Remove ROPS for mowing?

[proudestmonkey]

I didn't check to see if you've said what kind of deck you are getting/got. I've got a BX2230 with a 60" deck. The 60" deck sticks out on both sides past the wheels. This is nice because it lets me mow partially under my trees without actually going there. I can't really relate to your situation because my entire property is situated on a series of relatively steep hills, including where much of the lawn is. Last year I had a JD with no ROPS. My personal opinion is that it should be illegal to sell a tractor of any kind without a ROPS. But, then again, I also believe motorcycle helmets should be legally required. I am relieved to have a ROPS and never take it off. I might feel differently if I were on flat ground. Then again, I might not. Its not such a big deal to prune the lower limbs of the trees that you know you will hit with the ROPS. But, watch out for the clothesline posts (see previous thread on close call).

 

[proudestmonkey]

I didn't check to see if you've said what kind of deck you are getting/got. I've got a BX2230 with a 60" deck. The 60" deck sticks out on both sides past the wheels. This is nice because it lets me mow partially under my trees without actually going there. I can't really relate to your situation because my entire property is situated on a series of relatively steep hills, including where much of the lawn is. Last year I had a JD with no ROPS. My personal opinion is that it should be illegal to sell a tractor of any kind without a ROPS. But, then again, I also believe motorcycle helmets should be legally required. I am relieved to have a ROPS and never take it off. I might feel differently if I were on flat ground. Then again, I might not. Its not such a big deal to prune the lower limbs of the trees that you know you will hit with the ROPS. But, watch out for the clothesline posts (see previous thread on close call).

 

[diverdownrick]

Thanks for all the input. Coming from a lawn tractor the ROPS seemed like overkill for mowing. However, given the higher center of gravity it may be better safe then sorry.

Sometimes wisdom prevails. I mentioned my dilema to my father who promptly handed me his old push mower and said "get your a$$ of your toy and do some work. I think you can manage to push mow around 8 trees. I pushed mowed 2 acres for 10 years".

 

[diverdownrick]

Thanks for all the input. Coming from a lawn tractor the ROPS seemed like overkill for mowing. However, given the higher center of gravity it may be better safe then sorry.

Sometimes wisdom prevails. I mentioned my dilema to my father who promptly handed me his old push mower and said "get your a$$ of your toy and do some work. I think you can manage to push mow around 8 trees. I pushed mowed 2 acres for 10 years".

 

[teachdocs]

Yea right!
I suppose he also wants you to hand shovel the 4 foot snow in the driveway instead of using your toy.
May dad's the same way, until he sat on my "toy" and had a blast.
Pretty funny! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[teachdocs]

Yea right!
I suppose he also wants you to hand shovel the 4 foot snow in the driveway instead of using your toy.
May dad's the same way, until he sat on my "toy" and had a blast.
Pretty funny! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Tom_H]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( However, given the higher center of gravity it may be better safe then sorry.)</font>

Contrasted with other tractors, I've always considered my BX to have a low center of gravity. When I take it into the woods and on hills in the rough, it handles situations in which most other tractors would roll. (And I have come close to rolling, but it was on quite an incline while turning from traverse to uphill.)


I cannot envision that a "hole" on flat ground could cause a BX to roll, not unless that hole is so large that one would see it far in advance (and know about it ahead of time). I would think such a hole would need to be around 2.5' in dia and as deep before it could roll a BX. Anything smaller would just allow the wheel to fall into the hole and perhaps high-center the tractor. If one had a hole that size, you would already know about it and likely have filled it.


The JD X748SE is bigger than my BX2200, is available with FEL, Cat. 1 3ph and PTO, but has no ROPS. The JD 2210 is slightly smaller, but has a ROPS.


The government is allowing JD on its own to decide whether a tractor is a "garden tractor" or a "CUT", even though its biggest GT is bigger than its smallest CUT. This is obviousy a game of semantics, possibly just so JD can sell the X series through any lawn mower shop or big box store, even though the owner would have to take it to an actual tractor dealer to have it serviced. If the X748SE comes with no ROPS, JD must not be worried about liability.


This question is not directed to any one person and is meant to be rhetorical, not sarcastic: If the JD X748SE comes without a ROPS even as an option, then why is it that a BX must have a ROPS?

 

[Tom_H]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( However, given the higher center of gravity it may be better safe then sorry.)</font>

Contrasted with other tractors, I've always considered my BX to have a low center of gravity. When I take it into the woods and on hills in the rough, it handles situations in which most other tractors would roll. (And I have come close to rolling, but it was on quite an incline while turning from traverse to uphill.)


I cannot envision that a "hole" on flat ground could cause a BX to roll, not unless that hole is so large that one would see it far in advance (and know about it ahead of time). I would think such a hole would need to be around 2.5' in dia and as deep before it could roll a BX. Anything smaller would just allow the wheel to fall into the hole and perhaps high-center the tractor. If one had a hole that size, you would already know about it and likely have filled it.


The JD X748SE is bigger than my BX2200, is available with FEL, Cat. 1 3ph and PTO, but has no ROPS. The JD 2210 is slightly smaller, but has a ROPS.


The government is allowing JD on its own to decide whether a tractor is a "garden tractor" or a "CUT", even though its biggest GT is bigger than its smallest CUT. This is obviousy a game of semantics, possibly just so JD can sell the X series through any lawn mower shop or big box store, even though the owner would have to take it to an actual tractor dealer to have it serviced. If the X748SE comes with no ROPS, JD must not be worried about liability.


This question is not directed to any one person and is meant to be rhetorical, not sarcastic: If the JD X748SE comes without a ROPS even as an option, then why is it that a BX must have a ROPS?

 

[Bob_Young]

ROPS are like child seats, air bags and bike helmets. Nice ideas that have been imposed on us by "those who know what's best for us". If more of you guys had been around 5 decades ago, you'd know it's possible, even common, to live long and prosper without any of these things. They're good up to a point, but beyond that point they cause problems of their own.

As to a BX rolling when dropping a wheel into a hole while mowing on level ground, I don't see it happening either. But, old fart that I am, I probably mow alot slower than some of you. Low range is plenty fast enough for me. At that speed I have a chance to bring the tractor to a halt if it starts acting spooky or if the unexpected happens.

Many years ago, in pre-ROPS days, I had a front spindle break while using an Oliver 55 to load manure out of a level barnyard. (yeah, I know; have your fun /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). There was a heavy load in the bucket (enough to break the spindle) and the bucket was well up in the air. The machine just went down, it didn't roll or even act like it wanted to. If it'd been on a slope, the result might've been different. A year or two later, the boss was using the same machine to load skids of apples onto a truck. Again, the ground was level. This time the other front spindle broke. Again, it just went down; it didn't roll. It's the holes on the hillsides that can get you.

As for the B7610, the ROPS came off last night. The lights and the remotes have been remounted to the ROPS stubs that poke up about 6" above the fenders. Pretty painless job. Looking forward to the next mowing session (been awhile since I could say that /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif).
Bob

 

[Bob_Young]

ROPS are like child seats, air bags and bike helmets. Nice ideas that have been imposed on us by "those who know what's best for us". If more of you guys had been around 5 decades ago, you'd know it's possible, even common, to live long and prosper without any of these things. They're good up to a point, but beyond that point they cause problems of their own.

As to a BX rolling when dropping a wheel into a hole while mowing on level ground, I don't see it happening either. But, old fart that I am, I probably mow alot slower than some of you. Low range is plenty fast enough for me. At that speed I have a chance to bring the tractor to a halt if it starts acting spooky or if the unexpected happens.

Many years ago, in pre-ROPS days, I had a front spindle break while using an Oliver 55 to load manure out of a level barnyard. (yeah, I know; have your fun /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). There was a heavy load in the bucket (enough to break the spindle) and the bucket was well up in the air. The machine just went down, it didn't roll or even act like it wanted to. If it'd been on a slope, the result might've been different. A year or two later, the boss was using the same machine to load skids of apples onto a truck. Again, the ground was level. This time the other front spindle broke. Again, it just went down; it didn't roll. It's the holes on the hillsides that can get you.

As for the B7610, the ROPS came off last night. The lights and the remotes have been remounted to the ROPS stubs that poke up about 6" above the fenders. Pretty painless job. Looking forward to the next mowing session (been awhile since I could say that /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif).
Bob