Need to add ROPS to a L245

realtaildragger · Mar 11, 2005

Just bought a L245 about a month back. No ROPS. Have already had enough adventure on an iced up steep road to fear for my life. I understand that factory ROPS are no longer available for this older machine. Can anyone post a picture of the ROPS detail (how it attaches) so i can possibly fabricate one. Thanks mucho!

aardvark · Mar 11, 2005

Have you looked here?
http://www.kubota.com/h/safety/rops.pdf

Your L245 qualifies for a discount ROPS through Kubota. A friend of mine ordered a ROPS for a B6000 in December, and it took about 6 weeks to arrive, but it did finally come in. His ROPS came in from an aftermarket company though, supplied by Kubota. For the $148 cost Kubota is going to charge it's at least worth a call to your local dealer to inquire.

DUMBDOG · Mar 12, 2005

There was a post in the safety forum a while back about a grand son getting killed on a tractor with a home made ROPS. The ROPS held up but the way it was mounted did not. Do it right and buy the one from Kubota.

Carl_NH · Mar 12, 2005

I had a L185DT and got the ROPS from the dealer. It does take some work to install. The key is to keep all the bolts loose when mounting onto the tractor. I also had trouble getting the bottom bolts in - alignment issues as it seemed the ROPS was not quite welded straight.

I have read here in the past that the dealer will install these at a fixed price (low) due to Kubota policy for liability they prefer to have the dealer do it. If then in the future there is any problem/failure they know the job was done right.

So either way get it from the dealer and I would ask them their policy on ROPS / cost etc.

realtaildragger · Mar 12, 2005

>Your L245 qualifies for a discount ROPS through Kubota

Jared,
Thanks for a great tip. Here i was assuming they were no longer available and you even came up with a coupon. It is incredible how much cost & grief can be saved through a forum like this where people share experiences & knowledge.

Gratefully,

aardvark · Mar 13, 2005

No problem, glad I could help. I remembered the name of the manufacturer who Kubota sourced the B6000 ROPS through. It is Femco Manufacturing. http://www.femcomfg.com

By the way, my dad has two "real tail draggers" as well. A 1949 Taylorcraft and a 1969 Aeronca (spelling?). He lives in Pougheepsie NY, which is almost in your neck of the woods. Occasionally he does inspections for the FAA on the older planes. I guess there aren't many small old planes left, and few people who still know about them and how they are supposed to work.

realtaildragger · Mar 13, 2005

Jared, thanks for the tip on the ROPS supplier.

Your Dad's 69 Aeronca is probably just like mine... the Champ lineage goes back to 1941. Only diff is mine is a 1977 and aerobatic (Citabria is Airbatic spelled backwards, kinda). Getting hard to find people who can work on rag-wing, stick & rudder taildraggers. Wish him blue skies, tailwinds & happy landings from me.