Is the ROPS really needed?

[Ken45101]

That picture of the Deere illustrates a HUGE problem with the BX folding Rops.... It Doesnt fold down flat behind the tractor!!! The darn thing sticks out like 3' behind the tractor.. Its a huge PITA I'm thinking about modifying the hinge to make it fold flat like it should.

It looks to me like it goes low enough to get under the garage door or any place the operator is likely to be able to duck under, yet still has enough to maybe protect the operator. I think it is a smart design the way it is. Obviously YMMV.

What I am talking about is when you are doing something that is sounding that alarm in the back of your head that says "maybe this isn't the brightest/smartest/safest way to try and do this". All the while, you are experiencing some pucker factor while attempting to do whatever. Continually ignoring that inner preservation system and you will get to see how well your ROPS and seat-belt work.

EVERYTIME I mow some of my pastures I worry about it. I'm conservative which hopefully means that I worry long before there is danger. Ten years now and I've never actually felt the tractor act up in the least, but I'm still cautious and hold my breath.

 

[flusher]

I sure hope my post doesn't incite the wrath of the safety police, but I would like to get a few thoughts on removing the ROPS. Here is my situation; I have a Grand L with FEL that I wouldn't dream of removing the ROPS from. However, I recently acquired a BX2200 strictly for mowing. During routine maintenance this weekend, I even removed the lift arms, and toplink.

I'm finding the ROPS sure hits a lot of limbs mostly on fruit trees, and even creates a situation causing more trim work. Have also lost a number of peaches recently from the ROPS hitting them.

I know the BX is considered a tractor, and is equipped just like it's big brothers, but, on the other hand, it's not much larger than the JD riding mower I have, which did not even come with a ROPS.

In short, I'm thinking of taking it off. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't.

K

Hmmm--some lost peaches versus a possible trip to the ER or to the mortuary. Should be an easy decision

 

[Scooby074]

It looks to me like it goes low enough to get under the garage door or any place the operator is likely to be able to duck under, yet still has enough to maybe protect the operator. I think it is a smart design the way it is. Obviously YMMV.

I take it you dont have one? Its pretty miserable in use. You can turn the tractor fast enough to cause the folded rops to tailswing and hit something you were next to (like your house!! Ask me how I know!!). It's always at the back of your mind " What's the ROPS doing?" Plus it slopes upward when folded so the part that is the top of the arch is actually a few inches higher than the hinge plane. You can get the hinges under branches only to have the top of the arch section jam on a branch.

If the ROPS folded flat instead of sticking out like a sore thumb it would be MUCH more user friendly especially when in "mower" mode

 

[LBrown59]

I sure hope my post doesn't incite the wrath of the safety police, but I would like to get a few thoughts on removing the ROPS. Here is my situation; I have a Grand L with FEL that I wouldn't dream of removing the ROPS from. However, I recently acquired a BX2200 strictly for mowing. During routine maintenance this weekend, I even removed the lift arms, and toplink.

1*I'm finding the ROPS sure hits a lot of limbs mostly on fruit trees, and even creates a situation causing more trim work. Have also lost a number of peaches recently from the ROPS hitting them.

1*Trim the limbs not the ROPS

I had top half removed for awhile since it was too dangerous to have it on when I was mowing on trees and it would get caught on limbs. Getting hung up on a tree branch is not my idea of entertainment for my neighbors.
2* Over time I pruned the tree branches to a point where its safe now to have rops on and up.:thumbsup:

2*That's the secret remove the branches not the ROPS.

 

[Ken45101]

I take it you dont have one? Its pretty miserable in use. You can turn the tractor fast enough to cause the folded rops to tailswing and hit something you were next to (like your house!! Ask me how I know!!). It's always at the back of your mind " What's the ROPS doing?" Plus it slopes upward when folded so the part that is the top of the arch is actually a few inches higher than the hinge plane. You can get the hinges under branches only to have the top of the arch section jam on a branch.

If the ROPS folded flat instead of sticking out like a sore thumb it would be MUCH more user friendly especially when in "mower" mode

I have five tractors with ROPS, only one (the zero turn mower) is foldable. I have never been even tempted to fold it down and I would probably only do so if I wanted to get it into the garage.

As for turning so fast close to the house that it swings out, well whenever I'm that close to the house (or anything else), I'm going slowly.

Have you thought about securing it with a bungee?

Seems to me that it is well designed for it's purpose. YMMV.

Yes, I have a tree that I can't run the mower under because of the ROPS. That's weed whacker territory.

 

[Scooby074]

I have five tractors with ROPS, only one (the zero turn mower) is foldable. I have never been even tempted to fold it down and I would probably only do so if I wanted to get it into the garage.

As for turning so fast close to the house that it swings out, well whenever I'm that close to the house (or anything else), I'm going slowly.

Have you thought about securing it with a bungee?

Seems to me that it is well designed for it's purpose. YMMV.

Yes, I have a tree that I can't run the mower under because of the ROPS. That's weed whacker territory.

Its not that turning fast causes to swing out (like from centrifugal force) its the ROPS itself sticks out the back when folded. It only folds down 90*

Here's a pic of a BX with folded rops. Its not my machine, but CHDinCT's. AS you can see, it sticks way out. Thats as flat as it gets.

Compare that to a Deere zero turn with folding rops and you can see the difference

 

[yelbike]

Its not that turning fast causes to swing out (like from centrifugal force) its the ROPS itself sticks out the back when folded. It only folds down 90*

Here's a pic of a BX with folded rops. Its not my machine, but CHDinCT's. AS you can see, it sticks way out. Thats as flat as it gets.

Compare that to a Deere zero turn with folding rops and you can see the difference

Yet another reason why GREEN is better!!!:thumbsup::laughing:

 

[tractchores]

Its not that turning fast causes to swing out (like from centrifugal force) its the ROPS itself sticks out the back when folded. It only folds down 90*

Here's a pic of a BX with folded rops. Its not my machine, but CHDinCT's. AS you can see, it sticks way out. Thats as flat as it gets.

Compare that to a Deere zero turn with folding rops and you can see the difference

Don't know why they do it that way. I have a foldable on my B series and it folds down similar to the JD pictured. I find it works great so I can fold it down for working in tight quarters. Not sure why they made the BX different...

 

[psvines]

I love my BX2660 and am very glad the ROPS is one piece without the option and temptation to fold. It also is a great attachment point for the canopy. And once a year I walk around the property and trim lower branches; a very simple task.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

You'd have to trim the trees significantly high up from the ground. It looks like **** and is not actionable if you care about the lower limbs (e.g. windbreak). Blue Spruce looks particularly bad with 7' of trunk showing. The B series ROPS folds completely flat. Yet another reason why the BX just doesn't work for me.

 

[dustinfox]

I know we all know this, but remember what would happen without it.


Tractor Rollovers - YouTube

Goofus says "I don't need no stinking ROPS!" Gallant says "I always wear my seat belt and use my ROPS when running the tractor."

 

[dustinfox]

Is the ROPS really needed? I'd have to say no, it's not needed at all... unless you roll your tractor.

I agree... Leave it off until you roll over. :laughing:

 

[WaxMan]

Not sure why you would want a BX for a lawn mower anyway, unless i missed something. The Bx is a good tractor and has many good uses, but strictly as a lawn mower it's a poor use of the BX in my opinion. It ok as a lawn mower if used as a multi task machine. But only as a lawn mower?
I have one of these Tanks only without the steering wheel, 12 miles per hour low to the ground foldable rops and only one use a "lawn mower".
If you only use for the BX is mowing Sell it, buy one of these or similar and have money left over. Do all your mowing in half the time with twice the fun and safely.:thumbsup: Plus it has a good bagger set up.
CCC TANK product video fnl - YouTube

 

[Scooby074]

Don't know why they do it that way. I have a foldable on my B series and it folds down similar to the JD pictured. I find it works great so I can fold it down for working in tight quarters. Not sure why they made the BX different...

I have no idea why they do it on the BX either!!

When folded, the ROPS would provide next to no protection in a roll over. Your head is above the hinge plane.


As Evil says, pruning the trees up 6' is not only hard on the tree, but looks awful.

 

[flyingpostman]

I'm cutting a lot of hills and while the ROPS bar is annoying going under some trees (I ended up trimming a lot of low branches) I would rather have it than have the tractor roll on top of me. The seat belt also helps keep my *** in the seat when cutting hills.

 

[Ken45101]

For those who did not check out the video links above, they had three different incidents where an unexpected rollover on "easy terrain" resulted in fatalities.

The statistics they gave:
75% fatalities from rollovers without ROPS
1% fatalities from rollovers with ROPS.

 

[Jim in ICT]

I once knew a guy that sold safety shoes. A customer came in his store to complain about the toe box of his shoe blowing out when he had a piece of steel drop on his foot. My friend pointed out that the customer was able to walk in his store because the shoe did its job.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[1sadgal]

I would say ask my dad because he knew a lot about mowers and researched which ones were safest before he bought his lovely green BobCat zero radius. But you can't ask him because he ended up dead underneath that mower in the shallow end of our pond at age 62 after sliding down a slight slope and the mower rolled over on top of him. His mower did not come with a ROPs. Well everyone around this town gets a ROPS now. I bet if my dad could come back he'd suggest adding a ROPS because it might have been better to have had the mower roll on its side where he could unbuckle his seatbelt which he had on during the accident, by the way, and walk away from the mower than to be struggling under the mower, buckled into his seat and drowning under the weight of it. Yep he would be a big advocate for the good old ROPs device if he were still alive to tell.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

I was told and I believe it's already in effect that all zero turn mowers and tractors are required to have rops.

 

[1sadgal]

Well go here and check out the latest model on Bobcat's site ------- no ROPS on it. BOB-CAT Zero-Turn Riding & Mid-Size Walk-Behind Mowers | BOB-CAT Commercial Mowers