Tractor Mike's video: How to Find a ROPS and How it Could Save Your Life

Had a question from Jason who wants to purchase a roll bar for his Massey 35. Another question from Roberto who wants to know if it's safe to drive on a slope on his place. We'll answer both today. Tractor roll bars, or ROPS, which stands for Roll Over Protection System, when combined with the use of a seat belt, will give you a better than 99% chance of surviving a tractor rollover. Tractors can roll over, and without a ROPS the survivability rate is low. It's a good idea to have one. Depending on where you live, there may be cost share money available to help you purchase and install a roll bar, because many times, the cost of a ROPS exceeds the value of the tractor. There's been an effort underway for a number of years to get these older tractors retrofitted with roll bars, if you'd like to see if you're eligible, go to this website: ropsr4u.org and fill out the application. Here's another source for good information about finding the right ROPS for your tractor that's offered by the University of Kentucky: rops.ca.uky.edu. Finally, Sierra Tractor, in California is an authorized dealer for roll bars and Jason there helped me get information for this video so I told him I'd plug their business. Their number is (530) 676-9920. Once you have the ROPS and seat belt installed, here are a dozen things to think about when driving your tractor on slopes: 1) Proper ballast is critical. At least have fluid in the tires if you drive on slopes. That'll help keep the wheels on the ground. Additional ballast, like wheel weights, may be needed. 2) Slow down. Speed is an enormous contributor to tractor rollover. 3) Keep your load low. If driving across a slope with a weight in the bucket or a weigh on the three point, the lower it is, the better for your center of gravity. 4) Know your property. If your front tire goes down in a gopher hole it can flip the tractor, so walk your property in the winter when the foliage is off to see where the dips are. 5) Proper tractor maintenance, especially good tread on the tires, is essential to prevent rollover. 6) If you're trying to navigate a slop, you may want to do some of the steering with the brakes. Separate the left and right brakes and you may be able to stay on the hill more securely by using the brake on the uphill side. 7) Watch out for weather changes. A dew or a light rain can greatly decrease stability. 8) Don't drive over cut crops. Having plant material between you and the ground reduces your traction. 9) If you operate offset equipment, keep it on the uphill side. A disc mower on the downhill side is a recipe for disaster, especially if you try to raise it. 10) Focus on the job, haste and/or fatigue are two factors in most farm accidents. 11) You may want to back up (or down) the steeper hills when brush hogging, or avoid the area altogether! It's not the end of the world if you don't get every inch of your place mowed, those hilly areas with long-term vegetation are perfect habitat for wildlife. 12) Here are some sobering statistics. Farming is in the top 3 or 4 most dangerous occupations, and many of us "hobby farmers" don't have as much tractor experience as those who do it for a living. 80% of accidents on a farm involve machinery. 75% of those involve tractors, 60% of those are rollovers. Finally, remember the statistic in the second paragraph, the chance of surviving a rollover with a properly installed and functioning ROPS, AND the seat belt fastened is better than 99%. Stay safe my friends! LINKS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The Tractor Fun Store: https://asktractormike.com/products-for-sale/ Support the Tractor Mike Channel: https://www.patreon.com/TractorMike Visit the Tractor Mike website: http://asktractormike.com/ Visit Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ask-Tractor-Mike-312112962245304/ Copyright 2021 Tractor Mike LLC