Lights, Action, duh?

[lakngulf]

Taking the advice of some fellow TBNers I have revised the setup of my additional headlights and worklight. I have two front and one rear attached to a bar that is secured with two heavy duty U bolts. That works great, the electrical power to the lights is a different story.

1. The wires at the entry point connection are so short that I have had some problems with it. I now have them secured with twist caps and electrical tape and seem to maintain power to the switch.

2. From the switch to the lights is now giving me problems. I get it all taped up and working and then the "action" of the tractor seems to cause a disconnect.

What do you recommend as the most secure connectors?
What is best method to run wire from the switch to the lights, splitting off to three lights?
Can I test each light by attaching a test wire and connecting test wire to a 12 volt battery?

Sorry to sound like a rookie, but I am.

 

[robs660]

Solder and heat shrink everywhere you can. Once you do a proof of concept test and they work connect them for good. If you don't plan on breaking them it's the best

 

[Gittyup]

If wirenuts are properly twisted, then taped, they should never come loose from tractor vibration. I used wirenuts and tape on mine. Been working flawlessly now for 2 years.

 

[jimmyj]

Solder and heat shrink is the best for sure. I used crimp connectors, put dielectric grease all over and then heat shrunk them. Seems OK so far. I also left a bit of slack in the wires (tucked away) in case I need to fix or change something later.

 

[o2batsea]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

 

[Willl]

Never use solder when connecting wires.

Gotta hear your reason on this.

 

[jimmyj]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

??? Please explain???

 

[Coyote machine]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

To the contrary I would say to never follow the above statement. Absolute best solution would be marine grade wire and connectors with dielectric grease on completed solder joints, or on bare wire connected butt splices, etc. followed by adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. If the proper connectors AND high grade marine wire are used, in most instances soldering will not be necessary, but it isn't patently wrong in concept.
Anchor brand makes all of the necessary items and can be found at any quality marine supplier. There are other brands of wiring connectors too.

 

[Gittyup]

Only problem I see with soldering is when using cheap PVC coated wire. The coating close to the solder connection melts easily and can leave thin spots. If one were to use teflon coated wire, there'd be no problem with soldering. But, I don't think soldering is necessary.

 

[Coyote machine]

Only problem I see with soldering is when using cheap PVC coated wire. The coating close to the solder connection melts easily and can leave thin spots. If one were to use teflon coated wire, there'd be no problem with soldering. But, I don't think soldering is necessary.

The use of a heat sink clip close to the PVC jacket will eliminate the PVC melt issue, but better to use a higher grade of wire/jacket.