Must Tractor ROPS Be So High?

[MossyDell]

When fully raised, my ROPS will barely squeak under my garage door. But backing out, it will pucker the bottom lip of the door.

These photos show my ROPS in the second position. Does this look safe to you? It doesn't feel nearly safe to me. But if it's not as safe as fully raised, it makes me wonder why Kubota made that setting available.

 

[Root Cause]

When fully raised, my ROPS will barely squeak under my garage door. But backing out, it will pucker the bottom lip of the door.

These photos show my ROPS in the second position. Does this look safe to you? It doesn't feel nearly safe to me. But if it's not as safe as fully raised, it makes me wonder why Kubota made that setting available.

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Just a guess but thinking that at the lower height it is meeting some pre-determined, standard garage door height.
Looking at other tractors, I feel confident that in a lowered state, it would not protect you nearly as well in roll over. Your manual might confirm or explain it better.

I had a small one (no ROPS) flip on me many years ago. I was not on a bad hill. Driven over it 1000 times. But a little trailer tongue dug in and the front end came up and over in a second. Small as it was, I was grateful that I slid off to the side and watched it die. There wasn't much room between the seat, steering wheel and the ground.

 

[MossyDell]

Thanks, Root Cause. My manual does not explain this setting. It does say Kubota recommends the ROPS and seat belt in almost all applications.

I am only about 5'-8" now and the bent position is probably okay protection. It just looks so different/so much lower than fully raised. As you indicate, I am leery of trusting it to protect me as well as fully raised.

 

[Dennis59]

I think that is correct so therefore no mfgr will lower it for fear of liability. As someone suggested,cut it down or custom desighn your own.

I would not cut the original one down, if you have the ability built a custom one then you can just replace the original if you want or need to sell the tractor. Just keep in mind that you are sacrificing some of the safety designed for the tractor make sure you know what you are doing

 

[Root Cause]

Thanks, Root Cause. My manual does not explain this setting. It does say Kubota recommends the ROPS and seat belt in almost all applications.

I am only about 5'-8" now and the bent position is probably okay protection. It just looks so different/so much lower than fully raised. As you indicate, I am leery of trusting it to protect me as well as fully raised.

Do as you please but I doubt it would work exactly the same.
if the ROPs sink in soft soil, it might not do what you think. Put a stick of PVC from tip of hood to top of ROPS and see if you are gonna get popped in the head.

If I was concerned about doing damage to the garage, I would mount a piece of PVC pipe as you see at a drive-thru.
I would set it so it hit me in the head just to make sure I noticed it.

It is easier to sit here a tell others what to do than to do everything right myself so I get it.
Putting the ROPS up just seems like an easy thing to do while you wait for the engine to warm up. Just my 2¢

 

[ovrszd]

It is probably that high so if in a rollover, the head will be in a protected area below a line from the roll bar to the front of the hood. Just a guess.

Yep. Tie a string to the crossbeam at the center. Draw it tight to the front top of your hood. Is there room for you under the string in a rollover?

 

[RalphVa]

When fully raised, my ROPS will barely squeak under my garage door. But backing out, it will pucker the bottom lip of the door.

These photos show my ROPS in the second position. Does this look safe to you? It doesn't feel nearly safe to me. But if it's not as safe as fully raised, it makes me wonder why Kubota made that setting available.

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View attachment 731764

That's where mine is now. It'll be probably high enough where I can go back to wearing a seat belt in case of rollover. Also is still low enough to save $3,000 repair on the front of the carriage house again.

 

[V1BuzzBomb]

I didn't read all the posts but I concur and will jump right in. I purchased a SCUT June 1, 2020, so, obviously, I was seriously looking. I really wanted to buy a Deere 102X series but I didn't for a few issues...

1) Supply of used, reasonable price, with accessories I wanted was very limited.
2) They are notably larger than a BX. I already have a larger more capable machine. Small size was key.
3) ROPS height. OMG! The earlier 1023/1025 have tall ROPS. The most recent production 1023/1025 ROPS are ginormous. I can't even guess at height. I have countless trees, low service wires, etc. No, I don't care if a ROPS can fold, and no, I'm not interested in operating the machine with the ROPS folded. I bought a BX2360. The ROPS height is 70.4". That absolutely sold me.

 

[V1BuzzBomb]

Yup, between the rops height of a BX2360, fixed height, and a BX2370, foldable, there has got to be 9-12 " difference. And the rops from a BX2360, will fit perfectly on a BX2370. I doubt if mankind grew that extra height between the time Kubota switched rops on one model to another.

You nailed it. If I were to buy a BX70. I would certainly retrofit the ROPS from a BX60

 

[MHarryE]

Agricultural ROPS sold in USA must meet ISO 12003. It dictates things like materials that can be used, tractor mass, ergonomics for folding ROPS, and whole bunch of other stuff including "clearance zone".
framework protecting drivers of agricultural tractors, which minimizes the likelihood of driver injury resulting from accidental overturning during normal field work. The ROPS is characterized by the provision of space for a clearance zone, either inside the envelope of the structure or within a space bounded by a series of straight lines from the outer edges of the structure to any part of the tractor that might come into contact with the ground; it is capable of supporting the tractor in an overturned position. The clearance zone is based on 90th percentile operator. Designing equipment involved a lot of compromises - clearance height limits for trucking was the main ROPS height problem I had. That height dictated operator's location. Many wanted higher seats for visibility but the top of the ROPS dictated how high.

Suppliers are not allowed to sell tractors that don't meet the many requirements of ISO 12003; however, you as a customer can do whatever you want to modify your ROPS. It's only a problem if you are somebody who hires employees who operate the same tractor. Working with insurance companies, its a question I had to answer. They look for any out when paying even if the modification may not have contributed to the injuries/death.