Folding ROPS

[dlsmith]

Has anyone here modified the ROPS on a BX model so that you can fold it down? I don't want to remove it, but I'll have to trim a lot of trees to get it under them.
I am considering using some 1/4" plate to make a hinge that would be at least as strong as the original structure.

Any ideas or previous examples?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Do not do it!

Simple reasons:

It's dangerous, even if you think your doing it right.

It makes reselling you tractor a real pain.
Dealers on trade in will charge you to put a new unaltered ROPS on it.
And a resale situation you could be on the hook if anything were to happen to someone down the line that were to buy it.

If anything were to happen to you or someone operating it you would be in a heap of trouble, insurance companies will not pay and lawyers will have a field day with it.

All the way around it's just a bad Idea!

 

[armylifer]

Would a folding ROPS from a newer model fit on his tractor? I would think that if a folding ROPS from a newer model fits his tractor that it would be okay. Of course I suggest checking with a dealer to make sure that Kubota approves the upgrade but it may be worth checking into.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Sort of goes along with drilling holes in the ROPS structure to mount lights or switches.

 

[motionclone]

I keep hearing about this "dont weld on or alter ROPS" rhetoric but havent seen any evidence of lawsuits or injuries arising from drilling holes in or welding tabs or folding hardware on a factory ROPS. Does anyone have any links to real world legal precedent or actual injury/death examples?

I hear it all the time here and elsewhere to not alter ROPS but my experience with no less than 2 retro factory ROPS kits that had to be altered in order to fit makes me question this dont alter stuff.

Dont mean to be argumentative just looking for these examples of injury/ lawsuit/ dealer charging for a new ROPS if a guy drills a hole in a rops

 

[rjcorazza]

I keep hearing about this "dont weld on or alter ROPS" rhetoric but havent seen any evidence of lawsuits or injuries arising from drilling holes in or welding tabs or folding hardware on a factory ROPS. Does anyone have any links to real world legal precedent or actual injury/death examples?

I hear it all the time here and elsewhere to not alter ROPS but my experience with no less than 2 retro factory ROPS kits that had to be altered in order to fit makes me question this dont alter stuff.

Dont mean to be argumentative just looking for these examples of injury/ lawsuit/ dealer charging for a new ROPS if a guy drills a hole in a rops

Don’t know about legal matters, but I (somewhat) recall a Messicks Kubota video that stated that missing, drilled, or welded rops on trade ins results in a new rops price being deducted from the trade in value.

My personal opinion is that I do not know enough to modify them.
Others may (or may not).
My first tractor did not have a rops by design (B8200). I thought highly enough about having the rops that I bought an oem kit.


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[dlsmith]

Gee, I didn't expect this kind of responses.

Maybe what I'll do is have my local welding shop build me a new one that is low enough for my needs. that way, I can keep the original unmolested.

As for the legal aspect, if someone buys it and is informed that it has been modified, and signs a hold harmless agreement, you are in the clear. The same goes for almost any piece of equipment or vehicle you sell. If that was the case, what about someone buying my truck, wrecks it, and says it was caused because I had replaced the brakes with non-OEM parts. It COULD happen, but have you ever heard of it happening? Probably only if the buyer was a lawyer. When you get behind the wheel and drive or operate a vehicle, YOU are responsible for assuring that is roadworthy or in good operating order.
Just ask a driver I know that was ticketed because he had marker light out on his trailer that was working when he stopped for fuel 50 miles before he was pulled over. A chicken shit ticket for sure, but HE was responsible for making sure all the lights were working, even though he couldn't see it from the cab.

Let's be honest here, most people that get hurt operating machinery are doing something outside the normal operating envelope either through lack of proper knowledge or ignorance of those limits, or are just plain doing something stupid. Take for example a neighbor of mine that a few years ago got out of his Bobcat with the bucket raised and dropped it on himself. I was watching him out my office window when he did it. Actually I know of two farmers that died the same way. Another got his sleeve caught in a PTO shaft with no safety guard on it. That was a mess I never want to see again. Have you ever heard of someone getting hurt or killed while safely operating a properly maintained vehicle or machine within it's approved parameters? I haven't.

Besides, I'll most likely own my Kubota for as long as I'm able to get on it and start it up.

I'll let you know what I decide.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Maybe what I'll do is have my local welding shop build me a new one that is low enough for my needs. that way, I can keep the original unmolested.

Check with a Kubota dealer as they might already make a folding ROPS for it, and they are usually cheaper than having one custom made.

 

[John T]

I have been pondering the idea of taking about 6" out of the top portion of my BX rops. That way I can fit in and out of the garage without pulling the pins and folding every time.

if I remove the bottom pivot bracket / cut the rops and weld it back, It should look stock.

maybe a winter project.

 

[D2Cat]

I guess I'm a risk taker. I have a B7100 I bought that was in parts, and a lot of missing parts. I finally got it resurrected, with the help of North Idaho Wolfman, and it was running fine.

So I took it out to see how it would mow grass. It was a beautiful day and my wife was next door visiting with the neighbors. My wife does all the mowing. I get in trouble if I mess up her stripes. As a matter of definition, I have ran a zero turn probably less than 5 minutes in 10 years. My point is I don't pay too much attention to how the yard is mowed, it always look nice.

I was doing fine for a few minutes, paying attention to how the tractor was running, cutting, etc. Suddenly the front came up off the ground about a foot and slammed back to the ground. I did not know what it was for a bit. I had gone around an Oak tree and one limb was too low for this machine!

Well, I didn't want to remove and trash the ROPS so I had a shop cut some pieces and I made a hinged joint to my liking, welded it all up and painted. It looks very much like a factory hinge.

If and when I part with this tractor, and the next owner gets injured and wants to pursue a law suit, it's just a part of life I will accept. I'm not going to limit my life what if's, hope so's and maybe's.

I personally think that type of a law suit would be like the rodeo rider suing the stock company who provides the bulls for the show. Just me!

 

[RCW]

Smitty - you have a BX2230?

Just guessing it's similar to my BX2360... Your ROPS is about 6' or so to top, and maybe 29" wide?

No help for you. Only option is take it off, and I don't recommend that.

Start trimming your trees is my advice.

 

[dlsmith]

Smitty - you have a BX2230?

Just guessing it's similar to my BX2360... Your ROPS is about 6' or so to top, and maybe 29" wide?

No help for you. Only option is take it off, and I don't recommend that.

Start trimming your trees is my advice.

Yes, it's a BX2230, not sure, but those dimensions sound close.
No, I really don't want to take it off.
Some of the trees I can trim, but a few of the others aren't tall enough to trim that high yet. Problem is I have over 70 trees on my property.

 

[skeets]

OK I will chime in here on DOING ANYTHING TO YOUR ROPS. Back in the old day before I found out about retirement I worked for a living. And yes I worked underground and surface, in the mining industry. Federal law prohibits any modification of any canapoes or ROPS, now I know this means nothing to you as a homeowner and there is no jurisdiction over us, at least not yet.

But I digress. I did an investigation on a fatality at a surface mine, ( I did to many investigations on accidents fatals), the operator had been cited for not having a ROPS on a rather old dozer, and the manufacturer had nothing that would fit. So with the intent of complying with the law he farmed a ROPS project out to a very reputable fabricating company.
And they built a very nice ROPS for his machine all bends were hydro formed, the welds, hell, I dont know who welded it but these were some of the best welds I have ever seen.

And when it was all said and done the citation was abated and all was fine.
UNTIL a bank let go and he rolled that dozer over 4 times, and a corner caved in on the ROPS killing the operator, DOA. (not a pretty sight trust me).

Long story short, his insurance company would not pay out to the man's family. WHY you ask? Because the company that built the ROPS, nor the operator had the ROPS tested and certified by a structural PE. That one little issue, cost a man his life a wife her husband and kids a father.

So what I am saying is any modification to your ROPS may cause it to fail,,,, YEAH YEAH YEAH I know well I dont have any hills it won't happen to me, I know what Im doing yada yada yada, all that is BS. Any time you attempt to mod a safety item you are putting yourself out there, and Im sure you dont want your family or the family of the next guy to have your machine suffer because you though ,,WHAT CAN GO WRONG ,, answer plenty!!!

 

[Michigankubota]

My dealer installed Kubota LED lights by drilling holes in my ROPS.
I would look up a newer model and see if the folding unit would bolt on yours.
Every manufacturer has to tell you not to alter everything from guards to seat belts.
My blowers FM and LP state do not operate the blowers unless rops is in the up position and your seat belt on. How many people have the rops up while blowing or cutting grass?
SXS say the same thing about there ROPS but the OEMs and after market sells kits to install doors and modify the cage. The list goes on and on.

 

[Kabota]

I have a Woods 6500 backhoe that I was planning to frame mount to a JD. I was planning to mount it back close to the tractor as possible and the only problem then would be ROPS interfering with operator head space.

Interestingly if you go on youtube and watch this particular JD model with JD frame mount backhoe .... you will notice the operator leaning ahead uncomfortably to avoid bumping his head on the ROPS

................

Hmmm was wondering if you modified a ROPS and another person operating the machine was hurt in a rollover accident where the ROPS did not fail....

 

[rjcorazza]

Before this thread takes a negative turn, I suggest folks take into consideration that once you SEE the results of tragic accidents your point of view changes. These experiences and images linger for decades, and even a simple discussion elicits an unpleasant feeling.
There are a million explanations why “this will never happen to me” and yet these same one in a million accidents happen every day. I don’t particularly mind safety police, or the operators that take calculated risks. Just understand what is at stake.


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[skeets]

If your dealer has drilled or modified a ROPS in any way, that has NOT BEEN APPROVED by the manufacturer or a PE, and God forbid anything would happen where the ROPS failed. Even a half assed lawyer would have a field day with that claim. You can be as glib as you want, but as rj says what happens after a failure never goes away. Do as you will, its your equipment and your life, truly is the cost worth it.
Im done I have attempted to impart my limited wisdom and experience,, Yall have a most wonderful Christmas

 

[D2Cat]

I am amazed just about every day that I am still alive. I remember being about 6yrs old running in the field and tripped over some corrugated rusty tin. Cut my chin real bad! A few years later, while in the back seat of the family car with my brother and two sisters, leaning side to side as we went around curves in the Colorado mountains. The door flew open and I landed in a sand creek. I remember getting a ride in an 18 wheeler to the hospital. Mom promising me a puppy if I'd lay still and let the nurses stitch up my face. They ended up tying me down with nylon straps! (didn't get the dog!!) Or the time my brother and I were riding our bicycles on the beach on the South China Sea. The sea wall was about 10' high. We got our bikes over it and started riding. Soon we had gone a long way down the shore and the tide was coming in. We were standing up peddling as hard as we could in the water to get to a place we could get out.

I could go on and on. We've all been there. It's a miracle we're breathing.

The solution to all the safety caps on medicine bottles and containers many folks can not even open without a tool, and a kazillion other examples is too many lawyers. Need to close down all law schools for 10 years. Folks will learn to think for themselves and determine what is best, then live with their decision.

 

[skeets]

You make some good points, we all have been there and done that,,,, Nature has a way of thinning the herd

 

[motionclone]

Before this thread takes a negative turn, I suggest folks take into consideration that once you SEE the results of tragic accidents your point of view changes. These experiences and images linger for decades, and even a simple discussion elicits an unpleasant feeling.
There are a million explanations why ***8220;this will never happen to me***8221; and yet these same one in a million accidents happen every day. I don***8217;t particularly mind safety police, or the operators that take calculated risks. Just understand what is at stake.


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This is all anecdotal evidence driven by emotion, bunch of heard this and saw that but not a shred of real proof that drilling a hole in the ROPS or welding a tab on had caused death or injury or lawsuit. Lets see those docs. If a problem like this really exists it will be documented for reference and easily available. I thinik everyone groups home use equipment with regulated employee safety standards

I totally understand why a major manufacturer like Kubota cant install un-certified ROPS on a machine then sell it, it has to do with OSHA compliance if it might be used by an business with employees