Headlight / Rear light solutions

[CowwFace]

Hey List,

Last night was the first time I've used my dk40 at night and yikes! with the FEL mounted the headlights are useless. I've got a tractor light I picked up at harbor freight for $9.00 that I'm going to put on the rear... but what have others done for foward lights?

I'm thinking mounting some to the ROPS bar possibly? any other ideas out there?

Carry on,
Phill

 

[o2batsea]

The cab has lights up top which aren't very helpful either. My problem is the side lamps throw so much glare.

 

[Mousefield]

My dealer had put the round light (back work light) on for me when I purchased the tractor. Found last winter when we had much more than our usual amount of snow (over 5 ft) that when I was using the front bucket to move and lift the snow it would block the head lights. Just yesterday I put on the two fog lights using the "customer" use 15 amp circuit. I do plan on adding one more light facing forward, it will be a clear halogen to give me good forward light. Had the fog lights from a few years ago and never used them, the bracket was from some spare aluminum, had that for years as well. Have 151 hours my CK35 in about 16 months.

 

[coobie]

Hey List,

Last night was the first time I've used my dk40 at night and yikes! with the FEL mounted the headlights are useless. I've got a tractor light I picked up at harbor freight for $9.00 that I'm going to put on the rear... but what have others done for foward lights?

I'm thinking mounting some to the ROPS bar possibly? any other ideas out there?

Carry on,
Phill

I mounted a wells ag canopy to my 2008 DK40se and had my dealer(michigan iron equipment)mount 2 front halogen and 1 rear halogen lights and they are the cats *****,great vision now.coobie

 

[Gittyup]

I mounted three 55-watt trapazoidal floodlights to a piece of unistrut, two facing front, one facing back, and then used U-bolts to clamp it to my roll bar. I wired them directly to the customer fuse in the fuse block and put a water proof marine rocker switch on the back of the 3pH lift control lever cover. This is very similar to the way that others have done it. Do a search here and you'll find photos (of others, not mine) on here.

 

[CowwFace]

Thanks for your replies guys.

I'll do a search and see what I can find. I was planning on drilling a hole in the ROPS <small hole> so I can run the wires inside the bar... I can imagine that it will weaken it slightly... but I don't think it will be a big deal.

Phill

 

[tkoza]

CowwFace

my JD 2210 has low beam H4 bulbs
i replaced them with 10000K HID kit bulbs
the goal was usable light not pimp
link for product only do not know the vendor
XerayUSA :: Quality Products for Life and Security - $60 HID Xenon Kit
draw is 35w vs 55w per light
color is very white
my kit came from my jeep(hella H4 glass) so i swaped the high and low beam cables on the hid assembly that plugs in to the existing headlight plug so low beam is now high beam
i put the xformers between the battery and the grill

tkoza

 

[CowwFace]

CowwFace

my JD 2210 has low beam H4 bulbs
i replaced them with 10000K HID kit bulbs
the goal was usable light not pimp
link for product only do not know the vendor
XerayUSA :: Quality Products for Life and Security - $60 HID Xenon Kit
draw is 35w vs 55w per light
color is very white
my kit came from my jeep(hella H4 glass) so i swaped the high and low beam cables on the hid assembly that plugs in to the existing headlight plug so low beam is now high beam
i put the xformers between the battery and the grill

tkoza

Hey Tkoza,

That has got to put out some light! Does it blind you if it reflects off of the back of your loader bucket? Or did you run wires for the transformers to the ROPS? I'd love to see a picture of that setup!

Carry on,
Phill

 

[tkoza]

phill
i will get pic over the weekend

i have only used it one night mowing with great success they make my JD 688 bulb worklights look like candles

they are installed as my headlights

wiring from the bulb unit to the xformer is silicone jacket but it is a common 2 conductor weather pac so extension should be easy

my end goal was more light for the snow season up here at the corner of I-90, I-88(NY)

on the HID kits most are conventional lighting on low beam and HID on Hi Beam

they do have a short warm up time about a minute till full bright

todd

 

[tkoza]

phill

here are the pics

flash was off and point and shoot

on the FEL i can read the warning label clearly

sorry for the green paint in this section but the issue was lighting not paint

besides the green guys want an air suspension and subs

todd k

 

[the fox 1940]

I just signed on here today, after reading your note on Lights I felt I should
add my two cents worth. I wired in some heads lights on my CK30 the other day and I
drilled 2 holes in the Roll Bar and fished a wire across to the second light and then Drilled
another hole at the bottom of the roll bar and pulled the wire out and ran it too a switch and hooked the power off the Starter through a fused 15 Amp. link. Also have done the same for the Back Up Lights. This way I don't have to worry about getting wires hooked
on something in the bush.
Dave

 

[o2batsea]

While a pair of 55 watt halogens draws only a hair over 9 amps, it is advisable to have a switch that operates a solenoid which carries this load instead of wiring off the hot side of the IGN switch or something. An inline 15 amp fuse going to the solenoid load and a 5 amp inline fuse protecting the switching wire going to the solenoid will be adequate. Use crimp connectors and don't solder. I recommend the marine grade connectors that have adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. This gives you a water tight crimp. I always use marine grade tinned wire and connectors for outdoor equipment which you can get from genuinedealz.com.
Remember, fuses protect the WIRE, not the device.

 

[the fox 1940]

Good info there Obatsea.. I usally use shrink tubes for a lot of my wiring and the tape them just to make sure no water can get it. Also I use crimp connectors, makes for a
good connection. When you say Solenoid , What kind of a solenoid do you mean.?? I did put a switch in with a light built into the switch, so I can see if it is on or off.
Dave

 

[LBrown59]

I just signed on here today, after reading your note on Lights I felt I should
add my two cents worth. I wired in some heads lights on my CK30 the other day and I
drilled 2 holes in the Roll Bar and fished a wire across to the second light and then Drilled
another hole at the bottom of the roll bar and pulled the wire out and ran it too a switch and hooked the power off the Starter through a fused 15 Amp. link. Also have done the same for the Back Up Lights. This way I don't have to worry about getting wires hooked
on something in the bush.
Dave

NEVER ever drill grind or weld on the ROPS?

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks for your replies guys.

I'll do a search and see what I can find. I was planning on drilling a hole in the ROPS <small hole> so I can run the wires inside the bar... I can imagine that it will weaken it slightly... but I don't think it will be a big deal.

Phill

NEVER do that.

 

[Gil Case]

"Its not easy being green" Kermit

 

[the fox 1940]

I am surprised a little as too what you wrote Re. drilling holes in ROPS.
The reason I drilled holes is: that the dealer where the tractor was bought drilled and wired in the back work lights. So if the Dealer does this what does that tell you ?
I guess I can too. Well you are no doubt right in what you say. Point taken.
Dave

 

[Grand_Pooba]

Fox,
The "alter/don't alter ROPS debate" has been beaten to death on this site and you will find those who approve and those who do not. There are many who have zero tolerance policy to altering the ROPS. Just the way schools now have zero tolerance drug policies where a kid caught with a cough drop is treated the same as a kid caught smoking crack. IMO let common sense rule 1/4" hole ok, 2" hole bad.


DON'T EVER EVER EVER DO THIS (Just saving Lbrown59 some time)

 

[the fox 1940]

Reply to Grand Pooba
Yeah I guess that goes for everything. If I roll my tractor over running on the level
ground I have around here on my 8 acres I should not be on one .. If anything I'd worry about getting sunk in the wet land I have around here. Like you say a small hole
should be okay, But yeah, to go and start drilling holes like a wood pecker I'd say man you got trouble coming at you. Sounds like I am trying to justify things don't it ?
Dave