Bummer

[N80]

There are times when operating a tractor that you must lower the ROPS to avoid overhead obstacles.

Jay, that is some serious concrete thinking there! No one is saying that seatbelts and ROPS are the same. We're saying they are both proven, easy to use safety devices that save lives on a regular basis.

I've never been in a situation in 30 years driving a car where I had to remove my seatbelt.

How did you get out of the car?

Like Bird says, the ROPS is part of your tractor's dimensions. It seems ironic that there are people here saying that if you are smart enough and alert enough that you don't need a ROPS and yet not making the much simpler recommendation that you just pay attention to the size of your tractor and the ROPS won't get damaged.

And I realize that there are rare situtions where one might have to lower a ROPS to operate the tractor, but in 99% of those situations that trip constitutes driving it into the garage.

And I'm a tall guy. In order to run into something with the ROPS.....I get a pretty good clue that I'm going to hit something.....since I have to duck.

 

[Jaybr]

How did you get out of the car?

I've never gotten out of the car while driving

 

[N80]

So how many people have wrecked the car, or bent their seatbelt driving in areas with low tree branches?

Probably all of them.

 

[N80]

I've never gotten out of the car while driving

And you drove for 30 years?

The point is, seatbelts can be a hassle too. Much more so in their previous forms!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I will chime in on this discussion as I have the luxury of running a few different tractors. I love the ROPS on my TN as it gives me a place to hang the canopy. Plus if I am on the road or working somewhere near a slope I know that with my seatbelt on if something happened like the bank gave way or I was tired and did something stupid my chances of living thru the mistake are much better then if I was in the same situation with my Ford 640 that does not have a rops or canopy so the sun can wear you down faster and make you more prone to making errors. Working near any slope I take a tractor with a ROPS or a ROPS Cab. If I am working flat ground I will take which ever tractor is available that can do the job.

Working in the orchards and vineyards the ROPS is not a problem. The problem in Orchards and vineyards in regards to tractors are Tires, Fenders and hazard lights. They all stick out further then the ROPS and the orchards are designed so you can drive down the rows without having to drive under low limbs. The Vineyard and Orchard tractors usually have the ROPS mounted in the middle of the tractor and they can fold forward "if" you have a situation where you need to. The only guys who fold their ROPS are the guys working in double curtain vineyards because the canopy is so narrow and low and even then they only do this late in the season so they don't damage the vines and berries.

Penn State had a nice video showing the effeciveness of the ROPS system. They demonstrated what happens if you use your seatbelt and if you didn't use your seatbelt when you had a rollover. Everyone can do whatever they want to their own tractors but it isn't wise to tell others to negate a safety device for any reason.

As to the reference to Farmwithjunk, if I recall, he is or is thinking of adding ROPS systems to some of his older tractors. And I don't recall Chris pulling the ROPS off his 7610 so that it would match his other tractors that didn't have them. He knows the importance of them and the risk associated with using older tractors without these saftey devices.

 

[mboulais]

Bob,

I appreciate your input, but we are talking modern tractors here. We sort have taken the lumps from all those years of experience. We now have devices and features to mitigate those risks. So, in this instance, the factory equipped ROPS is bent. Factory equipped.

Why tractor with a lump in your throat or fear in mind. Other have done that in the past. No thanks.

-Mike Z.

Modern tractor, old tractor... doesn't matter ROPS is there more to stop lawsuits than injuries. Rops cathing trees, limbs, playsets, and clotheslines cause plenty o' problems too. If it wasn't so handy for mounting extra lights on, mine would be gone.

 

[RobJ]

A ROPS is a simple and totally passive safety device that saves lives. Period.

But what about the seat belt on the tractor. It's been highly contested that the seatbelt is very important...or not so important.

By the book they work together and not very affective alone.

 

[N80]

Modern tractor, old tractor... doesn't matter ROPS is there more to stop lawsuits than injuries.

That is utterly ridiculous and thoroughly unsupportable. Take a few seconds and find the rollover videos that make the round son this site from time to time. Anyone with eyes and half a lick of sense can see the effectiveness of the ROPS. I am often amazed at how many people don't have that half a lick of sense.

Rops cathing trees, limbs, playsets, and clotheslines cause plenty o' problems too. If it wasn't so handy for mounting extra lights on, mine would be gone.

Also ridiculous. The ROPS does not protrude past the fenders. Nor does it protrude past the 3 pt hitch, nor does it protrude past the hood of the tractor. It does protrude some number of inches above the drivers HEAD. Most any incident involving the ROPS catching on something is going to involve that something passing mere inches above the operators head. For some drivers, that will be a clue. Some would get a clue if it was hand delivered on a silver platter. And these are the same folks who are supposed to be diligent enough to circumvent ANY circumstance that might cause a rollover?!?! Give me a break. The person who is constantly running inot things with his ROPS is the one who needs it MOST.

 

[N80]

But what about the seat belt on the tractor. It's been highly contested that the seatbelt is very important...or not so important.

By the book they work together and not very affective alone.

Good point Rob. I would suggest that the seatbelt is part of the ROPS (if the 's' stands for 'system'. In that regard I am incorrect in saying that the system is totally passive. And I would agree that as a system it is much less effective, possibly totally ineffective, without use of the seatbelt.

Opinions may vary (which is valid), but given the wide variety of rollover situations, I'd prefer to be unbelted with a ROPS than unbelted without a ROPS. I get tangled up in stuff trying to get off the tractor when it is off and sitting still. Imagining that I could leap from a rolling tractor is pure fantasy. Some younger more athletic guys might have a chance...but probably not....same fantasy, because being young and in shape has little to do with your shirt snagging on a shift lever. The manufacturers telling people not to wear the seatbelt if the ROPS is folded or remove IS purely a liability issue.

 

[mikeyd]

As I understand the dangers of a"false sense of security" is that an operator will engage in a risk he might otherwise avoid because he believes, wrongly, that the safety device will save him. I don't see where this is applicable to a ROPS as none of wants to roll our 30k(or more) tractors in any case. I for one, like things that aren't overly obtrusive that keep me alive and kicking. I wear ear protection when operating machinery, safety googles when appropriate, seat belt etc. Some guys think it makes you a pansy to use safety equipment. Yeah, takes a real man to go deaf, blind or die in a rollover. No thanks.

Regarding the original question, I'm with Bird, see if you can fix it first.