Wanting to lower ROPS

[saxon]

On my L3800 the top of the ROPS is too high to fit in my shop.
It is a foldable rops but I am one day going to forget to lower it and knock out the header for the garage door. I have already cracked it when I forgot one time.
Has anyone ever cut and lowered thier ROPS?

 

[B7100]

Personally I wouldnt,Rops are designed to give maximum operator protection so lowering it could cause the tractor to keep rolling instead of going on its side and digging in.What about hanging something like a tennis ball on a string in the door way to remind you to lower it?
Dave

 

[skeets]

SAXON, I don't think you will find anyone that will truly say sure cop it down,,Some have modified them I for one won't having worked for the government and investigated several fatales because ROPS have been modified out in industry and in every case the welds failed. Do as you will my friend, but just remember this, you chop it and you and someone else gets injured or killed your Ins company might tell you to take a hike, and the big"K" wont stand behind the ROPS cause you modified it. Again just MHO, but like the man said hang a tennis ball from the rafters so you know how far your in, a cheap and easy fix,,,that tennis ball hitting the windshield also keeps my OL from driving through the back of my garage too.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Hacking at the rops will void your tractor warranty, not to mention cause a bigger head ache like Skeets is talking about.

 

[ThisIsNotaStep]

Okay, so I guess we are both looking for a better warning system that we're about to take out our garage door header .. I've done it once (at least) .. no place to hang a tenis ball .. any sort of motion detector .. ideas, anyone?

 

[vtmbz]

NOt enough info but heres an idea re a tennis ball:

Hang it on the door if its a rollup so that when the door is up, the ball hangs
down and hits the front of the tractor; so after the hood goes in, but before the driver is inside the building. I would use a paddle rather than a ball.

Or just cut the header and put in a new door. Its not a big job usually.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Modify the garage door....

 

[bcbull378]

Ill tell you what we did several years ago I had a ski boat that was to tall to fit in the garage, So dad and I jakcked up the garage built a 1' extansion on the foundation set it back down . Had to have the garage door extended also but came out very nice to see it today you cant tell it was ever done. Just a thought.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Worst comes to worst build a pole barn leanto off the side of the garage just to store the tractor it and make it tall enough to fit the tractor inside.

 

[Stumpy]

Thinking out of the box, a dirt cheap option would be to attach one of those flower pot hangers to the front of your garage and hang a wind chime or something that makes noise in front of the door. The act of putting it up there will put it in your mind for one making you less likely to forget and as long as you don't go flying in there you'll hit the chime before the door frame and stop.

 

[Russell King]

put a spring loaded stick (thinking like an antenna) at the front of the tractor that is a bit above your ROPS height and when it hits something you need to stop.

Thats what I plan to do so I know if I can fit under tree limbs while mowing.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

If there are low hanging limbs in the way when you mow. Cut them back out of the way. Ask Skeets about that one as he broke his arm with a limb.

 

[Bulldog]

All you need is something like a chair, garbage can, road cone or anything of that nature.

Make it a habit,

1. tractor comes out of garage. Get off and fold ROPS, take above item and block garage entrance.

2. come back to garage, stop to fold ROPS and remove what is setting in garage entrance.

After you get it in your routine that you always have to stop before entering your garage you will just do it out of habit.

Aside from that which costs nothing this could always be used as a good excuse to build a new shed/garage just for the tractor and implements.

 

[rparkinson]

Wow I don't know about jacking up the garage... wow. Have a professional welder/pipe fitter shorten the rops or put a tennis ball up- If it is modified correctly the repair will be stronger then the rest. I know I know kubota wont stand behind it now- just seems a little foolish to tear apart your building.... and if it is done right you wont know the repair was made anyway unless you put a tape on it....

 

[TripleR]

How much too tall is your ROPS?

I think the question is not can it be done, but should it be done. It can be done and be as strong or stronger than the original. We have one that was lowered by a certified welder and a hard top installed.

As mentioned, there are many caveats to any modification to safety equipment and these must be carefully considered before doing anything. I have done things, that I would NEVER advise anyone else to do. We still have tractors with no ROPS. I can no longer drive them, but my brothers do so on a regular basis. Nope, I would never recommend this.

 

[saxon]

I have noticed the older model L3400 had a lower ROPS than the newer
L3800. I am hesitant to mess with safety equipment, though I know this could be cut and reworked to be stonger than original. Another negative is that I would need it lowered 6.5".
I don't want to be the guy that takes out the header board on my cement block building. And I especially don't want to be the guy that just leaves his ROPS down all the time for convenience. I have seen those guys out in the fields on their tractors and I shivered, because I have heard some deadly stories about rollovers.
I think either the tennis ball on the roll-up door, or, the orange cone in the entrance trick.
Thanks all

 

[TripleR]

I have noticed the older model L3400 had a lower ROPS than the newer
L3800. I am hesitant to mess with safety equipment, though I know this could be cut and reworked to be stonger than original. Another negative is that I would need it lowered 6.5".
I don't want to be the guy that takes out the header board on my cement block building. And I especially don't want to be the guy that just leaves his ROPS down all the time for convenience. I have seen those guys out in the fields on their tractors and I shivered, because I have heard some deadly stories about rollovers.
I think either the tennis ball on the roll-up door, or, the orange cone in the entrance trick.
Thanks all

Sounds like the way to go, 6.5" is way more than I would be comfortable, not that I would recommend any mind you.

 

[hodge]

All you need is something like a chair, garbage can, road cone or anything of that nature.

Make it a habit,

1. tractor comes out of garage. Get off and fold ROPS, take above item and block garage entrance.

2. come back to garage, stop to fold ROPS and remove what is setting in garage entrance.

After you get it in your routine that you always have to stop before entering your garage you will just do it out of habit.

Aside from that which costs nothing this could always be used as a good excuse to build a new shed/garage just for the tractor and implements.

I worked for the owner of a trucking company one time, doing tile in his house. He had a red/yellow/green stoplight installed in the garage. He had backed through the door one too many times. If the door was down, red light. If it was moving, yellow. Green, good to go.
We installed $16,000 worth of carpet in the master bedroom, twice. They got the first carpet dirty, and he said it felt crispy once they had cleaned it. So, he paid us to do it again...

 

[wschapinjr]

Just a thought, if you modify the rops and then try to sell or trade it off you might loose substantial $$.