When did they start putting seat belts in?

[LBrown59]

I recently bought a 2006 Kioti DK35. I didn't realize until I got home that it doesn't have a seat belt! (I test drove it before purchase, but it was on flat ground and didn't even think of looking for a belt). It has a ROPS, but what good is ROPS without a belt? I don't see any holes or anything that look like a belt was removed.

So, does anyone know did the 2006 Kiotis have belts from the factory?

If yes, could someone post pics so I can see how/where they were installed?

If no, are aftermarket belts available?

I have a steep, hilly property, and reading threads about rollovers has gotten me worried.

A Rops with out a seat belt is a no no .
If it came with a ROPS it came with a seat belt.
Don't use it that way.Put a new belt on it .

 

[Coyote machine]

I always wondered about the function of a ROPS. I guess if the machine went onto its side, the ROPS would stop it from doing a 180.
I view seatbelts with the same suspicion as requiring them on a motorcycle. As slow as tractors travel, I would rather risk jumping off than going down with the ship, er tractor!

Read some of the posts of people's lives being saved by a ROPS and a seat-belt and you'll stop wondering why they're attached to every tractor made for the last ? number of years. They were created to SAVE lives, and /or serious injuries. They're even available to retrofit old stuff that didn't have them originally.
It's not how slow the tractor moves over ground- its how fast they roll over and crush the person who thinks they have time to jump clear.

 

[IslandTractor]

:thumbsup:

Never priced or purchased a seat belt for a tractor. Have purchased a seat belt for a truck, Pricey.

Tractor seat belt replacements are cheap. I did not like the floppy seat belt on my 2004 CK20 so I replaced it with a retractable seat belt (generic) I got from one of the internet surplus companies. I forget the details but I think I paid less than $25.

Tractor seat belts are very simple and as they don't need to hold you in place in a 60mph collision I would not be concerned about getting a simple off brand replacment. So long as it can hold you in the seat if the tractor rolls that is all it needs to do.

Edit: here you go, this is exactly what I used ($24.99, not such bad memory after all! Surplus Center - 2" WIDE SEAT BELT=

 

[williekioti]

It's not how slow the tractor moves over ground- its how fast they roll over and crush the person who thinks they have time to jump clear.

+1 I have yet to roll one, but have been way, way too close a few times. The movement when it comes is scary fast and it doesn't have to be steep, hilly terrain either. A well positioned chuck hole with a load carried a bit too high will do it..... I don't think Micheal Jordan could leap off the high side of a rolling tractor fast enough to escape, not to mention that you have to fight the force/momentum that has already started moving you in the direction of the fall/roll..... More than likely you'll just fling yourself under the ROPS bar, the fastest traveling part of the rolling tractor (think of getting hit with the tip of a baseball bat vs. the inside near the grip).

I may be guilty of not always using my belt, but do feel better when I'm in a sketchy area and I do...........

 

[idscarecrow]

The other thing about rolling and the "just jump" theory is that the operator is likely going to be in denial about the fact of rolling until it is too late. I have never rolled one, but I have been in situations like this, where if you get out early it is ok, but you tend to hang on too long, thinking that the situation can be saved. By the time one is convinced that the situation is unsavable, it is too late to "eject."

Anyway, thanks all for the advice - I ordered a replacement belt today from Northern Tool. :thumbsup:

 

[sandman2234]

Tractors roll over one flat ground also. Just hook up to something with your 3pt hitch and raise it up, then take off and see how fast the front end comes up, and just how it could just keep going over.
Non-Seatbelt users remind me of the rattlesnake in the pickle jar, that if you could keep your hand on the jaw and your eyes on the snake and not move your hand from the jar when the snake struck, you win the prize. You THINK you can jump off the tractor, but in reality, there is overwelming odds that say you MIGHT NOT make it, just like most people think they can keep their hand on the jar long after the snake strikes, but they never do.
David from jax

 

[jonyyuma]

On Jumping clear,,, You were assuming that you would not hang a foot or leg on any of the equipment...Plus, you might not be as fast as you were at 20 years old..

 

[George2615]

You can also buy a universal seat belt from most auto parts store. Just a plain and simple lap belt and bolt it in place. Most are under $25.

 

[idscarecrow]

I received my belt, but due to vacation and other distractions, I am just now installing it. Does the belt just attach to the seat? This seems odd, as my seat can flip forward to the steering wheel, with no latch. It seems to me that if I rolled, that seat would be flopping forward, with me attached. But I can see no way to bolt the belt to the tractor itself, and in the picture someone posted above, it appears to be bolted just to the seat. Anyone have a 2006 that they could post pictures of?

 

[George2615]

There are usually unused holes in the bracket that holds the seat. If not you have to drill some and use large washers for backing underneath. They should have come with the seat belt.