My F-1700 home made ROPS in progress

[rayikeo2]

JC, How important is the quick lift to save you time? If you didn't use that you could try my top link chain on the brush hog to eliminate the binding you are getting from uneven ground. The chain replaces the solid top link on your 3 pt only for the brush hog, not for any other implement.

Food for thought here only. What do you think about making the top hat bracket wider, which would also allow a wider sun shade? My thoughts are if the bracket was wide enough to extend over the fenders on both sides and possibly as wide as the outside of the tires you could gain on the roll over protection to stop the tractor from flipping more than when the back tires are horozontal on the ground. To be more clear if you had a roll over the movement would stop when the rear tires were horizontal with the ground at the time the top bracket contacts the ground.

After reviewing pictures maybe the lift is hitting in a different spot that I thought it was. Is it hitting at the connection links that go down to the lower arms?

 

[rayikeo2]

Reviewing the picture of the factory ROPS that you posted I see how they solved the problem you are having. They angled outward both upright posts and brackets to make them wide enough that the lift arms go inside of the uprights. That made the top wider at the same time. Ray

 

[JC-jetro]

JC, How important is the quick lift to save you time? If you didn't use that you could try my top link chain on the brush hog to eliminate the binding you are getting from uneven ground. The chain replaces the solid top link on your 3 pt only for the brush hog, not for any other implement.

Food for thought here only. What do you think about making the top hat bracket wider, which would also allow a wider sun shade? My thoughts are if the bracket was wide enough to extend over the fenders on both sides and possibly as wide as the outside of the tires you could gain on the roll over protection to stop the tractor from flipping more than when the back tires are horozontal on the ground. To be more clear if you had a roll over the movement would stop when the rear tires were horizontal with the ground at the time the top bracket contacts the ground.

After reviewing pictures maybe the lift is hitting in a different spot that I thought it was. Is it hitting at the connection links that go down to the lower arms?

Hi Ray,

Using my darned HF quick attach is not a big issue. I tailored it to work with few equipment but not all. Worse one is the brush hog. I could have got around it with the bracket I had by lowering top travel of the arm about .5" but right at the implement it translated close to 2 inches. I moved up my lift arm to the front hole and I gained the 2" going up but lost more than 4" at the lowest point. with the stupid quick attach you need to drop the arm as much as you can to clear the hook. The canopy you see is the biggest I could make out of 1/2 sheet of plywood I Had. I can make it bigger down the road. what I don't want to have a very wide solid top hat to get snagged under branch or so causing an actual " Roll Over" I'm trying to avoid I much rather make the wider canopy out of sheet metal or plywood so it actually collapse and break sort of like " shear Bolt". Below you see what I need to do in order to totally avoid interference. I might have another trick in my sleeve but got to visit my junk pile tomorrow. Will see.

JC,

 

[JC-jetro]

An update:

After further evaluation and finding an orphan 6" channel I have reconsidered my design of ROPS base. I have literally wadded up the design and filed it in a trash can. John, I know you'll be more satisfied with the new design after i heeded your recommendations. My new contraption has a much stronger and much simpler in design. This is the new and improved version of the base uprights and the top hat will remain unchanged.

JC

New base with the old in the background. It would be extremely difficult to flex this Channel.



View from front facing the front of the tractor. The angle will be welded on 4 side to the channel and it will be bolted thru channel, angle, 2-1/2: base pipe and the upright all together.



View from the back of the tractor. The fact that the main pipe is open in the bottom allowing me to change the height as I wish with no further modification.



View from the side. Lots of welding edges. if you notice the base is upside down on the bench.



View from the top. Uprights will be bolted thru as well.



opefully I get a chance to weld them up in the next few eveningd and take it for a fit up. Got to grind a bit to miss PTO bearing /seal holder and hopefully holes and studs Lines up.

 

[JC-jetro]

All welded up and ready to be dry fitted before applying finish. Sure hope all the holes line up.


JC,

 

[rayikeo2]

Wow! That looks so strong that the tractor frame will break before that bracket will give away. You are giving your drill press a workout too, drilling through that angle iron, it must be a good one. If those holes line up you will soon be ready to try it out.

 

[JB4310]

I don't know where my reply from last night went?

But no, I don't think that will be the fail point now

Used a little wire though, right

Stay safe, JB

 

[JC-jetro]

Wow! That looks so strong that the tractor frame will break before that bracket will give away. You are giving your drill press a workout too, drilling through that angle iron, it must be a good one. If those holes line up you will soon be ready to try it out.

yep, one hole at a time Ray. I never go thru more than one piece at a time. I measured holes Center to center,and took close up pictures with my straight edge. I transfer them to engineering Sketch sheet. I then laid the actual sheet on the channel. Punched the centers, and drill a small crater by hand. Then securely attached the pieces to a vice and go to work with the drill press. sharp bits and the drill press would not squawk a bit. Last time holes relatively lined up well. A good drill and a uni bit was all I needed to perfectly move the holes just a bit.

JC

 

[JC-jetro]

I don't know where my reply from last night went?

But no, I don't think that will be the fail point now

Used a little wire though, right

Stay safe, JB

My 120 mig welder can not do that... no way .. no how. I welded this using a dedicated 60 amp breaker for a 240 volt Hobart mig welder with 75/25 Argon/CO2 shielding gas. On most edges I had a root pass and a finish pass. On one side of the pipe upright I had more gap so I went with a root pass, fill pass and cover pass. Upright (2 in dia) , pipe holder (2-1/2" dia), 4 inch angle and 6 inch channel will all be bolted thru with a grade 8 thru bolt. I don't know what happened to your message .. may be you forgot to submit when done. If you ever get a chance look at Australian Hercules ROPS made for older tractor and grey market one close to $1000. I might consider only putting a canopy on them only... they are not OSHA compliant either.

JC,

 

[JC-jetro]

another update:

It took me two hrs to completely fit this thing up. I ended up trim fitting several things before I was done. It was more work that I planned. I have to clean it up with wire brushing and a bit of grinding before I put the finish on. I adjusted lift arm for it's max travel and had no interference on the upright. Had to trim side of channel on the bottom so would not have interference with the bottom lift arm. Hopefully I have another 1-1/2 hrs of work before I'm done.
JC,