Thinking of building a ROP for my tractor

[deepNdirt]

I know some might say that its not a good idea to home build a ROP and in certian applications I might tend to agree, like with the larger tractors over 3-k lbs, although with my compact & FEL weighing under 3-k lbs I'm thinking I can build a ROP strong enough to serve the purpose maybe even stronger then factory, most factory build one I see are made from 3x3 box tubing which I'm sure is plenty strong enough, but I have some 4" C-channel iron that I think I can make v cuts into at various locations to form the shap and re-weld in the cuts,I should be able to use 1 solid pc for the complete ROP and at the bottom weld on some section of 3x 3 angle iron for attaching it at the point of where the U-bolts hold the fenders to the rear axle, there looks to be approx 1 1/4 threads left on these U-bolts that will provide enough to bolt it onto, in the top I will weld in some cornering braces, about half way of the Rop hight approx even with set level I will weld in a cross member with additional corner bracing, I can also drill some holes thru the ribbing braces of the inside fenders and runs some grade #8 bolts/washers just to give a midway point of securing it,
doe this sound like a game plan?

 

[Johndeere3720]

Sounds like a good idea. Im lucky my yanmar came with factory ROPS.

 

[deepNdirt]

Sounds like a good idea. Im lucky my yanmar came with factory ROPS.

Yes you are fortunate that yours is already equip with a ROPS, Actually was one of the first things i noticed when seeing your yanmar and was glade to see it had a ROP for your safety, and if you look at it in terms of dollars what ever you paid for your tractor the ROP is 600+ dollars of the cost, and if ever needed and Lord pray not! cost has no value if it saves your life, i have an agreement with my wife that I need to put a ROPS on my tractor before using it, She lost a Uncle from not having one on his big John Deere when he rolled it over on himself and layed underneth for hours before someone found him dead, It had crushed his chest, My first tractor was 11-12 years ago a compact kubota about the size of yours, It had no ROPs and one of the first things I did was to install one,in all the time I never needed it but it was very comforting knowing I atleast had one just in case,
you like tractors! here is an oldie Kubota I bet you never seen before,
My old L-140 kubota 18 hp 1 cyl diesel,

 

[20 20]

better to have, then not to have

 

[dex3361]

I had a IH 424 and it didn't have a ROPS when I bought it and the wife saw me using it with the front wheels off the ground and said I needed a roll bar or whatever its called so here is what it looked like. I fabbed it up about 10 years ago. This is the tractor as we were loading it as I was trading it in on my Kubotas. It was a real horse but it was a gas without power steering.

 

[Kernopelli]

Your design is very similar to the ROPs I made for my Mitsubishi. I used three lengths of 1 1/2" x1 1/2"x 1/4" square tubing welded together to make a make a 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 section and shaped it exactly as you did and with gussets at every bend and joint. It is sturdy and very heavy, the Mits came with mounting points on the rear axle housing and I also bolted it to the rear trans case ( similar to how some of the Hercules brand rops mount) and fenders as well. Any time I have my tractor near anything with factory ROPS I can't help but make comparisons and mine is at least as sturdy and with more mounting points than any factory ROPS I have seen to date. I am certain that it is sufficient to handle a rollover, backwards flip or anything else reasonable for my particular machine. A lot of TBN'ers disapprove of home made ROPS and often times for good reason but "home made" is not a definitive term meaning that it's something substandard.
Don't forget to get a seat belt too.

 

[dex3361]

Your design is very similar to the ROPs I made for my Mitsubishi. I used three lengths of 1 1/2" x1 1/2"x 1/4" square tubing welded together to make a make a 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 section and shaped it exactly as you did and with gussets at every bend and joint. It is sturdy and very heavy, the Mits came with mounting points on the rear axle housing and I also bolted it to the rear trans case ( similar to how some of the Hercules brand rops mount) and fenders as well. Any time I have my tractor near anything with factory ROPS I can't help but make comparisons and mine is at least as sturdy and with more mounting points than any factory ROPS I have seen to date. I am certain that it is sufficient to handle a rollover, backwards flip or anything else reasonable for my particular machine. A lot of TBN'ers disapprove of home made ROPS and often times for good reason but "home made" is not a definitive term meaning that it's something substandard.
Don't forget to get a seat belt too.

I copied the design off of older Ford 4000 series I thin. I then beefed it up a bit and I think you could have lifted that tractor by the ROPS and not hurt a thing.

 

[GuglioLS]

Stop thinking and start building. Your drawing and plan of action sounds like a go to me. The gussets you drew in at the top are a sound design add that and attaching to the fenders is super strong. Perhaps consider adding a canopy for sun and rain shade. A ROPS with canopy make for a cozy ride.

Larry

 

[Kernopelli]

I copied the design off of older Ford 4000 series I thin. I then beefed it up a bit and I think you could have lifted that tractor by the ROPS and not hurt a thing.

Actually, I was referring to DeepNdirt's design, but yours looked plenty stout for the 424. I am certain you could pick up my tractor as well by the Rops and not do any damage.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Yeah, when I went tractor shopping i made my mind up that it had to have ROPS since we live on a hill. I got lucky and found a Yanmar with ROPS and got a great deal. My mom was happy to knowing I would be safe. I also had the rear tires set out to the widest setting for stability. I just looked on google for pictures of an L140 and found 1!

 

[bpattie]

Go for it DeepNDirt. Beside the safety improvement they make a nice thing to attach things to for carrying, lights, etc.

 

[GE222]

For those in need of a ROPS. Buying from the manufacturer is usually the best way to go if possible. They have been tested and have a safety rating. Also almost every manufacturer sells them at their cost to minimize their liability.

 

[deepNdirt]

For those in need of a ROPS. Buying from the manufacturer is usually the best way to go if possible. They have been tested and have a safety rating. Also almost every manufacturer sells them at their cost to minimize their liability.

Thanks for the advice, and as much as I would like to yeild to your advice, 600 bucks just isn't in my budget at the time, I do need to start using the tractor,and in need of a ROPS , besides I already have the materials to build one just laying around, probably have a total cost of 100 in it when completed

 

[kennyd]

Thanks for the advice, and as much as I would like to yeild to your advice, 600 bucks just isn't in my budget at the time, I do need to start using the tractor,and in need of a ROPS , besides I already have the materials to build one just laying around, probably have a total cost of 100 in it when completed

Your plan looks great-but I have one question...Does your machine have a seatbelt? If not then the the ROPS won't do you much good.

 

[schmism]

something is better than nothing.

mitered is ok, but if it was me id have something bent up out of some DOM. 2" if the guys had the dies but likely only have 1.5 or 1.75. id go 2ply if it was 1.5.

 

[dex3361]

Actually, I was referring to DeepNdirt's design, but yours looked plenty stout for the 424. I am certain you could pick up my tractor as well by the Rops and not do any damage.

My narrow focused mistake.

 

[deepNdirt]

something is better than nothing.

Kind of the way I look at it.... although never really thought much about a seatbelt I suppose having one might be of some safety but doubt that i would use it, lot of times when I had the kubota and would be bushhoging 3-4 ft tall field grass I would stand up to watch over the hood to see where i was going or watch out for stumps etc, I also used to do quite a lot of bushhoging in woods thining of undergrownth and would need to moved a bit one way or the other on the seat to dodge thorns, I mean I can think of many reasons to not wear a safety belt, But only just 1 reason to actually wear it, ((( Safety of a potential injury ))) so I may go ahead and install a seatbelt for same circumstances as to having a ROPS
I actually never think about Rolling the tractor over while I'm using it,but then again who ever does? it does however give peace of mind knowing one is there just in case

 

[bpattie]

Kind of the way I look at it.... although never really thought much about a seatbelt

I never had a tractor with a seat belt until this Spring. It is hard getting used to it but have found it much like in a car. once you start it becomes habit. I questioned the Seat belt/ROPS combination myself a few months ago. The replies were basically that without ROPS, no seat belt and if rollover happened you bail. With the ROPS wear the seatbelt and trust that with the seatbelt keeping you in place the ROPS will protect you. With the second option being a more reliable process, since there are many things that can happen to make bailing harder to do SUCCESSFULLY.

 

[2manyrocks]

How do you plan to mount this rollbar to your tractor? I've got a YM226D and the factory mount doesn't look too easy to duplicate. Yours may be easier. I remember seeing a homebuilt ROPS failure in the safety thread a year or two ago where the ROPS was fine, but the castings on the tractor broke when the tractor was being used to pull a post. Seems like a kid got killed right in front of his Grandfather who had built the ROPS if I remember it right.

 

[deepNdirt]

Well At last! I have a ROPS on the Yanmar, Not exactly something you would see everyday on a Cut tractor, But I'm sure its much safer now then not having one at all,
as Y'all know I started out several months ago with the idea of building the Rops from scratch, however about 1 month ago I was in the salvage yard and found a factory built ROPS from a Standup Forklift, I took a few measurements and then my mind was at work, This ROPS had a top over it and I thought why the heck not?
so I scored the Forklift ROPS for just the cost of scrap iron ( $35.00 ) plus cost of welding supplies for the total of 45.00 I've been working on fitting it to my Yanmar until today, I finally finished it up and got it mounted, when I was adding to the height, My plans were to keep it tall enough that I could stand under it while needing to see what is just ahead of me when bushhoging, although at being 6-2 I think it got a bit too tall, when I'm sitting down it is approx 14" over my head, I wished I had not been so concerned about having it tall enough to stand under because now it looks funky to say the least I may cut it down 6" but for now I got some work coming up and just glad to have the ROPS, this wasn't some lite weight steel, it weigh in over 100 lbs so I am also getting a bit added weight to the rear tires which was needed, I have it mounted on top of the fender pads that are held on with the U-bolts there was over 1" more of threads left to the U-bolt so I could start securing it at this point, I then weld a cross pc from one side to the other at the bends to help sturdy it up, I weld in another 1/4 thick steel approx 8" up from the bottom that aligns at the factory mount holes and the ROPS is bolted on here as well, I then drill holes through the double support of the fenders and into the 2x2 uprights of the ROPS and put in 5/16 x 2 1/2 bolts, so now there is 3 point of mounting, its definitely not coming off, here is the overall picture after mounted,
laugh if you must but I feel better now knowing I have one on my tractor,