When the Roll Bar is Your Enemy

[@sreihart]

I've done this with my zero-turn mower! More than once because I was in a hurry. Nothing stops my heart faster than the front end coming up on me. My point is this, just take everything slowly because the job will be there tomorrow, but you may not be.

[@TractorMike]

+sreihart Yes, I've done that too. I remember when I worked at a dealership I delivered a zero turn to some people who had never owned one. I unloaded it and was giving them training and it was obvious they weren't listening. It was also obvious they were in the middle of slamming down a number of beers. I showed the man the controls and he real gently mowed a small area, turned the blades off, set the brake and got off. His wife jumped on and rammed the handles full forward and went flying across the yard wide open as fast as the mower would go. Driving that way she missed a tree and a limb that cleared the roll bar by less than an inch as I about had a major stroke. She had no idea what just about happened. At the speed she was going I have no idea where everything would have ended up if the limb were lower. It wouldn't have been good. Great point for zero turn owners, same principles apply.

[@fhuber7507]

Makes me want to put a couple of fiberglass bicycle pennants up front as roll bear height references.

[@mesanders1113]

Definitely save some damage from happening whether it be limbs shop/garage door header, etc

[@wdk535]

When the dealer sold me my tractor, he said if you hit a low branch, something's got to give: either the branch or the tractor. Since our land is pretty flat, I've been running with the roll bar folded down. However, I've been seeing some horror stories about rollovers. Also, I'd like to get a canopy. I see where some guys who can't get their tractor in the garage shorten the roll bar, so that's what I'm thinking.

[@semco72057]

I learned about that early on when my tractor was new and made sure my roll bar would go under a line running to the house I was mowing around.

[@ThePlowGuys]

Great safety video Mike. I never miss a episode so keep them coming. You are doing great. -John

[@TractorMike]

+The Plow Guys Thanks John, as always, I much appreciate you watching.

[@alknack7126]

Two weeks ago I was using my new Mahindra 25 tractor for the first time new loading yard mulch to spread around areas in the yard. I have a electric pole on the front edge of the property with a guide wire going down into the property near the mulch piles. I was backing up and forgot about the guide cable and hit it with the roll over bar!!! The tractor started to tip over, I got my foot on the forward pedal and was fighting the cable with both hands got it off the cable, but lost my right hand index finger and the tip of the middle finger on the left hand. The roll bar is ether coming off or a big modification to lower it and make a new design that has a right angle forward over the operators seat!!!!! That is the way they should have designed and made them from the factory!!!!!!

[@TractorMike]

OUCH!!! Glad you got it untangled.

[@robert5]

I am going to remove my ROPS bar and replace it with a roll cage similar to a race car roll cage.

[@blessed7fold]

I've done this, except worse! I hit a power box on the side of a warehouse on my property with a zero turn mower. Luckily for me the box was bolted to the side of the building very well and never came lose but it did do a little bit of damage. I now mow that section of my property with a trimmer mower instead. This is a very dangerous scenario that could cost you your life real quick if you are not paying attention!

[@spudgamer6049]

There's another danger with these roll bars and tree limbs. If you're backing up you need to watch for smaller limbs getting bent back then popping loose and potentially hitting you. While not nearly as dangerous, it can run from painful whip mark to damaged eye, or if you're not wearing your seatbelt and let it knock you off the tractor...

[@dtman66]

Thanks for another great video. Also thanks for speaking into a microphone, the sound is great!

[@TractorMike]

+dtman66 The microphone deal was an afterthought. I play in an elderly garage band and I always have a bunch of mikes laying around downstairs in our jam area. I hate trying to thread the lapel mike around through the clothing anyway and one day I lost my clip so I ran in the house and grabbed a mike. It was windy and I had a foam blast filter on it anyway and the sound was much better. I used to work in radio so that feels a lot more comfortable anyway, but when I watched the first video I was thinking I looked like a dorky "roving reporter" and realized that NO ONE on KZbin uses a mike like that. But at my age, I don't really care what it looks like, if I can hear it, I like it. I still haven't figured out how to get sound in both channels. I've tried mono and stereo adaptors and nothing seems to work. I get a lot of complaints from left ears. Thanks for the comment!

[@dtman66]

I have noticed the left speaker thing but at least I can hear what your saying. Great job Mike!

[@lenwalker7393]

Great reminder.

[@daveknowshow]

I have hit those wires myself. good video!

[@ghostofmars83]

Great Job!

[@royhoco5748]

a roll bar can be a hazard if you don't make certain your roll up door is fully open

[@billywinters8142]

thanks for the good advice! love the videos!

[@TractorMike]

+Billy Winters Thanks Billy, thanks for watching!

[@oldpackfan]

At least with a canopy the danger should be in front of you ssed the problewhere you should be able to see it, not behind you where you might think you missed the problem.

[@ODLife]

Great point! Great video!

[@eddevarona8448]

Another great tip Mike. It would be interesting to see one on safety while using a loader through the woods. I had been told about the dangers but it didn't sink in until it happened to me. I was clearing a brushy area with some small trees. My loader arm caught a 2.5" branch and bent it way forward (cause nothing seems to even phase this tractor) anyway, the branch sprung back off the loader arm hitting me right in the face, HARD!! I was lucky I didn't get knocked out cuz this tractor just doesn't seem to stop or even jerk for much of anything out there. It could have tragic. Who knows where or how it would have stopped. I'm sure this has to have happened others who use a loader in the woods, but I'd hate to see it happen to more newbies like me simply because "I never really thought of that".

[@riptide10x60]

The problem with those roll bars is that they are behind you and you tend to forget they're there. The first couple times I mowed with my Hustler I hung up on tree limbs and almost flipped it. Since we have flat land I figured it's safer without it and took it off before I killed myself, 5+ yrs. and no incidence since removal.

[@sunnymcalister2366]

My roll bar does not have a hinge. I guess I'm lucky it's not solid, but i can't get the top part off. I don't want to leave it off, but i need to get under a building roof and despite wd40, it won't lift out

[@TractorMike]

I've seen what you're talking about but am not sure how they come apart. You might check with these companies to see if they offer a folding roll bar for your tractor: rops.ca.uky.edu/content/list-rops-suppliers. Good luck!

[@bigal25938]

I have a L3301 that is 4 years old. I had to fold down the ROPS to get under something and when I folded it back up and tried to put the pins back, only one pin would go back in. No amount of hammering or wiggling would allow the other pin to go in. I looked through the holes and they are not aligned perfectly but are very close. What to do?

[@TractorMike]

It's not uncommon to take a little wiggling to get those pins back in, but that sounds excessive. If it were me I'd get my wife out there and a ladder and grab the top of the roll bar and push/pull it back and forth while she tried to get the pin in. You may end up having to hammer on the top of the roll bar to get it lined up, you might duct tape a block where you're going to hammer to keep from dinging up the surface. Good luck!

[@bigal25938]

@@TractorMike YOU tell my wife I need her weight to help get the bar back in place. I got a couple buddies though. Thanks.

[@1320freek]

Great tip Mike! When I bought my place, I got a Scag turf tiger (commercial) zero turn mower that has a ROPS (if you will) and although that mower is not a tractor, it has a pretty good amount of power (29 hp). I went under a low hanging branch (exactly as your demonstration) and when that roll bar hit that branch the momentum brought the front end up in the air which in a sense made my hands go forward which accelerates a zero turn mower. It all happened very fast and fortunately I was able to pull back on the control levers and bring the mower back down before things got painful. I will tell you though, when the mower front end came back down, it hit hard enough to make the deck bounce back up and lock in the highest position! And that is a heavy deck. It was something that definitely makes you think! I wish I had seen this video before that event. Thanks again for all your helpful hints and tips!

[@TractorMike]

+Otis Deal When I worked at the dealership one night on the way home I delivered a zero turn to folks who had never had one. When I got there I was training them on how to use it and I noticed the husband was listening intently, the wife and daughter were not, but I figured they weren't ever going to use it, and they'd had A LOT more beer to drink than the husband. I told them I'd hang around and make sure they were comfortable with the machine before I left. The husband got on and gingerly drove the mower around their vast yard and came back and got off. The wife hopped on, revved up the engine and threw the handles full forward and went FLYING across the yard wide open. She got to the far end and ran under a tree with a low branch, wide open, and I'd bet the roll bar cleared it less than an inch. I was runnning toward her yelling "STOP" but she couldn't hear me. Had she caught the branch there's a chance the mower would have ended up on top of her when it turned over backward, at the very least she would have been thrown off. I told the husband and daughter the close call she'd had and they seemed to understand. When she got back and got off the daughter hopped on and slammed the levers full forward and off she went wide open. At that point I gave up, folded up the trailer ramps and left. Some people don't get safety.

[@Bark3rd]

I have a Branson 35R and hit a branch with the roll bar and it got bent back a bit. I dont see any broken welds but worried the bend may affect its load capacity if it ever had to do its job during a rollover. How would you handle this issue? Thanks for help, enjoy your videos.

[@TractorMike]

Bad news Brian, anytime a roll bar is damaged it must be replaced to insure full protection. And they're not cheap. Good luck!

[@sahmadi1000]

Great tip! thanks

[@unitedairforcepilot]

I get it but more guys for from having the roll bar down then up. Come to think of it, the overwhelming majority of guys in my area have their bars down. Use the weed eater if it's questionable.