big "thud" when it hit the ground. It was seven inches in diameter on the broken end. Around 15 to 20 feet long.

Fortunately - all dead limbs will, normally, fall thru and within the foliage of the tree. This is an area where I can't go with the M6040 - it's just too tight. AND - I have no reason to be there anyhow.

 

[WinterDeere]

I was running a heavy 3-point plug aerator on a big side slope this evening, and thought of this thread. So, I put up the ROPS and put on my seatbelt. Then a half hour later, forgetting about the ROPS, I went under a big maple tree and caught the damn thing on a branch... which then whacked me in the head.

Didn't take long to reaffirm my stance that they're more dangerous than not having one, at least here on this property. It got folded back down, where it will stay.

 

[Runner]

ROPS really should have a warning sticker on them:
CAUTION - Risk of concussion while changing implements under folded ROPS.

 

[WinterDeere]

ROPS really should have a warning sticker on them:
CAUTION - Risk of concussion while changing implements under folded ROPS.

When I got my 3033R, I did that head bang thing a few times, before realizing their was a "half-cocked" position into which I could lock the ROPS, which kept it just above head-knocking height.

 

[Runner]

When I got my 3033R, I did that head bang thing a few times, before realizing their was a "half-cocked" position into which I could lock the ROPS, which kept it just above head-knocking height.

True, and they make a lot less noise from bouncing around when locked into that position too.

 

[dicktill]

Was REAL glad to have the ROPS and seatbelt this afternoon! Photo taken just after I started to winch it up. Massey Ferguson GC 1723E.

 

[TriMixDan]

Well, disabling the ROP system and omitting the use of a seat belt, provides the operator with an opportunity to remove themselves from the gene pool. However, as Americans, we currently retain the sovereign right to do so. Cheers

 

[kneedeep]

I have to trim limbs back almost yearly around the levee of my duckhole.
Any damage to my tractors and cab/top from limbs is on me.
Trim up or drive around?