Should ZTR operators be ticketed if the ROPS bar is removed?

[jekjr]

I saw this guy mowing at a high school with a ZTR today. He was mowing sideways on a hill with his ROPS folded down. Kinda pissed me off a little.

We stop mowing side ways when we can't get traction enough to hold it straight without sliding sideways and tearing up the grass. Then we mow up and down. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[man00]

Saw a thread that is FULL of nasty rage. I don't have much of an opinion because I do not own a ZTR.

Do you think that ZTR owners should be ticketed if the ROPS bar is missing?

Scag offers users special discount price on ROPS if their mower did not come with them...Think it is 189.00, maybe others should do the same.

 

[mechanic]

I voted NO. I don't have a ZTR but personally I think that not all lawns would need the use of a ROPS bar. I think people should be notified that the use of the ROPS is recommended, but I think you should be able to do what you want, because if you have a super-flat yard but have low tree branches, the ROPS would hit the branches and cause a danger if you don't want to trim them!

Good point. I was mowing with an eXmark ZTR with the bar up and didn't see and overhead obstacle as I was watching to cutting and where the mower was going. The the bar hit the obstruction it almost turned me over backwards before I realized what was happening and stopped. When I did stop the front wheels of the mower were about 5 feet off the ground. Thankfully I simply backed the mower up and went around the obstruction.

I said no. If a person makes the personal decision to not have one, that is his choice.

 

[djdicetn]

Good point. I was mowing with an eXmark ZTR with the bar up and didn't see and overhead obstacle as I was watching to cutting and where the mower was going. The the bar hit the obstruction it almost turned me over backwards before I realized what was happening and stopped. When I did stop the front wheels of the mower were about 5 feet off the ground. Thankfully I simply backed the mower up and went around the obstruction.

I said no. If a person makes the personal decision to not have one, that is his choice.

mechanic,

I am responsible for this controversial poll because I started a regular thread last summer about making ROPS a "legal requirement" for "Commercial" lawn maintenance companies ONLY. The other thread got real heated by those that were offended regarding their "personal use" of a ZTR and their freedom of choice. I started that original thread right after seeing a story on our local news about a professional that was killed when his John Deere ZTR rolled over on him and crushed him to death. He had a wife and 3 kids and was just trying to "make a living". The news story indicated that the ROPS had been removed from the Commercial ZTR and most likely would have saved him if it had not been(and he had been wearing the lap belt). You sound like you had a pretty close call to a rollover as well. Were you wearing your lap belt?? Do you agree that should the ZTR have come all the way over and flipped that you would have been thankful it had a ROPS and lap belt??? What do you think about the potential for a gigantic wrongful death lawsuit by a deceased driver's family or customer homeowner against the company he works for???? Without very good insurance(or an employee's signed liability waiver before being hired) seems to me it could put a lawn maintenance company out of business and bankrupt the owner. Thoughts????

 

[X-man]

mechanic,

I am responsible for this controversial poll because I started a regular thread last summer about making ROPS a "legal requirement" for "Commercial" lawn maintenance companies ONLY. The other thread got real heated by those that were offended regarding their "personal use" of a ZTR and their freedom of choice. I started that original thread right after seeing a story on our local news about a professional that was killed when his John Deere ZTR rolled over on him and crushed him to death. He had a wife and 3 kids and was just trying to "make a living". The news story indicated that the ROPS had been removed from the Commercial ZTR and most likely would have saved him if it had not been(and he had been wearing the lap belt). You sound like you had a pretty close call to a rollover as well. Were you wearing your lap belt?? Do you agree that should the ZTR have come all the way over and flipped that you would have been thankful it had a ROPS and lap belt??? What do you think about the potential for a gigantic wrongful death lawsuit by a deceased driver's family or customer homeowner against the company he works for???? Without very good insurance(or an employee's signed liability waiver before being hired) seems to me it could put a lawn maintenance company out of business and bankrupt the owner. Thoughts????

If I was the customer and had a lawn professional get killed on the job due to operator error, I don't even know what I would do. If the cause of his death was avoidable (which in most cases it is), I would probably do something along the lines of making sure they strictly enforce all safety protocols, especially after dealing with the loss of one of their own. People do learn from their mistakes. I personally wouldn't want one of my workers operating a ZTR on a steep hill with the damn ROPS folded down. In my trailer park, we use weed whackers to cut the grass on the steep parts of our compost hill/storage area. Not worth taking a chance.

I don't know what I would do if the death was unavoidable.

In a perfect world, I don't see why you would sue the entire company for his death (unless it was mechanical failure) as it was his choice to make a dull decision.

 

[jekjr]

I would like to see where this guy put the zero turn that rolled it. We have had some in some god awful places and to flip one would be incredible. I am sure that it happens. Every place I have ever seen them they just slide to the bottom. I have honestly come closer to flopping mine with the ROPS up hitting something than on a hillside.

My 326 weighs about 1300#'s and the center of gravity is right on the ground. Being belted to the thing with a lap belt and a ROPS would be scarey to me as well because just flipping the thing would more than likely cause something it turned over on to come on on the operator.


The ROPS on a zero turn makes them unstable because of hitting obstructions.

 

[exotion]

User reaction makes a big difference. Hit a tree branch start flipping panic and drive forward and get enough momentum. Or putting it where it shouldn't go ....

 

[Ric]

I would like to see where this guy put the zero turn that rolled it. We have had some in some god awful places and to flip one would be incredible. I am sure that it happens. Every place I have ever seen them they just slide to the bottom. I have honestly come closer to flopping mine with the ROPS up hitting something than on a hillside.

My 326 weighs about 1300#'s and the center of gravity is right on the ground. Being belted to the thing with a lap belt and a ROPS would be scarey to me as well because just flipping the thing would more than likely cause something it turned over on to come on on the operator.


The ROPS on a zero turn makes them unstable because of hitting obstructions.

I'm like you, I would like to see where this guy put the zero turn that rolled it. I think something or a slope would have to be extremely steep to roll a ZTR. Maybe if you were using one of those 34" jobs it may be possible but when your talking say a 48" and up it's going to be hard to roll one of those.

 

[jekjr]

User reaction makes a big difference. Hit a tree branch start flipping panic and drive forward and get enough momentum. Or putting it where it shouldn't go ....

You already have the forward momentum. We run ours in the folded position and still have them hit lower limbs many times. Panic or no panic many times they hang and it. What usually happens is it will rear till the rear skid plate hits the ground. Then it either stops or breaks the limb off.

 

[BHLC]

No, we already live in a country with too many silly laws and that would just be another! Most ROPS fold anyway and most stay folded so why not pull them off.