BX25 Full Cage Rollbar

[swick1]

Sounds great. I'll build one too after my grapple bucket project is done.

 

[swick1]

Sounds great. I'll build one too after my grapple bucket project is done.

 

[ssrfenton]

Thanx for the input lutt. Were down to less than 3 weeks and I should
have the canopy and serious thought / design will begin.

Another reverse engineer option is to visit a few ATV/UTV dealers and check out the Polaris/Yamaha/Kawasaki....brands that have all the various ROPS design as OEM certified product. The steel gauge you select can be reversed per vehicle weight comparison...just a thought

Now having suggested this I have also seen if they work via YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. as there are a few destructive but unintentional crashes of MOVING vehicles. For a slow moving/stationary vehicle with an unknown falling load that may have to be compensated for. eg If a large tree limb falls horizontal vs vertical. Slight difference in surface pressure. Most if not all high impact auto systems use triangulation cross technique, again something to consider overhead for a vertical or concentrated weight fall. Something like an X shape across the roof welded to the vertical supports.

Good luck.

 

[ssrfenton]

Thinking about the high impact vertical load, maybe a cone style roof design that will deflect the overhead moving object to the side rather a flat roof design that must sustain all force and hopefully hold up??

 

[jim_wilson]

Another reverse engineer option is to visit a few ATV/UTV dealers and check out the Polaris/Yamaha/Kawasaki....brands that have all the various ROPS design as OEM certified product. The steel gauge you select can be reversed per vehicle weight comparison...just a thought

Now having suggested this I have also seen if they work via YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. as there are a few destructive but unintentional crashes of MOVING vehicles. For a slow moving/stationary vehicle with an unknown falling load that may have to be compensated for. eg If a large tree limb falls horizontal vs vertical. Slight difference in surface pressure. Most if not all high impact auto systems use triangulation cross technique, again something to consider overhead for a vertical or concentrated weight fall. Something like an X shape across the roof welded to the vertical supports.

Good luck.

If I had to make one suggestion for this whole project - it would be to spend some time studying how rollcages are designed for race cars. These cages are designed to handle the forces of an automobile - at high speed - making impact at any angle. I would think that following the general design tips you would use for an automotive rollcage would work just fine for a rollcage on your tractor that is designed to protect you from rollover (at relatively low speed) - and falling tree limbs.

The biggest thing you're going to have to try to figure out - is how to attach the rollcage successfully to the frame of the tractor so that it doesn't rip off somehow like the ROPS in that earlier post where the tractor flipped over backwards.

I have a tubing bender - and have built a couple of cages for street cars that built (hot rods) . For a rollcage for your tractor I would start looking at suppliers of cages for cars that have pre-bent tubing and all the other assorted brackets and reinforcements etc. that are generally used. If you can find a supplier of pre-bent tubing (rollcage tubing in general is 2" or 1 3/4" DOM ) . The DOM part is important - the welded tubing can crack and split on impact which compromises the safety of the cage.

Inspectors in the race world look at weld quality and tubing thickness. The SCCA rule books specify holes drilled thru tubing so the inspectors can check the wall thickness.

Triangulation is important. If you are creative you could triangulate the thing pretty nicely without infringing on the convenience and access points.

 

[Artisan]

Yea...shouldn't be too awfully hard to attach to the tractor. I have a
few ideas but till I have that canopy in hand I wait on most designing.
Were down to 13 days and I hit 54 /BD and I should have the 1133
canopy in hand.
I have built a few different roll bar parts. I own a tubing bender w/ hydraulic.
I have BEND TECH software as well.
I have some 1.75" tube in stock "if" I go that route. I still
have not rulled out getting a second BX25 ROPS and hangin' it off
the FEL uprights...I can draw in CAD so I can do a lot. Not going to
hurry...

I do remember that 1133 canapy as having a substancial support system.
I really can't wait to have it in hand.

 

[Djames55]

I have nothing to gain from trying to stop people from making their own safety devices, and I do not surf TBN to attack these threads. I just simply cannot stand to see people die from very preventable mistakes. I am sure that I could make a seatbelt that may work from tying a piece of rope in a knot around my waist., but why take that chance?

There are plenty of implements that you can make at home, and fabricate yourself that will turn out great.. This has nothing to do with people complaining on TBN about homemade ROPS. Gary, you make good arguments and you have very good points and again, this is not an attack on what you are saying, however there have been multiple extensive research studies into the use of homemade ROPS, and all of the data strongly suggests against it. The physics of a tractor are different than that of a car, and you are not comparing apples to apples.

Again, if you want to make ROPS, or a cage for yourself, than that is completely up to your discretion, however in the case of this article, a 14 year old lost his life because someone felt very confident that they made a safe set up. NIOSH FACE Program: Iowa Case Report 03IA020 | CDC/NIOSH

Again, we are all adults, and you can take what ever chances you want, but just remember that if your farm has employees, it is illegal to have a non-certified ROPS on your tractor for any employees to operate. If you make one, and some dies, you could also be found negligent. I understand that he is making a cage, and has a certified ROPS, but I have been to fatalities, and they are ugly. To me, it is just not worth taking the chance, or suggesting that some else takes that chance.

This is from the investigation into the 14 year olds death, and I think that we can all agree that that was an absolute tragedy, and I am sure that who ever built that set up, only had the best intentions.

ROPS appear simple and relatively easy to make, but they must have appropriate structural strength to absorb the energy and provide protection in the specified envelope in case of an overturn. Manufacturers design and test ROPS according to the ASAE 383.1 standard1, but it is not feasible for individuals to do so. The rollbar on this tractor appeared to be built very well by a qualified welder. The rollbar itself did not suffer significant damage in the overturn. However, the mounting of the rollbar was insufficient and the forces from the overturn broke the axle housings. It is not known if this self-made rollbar would have stayed intact if mounted according to the manufacturerç—´ specifications (see Diagram). Self-made rollbars are often thought to be better than nothing for overturn protection. However, without testing, the adequacy of a self-made rollbar is questionable. Given the complexities in design and testing, it is recommended that ROPS be built only by manufacturers who can ensure that the ASAE standard requirements are met.

Just for informational purposes and not for the sake of this discussion, if you do have employees,

The law regarding ROPS is:

A ROPS used on wheel-type tractors shall meet the test and performance requirements of 29 CFR 1928.52, 1928.53, or 1926.1002 as appropriate
These are the outlines for a ROPS test, and you have to follow the lengthy tests that are outline in IAW 29 CFR 1928.52
Protective frames for wheel-type agricultural tractors -- test procedures and performance requirements. - 1928.52

W = Tractor weight (see 29 CFR 1928.51(a)) in lb (W' in kg);
Eis = Energy input to be absorbed during side loading in ft-lb (E'is in J [joules]);
Eis = 723 + 0.4 W (E'is = 100 + 0.12 W');
Eir = Energy input to be absorbed during rear loading in ft-lb (E'ir in J);
Eir = 0.47 W (E'ir = 0.14 W');
L = Static load, lbf [pounds force], (N) [newtons];
D = Deflection under L, in. (mm);
L-D = Static load-deflection diagram;
Lmax = Maximum observed static load;
Load Limit = Point on a continuous L-D curve where the observed static load is 0.8 Lmax on the down slope of the curve (see Figure C-5);
Eu = Strain energy absorbed by the frame in ft-lb (J); area under the L-D curve;
FER = Factor of energy ratio;
FERis = EuEis;
FERir = EuEir;
Pb = Maximum observed force in mounting connection under a static load, L lbf (N);
Pu = Ultimate force capacity of a mounting connection, lbf (N);
FSB = Design margin for a mounting connection; and
FSB = Pu/Pb

LOL at this. Talk all the safety you want. But you need to take a good look at the safety of your Bolens tractor with all that weight on the front end. That little tractors not made for them big weights. If that tractor rolled over them big weights would come back on top of you. Know way that tractor is designed for that much weight on that little bumper. I wish you would take them off and use the tractor with implements that it is designed for. If you have to add that much weight to front what you have on the back must be to big for the tractor. I see people all the time trying to use a to of a small tractor for the work they need to do. In your case if you need all this extra weight you need a bigger tractor. See how this works. You have a very dangerous setup there and others that may not know could see this and do the same thing and get killed. I wish you would remove the picture of the tractor or better remove the big weights for your safety. Just because they make a weight that big don't mean you can put it on a riding lawn mower does it?

 

[NHmitch]

LOL at this. Talk all the safety you want. But you need to take a good look at the safety of your Bolens tractor with all that weight on the front end. That little tractors not made for them big weights. If that tractor rolled over them big weights would come back on top of you. Know way that tractor is designed for that much weight on that little bumper. I wish you would take them off and use the tractor with implements that it is designed for. If you have to add that much weight to front what you have on the back must be to big for the tractor. I see people all the time trying to use a to of a small tractor for the work they need to do. In your case if you need all this extra weight you need a bigger tractor. See how this works. You have a very dangerous setup there and others that may not know could see this and do the same thing and get killed. I wish you would remove the picture of the tractor or better remove the big weights for your safety. Just because they make a weight that big don't mean you can put it on a riding lawn mower does it?

Wow????

1. Your response has nothing to do with this older post, or to what I was discussing about safety, and ROPS. If you don't like what I was advocating, instead of making very inaccurate claims about my tractor, or how safe my set up is, with no valid information, other than very rude assertions. If you are assuming that my knowledge comes from just owning this tractor, than you are wrong.

2. My tractor was actually rated for far more weight on the front than what I have, and came standard with more weight than this, but the weights are oversized because of their design. I am not sure that you know what you are looking at.

3. Iseki/Bolens tractors are designed for Cat 1 implements, and I have no issue using them. These are not by any means "riding lawn mowers" like you quoted. They are not a full size tractor, but they have a long history around the world in agricultural farming, and 200lbs of counter weight on a one ton tractor, is not by any means, over-rated.

4. ANY weights that are attached to the front of a tractor, in a roll over can come off, and strike an operator, however to suggest, that you should not use them in order to counter balance your center of gravity and risk a roll over is irresponsible on your part, and finally,

5. I am not sure why I even responded to you because having no educated discussions with you in the past, a post like this tells me that you are lurking, and looking to create issues. If you want to join a discussion, and make an educated point, then have your facts straight, and stick to the discussion. Please don't accuse me of risking others members life's, because of you baseless claims. All of the posts that I responded to in this thread were educated, and I respect the posters opinions in each one, however I question your intentions. Enough said.

 

[jim_wilson]

Yea...shouldn't be too awfully hard to attach to the tractor. I have a
few ideas but till I have that canopy in hand I wait on most designing.
Were down to 13 days and I hit 54 /BD and I should have the 1133
canopy in hand.
I have built a few different roll bar parts. I own a tubing bender w/ hydraulic.
I have BEND TECH software as well.
I have some 1.75" tube in stock "if" I go that route. I still
have not rulled out getting a second BX25 ROPS and hangin' it off
the FEL uprights...I can draw in CAD so I can do a lot. Not going to
hurry...

I do remember that 1133 canapy as having a substancial support system.
I really can't wait to have it in hand.

Sounds like you have it under control!

 

[ssrfenton]

If I had to make one suggestion for this whole project - it would be to spend some time studying Inspectors in the race world look at weld quality and tubing thickness. The SCCA rule books specify holes drilled thru tubing so the inspectors can check the wall thickness...............

Triangulation is important. If you are creative you could triangulate the thing pretty nicely without infringing on the convenience and access points.

Good point, and also one item that is continually overlooked on a rollover situation is the occupant restaint system PLUS cage netting to prevent arms, hands being thrown outside the gage and potentially being crushed...or worse. Watching those side by side UTV rollovers on youtube just goes to show you how fast and unexpected things can happen.