Tractor with ROPS sawed off??

[kebo]

No lying! I was at a local flea market today and there was a NH TC30 with the ROPS sawed off about a foot or so below from where the top of it would have been. No, it wasn't for sale at the market, it was parked against a building with a flat tire. I think maybe it was owned by the flea market. Most of the market had covered sheds so I think maybe they cut it off so they could drive it under some of the lowest sheds. Still, that's just an unthinkable thing to do in my book.

 

[Window Geek]

There's just no shortage of smart people that do dumb things.

 

[beenthere]

I suppose raising all the sheds would have been a smart thing to do?

We drove tractors without ROPS for many years, and didn't think it was dumb, nor that we were dumb.
Driven where there are no hills or ditches to work around, don't need a ROPS.

Just because some people build protective devices, doesn't mean everyone needs to have or use those devices. Just big Gov't out to protect us ? (ahh yes, a dumbkin can indeed get his tail in a pickle and do dumb things, for sure, for sure )

 

[RoyJackson]

I understand the possible reasoning behind lowering the ROPS to enter/egress buildings...don't agree with it, but I do understand.
What I don't understand is why they didn't just remove that ROPS (8 bolts, IIRC) and store it. Now, if they trade or sell the tractor, they'll have to spend several hundred dollars to replace the ROPS.
Maybe they were trying to convert it to a foldable ROPS.

 

[Thomas]

Sounds like owner took the easy way..like RJ said remove the bolts.

Found kit on web to make solid roll bar into folding roll bar..cert. welder suggested.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I heard from this guy that he took ROL off to make it easir to jump off when the tractor is going to tip over. He is a knows it all so I didn't bother to explain to him what kind of an idiot he is.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I have a friend with a chicken farm. He has all his rops intact or foldable, On his New Holland backhoe he had the ROPS/FOPS is cut off with a saw and has a a tube that fits inside of it. The rest of the rops fits over it and pins on. He did this so he can keep the rops but take the top off every 6 or 7 weeks for cleaning out. Its pain to take them all the way off.

 

[RobertN]

Neighbors Ford 1920(I think...) had it's ROPS cut off so the "horns" stick up about a foot above the fenders. That way when he bought it. He has used it for a couple years that way. Planning to replace it...

I like having the ROPS, since I have hilly property. To me, not having a ROPS is like a Jeep without a full cage. I feel naked without it. I am not as paranoid as others about ROPS mods, but I still want a roll bar.

I would have at least had a fab shop fix up the ROPS with a hinge if a hinged ROPS was not available for the tractor.

 

[PILOON]

I have a friend with a chicken farm. He has all his rops intact or foldable, On his New Holland backhoe he had the ROPS/FOPS is cut off with a saw and has a a tube that fits inside of it. The rest of the rops fits over it and pins on. He did this so he can keep the rops but take the top off every 6 or 7 weeks for cleaning out. Its pain to take them all the way off.

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In aviation, tube inside a tube is an acceptable method of doing splice repairs, providing certain specs are followed, so in effect it should be a safe enough mod.
(if I recall, length is to be 6 X tube diameter + specified weld 'rosettes')
I would believe bolts could provide alternate to welds as a roll bar would be mainly compressive forces.
An aircraft is designed to take both positive and negative forces many times VS a roll bar that is essentially a one time (hopefully) occurrence.

 

[Joe Whiteaker]

Sounds like owner took the easy way..like RJ said remove the bolts.

Found kit on web to make solid roll bar into folding roll bar..cert. welder suggested.

Where did you find the kit to make solid roll bars into folding roll bars?