R.O.P.

[BrettFF205D]

One last thought on ROPS. Has anyone ever made one out of wood? I know this sounds crazy but some solid oak posts bolted to the frame and wraped in fiberglass with epoxy, like boats are made, might be enough to keep you from getting crushed. It would be easy to attach a sun visor to it. Once again, I know this is thinking outside the norm , but I have lots of good oak, woodworking tools and not much spare cash. What say ye me of Yanmar? Be gentle with me on this. bw

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>I know this sounds crazy . . . Be gentle with me on this</font color=blue>

I think you may have answered your own question./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I certainly won't say it's impossible, but I would think that to be strong enough would require wood of a size that would make weight a consideration. And if it ever did turn over and get tested and it splintered, I wouldn't want any of those splinters sticking through ME./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Tractors4u]

Oak is strong and would indeed support the weight of the tractor. BUT, here comes the BUT. There are sideloads that come with rollovers. Simply bolting the oak to the axles would not be enough. When the rollover occurs you will have a lever type effect where the energy of the rollover will be focused on the mounting point of the oak roll bar. The base would have to be HUGE to keep from splintering around the U-bolts or whatever else you use to attach the ROPS.

 

[Tractors4u]

One more thing I forgot. ROPS are only complete when you have a seat belt to hold you in so that the ROPS can protect you.

 

[pennwalk]

I was trying to formulate a list of what you are trying to do with a ROPS and things to keep in mind in case you might be thinking about building a ROPS.
1. In the event of a roll to keep the tractor off the operator.
2. I think the reason the ROPS is so high is in the event of a side roll to prevent repeat rolls. I think the with tall ROPS the tractor should flop over on its side and stop.
3. I notice the ROPS is usually angled back and I think this has to do with stopping the roll over backwards.
4. Seems like some thought has been given to keeping the ROPS away from the operators head in the event of a roll which might cause the operators head to flop around.
5. I think consideration was given to preventing additional damage to the tractor in the event of a roll. I was thinking about how securely the ROPS is secured to the tractor and how widely the load has been spread. It would be sad to break an axle or the transmission case.
6. If you look at JD ROPS they seem to be very heavily built. Better to be safe than sorry.

Chris

 

[roger_scotty]

If you have oak and woodworking tools then I think your ROPS problems are solved. Just go down to your local welding shop and swap him a set of cabinets or something for a ROPS...

 

[Anonymous Poster]

From an engineering and feasability standpoint, here are a few things to look at.
Weight probably wouldn't be an issue. ( size possibly ) Wood, at equal weight, is stronger than steel*. If you would like to test this, take a 1x6, 2' long, suspend it over two bricks... it will hold a couple hundred pounds. Take a sheet of steel, same weight as the wood... good luck. *Geometry can help a bit.. corugation can do wonders for sheet metal strength.
The main problem will be a positive attatchment point. Joints are going to be your weakest links. Probably with some fairly elaborate steel cable or strap placement, multi brace points, and some sort of skin for the wood... you might achieve some level of safety.. perhaps at the expense of size, grace, and elegance.

Just random ruminations...

let us know what you decide.

Chris

 

[EFC]

I looked into this a while ago and I even got an insurance company to sign off on it. Had engineered plans and everything. It would take two hours per unit to build and $50 in material. Liability insurance was $450 per unit if I built 500 a year. No, problem I thought that I could still do it until the insurance company told me that they only cover ROPS failure not injury that occurs when a foreign object (stumps and rocks) penetrates the operator area. You have to sell a lot of ROPS to pay 11 million dollar settlements and I still have a boy to put through college. I encourage people to do it for themselves. Find a good welder and pay him real money to do it for you. Yes it can be expensive but how much is your life worth to your family members. I haven’t seen homesteads ROPS but hey if it fits and is sturdy BUY IT and a good seatbelt to go with it. You cant call me the "evil loader builder yanmar hater" if your DEAD!

 

[Tractors4u]

Has someone called you the evil loader builder and yanmar hater yet?

 

[EFC]

Ha, not that I know of /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif