ROPs and Their Removal

get a foldable rops

I was going to say the same thing... Is the ROPS foldable? If not, FEMCO does sell aftermarket foldable ROPS, and it may be worth the investment.

How high are they when folded. Surely not 8'? If it were me and the ROPS folded were not low enough I would get some that were low enough folded. Machines like these need ROPS. Without them all it takes is one mistake and that's it.

Your life is a whole lot more important ,than those tree branches...... I would fire up the chain saw!!!!

deereboy55 said:

Your life is a whole lot more important ,than those tree branches...... I would fire up the chain saw!!!!

Click to expand...

Or add some generous mulch beds around your trees.

I have worn out couple Stihs over the years trimming and cutting down trees. I have the remaining trees trimmed about 6' up, and with the ROPs folded there's about 6" to hit the branches. Most of the times when mowing, I just turn around and mow from the other side, getting most of the grass cut without much difficulty. Just annoying and time consuming.

Thnaks for the ideas.

"Question> Removing the ROPs, would this cause the insurance company to refuse to insure or pay out in case of an accident?"

Ask your insurance agent.

Nice tractor by the way.

I've looked into buying the Femco folding ROPS for my 2305 (will fit the 2320). They are 23" tall when folded, which should be a bit lower than your factory ones. My JD dealer wanted $450 for the Femco, but I found them on the net for $350 shipped.

Myself I wouldn't remove it. I had mine off for a short while while I had it made into a folding ROP's. I felt very uncomfortable with it off. I do a lot of mowing on steep banks and hills. Too much stuff can happen to quick. Once I had a bank give way under me, I also slid into a deep ditch during the winter plowing snow. What ever you decide be careful and happy tractoring. slkpk

I guess i don't see how it is any different operating a machine with the ROPS removed than operating a machine with a folding ROPS in the folded position. Like said, stuff can happen quick.... it's not like you are going to have time unfold the ROPS during a roll-over. In my mind, if you're going to have a folding ROPS, the only purpose or reason for folding it would be for getting the machine through a lower door or storing it in a building with a low ceiling.

Removing the ROPS renders it useless..... folding the ROPS renders it useless. The only difference between the folding and non-folding ROPS is the speed and convenience of rendering it useless. I couldn't tell you how many times I see people running around on different machines with the ROPS in the folded position. If you're comfortable operating the machine with the ROPS folded, you should be just as comfortable operating the machine with the ROPS removed.

Ursa Major said:

"Question> Removing the ROPs, would this cause the insurance company to refuse to insure or pay out in case of an accident?"

Ask your insurance agent.

Nice tractor by the way.

Click to expand...

Might also ask them if they would refuse to pay out in case of an accident that occurred while operating the machine with the ROPS folded.

I have trimmed up a lot of trees. However up in the orchard where it is not practical, I mow around the 34 trees with a 50" Simplicity Landlord DLX which I use for a trim mower around the house.:fing32:

I would leave on the ROP's and just trim around the trees with the 345. Nice looking Tractor!:thThumbsU

I sure would look for another solution instead of removing the ROPS. I bought a cheap homelite chainsaw and trimmed several trees located on then 5 acres. I now have 10 acres and use the same saw to trim the limbs back.

Thanks very much for the comments. The 2320 is a great machine and the drive-on 54" deck is doing it's job. Sure is a back saver when it comes to removing/installing it to the tractor. The only disappointment is the diesel fuel smell that is annoying.

I'll keep the ROPs on the tractor, and use the 345 to mow around the trees. Just taking more time than I really wanted. But, that's life.

You might even consider having the wife do the trim work while you do the major mowing. I found usually when my wife doesn't want me to do something like your situation, if she has to do the grunt work, sooner than later she will give in to a better solution.

georgesusi said:

You might even consider having the wife do the trim work while you do the major mowing. I found usually when my wife doesn't want me to do something like your situation, if she has to do the grunt work, sooner than later she will give in to a better solution.

Click to expand...

Didn't work for me (as if my wife would use the trimmer! HA!) BUT I did get a new Stihl Professional trimmer out of the deal! (We don't have many trees with low lying branches, but we simply have many trees (many of which I had to plant))