rops

[bwp50]

Aloha
I'm new to tractor ownership, as my neighbors can
likely attest to. I'm sure I looked the fool, meaninglessly
moving dirt from one spot to the next, taking my kids for
rides and generally just playing in the dirt. Some of my loads
were as small as a garden spade full, It was rather embarrassing to tip the bucket and see a smithering fist full of dirt fall to the ground.

It's my second day with my new 16 year old grey market
Yanmar YMG2000D,
I have been seeing the word or acronym (ROPS) I was wondering what it means?

bwp50

 

[Whiskey]

bwp50:

ROPS = Roll Over Protection System

 

[cwarrix]

Hi bwp50, welcome to TBN! Don't worry about your neighbors, mine laughed at me too when I first got my 2210. The one stoped laughing when he needed his garden tilled /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif My kids are too big to take for rides (17 and 19) so I had to let them drive the tractor, that was funny as we took turns driving around the house. Then I took my other kids (two Cocker Spaniels) for a ride. Who cares what the neighbors think, this thing is part tool, part therapy /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Besides my neighbors have gotten kind of used to it. My dogs ride in a cart behind my Cub Cadet when I mow the grass. People actually slow down and point as they drive by.

ROPS is the rollover protection that you see on newer tractors. It looks like a roll bar. Some of them fold down, some don't. I'm sure you have seen them before. I'm sure other people that know far more than I about them will jump in here and explain them in more detail. They may be available in the near future for our tractors /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif You can do a search on this forum for ROPS and find a couple of decent threads about them as well.

One thing I was not aware of until Wayne at LTMC (dealer) explained it to me was the danger of rolling the tractor over backwards. Basically doing a big wheelie and ending up with the tractor on your chest! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Apparently it is not all that difficult to do if you are not careful, even on level ground, so in case you were not aware, please watch out for that. Basically, if you are trying to pull something from a point on the back of the tractor that is higher than the rear axle, the tractor being very powerful, can actually twist itself over. Meaning the tractor cant go forward because the load is too heavy or whatever, but the wheels still turn causing the tractor to rotate on the axle instead of the wheels. If this happens the tractor can end up on top of you in a split second.

 

[scrinch]

There was an article in the local paper a few weeks ago about a San Francisco businessman who had retired to become a gentleman farmer here in Sonoma county. His small tractor got stuck in the mud so he got a larger tractor to pull it out. One thing led to another and the large tractor apparently did a backflip trying to pull out the smaller one, crushing the driver. So it does happen and it happens quickly. Take a look at the videos on this site: http://www.me.psu.edu/sommer/projects/tractorFY1/

 

[bwp50]

Informative site thanks for the link.
I certainly can see the need for Rops.
I have no argument or trouble with a law
that mandates this requirement.
My children have been bothering me asking if
they can drive the tractor. Now I know the with
out question the answer (No!! Never, absolutely not)

I will approach my tasks with a new sense of respect.
Thanks for the enlightenment.

bwp50

 

[arthr31]

I will attest to the danger of a backflip-- I was pulling a pallet of stone via a chain connected to my box blade. one thing lead to another and the front-end went flying up, about 4-5' in the air. I was saved by the fact that the box blad prevented the ful flip and that i was running at low rpms... I didn't untangle the tractor from the pallet for a couple of hours, very unnerving. Moral of the story is, it happens very quickly! welcome to tbn bwp50!

 

[LMTC]

Chuck, feel free to share the link(s) on the safety handouts we provide. We would rather scare our customers than have them die in bliss. Rear rollover happens so fast it is almost impossible to react to. Only prevention is not to be in that position. Dragging logs is a potential...log bites into the ground, becomes an anchor, and with the low gearing and high HP to weight ratio of these units, they can literally turn on their bull, or final, gear. Since the wheels can't turn, the frame rotates around the wheel, and it takes about 1.5 seconds from leaving the ground to the point of no return. Hence the handouts we provide EVERY customer...we want their return business /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bwp50]

Aloha all
The previous owner of my place left behind some
rather large pieces of telephone pole, 16 to 20 foot
I was planning to drag them in a pit and burry them.
After reading these posts, I’d be the perfect candidate
for a back flip roll over. What would be the safest way
to drag this kind of weight. In reverse?

Just think, A few key strokes may have just saved
a life, maybe mine. Thanks posters!

bwp50

 

[arthr31]

hey there...

first off, regarding my previous post, what may have saved me is that the engine stalled-- too low rpm for what i was doing...

seconly, why bury the pole? its coated w/ creosote and could possible leach toxicly in to the soil for sometime...? maybe theres another use?

if you must haul &bury, cut it up & haul off in you FEL.

i'm only hauling my firewood in the fel until i get a boompole....
-arthr

 

[kenmac]

Good rops info. for those that have'nt seen it. url] . [url=http://]ROPS