New to ROPS - just installed

[Coyote]

OK, I just installed a ROPS with seatbelts on my Yanmar. I have never had one before and it has been years! Is the general consensus to always wear the seatbelt? It is just so strange to me to strap in. Isn't roll bar enough? Does everyone 100% of the time use the belt? My old Ford has ROPS and no belt, been that way for 20+ years. Your thoughts?

 

[firefighter9208]

My Kubota manual says to always wear a seatbelt with the ROPS folded up. Do I? NO. If I'm working the tractor, ie: bushhogging, loader work, driving through the woods etc... I do. If I'm just driving down the driveway to the mailbox then I don't.

The manual also says to never wear the seatbelt if you have the ROPS folded down.

Chris
Hill Farm Boer Goats

 

[firemanpat2910]

the short version is ROPS protects you if and only if you are in the operators seat. The only way to keep you in the seat is to tie you down with a seat belt. Do not wear a belt with no or folded rops, you can not jump clear. Do not ever try and jump clear of a rops tractor. It will mouse trap you.

Now with that said do as you want. I have a rops on my tractor and it took some getting used to but I hardly ever cuss at it now. No comment on how often the seatbelt gets buckled.

 

[Soundguy]

If you have rops.. wear seatbelts.. if no rops.. no seatbelts.

you'd hate to get thrown off your rops tractor and have the rops mash ya..

soundguy

 

[Coyote]

I hear ya. I want to be around to see the kids get old so I guess I'll strap in! And next time I'm going to remember to turn the bushhog off before I try to sharpen the blades too!

 

[CurlyDave]

As strange as it may sound to many, I use my seatbelt every time, even just to back out of the garage.

Just part of the drill I go through to remind myself that this machine knows a hundred ways to kill me in a heartbeat.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm with CurlyDave...I wear my seat belt religiously.

One thing constantly amazes me when I read TBN threads is the number of folks who post pics of their ROPS folded when operating their tractors.. Not having the ROPS in the proper position is worse then not having a ROPS at all.

 

[Racer71]

I wear the belt anytime I have the tractor near something that I can drop a wheel into. This includes any slope. It is easy to wear it.

 

[Soundguy]

I wear the belt anytime I have the tractor near something that I can drop a wheel into. This includes any slope. It is easy to wear it.

I hope you never find a gopher hole.. old burried rotted out stump/cavity.. or a septic tank with your line of reasoning.

'holes' your tire can drop into may be a few inches under the visible surface of the ground.

I know a guy who was recently killed when the front wheel of his machine caved in an old (incorrectly) abandonedseptic tank. He had lived on a large lot in the city for over 10ys, and had city sewer.. but some decades back, his house must have been on a septic tank.. prev owner didn't pump the tank, fill with dirt,and then crush in the lid like you are suposed to, in oder to abandon the tank.. he found out the hard way .. He had been over the ground hundreds of times..... guess he didn't have his rops up and belt on either as he was crushed to death when thrown tot he ground.. xray vision might have helped him looking for that hole that his wheel may have dropped into. ( yes.. this is a true story.. )

soundguy