</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm curious to all those who choose not to use the seat belt. What are your reasons? I understand the argument against the seatbelt when operating in a forest full of trees. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with either decision -- it's your machine. But I'm just curious that if the seatbelts are that much of a nuisance for you then why?
Personally, I go with the theory that I'd rather be safe than sorry. )</font>
Okay, I'll confess that I often don't use the belt or the ROPS.
Here's just one example of why:
First, my folding ROPS doesn't fit through my garage door. It's a pain to put up and down. But I do put it up and put on the seatbelt when mowing on the first pass around our yard, because there is a deep ditch I might tip into. Then I lower the ROPS, take off the belt, and mow the rest of the yard.. much of which involves going under low hanging branches and whatnot. I just can't do the job with the ROPS up.
On the highway, I always use the ROPS and belt.
Moving slowly around our flat yard and picking up rocks to throw into the trailer behind the tractor, I don't use them.
I know I probably should always use them.. but sometimes they just aren't practical.. like mowing under those trees.
What I would do, hindsight, is install a larger garage door and trim the branches on those trees!!
Bob