ROPS & Seatbelts WORK!!

downsizingnow48 · Sep 22, 2015

I keep the loaded bucket an inch or so above the ground. Center of gravity stays low and it can be dropped on the ground instantly if need be.

SPYDERLK · Sep 22, 2015

Garycw said:
Yes SPY I was trying to move forward while turning. Not fast, but the wheel got in a rut and lost its balance. Didn't teeter or give much warming, gust went. I'll take the jolt of seat belt over a body part being smashed & pinned. I have larger tractors without ROPS or belts and hope I could jump, but may be wishful thinking. I'll admit I'm new to fel and learned a lesson today unharmed.
Last year I was ran over by another tractor when a wrench dropped on a starter. Luckily here to tell it.

With a full size tractor, distances are too great. With ROPS you must stay in the seat. If youre not wearing the belt, hug the steering wheel. ... W/O rops you must jump to the high side. Thats something you wish you could practice at.

,,,That runover has me thinkin. Leaving tractor in gear as a "park brake" can be dangerous.

kevinj · Sep 22, 2015

Garycw said:
Just a reminder they are not there just to annoy us. They do save injuries and Lives!!
While moving gravel with a little JD1025 today I got to try them out
Bucket was low, Ballast was present and being careful. Rear wheel got in a very small rut and was all she wrote. Hold on tight and tuck in. I was very lucky today.

View attachment 441552

How much ballast is that empty bucket??? You need at least whatever the loader can lift, plus some.

I can lift 1800 and have 2000 in ballast. At times more ballast would be better.

These are anchored by the rear wheels so you must have enough to keep them on the ground!

tractchores · Sep 22, 2015

Wow surprised it tipped. How high was the bucket? Glad you were ok. i certainly wouldn't count on "jumping". If you got slowed down or hung up your dead, just not worth it. Good reminder to all of us to use the seatbelt when doing anything (even on level ground).

Garycw · Sep 22, 2015

kevinj said:
How much ballast is that empty bucket??? You need at least whatever the loader can lift, plus some. I can lift 1800 and have 2000 in ballast. At times more ballast would be better. These are anchored by the rear wheels so you must have enough to keep them on the ground!

I don't think I had quite enough ballast either. It had been fine up till then though. Also a good point about a rollover on "flat" ground. You never know when you might hit s soft spot, rut, rock, groundhog hole etc. I handy been using ROPS & belt when mowing but may start. As to relying on a park brake I had set it last week and was in front of, behind another tractor when it popped & released. It's nose was sloped down into the barn and had been set about 5 min when it released. More ballast is on my next agenda.

Also as I look at the pic, my bucket wasn't low enough either. Crap!

s219 · Sep 22, 2015

Yeah, look at that, bucket way too high in that last pic. That is not a height to use for moving around. The other thing is that if that large rock/concrete in the rear scoop was meant to be ballast, it's movable and can shift. Could actually become a liability, as it could shift sideways on you.

downsizingnow48 · Sep 22, 2015

Garycw said:
I don't think I had quite enough ballast either.
Also as I look at the pic, my bucket wasn't low enough either. Crap!

Lessons learned the hard way but glad you are OK.

Garycw · Sep 22, 2015

s219 said:
Yeah, look at that, bucket way too high in that last pic. That is not a height to use for moving around. The other thing is that if that large rock/concrete in the rear scoop was meant to be ballast, it's movable and can shift. Could actually become a liability, as it could shift sideways on you.

Yea, I see that now. I was in the process of lowering bucket, but should have before I moved and hit the rut

I did have the boulder strapped in and tilted up with top link.
I can see now both were bad ideas

ultrarunner · Sep 22, 2015

Thank you for posting... it's visual reminders that make for lasting impressions.

The one time I got sideways it happened so fast... in slow motion... there was nothing I could do.

Redneck in training · Sep 22, 2015

I think you had too much weight in the bucket to begin with. When the tractor bounced rear wheels lifted from ground and the tractor rotated on front axle pivot. Since the pivot is below center of gravity (your loader bucket was also likely above the CG) the CG shifted left plus the momentum of the rotation flipped the tractor on its side.