Push over trees with a small compact?

[RayIN]

Why it's a good idea to have the ROPS in the working position instead of the usual folded position that so many owners on here like to do. I see pictures (on here) of so many tractors with folded ROPS. Why fold it, just remove it entirely....

I will confess I removed the ROPS entirely from my Kubota diesel front mount mower because it gets in the way when mowing under trees. Took it off entirely and it's parked against the shop, in the grass. Other issue is, if it's folded, it interferes with opening the engine hood to check fluid levels so I removed it entirely.

Gal down the road bought a new Cub ZTR and runs around with the ROPS folded and no seat belt on. Hopefully, she don't wind up in a compromising situation.

My Massey Ferguson 451 operators manual states to always use the seat belt when the ROPS is up and never use the seat belt when the ROPS is folded down.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

My mower has to have the ROPS folded down to get under some of my foliage, but my yard is flat, so I don't worry about it. I need to fix my seatbelt, though. The latch was frozen when I got the mower.

 

[WinterDeere]

My mower has to have the ROPS folded down to get under some of my foliage, but my yard is flat, so I don't worry about it. I need to fix my seatbelt, though. The latch was frozen when I got the mower.

I wouldn't even worry about it, unless selling or loaning it out. I was always told to leave seltbelt off, if mowing ROPS-down.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

The thing that concerns me is hitting something with nothing to keep me from falling forward.

 

[WinterDeere]

The thing that concerns me is hitting something with nothing to keep me from falling forward.

Yeah, you don't want to run yourself over! I never use a ROPS or belt, but I also can't really see myself hitting anything larger than the field mice or bunnies that occasionally pop up in front of the mower at the last second.

But you remind me of a funny story from a buddy who managed to park his mower over a yellowjacket nest. I'll admit I might not remember it perfectly, this was maybe 20 years ago, but somehow he managed to stop his ZTR right over the ground nest of those belligerant and aggressive German yellow jackets. When they started stinging him en masse, he tried to jump off the mower and run, but his boot lace caught on the deck lift pedal as he was jumping off the mower, and he fell on his face on the ground.

To top it off, he somehow pushed one of the control levers into reverse as he jumped out of the seat, putting one wheel of the mower into reverse, while the other was still in its "park position" cradle. So, the mower started spinning backwards, pivoting on one wheel and drigging him with it, right over the opening of the yellowjacket nest.

Long story short, he suffered many dozens (hundreds?) of stings, before a tennant of the apartment building he was mowing saw him being dragged over and over across this nest, and ran over to shut down the mower. A trip by ambulance to the hospital followed.

Yeah, this was the same guy who thought "seat safety switches are stupid"', and had disabled his.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Myself, I want no stretch when directing a tall tree down. I want to know exactly how much effort it's taking to displace the tree in the direction I want it to fall.


I trust gravity that much! And my hinge cuts just a little less ;-)

It's the wind that really gives me concern.

Why do you want no stretch?

 

[eolesen]

Stretch is room for variance... I've brought down several 60-80 ft trees with 1500lb lever chain hosts and chains. Most land within 5 ft of where I've anchored the hoist as long as there's enough tension that the change stops moving. Sleeping just a little bit of slack, either way can increase the distance where it would go left or right.


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