Modify ROPS

Machold · Sep 11, 2011

I have a 2007 B3030 with rigid frame ROPS. Newer models come with foldable ROPS. Has anyone modified a rigid frame to add the hinge?

I can't get a price for a foldable replacement from Kubota.ca (no contact info). Anyone have an idea on price?

firejunkie · Sep 11, 2011

Here is the parts breakdown book, look up the part numbers and take them to a dealer.

http://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoInde...df&AutoIndex=2b87501d0c0d2f9ec9269b545d8ff739

Machold · Sep 12, 2011

Thanks for the link.

Machold · Sep 20, 2011

Instead of adding a hinge, couldn't I just lower the existing ROPS, say 12"?

I know on trade-in, they will deduct the cost of new foldable ROPS (600-1000), but I don't anticipate a trade-in for a very long time, if ever. Any ideas on the height of shortened ROPS?

Eric McCarthy · Sep 20, 2011

I for one would not cut or weld to a roll bar. They are bent in a press from one continues piece of steel or custom made to fold. If you go to cut or weld to it now your basically putting your life in your own hands. And if not welded properly you can actually weaken the steel and make it softer.

MagKarl · Sep 21, 2011

If you have the fab skills, I see nothing wrong with modifying the ROPS. I bought a Kubota ROPS, non-folding, for mine and was a little disappointed after seeing it in person. It's two pieces, R & L, bolted together with a splice plate at the top. A folding ROPS has to be 3 pieces plus the hinge parts at minimum. I should have built my own.

cmorningstar01 · Sep 21, 2011

I agree with MagKarl, If you have the skills I see no problem with modifying it, I see so many posts on here where people are so afraid to do anything with their ROPS and yet they have no problems changing tires/rims, adding hydraulics and doing multiple other modifications to their machines Many of these machines originally came without ROPS and have been retrofitted because of the sue happy nature of the public, Tractors were built for decades before the advent of ROPS and there are literally millions of tractors running around out there without them, While I would not remove a ROPS from a tractor I would have no problem shortening it or even adding a hinge setup so that it could be folded if necessary, Drilling a small hole to mount lights or some other type of lightweight equipment on it. I would bet that a large percentage of the people who have a ROPS on their tractor do not use the seat belt and in my view using a tractor equipped with a ROPS and not using your seat belt can be one of the most dangerous things that you can do under certain conditions.

OK, I have had my rant and I will go back and sit in the corner.

TripleR · Sep 22, 2011

We have a Massey Ferguson with a shortened ROPS, I see no problem doing so if done by a competent welder.

B7100 · Sep 22, 2011

TripleR said:
We have a Massey Ferguson with a shortened ROPS, I see no problem doing so if done by a competent welder.

I tend to er on the side of caution where there is risk of serious injury or death so assume the original height of the rollbar would not just be a figure plucked out of the air by the manufacturer but a carefully calculated height to give maximum protection to the operator while keeping material costs to a minimum?.There may be an element of operator comfort built into that height but who really knows if this is the case?
If the height was reduced the tractor, in a roll over situation may, instead of halting at 90 degrees, keep on rolling because the rollbar is too short to stop it.

Dave

Machold · Sep 22, 2011

Good point; the height is certainly part of why the machine doesn't keep rolling over and over. I just need to lower the ROPS for going under trees on level ground, which is why a hinge mod seems attractive. I wouldn't be doing it (although I can use a welder, I wouldn't call myself a welder); it would be done by a welder who builds cranes, with many years experience.

TripleR · Sep 22, 2011

B7100 said:
I tend to err on the side of caution where there is risk of serious injury or death so assume the original height of the roll bar would not just be a figure plucked out of the air by the manufacturer but a carefully calculated height to give maximum protection to the operator while keeping material costs to a minimum?. There may be an element of operator comfort built into that height but who really knows if this is the case?
If the height was reduced the tractor, in a roll over situation may, instead of halting at 90 degrees, keep on rolling because the roll bar is too short to stop it.

Dave

Yes, well worth consideration, but the overall reduction on ours was minimal and after taking everything into account feel very comfortable in having done so.

I do agree a significant reduction in height would not be advisable.

skeets · Sep 23, 2011

If I may interject something here. A while back I was one of the team assigned to investigate a fatal accident on a strip job. The operator had taken an old CAT dozer and made a ROPS in his shop, and I must say that it was a very good job the square tubing was hydro bent and the welds, and Im no welder, looked really good,, and the lab said they were good welds.
My point being the dozer went over an embankment backwards and flipped end for end, the operator was killed when a corner of the ROPS failed and he was crushed.
His wife is having a very hard time collecting his life insurance,, WHY??? because the ROPs had not been certified by a PE. If it had been then there would have been no problem.
So its just a thought you might want to do like I did after breaking my arm pushing limbs out of the way,, they all came off ROPs high

Wildfire · Sep 23, 2011

skeets said:
If I may interject something here. A while back I was one of the team assigned to investigate a fatal accident on a strip job. The operator had taken an old CAT dozer and made a ROPS in his shop, and I must say that it was a very good job the square tubing was hydro bent and the welds, and Im no welder, looked really good,, and the lab said they were good welds.
My point being the dozer went over an embankment backwards and flipped end for end, the operator was killed when a corner of the ROPS failed and he was crushed.
His wife is having a very hard time collecting his life insurance,, WHY??? because the ROPs had not been certified by a PE. If it had been then there would have been no problem.
So its just a thought you might want to do like I did after breaking my arm pushing limbs out of the way,, they all came off ROPs high

Good advice my friend and something to consider. Now guys will understand why I don't post on this kind of subject.

Eric McCarthy · Sep 23, 2011

Heres my thing, Kubota says do not even drill holes into your ROPS to add work lights. Ask around most guys on here have strapped lights to the roll bar some way or another. Kubota also says that any drilling or modification to the ROPS voids the tractors warrenty. Which I assume they state that for a pretty damn good reason too.

If its tree limbs are the only problem your faceing, then take a chain saw and limb the tree up to were the tractor can pass underneath.

Take the words from Skeets who learned the hard way and broke his arm. We called him nubby there for a while!

Machold · Sep 24, 2011

Yes, I have the chain saws, and the limbs will be trimmed... thanks.

skeets · Oct 8, 2011

We called him nubby there for a while!

[COLOR="Black"]Youz guys is cold,,LMAO[/COLOR]

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