most likely a controversial mod.

[ovrszd]

I believe ROPS are designed to give the manufacturer a bit of defense in court, as mentioned by many before. I also believe that when manufactured there is little if any thought given to providing space for the operator to survive a complete roll over. The larger the tractor, the shorter the ROPS, by design, because of the added weight stress. It has to be shorter to survive the roll over. Again, with little or no concern for the operator. Here's 3 examples. When you look at the pictures imagine where the operator's upper body is going to be in an upside down situation with his lap belt on.

 

[gladehound]

My ROPS have a sticker on them that basically says that it isn't appropriate for my tractor. It has printed on it "Max GVW 3748 pounds". That is about the dry weight of my tractor. As it sits, my tractor is around 6500 without anything on the 3pt.

So many cite the testing that OEM ROPS undergo. Check your ROPS to see if they are really designed for the real max operating weight or even the normal operating weight of your tractor. I was surprised and disappointed with what I found :thumbdown:

 

[Gary Fowler]

The best ROPS is a four point fastened system with a hard roof on it to make it FOPS. MY B26 fits easily in my 8 foot door at my shop and gives not only roll over protection but protection from falling objects which I like. I am not too worried about rolling over even if I do a bit of slope work, but I have had a few rotting limbs fall out of trees on to the FOPS which might have been bad had I not had the roof over my head. If it were a few inches too high to fit in my shop, then I would have no qualms in cutting it down to size but I would put in a heavy gauge insert at the cut, then weld it with full penetration weld with 7018 electrodes. It would be stronger than the original tubing at that point. I trust my welding abilities having done it as a ASME certified pressure piping welder for several years and never had a rejected weld from an Xray or visual inspection. Your welding ability may not be up to the task and only the person doing the task can make that decision.

Obviously I wouldn't advise a beginner welder to do this task.

 

[Billrog]

Gary put it very well much better than I could. I have had enough experience building 3 backhoe buckets, hydraulic cylinders & a goose neck trailer to have confidence in my ability to weld the ROP. I still would have done it only hired a professional.

 

[Ltcmikesr47]

Can anyone tell me how thick a aluminum falling object protection would be on my tractor if it’s attached to my rollover protection system

 

[Bansil]

Just attached to the factory ROPS? I would never do that, that is a lot of leverage that if it folded down it would probably hurt or kill you, even 1/2 inch plate would bend if a 100 pound something fell on it 36 inches from the pivot point, or shear/bend or strip the bolts OR it will bend the ROPS forward since they are designed for a side load

 

[Sportsman762]

Can anyone tell me how thick a aluminum falling object protection would be on my tractor if it’s attached to my rollover protection system

What are you trying to protect yourself from? Also what tractor are you mounting it on? Aluminum will most likely have more deformation than a steel plate. If memory serves right its SAE J231 that regulates FOPS. Here are some photos of a FOPS test for a Hough H60 by Sims cab company in 1975. You can see how the entire cab collapsed. I know that this is more severe than you plan on encountering, but the forces of a falling object can be significant.
Also it would have been better to start your own thread rather than revive an 8 year old one.

 

[homedad]

This reminds me that I really need to get that bolt out in order to fold mine up. It's never been up since I purchased it used. I need a 10' cheater bar I believe.

 

[oosik]

My Kubota M6040 would only fit in my carport stalls with the ROB folded. So.....this was my answer.

 

[SmallChange]

Do you wear your seatbelt? I don't. I think my tractor has one but I have never put it on - not once.

I wear mine 100%. I put it on before starting the engine even if I'm immediately going to get off and do other tasks while it warms up -- I've heard worrisome stories about vehicles moving unexpectedly, even a tractor flipping backwards in the barn when it unexpectedly lurched forward and hit some overhead obstacle. Plus, definitely, any time I intend to move the machine.

I figure that, once the rollover starts, I'll be too busy flying around, getting impaled on levers, and having my insides extruded, to go looking for the seatbelt ends or untangle anything.

IMHO being in this simple habit is nothing compared to what I might regret.

Life has enough risks when I am trying to work safely. I don't need to invite anything else.