How many lumens?

[Williy]

Here's some info:

• Incandescent: 1 watt = roughly 15 lumens
• Halogen: 1 watt = roughly 20 lumens
• CFL (Compact Fluorescent): 1 watt = roughly 70 lumensLED (Light Emitting Diode): 1 watt = roughly 80 lumens

willy

 

[1Mech]

Have you looked at Harbor Freight, they have an assortment of LED light bars, from small all the way to a 22 inch light bar you could mount on the top of your cab for an insane amount of light. The 22" runs about $80, but it turns night into day.

 

[fishhead]

I've worked with and sold LED lighting in an other field and here are a couple of things to keep in mind

Regarding GRS's why are they dead when you go to use them- often there is or can be a parasitic drain when flashlights are off so after a long time without use, disappointment occurs.

There are good LEDs Better LEDs and Great LEDs- the better (usually more expensive to the manufacturer) they are, the more efficient and brighter they are.

As someone pointed out not all lumens are the same- of course a lumen is a lumen but measuring the output is where things get fungible. Some manufacturers just lie, some quote the raw specs from the emitter maker, some the calculated output from their boards etc. Some actually measure them, and there are standards that may or may not be applied. Likely you will never know where the light you are interested in sits. That's when word of mouth or reputation of the seller comes in.

Color temperature does play a role, too low, say 2700-3000K and the output will look somewhat dim, to high 6000+ and things get all purple and for me contrast is diminished. I tend to prefer lights in the 4-5k range for perceived color brightness and contrast.

Beam pattern is big. A tractor doesn't move fast and i'm mostly snowplowing at night so I like wide patterns with some side spill so you can see the shadows as well.
Too i look for even coverage.

I had great results with a Tigerlights bulb replacement for my 3720 halogens and would recommend. Also had good results with Tow mart round work lights front and rear on the ROPS. LEDs keep evolving so lights from 10 years ago will still work but new ones will be much much brighter- and as I age I need more light.

 

[LouNY]

Inexpensive and a decent lighting pattern;

This is just these lights, I may tip them up just a bit more this winter. But lots of well spread lighting.

 

[JeepHead]

I am working on lighting now for my tractor. I just installed a 20" LED light bar on top of the grill guard. I also plan to install 2 more forward facing lights, most likely on the grill guard as well but have them point at an angle outward to light up more of the surroundings. And I am thinking about mounting one 6 inch light on the under side of the front of the tractor facing towards the back. I think this will help light up any obstacles I could potentially run over. It will just give me a better eye on what's around my tractor that could potentially be a problem.

 

[WinterDeere]

I just installed a 20" LED light bar on top of the grill guard.

Hopefully you don't have a loader on this tractor? I always found anything mounted in that location gives absolutely-blinding reflections off the back of the loader bucket. I've gone so far as to disconnect lighting in the front grille on one tractor, and use only ROPS-mounted lights.

 

[JeepHead]

Hopefully you don't have a loader on this tractor? I always found anything mounted in that location gives absolutely-blinding reflections off the back of the loader bucket. I've gone so far as to disconnect lighting in the front grille on one tractor, and use only ROPS-mounted lights.

I do have a loader. I haven't got to test the lighting out yet other than in my shop so I don't know what will happen with light bouncing off the bucket. Didn't have that issue with the LED lights built into the tractor. The factory LED lights are obstructed by the bucket so mostly useless which is why I went with a light bar mounted higher up on the guard, hoping the bucket no longer blocks it. I don't really want ROPS mounted lighting because I feel it will cause issues when looking backwards and being blinded by the light. But if this don't work out, that's probably my next move.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yeah, always a tough one. I've found that hanging lights under the top bar of the ROPS works great for tractors run ROPS-up, or either side (outside) of ROPS at shoulder height works well for tractors run ROPS-down. My tractor with them at shoulder height on outside has a brush guard around each light, that keeps any side-scattering away from my eyes when I turn around.

A light up front is still useful, especially when working in front of the tractor, as the hood can create a long shadow from lighting on the ROPS. But I like to be able to turn that light off when running, as my bucket is so often at just the perfect height to reflect those back at me. I usually have to run with my bucket at least a foot off the ground, as parts of my property are very hilly, and it will dig in places if left much lower than that.

 

[JeepHead]

Yeah, always a tough one. I've found that hanging lights under the top bar of the ROPS works great for tractors run ROPS-up, or either side (outside) of ROPS at shoulder height works well for tractors run ROPS-down. My tractor with them at shoulder height on outside has a brush guard around each light, that keeps any side-scattering away from my eyes when I turn around.

A light up front is still useful, especially when working in front of the tractor, as the hood can create a long shadow from lighting on the ROPS. But I like to be able to turn that light off when running, as my bucket is so often at just the perfect height to reflect those back at me. I usually have to run with my bucket at least a foot off the ground, as parts of my property are very hilly, and it will dig in places if left much lower than that.

Yeah that's an idea. It would be easy enough to make a shield to keep the lights out of my eyes. I have a large basket bolted to my ROPS that I use to carry saws and other stuff so I usually keep it down unless I am doing something that I feel it needs to be up. I will most likely play around with lighting on the ROPS at some point as I like good light output when working after dark.

 

[LittleBill21]

Yeah that's an idea. It would be easy enough to make a shield to keep the lights out of my eyes. I have a large basket bolted to my ROPS that I use to carry saws and other stuff so I usually keep it down unless I am doing something that I feel it needs to be up. I will most likely play around with lighting on the ROPS at some point as I like good light output when working after dark.

light on rops has to be on top with the bar up, or you will be blinded terribly. I just did this and even with custom blinders made, its not great. it needs to be above your head.

 

[chim]

1 - Lies, lies and more lies about brightness, power and lumens. Bigger numbers sound better.

2 - Been running LED's for more than 10 years without any failures.

3 - Aiming won't eliminate blinding others. An area can be illuminated well, with adjacent areas appearing to be somewhat in darkness. Go stand in the "dark" area and see "if'n it don't burn yore eyes".

4 - I think some people install light bars because they like to say the name. "Mounted my light bar sounds more impressive than "put lights on my tractor".

5 - Unless your name is Juha Kankkunen you need floods and not spots.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Here's some info:

• Incandescent: 1 watt = roughly 15 lumens
• Halogen: 1 watt = roughly 20 lumens
• CFL (Compact Fluorescent): 1 watt = roughly 70 lumensLED (Light Emitting Diode): 1 watt = roughly 80 lumens

willy

If 1 watt of halogen light = 20 lumens, then the OP's four halogen lights that total 12000 lumens would draw 600 watts or 50 amps. That's more than the 35 amp OEM alternator on his MF 1759 tractor can produce???

 

[WinterDeere]

light on rops has to be on top with the bar up, or you will be blinded terribly. I just did this and even with custom blinders made, its not great. it needs to be above your head.

John Deere disagrees. They mount all of their lights at shoulder height. Never been a problem for me, or tens of thousands of other users.

 

[WinterDeere]

If 1 watt of halogen light = 20 lumens, then the OP's four halogen lights that total 12000 lumens would draw 600 watts or 50 amps. That's more than the 35 amp OEM alternator on his MF 1759 tractor can produce???

Yep. This wasn’t an uncommon problem, back in the day. That’s why old sealed beam headlights were only 50-60 watts.

 

[grsthegreat]

If 1 watt of halogen light = 20 lumens, then the OP's four halogen lights that total 12000 lumens would draw 600 watts or 50 amps. That's more than the 35 amp OEM alternator on his MF 1759 tractor can produce???

Hes claiming the led’s put out 12,000 limens. Thats 150 watts at 12 v, so about 12.5 amps.

But ive run into so many claims about lumens that dont match what a meter shows is true output. Plus, shining a meter directly into light fixture is not true measure. Proper guides would test output at a certain set distance from fixture.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Hes claiming the led’s put out 12,000 limens. Thats 150 watts at 12 v, so about 12.5 amps.

But ive run into so many claims about lumens that dont match what a meter shows is true output. Plus, shining a meter directly into light fixture is not true measure. Proper guides would test output at a certain set distance from fixture.

My error. I read the OP's post to mean the halogen lights on the tractor put out 12000 lumens. Halogen lights produce 20 lumens per watt. 12000 lumens divided by 20 lumens equals 600 watts divided by 12 volts equals 50 amps.

Your math is much closer. LED's produce 90 lumens per watt, so 12000 lumens would require 133 watts or 11 amps.

 

[newkiotiguy]

My flood lights are mounted with magnets. In the woods I flip them under. Forward for driving and using the front end loader. Backwards for snowblowing

 

[LittleBill21]

John Deere disagrees. They mount all of their lights at shoulder height. Never been a problem for me, or tens of thousands of other users.

have a photo of these thousands of tractors cus google is failing me

 

[Williy]

I have lights on my cab going to take the bulbs out and check for a led replacement. The lights on the
hood thinking about adding a bracket to add an led on each side
and use the wire from the hood lights just to get the lights over the bucket and the hood lights will be decoration as they won't work.

willy

 

[Williy]

Someone said that the on coming cars don't dim their lights? Back in the mid 70's my friend who travels a lot at night had the same problem so he mounted an aircraft
landing light in the middle of his pick up he said people would flash their lights blow their horn but he never turned it off until he was past them some even stopped in the middle of the road. And yes it was illegal but it worked

willy