replacement rops for jd2305

[meb9796]

Anyone know where I can get my hands on a fold down rops for a jd2305. I 'kinda' modified mine in the hopes of 'making' them fold down, but have been unable to find the proper bracket. I realize the importance/need for the rops, but I have way too many low handing limbs on my property, and it was a pain to mow or move through the woods.

 

[kennyd]

FEMCO, Inc. makes one, give them a call

 

[ChuckinNH]

I've heard that the ROPS from a 2320 will work, but one dealer told me that it would not...... Could be that he didn't want to alter a factory setup.

 

[raykos]

Hi meb9796,

I,too, am interested in a foldable ROPS for a 2305, but unfortunately I can't afford to spend a small fortune for one. When I bought my 2305, it wouldn't fit into my 'tractor shed', and I acutually had to raise the door header up 4"! This is one of the areas where John Deere is proving to be somewhat of a disappointment with their attitude. Every dealer I talked to has said the same thing, both the dealers and the customers have all been clamoring for a foldable ROPS, but John Deere won't budge. I think they're terrified of legal/insurance issues if someone were to have an accident with the ROPS folded down, and then sue John Deere because the ROPS was folded. Yes, I agree how could JD be held responsible, but lets not forget the infamous "McDonald's coffee" case!

My dealer said that I should hire a "certified ROPS" welder, but when I talk to some welding shops they say "huh?". And, the dealer is also reluctant to recommend a welder, again, because of legal issues!

I guess John Deere doesn't care, because they must not be losing any business because of the foldable ROPS issue; but if people keep on posting about how disappointed they are about JD not having a foldable ROPS, there may be others who are considering buying a competitors brand and the foldable ROPS issue just may sway them to the competitor. If I would have known I was going to have to raise my door header 4", I just may have gone with the Kubota BX2400!

Ray

 

[raykos]

Hi meb9796,

After responding to your post, I did call FEMCO and the price was $299 plus S&H, but again there's the legal/insurance/warranty issue to consider. Also, there was another member who had a video of his 2305 posted on YouTube and it had a foldable ROPS. When I sent him a PM this was his response:...I'm posting this after asking his permission if I could do so:


"Hello 'kvjohndeere',

I, too, have the JD2305 but my dealer said it wasn't possible to
get it with folding ROPS; yet, yours does have one? Did you have
someone do that for you or is it possible to now get a foldable ROPS
from JD?

Thanks,
Ray

I got mine From my dealer it is A John Deere 2320 ROPS yes you can
do it but it cost me an extra 700.00 so yes it is possible ! you have to
sign a waver ! Because they altered the original equipment ! Take
care write back anytime !"



So, even though John Deere DID THE WORK, and with THEIR PARTS, he still had to sign a waver!!


Ray

 

[Ductape]

The Femco ROPS meets or exceeds OSHA and SAE standards (according to their site). This should resolve any fears you have about their product. They've had to pay attorneys lots of money to be able to sell this product with those claims. If in fact it can be purchased for $299, there is no point in trying to have a welding / fab shop try to modify your original ROPS.

 

[newt92]

A welding shop will be more money to build or modify what you have than the $299 plus shipping.

 

[Ductape]

A welding shop will be more money to build or modify what you have than the $299 plus shipping.

Exactly my point ! Lets even assume a welding shop was going to be $50, or even $100 less. How much is your life worth ? I'm not a safetycrat by any stretch of the imagination, heck i even own and operate a pre-ROPS tractor. But for $299 ???? I'd be sending Femco (or their nearest retailer) a check today ! Its a no-brainer.


Edit: I don't want it to sound like i'm saying a fab shop modified ROPS will automatically kill you. I'm saying that with the cost of steel and the cost of shop labor today, a certified ROPS for $299 is a no brainer. Especially when you think about what could happen when you modify your factory ROPS, then sell your tractor to a guy who rolls it over and dies (or worse). How much litigation will that $100 savings buy you. Unfortunate, but welcome to America.

 

[2manyrocks]

$299 for a factory made ROPS sounds like a bargain, especially when compared to what it now costs just to buy a tank of gas for the car.

 

[raykos]

Hello all,

This is an open question to any lawyers/insurance agents or anybody who has had any experience with the following scenario. I, too, am just itching to order the foldable ROPS and replace the non-foldable on my JD2305. Now, let's say I do this and God forbid I have an accident, (I stress the word 'accident'), with the new ROPS folded, or even not folded, and the tractor rolls over resulting in some damage to me and or the tractor. Who is going to pay for what?

I know this sounds like doom & gloom, but I'm sure many members have had to deal with accidents involving their tractors and or their automobiles, only to find out they weren't covered because of some loop hole. One of the reasons I'm concerned about this is when I first purchased my JD2305, I immediately called my insurance company to get it insured. The good news, it's covered under my home owners policy. The bad news, I can only use it on my proberty; the second I drive it off my property, maybe to help a neighbor, or even my brother, all bets are off, nothing or nobody is covered! Even though it's OK to lend my neighbor or my brother my car, it's not OK to let them use my tractor at their place! Yes, I'm aware of being cautious with the word "lending", but I'm also aware of a fellow by the name of Murphy and his laws, and sometimes he just doesn't play nice!

Ray

 

[RobJ]

JMHO....

I always here the doom and gloom of the ROPS issue. I think it's more worry than fact. there is nothing special about the rops...at least my rops. 1/4" steel, easy to drill and tap. Somewhere some guy or machine welded it in the first place. Certified welders weld high pressure vessels, pipes, etc all day long. If I sell my kubota to someone and the seatbelt fails is he gonna sue me becuase I didn't use the seatbelt therefor it rusted and wouldn't stay snapped. I guess he can try.

If you buy an old JD with no rops and roll it will you sue JD becuase it should have had a rops all along...or fitted all the old with new rops? How come a riding mower doesn't have a rops.

A recent thread about wiring...if you DIY and don't wire to code and something happend you are not covered. But if I put the newspaper in the oven and broil it and burn the house down I am? Or if I just overload an extension cord and burn it down. Just an average joe doesn't keep up with the current rating of a 50' cord. If you are driving to fast, smack something, get a ticket, insurance still pays for the car if you have the coverage.

I don't have a problem welding on a rops, if you look at mine I'd worry more about a bolt failing or twisting off the axle housing in a real bad turnover.

I don't know, people do sue. Cessna was out of business for years(the planes fault for a guy with 50 hours flying in a thunderstorm!!), the ATV almost might not be here these days. I guess if I cut my hand with my pocket knife I should send the bills to Buck!!

OK sorry I've done my 1st quarter legal rant for the year, I'll go back to lunch. Until April......

 

[meb9796]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll give Femco a look see. I was kinda hoping there was some type of bracket I could use to put my rops back together with. I cut off the top 2' above the lights, but left enough room where I could bolt a bracket on. But I agree 299 is a steal for a new fold down rops.

now if I can just find out who planted all these trees, so I can bill them for the new rops, since I had to cut mine off to mow under them

 

[RobJ]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll give Femco a look see. I was kinda hoping there was some type of bracket I could use to put my rops back together with. I cut off the top 2' above the lights, but left enough room where I could bolt a bracket on. But I agree 299 is a steal for a new fold down rops.

now if I can just find out who planted all these trees, so I can bill them for the new rops, since I had to cut mine off to mow under them

OK if you just want to shorten the standard rops, that's what I did. I cut 2" off the top piece, and redrilled the top hold. I have 1/2" clearance between the header and rops. Slightly hard to rebolt, just needed a clamp to pull it in about 1/4" and it ain't comming off again. I got pics at the office.

Rob

 

[RobJ]

Pic of my handy work....So sue me!!

But it fits! Actually with the turfs, it was lower and fit. The R1's added some height.

 

[2manyrocks]

I suspect the mfg is concerned that if they sold folding rops, it would get left down, somebody killed and they would get sued. The argument would be that the mfg should have foreseen that the owner would have left it down and got killed. So the jury should decide whether to hold the mfg liable. Then the the plaintiff's lawyers just want to get the case in the hands of the jury and hope that the jury feels inclined to give some of the mfg's $ to the survivors out of sympathy.

The contrary argument is that the nonfolding rops won't fit a standard garage and therefore tinkering with the standard rops is foreseeable, too, for which the mfg is liable if the altered ROPS fails. But then the mfg would argue that they aren't responsible for any alteration.

But the guy who gets hurt---all he would have cared about is to have had a ROPS that would have kept him safe.

 

[raykos]

But the guy who gets hurt---all he would have cared about is to have had a ROPS that would have kept him safe.

2manyrocks I think that sums it up real well.

Which leads me to another question about ROPS that I've been wondering about. I'm not a mechanical or safety engineer, so I really don't have a clue as to the why not, but I've been wondering, why "foldable ROPS", why not "telescoping ROPS"? Maybe somebody has already done this? But, when I make a modification to my ROPS, I'm thinking I'll cut them off about chin high(when I'm seated) and then find a smaller size square tubing that will just fit inside the ROPs left on the tractor. Bend the new tubing into an upside down 'U' & drill holes every 'x' amount of inches in both the 'telescoping' portion and the rigid ROPS to accept a sideways 'U' shaped hitch type pins. Then I could raise or lower the telescoping portion to whatever height I want and still have a rollbar configuration? Would this be just as safe or safer than a "foldable ROPS"? Or is this a bad idea because of the trying to find and then bend the correct inside tubing?


Thanks,
Ray

 

[RobJ]

Or is this a bad idea because of the trying to find and then bend the correct inside tubing?


Thanks,
Ray

I think it would be just as strong. But it will require a little noodling to get the angles worked out. On mine I would only have a little adjustment because where the fixed rops curves below the break. The 2 inches I took out of mine allow me get get into a standard garage. If I need a little more I can always deflate the tires to get maybe 3-4 inches. But then again I only have 2 different garages and that's all I need to get into to.

 

[dfkrug]

Which leads me to another question about ROPS that I've been wondering about. I'm not a mechanical or safety engineer, so I really don't have a clue as to the why not, but I've been wondering, why "foldable ROPS", why not "telescoping ROPS"? Maybe somebody has already done this? But, when I make a modification to my ROPS, I'm thinking I'll cut them off about chin high(when I'm seated) and then find a smaller size square tubing that will just fit inside the ROPs left on the tractor. Bend the new tubing into an upside down 'U' & drill holes every 'x' amount of inches in both the 'telescoping' portion and the rigid ROPS to accept a sideways 'U' shaped hitch type pins. Then I could raise or lower the telescoping portion to whatever height I want and still have a rollbar configuration? Would this be just as safe or safer than a "foldable ROPS"? Or is this a bad idea because of the trying to find and then bend the correct inside tubing?

Ray, I had one of the Standard L tractors, the 4WD version of what Rob has.
Its ROPS was in 2 pieces, bolted together with sleeves inside. I took it apart
once and it was difficult for one person to lift up (hard!) in just the right
part of the center of the top of the hoop. I think a telescoping roll bar
would work, but it would be harder than a folding one to adjust. A least
it would not be left in the folded position!

Notice I did not say don't do it. I shortened up the ROPS on my Kioti and
I used sleeve plates inside the rectangular tubing to provide additional
strength at the welds. I can drive it into my workshop now, though I did
install an 8x8 sectional door. I never fold it, though I still have the joints.

 

[RobJ]

I took it apart
once and it was difficult for one person to lift up (hard!) in just the right
part of the center of the top of the hoop.

I wonder if you ran into what I did. I took out the top to bolts to pull it off. Very hard as you say. But while fiddling with it I losened the bottom bolts of the inner sleeve. It would slide on and off real easy then.

Last time I took mine off I took it off with the cover in place. Almost killed myself. 2 man job. Even when I put it back on I tried to put the cover on separate...again almost killed myself...another 2 man job. When I orginally put the cover on I just put up the lightweight frame first, then added the plywood. I hope I NEVER have to remove that thing again.

Rob

 

[dfkrug]

I wonder if you ran into what I did. I took out the top to bolts to pull it off. Very hard as you say. But while fiddling with it I losened the bottom bolts of the inner sleeve. It would slide on and off real easy then.

Last time I took mine off I took it off with the cover in place. Almost killed myself. 2 man job. Even when I put it back on I tried to put the cover on separate...again almost killed myself...another 2 man job. When I orginally put the cover on I just put up the lightweight frame first, then added the plywood. I hope I NEVER have to remove that thing again.

I hear ya, Rob. Once was enough for me....and I did not have any canopy!