ROPS and trees--a cautionary tale

[sheepfarmer]

A friend who has had a long career in excavating and earthmoving was admiring my new bota, and told me to be sure to pay attention around branches. I've broken off quite a few with the ROPS already, but he pointed out that a big unbreakable branch can catch on the ROPS and flip the tractor on its tail. Not so likely with my 3560 which usually has a blade on back, but apparently pretty easy with lawnmowers. I hadn't thought of that, and I didn't ask him how he knew...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I've done it with my B on a bent over tree!

It almost left a stain on my underoos!

 

[skeets]

Yes branches will do strange things when coming in contact with the ROPS and some times things get broken

 

[OranjeBX25]

My wife found this out first hand last week. I was using the push mower at the front of the house, looked over and she was waiting for me at the edge of the grass. Said she had a big branch fall on her and the tractor stopped running. Turns out the branch she hit was a dead limb. She's lucky it broke off.

I never would have thought of it tipping over the BX though. I take the loader and backhoe off to cut the grass.

Thanks for the heads up! so to speak, sheepfarmer.

 

[Paulemar]

Yes, I have spun my BX25 1/4 way around one of those leaning trees once because it caught part of the ROPS. I have since sprayed roundup around the base of 47 trees of various sizes giving me a clear area far enough away so that it won't happen again when I mow. All large branches low enough to be a problem have been removed.

 

[D2Cat]

We have a Grasshopper for mowing a few acres. The area mowed is as flat as a yard stick with several trees. The ROPS on this machine did not fold down, and inhibited the use of the out front deck.

Here's what I did with it. (This is not a recommendation, simply what I did.)

It had been leaning against a wood pile for two years, and the thought came to my mind it could be something besides a ROPS!

 

[Fro65]

Last weekend I was using the FEL to mulch some new trees in my little orchard. My fruit trees are all relatively close together. I was backing up to get closer to one tree when I heard something behind me. As I turned to look behind me, it felt like I got hit in the face with a bullwhip.

Ended up, as I was backing up, my ROPS was pushing back a stiff branch on an old apple tree. Just as I turned, the branch broke free of the ROPS and rebounded. My face sure slowed it down though.

Think I'll wear safety glasses out there from now on.

 

[Tallahassee Kubota Man]

Last weekend I was using the FEL to mulch some new trees in my little orchard. My fruit trees are all relatively close together. I was backing up to get closer to one tree when I heard something behind me. As I turned to look behind me, it felt like I got hit in the face with a bullwhip.

Ended up, as I was backing up, my ROPS was pushing back a stiff branch on an old apple tree. Just as I turned, the branch broke free of the ROPS and rebounded. My face sure slowed it down though.

Think I'll wear safety glasses out there from now on.

Ouch! I feel your pain though. I've had several limbs "slap" me up side the head and leave my glasses dangling on one ear. I'm now VERY careful when mowing underneath trees...

 

[Daren Todd]

Them tree branches suck. Had my apple tree fling my glasses about ten feet from me. Got just enough lift to clear the fence and into the tall grass in the neighbors horse pasture part that sucked was everything is fuzzy with out them looked all around the tractor, and tree for about ten minutes. Didn't see where they went. Finally got mad and went to the truck and got my prescription safety glasses. Hopped the fence and dug around through the grass before I finally found them. Had to keep herding the horses out of the area so they didn't get crushed accidentally. And the darn pony kept creeping up on me and taking nibbles I mow around the fruit trees with the push mower now

 

[sheepfarmer]

I am thinking to put the pruning saw in the bota and see how many branches I can reach standing up on the operator's station (tractor off). Getting whacked in the face and having bark bits drop down my back is not my idea of fun.

 

[m32825]

My face sure slowed it down though..

 

[OldeEnglish]

My father had a stock fiberglass sun shade on his 2910 until he got it ripped off from a tree branch .

I'm waiting for someone to post their retrofitted tree pruner attached to the FEL. Too many crafty people on here, someone must have done it!

 

[Tooljunkie]

Branches all around are hazardous. I drive around with my little chipper and trim a few here and there. Sickle mower gets under spruce trees nicely.
Hit a tree with a dead branch way up and without fops the game could be over.
Be dilligent, hang a ribbon from those dangerous ones.

 

[skeets]

Like I said things get broken, cost me 6 weeks in a cast. After the arm was strong enough EVERY FREEKIN FRUIT TREE ,well ever tree got a trim up as high as I could reach with the chain saw. And I carry a pair of loppers on the tractor now to make sure they don't come in contact with me or the ROPS again

 

[Humblebub]

First evening with new cab and starting spring clean up. Quickly realized I need to service chain saw. .

 

[ShaunRH]

Yeah, limb your trees up past your ROPS height by about a foot and then keep them trimmed that way.

My property isn't big on trees... will be in the future but now... flat and grassy, almost like me, but that would be fat and gassy!

 

[Craiger265]

On my first grass cutting job I was alittle to close to a branch and I broke it off and got it in the back of the head! LoL lucky I was ok but now I remember that the ROP is there!

 

[lilguy]

Have had my two kubota close to 30 years. Took the Rops off both first year after my wife almost launched mowing the grass. They are more dangerous on with all the trees on my spread.

 

[Kingcreek]

another hazard
I had a smallish tree branch that didn't worry me catch the joy stick. I was looking back watching the rotary cutter edge and when I looked forward again my loader was going skyward into the trees

 

[RobbAR]

An old friend of mine got a new L2900 and was so happy...running it around the yard and headed for the garage....needless to say he probably did stain his underoos....damaged the soffit on the house ...spoke in a higher voice for a while...but the look on his face was priceless.....we took the ROP off that day....I have just shortened mine on my B3200 still catches an occasional limb when I get too close to the treess but it will go in my garage without the sudden wheelies when the ROP hits the house....