Replacement ROPS

[Jimmyb33]

My tractor came without the top section of the ROPS. I have my local dealer trying to see if we can get a replacement from Kioti, but so far isn't getting much feedback from them. I was wondering if I could just buy the steel myself and either heat it up and bend it to shape myself or have a local machine shop do it for me. any opinions on this?


thanks!

 

[Highbeam]

If you can't get anything from Kioti then a homemade job can be just as good as OEM. Try and find another one and copy it and be sure not to skimp.

Especially when brush hogging I am a seatbelt and ROPS kind of guy. It also creeps me out to go up or down the trailer ramps without the ROPS and belt. Seems so easy to die.

Honestly, almost anything is better than nothing.

 

[ToadHill]

You may be better off to make your own. The factory units are so high, about 18" over my head, that I have to lower it every time I put it in the shed.

 

[mboulais]

I'm with Highbeam and Toadhill on this, You can build something just as good as OEM. That being said, this subject is a lightning rod and will probably get rough when some of the others notice it's on here.

 

[Jimmyb33]

Thans you guys for all of the replys. I was picking up a part at my local dealer yesterday and mentioned it to the parts guy. He's going to try to get some reply out of his distributer on how available these would be from Kioti and what it would cost to ship. He expects it would be fairly expensive vs. haveing one made localy. I have to return the part I picked up yesterday so while I'm there I'll take some measurements of a ROPS on one of the new LK3054's.

So... if I were to make one of these myself or have one made localy, any opinion on bending the 2" X 3" rectangular tubing vs. cutting and welding? any one have any expereience bending this kind of stuff?

Thanks!

 

[mboulais]

Bending rectangular or square tubing can get ugly.

I recently saw a J.D. OEM retrofit ROPS for an older tractor that was done by running the top section of tubing long past the two uprights. You could do the same and avoid some ugly looking bends. Run 2x3 uprights and add a 3 x 3 header across the top. Run the header past the uprights and close it with 1/4" plate. Use 3/16 or 1/4 wall tube , at least as thick as factory.

 

[Jimmyb33]

that's not a bad idea... i was thinking about cutting 45 deg. miters to make 90 deg. bends and just welding up a "half a square" shape with maybe some gusset plates in the corners. then i looked at the rops advertised at the bottom of this page and i kinda like that design too.

i still might call around to some shops to see if anyone can bend this stuff. i'm thinking a shop that bends channels for boat trailers or maby a shop that builds roll cages for race cars might have what it takes to bend it.