50+ thread

Serotinous cones like the Jack Pine and Cyprus require fire to reproduce and grow. Fire is not a bad thing. Unless someone owns something in its path.

When I lived in Asheville, NC the USFS tried to get landowners to clear all downed timber and underbrush at least 200 yards away from structures. But very few people do. I don't here it is an exercise in futility. But snow covers it much of the year and much of the rest it is wet and damp from lack of sunlight. However there are a few weeks out of the year it is dry kindling all around me.

 

...seems pretty suspect. I work with a couple fire investigators and it's pretty amazing the way they come up with the answers.

 

Your doing all that just to mount a couple le of lights? Did ya ever think just to attach the mounting brackets for the lights rt to the bar itself? Maybe I'm just not getting the rt picture in my head of what your trying to do but it looks complicated just for a few lights. I like the idea of aluminum over steel though

 

Yeah your not supposed to really drill holes in the roll over bar albeit I plan to anyhow 4 small threaded ones which will transfer the torsion stress across the holes so no weakening of the it. I was to trade this in at some point they would take that roll bar off and put a new one on per Kubota. Hell even if you tractor is old and never came with one you can call Kubota dealer and get a free one for it no matter how old.

Cypher

 

The precaution here is to keep vegetation 30 feet from the house and 1/8th screening on vent openings to keep embers out of the attic. With the wind, it burns too fast to set a house on fire, it is the trees next to the house or an open vent that makes the house go up fast.

 

My account wife suggested yes over pay the bill, make them issue you a check, then don’t cash it and make them follow it up because it won’t clear the books. She said they may go as far as voiding the original check and reissue a new one or may have to turn it over to the state as unclaimed funds.

 

Well I'm really not trying to be a smartass or anything. I'm assuming you want a light bar on the top and pods on the up rights. If it were me and I didn't want to drill (which I understand the rules here) then I'd perhaps weld a piece of angle on but the verticals for the pods and a couple more pieces of angle on the horizontal edge down with the flat elevated and attach mounting brackets to that. Last I checked you can weld to rops but if it's structural (which this wouldn't be) then the welder must be certified.

 

Well, that 30' defensible space is just a start, especially in your area. A grove of 60' tall trees (just as an example) 30' from a structure and there's a canopy fire. That 30' space is pretty well meaningless. That's why you'll sometimes see tree fallers ahead of the fires dropping trees in yards. But in those conditions, even without the winds is often futile.

 

I figure they will soon be mandating fire proof roofs and cement siding along with fire proof safe rooms out there like all the rules for earthquake stuff.

Cypher

 

Can you I magine being in a fireproof safe room with all that burning around you it would be like an oven. No thanks I'll grab what I can and run

 

They outlawed shake roofs quite a few years ago. Insurance companies won't touch them in a lot of areas, even without the heavy growth. House fires will jump from house to house with shake roofs. Tile roofs are really common.

 

Nope not taking it as smart as would you believe they also tell you not to weld to the ROPS as they refer to it hence all the extra effort and to be honest it doesn't hurt me to exercise the fabrication part of the brain .

"ROPS can also be abused or misused. Holes should never be drilled into the ROPS frame, nor should a piece of steel be welded onto the frame. If lighting or other light attachments are needed, they should be clamped onto the ROPS. A ROPS should not be used as a point of attachment for a chain, hook or cable. Pulling with the ROPS could damage it and result in a rear overturn. If a tractor with ROPS does overturn, the ROPS should be replaced because it is specifically designed to bend to absorb the energy generated by the tractor contacting the ground. ROPS are only designed and certified to withstand a single overturn."

http://nasdonline.org/113/d001656/rollover-protection-for-farm-tractor-operators.html

https://www.kubotausa.com/service-support/safety/tractor-safety/rops-safety

Do not modify structural members of ROPS by welding, drilling, bending, grinding or cutting, as this may weaken the structure. If any component is damaged, replace it. Do not attempt repairs. If ROPS is loosened or removed for any reason, make sure all parts are reinstalled ...

I would love to meet the engineer who thought it was a good idea to make it so you can't put work lights on but ohh they pre drilled holes in the rops for OEM work lights to mount lol :}

Cypher

 

Well yeah I would be gone too but they do make a big thing out of fire proof safe rooms in Australia and such so CA is bound to cost people more money to live there and force the issue.

Cypher

 

I was thinking more like a metal roof, and the new concrete fire retardant siding along with the fire retardant paint which of course is all HUGE amounts of money but CA does not seem to care how much it costs for people to live out there or own a house.

Cypher

 

Ok I stand corrected it's been a while since I had to mess with rops. I don't see a rollover hazard in your yard. Perhaps I'm ignorant but I'd do what I wanted and keep it as small and unobtrusive as I could but that's just me. Hell nobody uses them around here anyway they're always folded down

 

It seems to an old dumbass like myself about the only way to negate a fire hazard in a very dry climate where high winds are common is to loose the vegetation. They never would and lord knows there are many bennifits derived from the vegetation but as long as you have fuel and air and such a dry climate it'll continue to be a risk

 

After watching the fires (from my apartment roof) in San Diego County in 03 and 07, it was obvious there were problems. Especially when the 07 fires burned in the same areas. One of the issues is not many people want to take responsibility for their own properties. Lake and Mendocino counties had fires 3 years in a row. Huge fires. Communities decimated.

 

I could only roll it if I really fuck up and turtle it or get stupid lifting and not doing so slowly and keeping the load centered and such. This whole state is flatter then a piece of freshly made plate glass lol .But since people seem to take the statement "no body is that stupid" as a challenge they cover their asses . I will likely leave it up since it will provide some shade till I fab or get a real canopy. It fits in either or garage with it up so no worries.

All the lower structure will be painted to match the ROPS and the top of the light platform Kubota orange.

Cypher

 

Well there's your other option. Go ahead and get a canopy and mount the lights to it

 

Yep ever since they stopped doing managed burns and fire road cuts etc out there and other places they have had this problem. What is funny is if I recall correctly they wanted to prevent damage to the wildilife habitats and erosion .. yet some how they still have mud slides and such . I wonder if anyone has put together a map showing areas burned and then later the mud slides and soil erosion locations ...

Cypher