To rops or not to

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Just so y'all know, the testing for a ROPS involves picking the unit up and dropping it from ten feet. They do this from all sides as well as upside-down. The ROPS has to survive with some minimal deflection allowed. Of course, they use five machines for the five drops for the five sides. That gets expensive in a hurry!

They have to presume that you might be rolling off an embankment or ledge and that the first thing that hits is the ROPS. In other words, they ain't thinkin' this is going to be a nice n easy roll!

I can say that every such thing I've ever seen mounted on a machine that did not have a factory unit wasn't worth the powder to blow it as far as being a ROPS goes. Oh, they work fine for keeping the branches from swatting you, and so are worthwhile from that standpoint. But, don't think you're safe during a rollover.

Just before I traded in my JD 4500 compact/utility tractor, Deere had a recall on the ROPS if it had a canopy on it. Something about metal fatigue from the canopy, even though it was a lightweight plastic Deere one. They came out to the farm and replaced the ROPS with a new one. I guess someone had a bad day somewhere and it got Deere all worried.....

So, I wil always leave un-ROPS machines in their un-ROPS state rather than put something aftermarket on and be lured into a false sense of security.

[Lavoy]

I know many years ago, the Steiger plant here was testing ROPS on the new 4 wheel drives. At that time, they hung a large weight from a crane, and let it swing into the cab. Same thing, if the cab shifted too much, no go, make it stronger.
Lavoy

[jdemaris]

So, I wil always leave un-ROPS machines in their un-ROPS state rather than put something aftermarket on and be lured into a false sense of security.

The "false security" thing isn't an issue with me. I'm going to operate any machine as safely as I am able, regardless of what is, or is not over my head. I have two tractors with legal ROPS - and most of time, if I DID roll over, I'd get killed anyway since I never wear the seatbelt. I like having something overhead mainly to keep weather and tree branches off of me. I'm not concerned about the rest. So, for that, home-made canopies work fine.

Things cannot be made injury-proof. The biggest danger is always going to be the operator - and often the one that gets killed is the one with a lot of experience. One example is my 63 year old neighbor. He was a dairy farmer his entire life and did most of his early farming with 2 cylinder John Deeres - with no safety equipment and no major injuries on mountainside farmland. Every one of his modern tractors had ROPS on them, and all his hired hands had to wear seatbelts or they got fired. HE got killed last summer - mowing his lawn with a John Deere garden-tractor. Rolled over him on a steep bank. So - does that mean now - that all garden tractors must also have ROPS?

I'm not trying to start arguments here - I am not anti-safety . . . but some of this stuff is getting rediculous. I spend a lot of time defeating saftey mechanisms on modern tools just so I can use them. A ROPS is the last thing I'd worrry about on an antique machine unless I had to use it on a daily basis in all weather.

[wwattson]

Well let's not get carried away. Everybody knows that lawn tractors are suppose to have ejector seats and not ROPS. It's a good thing you guys have me monitoring this board.

[JD440ICD2006]

Bill, funny you mention lawn tractors. A buddy of mine rolled a Cub Cadet over. Lucky for him he is agile enough that he dove off of the "high side" as it began to roll. It ruined the hood, bent the sides, etc. Had he stayed on, it would have dented him up too.

[Ray III]

Heh, my dad rolled a Deere 316 lawn tractor trying to mow this ridiculously steep hill behind the shop. I guess he was able to jump ship too. He also put a 100lb weight on the back of a Toro to get enough traction to mow the same hill. I've nearly flipped the thing over backwards on myself popping the clutch while rolling backwards.

I feel a lot safer on a 6000lb crawler with no ROPS any day than on one of those contraptions.

Since we are on the subject, how much of a slope can a 420 handle, going across?

[The Fireman]

When I was working for deere we couldnt eval a trade unless it had the factory rops on it. I went out on a 450C at one point to look it over and the coustomer had the rops off next to the barn for what ever reason. I call ed the shop and the maneger told me to tell him to put it back on then call us to reschedule the trade. The dealers want no part of a machine with no rops.

That said I only have 2 machines with a rops of any kind, the 170 skid steere and my 310D. A few family members have sugested putting rops on my Farmalls and the crawler but my fealing is they wernt designed for a rops so anything I build is only going to look the part. It may or may not help in a roll over. I prefer to be carefull and for the little bit that I use my antiques I feal pleanty safe.

As far as hills and crawlers, I've had a 450C to the point where right thigh was lifting off the seat and I was looking at the ground on the left. In retrospect thats a little to far and if something had shifted the machine would have gone over. After a few years of working on them and operating them I like to keep both legs on the seat and work up the hill instead of across it. Theres alot more stability over the length of the machine than there is side to side.

[ggfossen]

Davie,

I have a '56 420c with a holt blade. It had no ROPS. I found a certified unit for a 350. It had been "used," and all the legs were slightly bent. I straighten the legs, manufactured mounts to the cross bar for the front, and to the rear of the finals for the rear.

I understand that the bent legs means it is no longer certifiable, but I also suspect the weight difference between the 350 and the 420 makes as difference.

I do not "intend" to try the ROPS, and I suspect I get quite nervous long before the machine reaches it's limits. I am going to install something with which to measure the angle of the machine while....in a bind.

The one thing that no one mentioned, and that I find to be an issue is that mounting and dismounting is much harder without a lot of things/places to grab, and the cage provides that. It also gives me a place to hang chokers and tools and stuff like that. It keeps the rain and sun off my head, and any widow makers that might come tumbling down.

I, personally, would not have a working unit without some pretty good protection over my head.

No, I do not use a seat belt, and I understand that I should, but there is a limit to everything. With trifocals, I have a hell of a time looking back, and I have to do a lot of twisting and bending. The belt would be in the way.

I also put on a delux seat. It serves two purposes. It's a hell of a lot easier to sit in, and it protects my back should I somehow get a stick poking in under the cable guard on the cage.

Gary

[tuney443]

Ont time I rolled a small 1 ton roller over on just the slightest side hill.Thank God I didn't have the seat belt on as it had no ROPS.I was quick enough to bail out on the high side and only bruised my butt some.I get on some real steep side slopes every once in a while with my 450D dozer.That is about the only time I'll wear a belt,knowing that beefy ROPS will protect me.

[ggfossen]

Yes, I do not drive a vehicle without seat belts, and do not get on a motorcycle without a helmet, or with any beer in my belly. I detest the laws of the land (concerning belts and helmets), but I appreciate the laws of physics. I probably could be encouraged to wear a belt on the little cat, but it would be a difficult encouragement. I no longer bend well enough to look back...while wearing a belt.

Gary

[Tigerhaze]

I had a rollover in a Bobcat skid steerwith ROPS and was glad I wore my seat belt. It is an eye opener.

Having said that, I would not use a seat belt in any machine without a ROPS, as that few seconds to unbuckle could mean a difference between jumping to safety and rolling unprotected with the machine.

[ggfossen]

I never rolled, but I had a couple of close calls with an old case davis trencher (still have it), and I don't think there was even a few seconds of notice. Concentrating on the digging, things happen so damn fast, there really isn't any reaction time.

No ROPS on the trencher, either. It really was a lesson not forgotten.

Gary

[Dave Holt]

A rops wont help much if you dont also use your seat belt. Last fall a 35 year old business owner in my area lost his life because he didnt wear his seat belt once. He always reminded his 6 employes to put on there seat belt. He jumped into a machine to back it of the lowbed. Was talking to his wife who was standinging beside the machine . Forgot to fasten his seat belt. He slid off the other side of the lowbed and his wife got to watch him die as his head was pinned between the cab and a guard rail post. He would be alive today if he only wore his seat belt.. His wife has been in a mental hospital ever since. The grandparents are raising the two boys.

[ggfossen]

The seemingly simple tasks can sometimes be the worst. Not long ago, in the local area, I read of a man who lost his life while loading his wheel tractor at a show. He drove on instead of backing on. It torqued over backwards, and onto him.

I understand the reasoning, and appreaciate it, but, as we speak, it's academic, at best. There is no belt on the old seats. I could install one, but....probably won't.