Driver friendly work lights

[Aquamoose]

I know everyone has outfitted their tractors with all sorts of work lights that would light up a football stadium but I want to use a pair of “driver friendly” work lights to the front to avoid blinding oncoming drivers when I’m on the public roadways clearing snow. I’d rather that they see me and navigate safely around me. Anyone got any suggestions?

I have some LED lights that has too much light spill and tilting it down won’t be effective. I wonder if there are effective flood/fog lights that would do the job of keeping the lights down to the ground. The lights will be mounted on the canopy.

 

[JK22]

I know everyone has outfitted their tractors with all sorts of work lights that would light up a football stadium but I want to use a pair of “driver friendly” work lights to the front to avoid blinding oncoming drivers when I’m on the public roadways clearing snow. I’d rather that they see me and navigate safely around me. Anyone got any suggestions?

I have some LED lights that has too much light spill and tilting it down won’t be effective. I wonder if there are effective flood/fog lights that would do the job of keeping the lights down to the ground. The lights will be mounted on the canopy.

If you get spot style LEDs and angle them pretty far down, you won’t blind oncoming traffic. You could also look for SAE/DOT rated lights, but the light output is really not impressive for what they cost. Some LEDs have a high/low output, and SAE/DOT rating is on low. I’ve only seen the ones Ridgid makes... and prepare to get out that wallet.

 

[seville009]

If your concern is other people seeing you, a good option is truckers reflective tape. That tape reflects nicely back to cars coming at you far away.

I put the tape on my tractor, skidsteer, truck, and plow itself. On the sides, back, and front. That way drivers will see me when I’m working at the end of my driveway.

Quick and easy solution that really does work

 

[SmallChange]

Just a thought, but, could you mount them somewhat further back and tucked slightly up into the canopy, so that the canopy edge itself shades oncoming drivers? Maybe the work light could only illuminate 20 feet or so of road in front of you. You could even add some sort of beacon more visible from above but not focused on the oncoming drivers.

I've been trying to think through how to do this myself...

 

[oosik]

Aquamoose - I turn on every light on the Kubota plus a rotating beacon atop the canopy. When I get down where my driveway enters the county road. This means - head lights, work lights, rear pointing flood light, emergency blinkers & rotating beacon. I also have reflective tape on the front hydraulic arms for the FEL.

If the drivers can not see this - a couple added lights probably won't matter. So far - 38 years of experience - drivers going either way have always slowed down.

I do this whether middle of the night( extremely rare ) or broad daylight. My driveway entrance just happens to be on a spot where traffic tends to go like a "BAT OUTTA H*LL". They still slow down.

I look like a carnival side show - but that's intentional.

 

[nyone]

You would be suprised how little light you need when theres snow on the ground. Also flashing lights that are bright and aimed at oncoming cars can really blind people.

If your state law required a yellow flashing light get one thats not to bright, again you dont need much light when the ground is white. If your state dosnt require one i would avoid them.

How much time are you really spending in the road wirh your headlights aimed at drivers?

 

[WranglerX]

There two types of accessory lights, "flood" and "fog", fog lights tend to have a narrow vertical beam. If the are mounted somewhat high and pointed down they can really light foreground without projecting to far ahead...

This graphic may help you make decision...

Dale

 

[chim]

It seems to me that all LED lights are obnoxious unless you are looking at them from inside the vehicle. My work lights are uncomfortable to view from any angle while looking toward the tractor. That includes standing far away in an area that they don't even illuminate.

I travel about a mile and a half each way to clear snow at our church. The LED work lights aren't turned on when I'm on the road. The puny factory headlights, four way flashers and LED flashers mounted on the side surfaces of the roof are used. I do have trucker's (conspicuity) tape on different things. Even found some orange reflective tape for here and there.

The L4240 has 4 front, 2 side and 2 rear LED work lights for night work. The picture below doesn't do it justice. I'm guessing the camera sensed there was plenty of light and limited the exposure. The last time I mowed at night, I turned the two work lights on the front of the roof off because the brightly illuminated hood was annoying. While plowing driveways and parking lots last winter I didn't notice it. While watching the cut/uncut area the hood was in the field of view.

 

[JK22]

There two types of accessory lights, "flood" and "fog", fog lights tend to have a narrow vertical beam. If the are mounted somewhat high and pointed down they can really light foreground without projecting to far ahead...

This graphic may help you make decision...

Dale

Huh? Your graphic shows 4 types. I’ve actually never heard accessory lights called “fog” lights. Those come OEM on vehicles. They are almost never added as an “accessory” (because they are kind of terrible outside of real fog and very little bang for the buck in terms of visible light).

 

[Aquamoose]

Believe it or not, I worked as a professionalism the emergency vehicle upfitting business and we cover the aspects about proper lighting usage which is now a hot topic since lighting has peaked out. Studies show that more lighting is counterintuitive and does increase the danger that what was originally believed. I do have a single amber halogen fast rotating beacon from Hella that I use along with rear amber/red LEDs for rear warnings. I’m on a medium county road that leads to the backside of our local airport.

I like the illustration, thank you. I may just start shopping for fog lamps and hope to find a pair with good reviews. I wouldn’t mind going with halogens because I’ll have enough amperage plus I think a warmer color would be better than the cool white color of LED’s. Just thought that there might be LED’s out there that would do the job well. I do need lighting but the last thing I want to do is go with the mentality that drivers will slow down because of bright lights when I’ve seen & heard enough hard evidence to the contrary.

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Diggin It]

I致e actually never heard accessory lights called 吐og lights.

Accessory fog lamps are very common and are usually mounted below the grille area on most vehicles. Check most auto parts stores.


I don't plan on doing snow or being on the tractor after dark for any reason so I have no use for any type of white auxiliary light. However, I did add some amber LED blinkers up high to be better visible from a distance when I have to be on our 1-1/2 lane paved county back road. Think I paid less that $20 for four so I could have two front and two rear.

 

[nyone]

I think your going to have to spend bigger money that cheap chinese LEDs if you want a more directional beam.

Planing on not useing something like a tractor in the dark and not actualy useing it in the dark are two dif things.

I put work lights on every piece of equipment i own. Micro excavator to zero turn mower. This gives me more after work hours esp in the fall. I mulch all my leaves so need to do it every 3 days for about 3 weeks.

 

[Fallon]

LEDs arent intrinsically bad. Many new cars come with LED headlights now. But they are well designed & properly shielded to avoid glare or blinding oncoming drivers.

If you've ever been blinded by some jackass with very blue headlights it was probably a retrofit HID or LED bulb in a halogen housing. That results in an improperly focused beam that causes glare to the driver & blinds oncoming drivers.

LED fixtures tend towards that end of the spectrum because they are universal lights & not designed for road driving. The wider coverage is ususlly an advantage there.

Mounting fog lights low gives them a better chance of illuminating the road & reflectors without reflecting off the fog & blinding the driver. They are also usually a lot warmer (yellowish) than normal lights to help better pierce the fog & not glare.

 

[PILOON]

I found a nice LED set at my local car parts.
12 LED's in a 12" strip with the center 4 being spots and both side 4's being floods.
Tractor snow blowing at night is as nice as in daytime.
What more do you want?

 

[WranglerX]

Also look for "color temperature"of LEDS... Color temperature is expressed in kelvin (or k.)....The higher the numbers the cooler (more blue) the light color...The lower the numbers the warmer (more brown) the colors... The higher color temperatures are the "blue" blinding lamps....

Color temperature is same spectrum whether incandescent or LED.... Sunlight is about 5000k.

Dale

 

[Fallon]

Also look for "color temperature"of LEDS... Color temperature is expressed in kelvin (or k.)....The higher the numbers the cooler (more blue) the light color...The lower the numbers the warmer (more brown) the colors... The higher color temperatures are the "blue" blinding lamps....

Color temperature is same spectrum whether incandescent or LED.... Sunlight is about 5000k.

Dale

Ideally you want around 4,000k color temp. Most OEM system are 4,000-4,200k or so. Above that you get glare & mor eye fatigue. Not to mention less visible or usable light per watt.

The blue & purple lights looked cool briefly but just dont work well as lights.

Most fluorescent bulbs are a little over 5,000k. Warm halogen bulbs in your house tend to be 3,000-3,500k.

 

[def38]

I would opt for HIDs in projector housings. The projector housings have a cutoff that keeps spillover under control. Also, HIDs are available in several colors but you want 4300K temperature, nothing over 5000. Put these lights on a separate circuit and switch. They do not like hot restrikes. You'll pay a bit more but your light will be well controlled for oncoming drivers and you'll have about 3500 lumens of light, plenty of light when plowing. You need to mount the ballast/igniter to fire the HID lamps. HIDs last for 1000s of hours but not as long as LEDs.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I know everyone has outfitted their tractors with all sorts of work lights that would light up a football stadium but I want to use a pair of 電river friendly work lights to the front to avoid blinding oncoming drivers when I知 on the public roadways clearing snow. I壇 rather that they see me and navigate safely around me. Anyone got any suggestions?

I have some LED lights that has too much light spill and tilting it down won稚 be effective. I wonder if there are effective flood/fog lights that would do the job of keeping the lights down to the ground. The lights will be mounted on the canopy.

I use flood lights on my tractor.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Ideally you want around 4,000k color temp. Most OEM system are 4,000-4,200k or so. Above that you get glare & mor eye fatigue. Not to mention less visible or usable light per watt.

The blue & purple lights looked cool briefly but just dont work well as lights.

Most fluorescent bulbs are a little over 5,000k. Warm halogen bulbs in your house tend to be 3,000-3,500k.

I totally agree about the eye fatigue and glare. I wish somebody would start making 4K LEDs for driving applications but I have not found any. I just tried 5K LETs lights on my side-by-side and frankly, the stock H13 incandescents are better.

 

[joefromga]

People THINK LEDs are brighter this better. They don't care about color temp.