What would you do?

[neilly2]

Bill,

I just realized that you have the big brother to my tractor. I knew you were a good man.

I'll be installing the ROPS sometime in the near future. I'm pretty darn flat and in the middle of a house addition, so it'll have to wait. Being completely honest, I would never wear the seatbelt, so I won't be buying that.

The arms on my roll bar go straight down and attach to the axle. I will have to take the fenders off and install longer bolts. This is different than yours which teardrops down and attaches to the tran. Makes me wonder if mine really was Kubota.

 

[Junkman]

I can tell you that if you roll your tractor and live to tell about it, you will always wear the seat belt and keep the ROPS up. I rolled my Minneapolis Moline Big Mo 500 tractor, loader, backhoe combination and it didn't have a ROPS. Lucky for me, the backhoe was pinned in the upright position and the swing boom was also pinned. This acted like a ROPS, but I was still thrown clear of the tractor. I could have been unfortunate and just thrown off of the tractor and had the tractor land on me. When I felt the tractor starting to go over, I stood up in a attempt to jump, but the momentum of the roll threw me off. I did have the good luck to land on soft ground, instead of one of the many boulders that were in the field............

 

[BillG_in_TX]

neilly2,

I guess you saw the picture of my tractor trying to get into its little shed! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Here's a closeup picture (attached) of the ROPS installed on my tractor. As noted above, it's the same part number for both tractors, so I guess you didn't get a Kubota ROPS. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I find it more comfortable to mow and do other work with my seatbelt on. I don't slide and bounce around in the seat like I did without it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KirkMcD]

Are you worried more about keeping the tractor from rolling too much if you flip or on keeping yourself relatively unharmed if you flip?

A ROPS without a seatbelt will keep the tractor safe not the operator.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> A ROPS without a seatbelt will keep the tractor safe not the operator. </font>
Several previous posts have indicated that a ROPS alone, while not the ideal situation, has kept the operator safe.

 

[BobCorazza]

Not to detract from the numerous real-life experiences posted, but the fact is that the ROPS and seatbelt combination is the safest for the operator. Most here do not disagree.
As far as Kubota supplied ROPS, I put one on an old Kubota B8200 that came complete from Kubota through a safety program. It was pretty cheap as I recall.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

<font color="blue"> I know many people, myself included, that have rolled or tipped a tractor over and have been just fine without a safety belt. </font>

Richard,

Do you wear a seatbelt when operating a ROPS equipped tractor? Your previous post might lead some people to conclude that you don't.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> but the fact is that the ROPS and seatbelt combination is the safest for the operator. Most here do not disagree. </font>
I don't think anyone disagrees with this. I certainly don't.

 

[cowboydoc]

I usually don't. Not saying you shouldn't I just don't ever do it. Well I shouldn't say never. When I'm doing hills and think about it I will put it on. I've gone over a couple times and both times didn't have a scratch. The one time I went over backwards and if I wouldn't have had a rollbar I would have been dead then. We had just installed one on an old 4020 when I did it. That tractor didn't even have seat belts.

 

[Ozarker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Several previous posts have indicated that a ROPS alone, while not the ideal situation, has kept the operator safe. )</font>

Without the seatbelt tt wasn't the ROPS that kept them safe, it was just luck.