I'm Gonna Drill My Rops...

[Henro]

I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

...When I decide to add work lights... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Reality has set in. There are factory supplied ROPS with holes in the top for adding work lights or other uses.

I simply cannot imagine a couple small holes drilled in the ROPS on my tractors will weaken the rops structure. Especially if drilled in the center of the side.

It seems that I have come to understand that my view of reality has become distorted by years of hearing reports of lawsuits that should never have appeared in court to begin with.

Until now I would not drill a small hole in my ROPS, fearing that if I rolled my tractor and were killed, I could not sue the manufacturer since the hole drilled would void whatever lawsuit migh be filed, since I had modified something that probably did not fail anyway...To top it off, if I were killed I would not be here to sue anyway... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Funniest thing of all is that we are not the kind of people that would sue the manufacturer anyway, if there was not a true reason to do so...

So what do I care if I drill my rops and roll the tractor and I am done in because I did something stupid? The ROPS will not fail because I drill a 1/4 inch hole in it...and it will not be the manufacturer's fault if I'm not wearing my seat belt and the ROPS becomes my personal mouse trap!

If I feel like it, I'm drillin' my ROPS!

Am I nuts? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Well, let me anyswer my own question. YES! But this has nothing to do with the fact that I'm gonna drill my ROPS if I feel like it... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif




Not me - i always practice safety.

 

[RonR]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

Are we feeling a little nervous Mr. Henro???????????

If you (or I) do enough damage to the ROPS to cause our own demise, I don't worry as much about that; Instead I'd be worried if I ever SOLD my tractor to someone and THEY killed themselves--then I'd get sued.

I think some common sense (I know, that's hard to find when thinking lawsuits) suggests that:
* You or I are likely NOT going to be involved in a rollover
* You or I are not going to significantly weaken the ROPS by a couple of well placed holes up to 3/8 inch (now you aren't planning to drill a 1 and 1/2 inch hole are you?)
* You could argue (how successfully, don't know) that the manufacturer would suspect an owner MIGHT drill holes to mount lights, since THEY didn't provide you any (Ok, this is a stretch, since they have warnings NOT to drill)
* If something happens to us, it will most likely NOT be caused by improperly mounted ROPS lights.

I know, the mfgs say not to, but I'll mod mine at some point to get better lighting and not worry about it.

My two cents.

Ron

 

[BillyP]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

I'm with you, whether politically tractor board correct or not, I hear what you're saying.

 

[thcri]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

Henro,

What in the He** are you drinking??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Go a head and drill it. I wouldn't but it doesn't sound like anyone here is going to change your mind. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I used magnets on my roll bar to support lights. Not the best but I can move them around and point them backwards if I wish. You could also make yourself a bracket that would wrap around your roll bar, threaded rod formed around with a plate. Just some ideas. Your not going to sell your tractor so law suit down the road won't make a difference and your right, your chances of the roll bar not doing its job during a rollover is slim. But someday what about the little guy in your life like a son or a grandchild. I guess what I am saying is make some type of bracket and then we all can sleep here on TBN. Your one of the guys I would like to see on a trip sometime and if anything happened to you I would have to take you off my list. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

murph

 

[PineRidge]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Another clear cut case of cabin fever. You'll snap out of it after the weather warms.

I suggest large doses of sunshine. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

Naturally, I would never recommend to anyone that they drill holes in their ROPS, but I did drill four little quarter inch holes in the ROPS on my B7100. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Well, let's see . . . I drilled them all the way through so I could put bolts through them, so does that count as 8 holes? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[tawilson]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

The bolt you put in the hole adds more structural intregity than what was lost by making the hole.

 

[DK35vince]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If I feel like it, I'm drillin' my ROPS )</font>

Henro,
I felt like it so I drilled mine.
So if your crazy I quess your not alone. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I didn't drill through both sides of the ROPS. Drilled through one side and tapped in some threads.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: I\'m Gonna Drill My Rops...

Henro,
I felt like you, and I am also not the type to sue, but . . .

I eventually used marine epoxy and am very happy with the results so far. One of my neighbors builds SCCA race cars (I don't know what class) but he was over and inspected what I did and was impressed, so that made me feel good.

I decided on epoxy because it did everything that I needed done, and did not compramise the ROPS either.