why no four post rops on tractors?

[jimmyj]

Considering the number of post here and the facts. I would say that ROPS are designed to tear out garage doors.

Amen brother.

Personally I like the idea of a FOPS. If I could get one I would. Not just for safety but when I use my pals skid steer it is handy to be able to grab onto, put windows or a roof on, really I think of it like a cab.

 

[MossRoad]

Considering the number of post here and the facts. I would say that ROPS are designed to tear out garage doors.

You need a smaller tractor!

 

[RobertN]

I remember when California did spot inspections. I remember them on Sunrise Ave and also on Greenback Ave in Citrus Heights(outside of Sacramento).

It was late 60's to early 70's. It was before '72, cause that is when my Dad got his CJ5; we were never at an inspection with it. I remember my Mom would turn around if she saw one when we were in our old '42 Ford GPW(Jeep). I don't know why; it was bone stock and in good working condition. In the car, she'd go thru the inspection('63 Impala SS327).

It actually reminds me of how they put up DUI/DWI stops these days. Just driving along, and there they have the road blocked.

I don't remember what all they checked, but it was a safety kinda thing.

No auto safety inspections of any type in CA now and has not ever been
any.....for private use. I am not talking about a "fix-it" ticket. Many other
states have safety inspections, however, some for many years. But usually
you are talking about lights and windshields, etc, not under-the-hood
stuff.

 

[RobertN]

It is probably related to the ROPS, being just for roll over protection. Most of these smaller CUT's are not really that heavy; one big roll bar is sufficient to protect the driver. If they used smaller bars, then they would maybe need a 4 post to get the rigidity they need.

Growing up around Jeeps, they never had factory cages. Just ROPS, ie roll bar. The new ones have forward bars that attach to the windshield frame. Not very structural.

There's no reason a person couldn't add a cage kit, just like we always did in the Jeeps. I know the ROPS police would go nuts over people welding a cage kit on to a ROPS.

I would argue though, that is just what lots of people did to Jeeps, Land Cruisers, Bronco's, 4-runners ect. Thousands and thousands of them.

I do know, at least for the Wrangler Rubicon, there is a bolt in kit. A friend has it in his Wrangler. All of the new bars have ends on them that clamp to the existing bars. The front uprights bolt to the body, with an extra bracket that does attach to the frame from underneath.

i recently bought a JD210c loader backhoe and it has a 4 post rops, factory made, got me wondering why not have rops like that on a compact or an ag tractor? seems like a great thing, protects ya better in a rollover, and from a log or pipe rolling off the bucket and down the loader arms, and provides a nice roof over your head too to keep the sun etc off ya. it sure seems alot stronger of a design also

 

[Aqualize]

The last decade here in Sweden there have been several CUTs coming into the market with 2 pole foldable ROPS if not having a cab. Since 1959 there has been by law that new-sold tractors should have a ROPS and I guess by tradition that has always been a 6 pole variant forming a cage. Up until when real cabs became standard. Also regulations for working conditions at work places require that the "operation station" can be sufficiently heated when in use in the winter. That also made transition to real cabs faster instead of using these cages with sheet metal and glass for wind protection.

So in Sweden there are not so many roll over deaths caused by older tractors because they all already have ROPS/FOPS if the aren't really really old.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

On my Ford 1900 the ROPS is so low my head is level with the top. I am only 5'9". I am curious on what the requirements are for a ROPS. I thought about putting in a nice hoop like I do in the race cars. There are no certification stickers on my tractor. The loaders at work have certification tags on them.
Bill