More to ROPS than Roll Over Protection????

kingb0305

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On a zero turn, does the ROPS only serve for safety in case of a roll over or does it also tie in and create a more stable frame? Is the warranty affected with or without it on?
 

neetan

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Safety is always number one in my book!

Please do not take chances, I have a friend who spends his life now in a wheelchair. Just to take a chance and your loved ones & family takes the hit.
Yes the ROPS there for your protection, have fun with it. Attach lights, sirens, reflective tape, ax, large machete, horn, ipod with music and speakers if you have no neighbors! Plus, if you live in the wild wild west, you can even carry your shotgun, due to the wolves or other critters at dusk. LOL ~ Now I do not condone shoot first and ask later. But a friend did have an issue with wolves one night when he ran out of gas on the back 40.

Just use your common seance like God gave you. The Seatbelt was invented for a reason. Sorry for the Rant, I had to take my friend to the hospital today (it still hurts to see him like that!)
 

kingb0305

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Mar 13, 2016
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Safety is always number one in my book!

Please do not take chances, I have a friend who spends his life now in a wheelchair. Just to take a chance and your loved ones & family takes the hit.
Yes the ROPS there for your protection, have fun with it. Attach lights, sirens, reflective tape, ax, large machete, horn, ipod with music and speakers if you have no neighbors! Plus, if you live in the wild wild west, you can even carry your shotgun, due to the wolves or other critters at dusk. LOL ~ Now I do not condone shoot first and ask later. But a friend did have an issue with wolves one night when he ran out of gas on the back 40.

Just use your common seance like God gave you. The Seatbelt was invented for a reason. Sorry for the Rant, I had to take my friend to the hospital today (it still hurts to see him like that!)

I'm sorry to hear about your friend. That is awful. I only use the zt in my yard, and in my yard there are a number of hanging branches and very few hills (only one small one). The branches catch the ROPS and, if I'm not careful, will cause me to suddenly wheelie. Yes, I know, I could cut the low hanging limbs or be more aware of the ROPS, but in my application I feel like it may be better (and safer) to remove the ROPS.
 
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Mad Mackie

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The ROPS system works in conjunction with the seat belt to keep the operator secure in place. If the seat belt is not used, the operator is at an increased risk of injury.
There are many so called consumer machines that are not required to have a ROPS system installed.
Removing the ROPS doesn't have any adverse affect to the machines structural integrity.
I have left the ROPS installed on my Scag Tiger Cub as I have a collection system and the ROPS provides some protection to the collection bags and cover.
One of my former lawn care customers had several trees with low but strong branches and I got hung up on one of the branches with my Scag Tiger Cub with ROPS, almost flipped me over backwards. I asked the customer to allow me to remove the lower branches and they said no. I terminated with them at that time. This customer bought their own ZTR with ROPS and several weeks after had the lower branches removed from all the trees on their property. Their property was sold and after a season of dealing with the flowers and leaves from some of these trees, the new owner cut them down.

On an unrelated note, when I terminated with this customer, they hired another lawn care provider who with his new big box store machine drove over the septic tank, the rusty metal tank caved in and he and his machine went into the nasty contents of the septic tank, he ended up in the ER. He had to hire a small crane to lift out his machine which had to be disposed of after being submerged in the septic for several days before being removed.
 

kingb0305

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I certainly understand the purpose of the ROPS and seatbelt. If using my zero turn commercially I would leave them on. If I was using my zero turn as a residential machine with questionable terrain I would leave them on. I've read other threads on the topic of "should they stay or should they go", and everyone has their opinion of which I also appreciate. There is very little chance of my ZT rolling over in my yard so I was looking to take the system off. Due to their purpose, they are obviously held on with very heavy duty bolts and made me wonder if it actually provides frame stability or other advantages other than roll over protection.
 
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