just ordered a rops for my l185dt and i have 2 questions:1 - overall height of tractor with installed rops?? and 2 - easy to install myself?? thanks
L185dt rops questions
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Daren Todd
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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
It's fairly easy to install. Sometimes there bolt holes can be off slightly. So install all bolts loosely before tightening. Also double check clearance and interference issues with your lift arms, before starting the tractor and operating the three point hitch. 
awesome thanks for the tips...do you know the height? Or how much higher from the seat it is if your machine is not DT? Worried whether or not it will fit in the shed.
Daren Todd
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Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
No, not sure on the height. I've looked at a few that had the ROPS though, and it's just a matter of a bunch of bolts into the back of the tractor.
Expect it to be awkward. So a second pair of hands or a way to support the weight and keep it from tipping will cut down on your frustration factor.
Only one I've removed and installed was the one on my dad's l2250. We had a mini track hoe at the location, so I chained it too the boom but a come along attached to a rafter or a strong tree branch will work in a pinch
Expect it to be awkward. So a second pair of hands or a way to support the weight and keep it from tipping will cut down on your frustration factor.
Only one I've removed and installed was the one on my dad's l2250. We had a mini track hoe at the location, so I chained it too the boom
but a come along attached to a rafter or a strong tree branch will work in a pinch Russell King
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L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
It will be 7.5 feet at least (with ag tires). I can measure exactly if needed but that will be over the weekend.
The install is pretty easy if you have a lift point above or two people for awhile. Spray all holes with penetrating oil and run the bolts in before installation to clean out the holes. Be sure you understand where the studs have to be installed. I installed them in one hole too high and had to start over.
I also had to leave the top splice very loose and tighten after installation of all the bolts into tractor. Leave all bolts loose until you get every bolt started and then hand tighten them all then torque them.
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The install is pretty easy if you have a lift point above or two people for awhile. Spray all holes with penetrating oil and run the bolts in before installation to clean out the holes. Be sure you understand where the studs have to be installed. I installed them in one hole too high and had to start over.
I also had to leave the top splice very loose and tighten after installation of all the bolts into tractor. Leave all bolts loose until you get every bolt started and then hand tighten them all then torque them.
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anyone have a pic of their L185 with the ROPS? I meant to buy one when I purchased my tractor since the original owner didn't add one but never got around to it. I keep mine in a storage container that only has a 7'8" clearance so concerned it might not fit.
Russell King
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Here is an old post from when I mounted mine.
Well I finally got the ROPS installed onto the tractor! The instructions that came with it were easy to follow but lead you down some dead end paths.
When I installed mine they said to mount one side and then the other, align the top and install the top splice plate and then tighten both sides down. That worked fine, then they eventually told you to mount a connector right behind seat level. Well that would not fit between the ROPS halves with out taking them back loose and spreading them apart (the bends in the material expands the width so the connector would not slide down from the top). Well that causes the splice plate at the top joint to come out of one side. The two sides were not exactly the same height so they now sprung out of alignment....
This is how I finally got mine to work out easier:
First spray all of the threaded holes in the back of the tractor with lubricant/oil.
(don't tighten any bolt/nut very much through out the installation until they are all installed - or you will be loosening them!)
Install the splice plate at the top into one side.
Install the studs into the CORRECT holes (the top set of holes that held on the top link bracket - NOT the top set in the back of the tractor).
Lift one ROPS side onto the stud and put a nut to hold it on - don't tighten it down though. (having two people lift would be easier since these are fairly heavy)
Put one more bolt into that side to keep it in place and stable - don't tighten them much.
Put the other side on in a similar manner. Don't connect the top.
Put in the connector plate (near the seat level) that connects the two sides together. Install one/ bolt to hold it in place.
Install all of the bolts through the ROPS into the back of the tractor. (it will probably take some amount of prying/lifting/cajoling to get them all to start.
DON'T tighten them down, just get them started a few threads in.
Align the connector plate and install all 4 bolts.
Hopefully the top of the two halves are also aligned and the splice plate is in place.
(The two halves on mine were about 2 inches out of vertical alignment and about .75 out of front to back alignment. I had to use a bit of persuation with a come-a-long to lift one side and another to pull other side down and a bit of prying to get them aligned)
Get the splice plate at the top in place and both bolts installed. Snug these a little bit.
Tighten all the bolts/nuts into the back of the tractor, tighten the connector plate, tighten the splice plate at the top.
Torque all of the bolts as required by the instructions.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Well I finally got the ROPS installed onto the tractor! The instructions that came with it were easy to follow but lead you down some dead end paths.
When I installed mine they said to mount one side and then the other, align the top and install the top splice plate and then tighten both sides down. That worked fine, then they eventually told you to mount a connector right behind seat level. Well that would not fit between the ROPS halves with out taking them back loose and spreading them apart (the bends in the material expands the width so the connector would not slide down from the top). Well that causes the splice plate at the top joint to come out of one side. The two sides were not exactly the same height so they now sprung out of alignment....
This is how I finally got mine to work out easier:
First spray all of the threaded holes in the back of the tractor with lubricant/oil.
(don't tighten any bolt/nut very much through out the installation until they are all installed - or you will be loosening them!)
Install the splice plate at the top into one side.
Install the studs into the CORRECT holes (the top set of holes that held on the top link bracket - NOT the top set in the back of the tractor).
Lift one ROPS side onto the stud and put a nut to hold it on - don't tighten it down though. (having two people lift would be easier since these are fairly heavy)
Put one more bolt into that side to keep it in place and stable - don't tighten them much.
Put the other side on in a similar manner. Don't connect the top.
Put in the connector plate (near the seat level) that connects the two sides together. Install one/ bolt to hold it in place.
Install all of the bolts through the ROPS into the back of the tractor. (it will probably take some amount of prying/lifting/cajoling to get them all to start.
DON'T tighten them down, just get them started a few threads in.
Align the connector plate and install all 4 bolts.
Hopefully the top of the two halves are also aligned and the splice plate is in place.
(The two halves on mine were about 2 inches out of vertical alignment and about .75 out of front to back alignment. I had to use a bit of persuation with a come-a-long to lift one side and another to pull other side down and a bit of prying to get them aligned)
Get the splice plate at the top in place and both bolts installed. Snug these a little bit.
Tighten all the bolts/nuts into the back of the tractor, tighten the connector plate, tighten the splice plate at the top.
Torque all of the bolts as required by the instructions.
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Last edited:
Russell King
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
thanks all, those are awesome instructions - 7.5' is quite tall, was hoping for something just above the height of the exhaust.
Be careful doing that. My grandfather did that on a CaseIH and it put the top of the roll bar right behind the operator's head, and it was a headache in more ways than one.
great point, hope to cancel the order as we speak...until I get my mile long barn after i win the lottery i'll just have to be careful when operating
Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
RobL
New member
Equipment
Kubota L2002DT; Kubota FEL; Wallenstein Log Splitter; King Cutter 5' Brush Hog
Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
If you need others or description let me know.
I was just too rushed to remove the PTO shaft today to get a good picture of the bolts down there.
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I was just too rushed to remove the PTO shaft today to get a good picture of the bolts down there.
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RobL
New member
Equipment
Kubota L2002DT; Kubota FEL; Wallenstein Log Splitter; King Cutter 5' Brush Hog
Thanks again Russell. The SFL-27 ROPS was a good fit for my L2002DT with one exception, possibly two:
1) My tractor had a cross piece of sheet metal behind the seat, bolted to / bracing the inside of the rear fenders. This had to be bent slightly forward to allow the ROPS uprights to clear. The cross piece also requires a couple of 2.5" holes drilled into it to accommodate the seat belt mounts.
2) The four smaller holes directly surrounding the PTO shaft on my tractor (inside the ears where the pto shield bolts on) had indentations but no threads. Could they have been blocked from the factory by a protective formed sheet metal plug? It looks like the ROPS has 4 holes that are intended to line up with these, and there were 4 more bolts provided, so I wonder.
In any case, if those are protective plugs, they each seem about 1/4" out of alignment with the ROPS holes. All of the other 6 holes in the transmission where the top link flanges mount case lined up perfectly. I'm confident that it's installed securely enough to do the job.
I took a guess when I ordered this ROPS since my model is not listed as compatible, and the parts number in my Japanese manual for the transmission case didn't match that of any of the listed models.
1) My tractor had a cross piece of sheet metal behind the seat, bolted to / bracing the inside of the rear fenders. This had to be bent slightly forward to allow the ROPS uprights to clear. The cross piece also requires a couple of 2.5" holes drilled into it to accommodate the seat belt mounts.
2) The four smaller holes directly surrounding the PTO shaft on my tractor (inside the ears where the pto shield bolts on) had indentations but no threads. Could they have been blocked from the factory by a protective formed sheet metal plug? It looks like the ROPS has 4 holes that are intended to line up with these, and there were 4 more bolts provided, so I wonder.
In any case, if those are protective plugs, they each seem about 1/4" out of alignment with the ROPS holes. All of the other 6 holes in the transmission where the top link flanges mount case lined up perfectly. I'm confident that it's installed securely enough to do the job.
I took a guess when I ordered this ROPS since my model is not listed as compatible, and the parts number in my Japanese manual for the transmission case didn't match that of any of the listed models.
Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Look carefully at those unthreaded holes. Kubota uses some significant plugs in threaded holes. They usually have a flanged outside so the won't go into the hole. If that is gone the plug will stay in the hole I imagine. There were several holes plugged on mine and some were obvious and others full of junk so you had to dig into it with a small pick or nail to find them.
Glad it worked out well for you
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Glad it worked out well for you
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