Lights

[Frank Sorbello]

Looking to replace the lights on my 422. I have looked on Surplus Center. Have any of you changed out your lights? Anyone using LEDs?

 

[ponytug]

I changed the lights, and I added a second set just under the ROPS. Those are the lights that I use routinely. There are some FEL and fork usage, where I find the original lights useful. In general, getting the lights up and more of a flood light has been useful. I have bought almost all of my LED floods from
superbrightleds.com
I did buy a set from ebay, but I wouldn't recommend it. I have been buying ~20-30W flood lights, so about half the power of the original bulbs, but twice the light output. If I were doing it over, I might buy a light bar.

Ken has a nice posting with photos on the differences between his original and his LEDs. That's what pushed me to convert my tractor, truck,....

All the best,

Peter

 

[oosik]

I installed an LED flood light (mcdermottlight.com) on my roll bar. Its fairly large & pretty expensive but it turns night into daylight out about 100 yds in front of the tractor. Its a marine flood light - so its totally weather proof. I got the 50 watt model. I hate surprises when I'm plowing snow at night.

 

[woodlandfarms]

So I converted to LED a while ago. I have 2-48 watts going forward which are hugely bright (I have a fairly good photo series of how the brightness changed from the bulb to 24 watt led to 48watt). I also hung 2 24 watts off the back of the canopy, and switched out the tubs light as well. I abandoned the lower light position in favor of just under-rops. There are some serious deals on light bars and I probably would use one instead of the individuals I have,although I have to say I like being able to grab one and point it toward the work, and keep the other pointing at the way I am going. Make sure you buy FLOODS, not spots. Good light bars will be designed with floods at the ends and spots in the center.

I want to caution you on a few things. Your machine probably does not have a standard alternator, but more of a magneto. In the beginning of LED Bulbs, there were some serious issues of LED's failing due to the nature of the magneto power. I believe the issue has been resolved in the LED Circuitry design but I would check with other tractor owners. While tempting, I would not exceed the amperage of your current bulbs (If they are 35 watt, I would not get any higher than 35 watt LED' (A bar could be 70 watt). But this being said, you will fall off your seat when you find out how amazingly bright a 35 watt led is compared to a 35 watt conventional bulb. And in my reference to wattage, I am talking true wattage, not "This bulb compares to a X watt bulb".

Finally, I got my lights off of Ebay and they came from China. I do try to buy american but from my research LED's are not manufactured in the US. On top of it, 90% of the housing you see for sale are chinese manufactured. These "made in the usa" from what I see are just assembled. So I have had no problems with my chinese bought lights. YMMV.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Frank, thought I would just repost these. These are pictures I took, exposure time and apature locked, I bumped the lense on the last take but none of the settings changed.

This is a picture of one single stock incandescent bulb projected at my trailer



This is a single, 24 watt LED,



This is a single 48 watt LED.

 

[Frank Sorbello]

Those pictures sure do say a lot.

Thanks

 

[SpringHollow]

Here's the link to my LED thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/163266-led-lights.html?highlight=LED

and the page with more detail: PT1850 LED Lights

These were 18W LED lights.

Ken

 

[Frank Sorbello]

Ken, just saw your pics. Amazing difference! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BobRip]

I like the under ROP's position. The standard position lets the light be blocked by the buckets when raised up a little.

 

[cqaigy2]

I like the under ROP's position. The standard position lets the light be blocked by the buckets when raised up a little.

Not to mention getting scraped off

 

[woodlandfarms]

So keeping with the lights thread.... you are going to need wire to run those fancy new LED Lights. If you just replace the lowers, no big deal. But if you replace the uppers, how do you get your wires up there?

Drilling in the ROPS is not advisable. Honestly, putting in 2 small holes to fish wire through will probably not effect the structural integrity of your ROPS, but if god forbid it does collapse in a rollover, A, you will be pissed at yourself, and B, if your widow chooses to sue.

When discussing the ROPS, I am discussing the thick bar, not the canopy. I have a bunch of holes in my canopy.

What I did was messy and hard to make pretty but has worked very well for a number of years. I ran my wires alongside the ROPS. I then got some black caulk and put a heavy amount of it under and over the wire, gluing it to the ROPS. I essentially put on a huge bead, then I ran paper tape (painter tape) over top all the way up and under the canopy to the lights. let the tape sit for 12 hours and pealed it off. another 12 hours and it was completely dry. I run in fir trees and I have yet after many years to have the wire pulled from the silicone.

Also, I did relay my lights. I believe the switches PT uses is of high quality and can withstand high amperages, but for a couple of years I had both upper and lower lights running, so I went to a relay system.

 

[SpringHollow]

I relayed my lights as well. For running the wires, I just used electrical ties around the ROPS.

Ken

 

[ponytug]

Like Carl, I didn't want to drill into the ROPS. I wish I had though of the caulk idea; it sounds great.

Like Ken, I used the cable ties as well; the ties get scraped off every couple of years. I have bullet connectors to the lights, so if the wire gets pulled out, there is a simple disconnect.
I replaced the standard switch with a three way switch so that I could choose upper or lower. Since the power draw stayed the same, or went down, I didn't add a relay.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Marks481]

Drilling in the ROPS is not advisable. Honestly, putting in 2 small holes to fish wire through will probably not effect the structural integrity of your ROPS...

I drilled a 1/4" hole at the top (right up against the canopy) to bring the wire out to the light, and than drilled through the flat plate (where it mounts against the side of the PT) to bring the other end up. Neither location should affect the strength of the ROPS at all.

It was a royal pain fishing the wire through.

Drilling in the middle of the tube might be in-advisable, but the stress at the very end of the tubes should be negligible when you drill there. OTOH, PT really overbuilt these things; way beefier than it has too be to support the weight in a rollover.

 

[SpringHollow]

I know people worry about this all of the time but I find it hard to believe a couple of 1/4" holes will weaken things enough to cause a real problem. I am not saying that the fact that holes were drilled would not be used as an excuse, but if that weakens things enough to cause failure, then IMHO it was not designed with a sufficient safety factor.

Ken

 

[woodlandfarms]

I too agree a couple of holes won't effect anything but if your widow decides to sue,

Honestly I don't know how I could get the pt on its side anyway

 

[Marks481]

Honestly I don't know how I could get the pt on its side anyway

I know how I could get mine on the side... been up on two wheels many times mowing the sides of the ditch. There is a spot I always chicken out and make a hard turn to head downhill to stay upright.

But than my PT isn't 8' wide like yours....

 

[Scrambler82]

Of course there are sharp edges on the holes, debut.
Maybe use glue on wall mounts, then either tie the wire to the mounts or use an HD type wire tie and secure some conduit to it, leaving room for the fold over.

 

[MossRoad]

On the subject of fishing wires.... tie a tiny piece of cotton ball to a fishing line,stuff it in the hole and use a vacuum cleaner to suck it out the other end.... use the fishing line to pull the wire. Some old dude showed me that and I slapped my forehead and said "OUCH!" :duh: It was so simple.

 

[MossRoad]

I too agree a couple of holes won't effect anything but if your widow decides to sue,

Honestly I don't know how I could get the pt on its side anyway

Hold my beer and watch this....