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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Anyone ever build their own ROPS

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TomNTex

12-23-2005 05:49:54




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Looking to build a ROPS for my JD3020. Planning on using heavy walled rectangular tubing supports from a cotton stripper basket. I'm interested in the roll over protection and sun shade but my main concern is getting some protection between myself and the bush hog. I was thinking of heavy guage expanded metal that I could bolt up beween the uprights of the ROPS and easily remove when not running the shreader. Seams like a dangerous piece of equipment back there. What do any of you use for additional protection?
Thanks,
Tom

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doogdoog

12-23-2005 23:14:40




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
Aloha, I built one for my brother-in-laws back hoe. The original one was falling apart from rust so I followed the original design using 3" square 1/4" thick steel tubing. The top (roof) was made from 1/8" steel plate and the base plate from 1/2" steel plate. It was a little hard to duplicate because it was not square and I had to make a lot of angled cuts to duplicate the original.

Mahalo,
doogdoog

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buickanddeere

12-23-2005 17:52:58




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
Just don't count on any home made rops to protect you in case of a roll-over or upset. Without a seatbelt you will be pinned under the tractor even if the rops holds.



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joe e-tx

12-23-2005 17:23:32




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
i built one from 2 3/8 drill tubing to go on three point.,with expanded metal.with help hook bottoms in lower arms, and fold up and pin top link. works great with my 15 footer.no OSHA here
joe



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Mike in Houston

12-23-2005 15:49:40




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
Other than those chains someone posted below, you can also use round baler belting cut lengthwise at what ever width or height you need and bolted on along the front. Saw it done to a mower back home and owner said it slowed down gravel that would sling out from under there while he was mowing along the road in front of his place.
Just a thought...
mee



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Ray

12-23-2005 10:07:54




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
You can buy a new one with the roof for $700-$900
that is osha approved and will look better than a homemade one,and you won't have the libality.



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Walter Squires

12-23-2005 09:22:53




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
Back 20 or so years ago I heard of a man that had been out using his 15' rotary cutter to shread corn stalks and became very ill all of a sudden, he went to the house sit down on the couch and died within a very short time.
They did an autopsy on him and found a small piece of wire embedded in his heart. There conclusion was the cutter had thrown a piece of wire through his back into his heart.
Pretty scary..... .Walter

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Steve from Arkansas

12-23-2005 07:35:21




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
Sounds like you have a pretty good plan. Unfortunately most of us still just use a cowboy hat and a prayer. I would build what I felt comfortable with then think about removing it if tractor is sold and worried about liability.



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Buzzman72

12-23-2005 06:12:45




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
The problem with building your own ROPS is the lawyers. That is, should you sell the machine with the ROPS YOU built, and the subsequent owner roll the machine--it IS called ROPS for "Roll-Over Protection System"--and get killed because the ROPS failed in any way, guess who's liable should his heirs decide to sue?

Having said that, if you're a competent welder, what you are proposing sounds just fine for the purposes you stated. As for the bush hog, when the state highway department around here got concerned with liability from thrown objects, they added what appeared to be 6" or 8" lengths of 1/4" chain all across the front of their bush hogs to at least slow down any objects that might be thrown that direction, reasoning that the solid side and back portions of the bush hog should perform the same function elsewhere.

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jdemaris

12-23-2005 06:05:56




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
I've built plenty of them for my own equipment, and we built many at the Deere dealerships I've worked at - years ago. I suspect today - it would be too risky with the possibily of a law-suit. When they are factory built, they are tested to withstand rollovers with the weight of the machine they go on taken into consideration. None of mine have ever been put to the test - i.e. I've never had a roll-over. Roll-over protection wasn't my intention anyway. I like having them for sun shade, rain protection, to keep tree limbs from falling on head, to keep the bush-hog from throwing "spears" at me, etc. I usually use heavy wall round tubing. I've got one of those $100 pipe benders that work with a hydraulic bottle jack. It works great. My HD6 and HD4 have expanded metal on the back, but the roofs are solid plate. Expanded metal doesn't stop the sun and rain very well. My Cletrac and my 1010 Deere crawler-loader both have round tubing for ROPS and a sheet of easily removed 3/4" pressure-treated plywood for a "ceiling." Sounds silly perhaps - but it works nice, it's cheap and easy, and light.

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JT

12-23-2005 06:40:09




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to jdemaris, 12-23-2005 06:05:56  
There is a new thing on the market that will clamp to a 2" or 2"x3" bars called a Tuff Top. It is a poder coated metal frame with a thermoplastic replaceable panel. They are real light and can taken off and on real easy as the need arises. They are about $300.00-$380.00, depending on size. I know it is not as cheap as a peice of plywood, but is another option. They also come in what ever color tractor you might like.

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Midwest redneck

12-23-2005 06:04:03




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 Re: Anyone ever build their own ROPS in reply to TomNTex, 12-23-2005 05:49:54  
A while back I remember seeing a guy that had the rect. tubing that you mentioned and then heavy steel screening welded on the tubing ROPS to protect him from flying stuff.



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