Replacing Gc1700 series rear lights

[Ooklaa]

Well these lights love to keep getting snagged up on my trees around my property and id like to improve on this. Any aftermarket or has anyone else done anything creative? They are like big dumbo ears flapping in the wind.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I took a small piece of about 1/8 in sheet and drilled 4 holes in it. I unbolted the lights and just swung the around to the inside. I bolted the metal bracket I made to the light bracket and then the light to the bracket I made but with the light facing in. It works great, didn't even have to cut a wire just pull a little slack so it would reach. Mine is a GC2400 but I think it would work for you as well. I don't know how to post pics so words will have to do. Ed

 

[carmedic310]

You could mount one of these on top of your rops 2inch 12W Combo LED Work Light Bar Offroad Driving Lamp SUV Car Boat 4WD Truck | eBay

 

[Ooklaa]

You could mount one of these on top of your rops 2inch 12W Combo LED Work Light Bar Offroad Driving Lamp SUV Car Boat 4WD Truck | eBay

I Was speaking about the actual turn signals and brake lights as they stick out wayntoo much when your in the bush. I was thinking of getting like a mini led bar to replace the standard ones.

Like this Mini LED Light Bars | Speed Tech Lights

 

[carmedic310]

4X Red Waterproof Brake Stop Turn ID Light Bar Trailer Truck Multifunction | eBay These would be great on your rops.I used a set on the guide post on my boat trailer work awesome

 

[AxleHub]

I Was speaking about the actual turn signals and brake lights as they stick out wayntoo much when your in the bush. I was thinking of getting like a mini led bar to replace the standard ones.

Niko,

I'm not quite sure what the issue is . . are you breaking or bending the lights or are they just catching on branches or ??? Obviously on your model the directional/tail lights are armoured by the surrounding metal brackets. Are you catching on them going forward or when backing up?

You could temporarily while working put a 2 x 6 across from one side to the other to protect the lights from damage. You could even create some kind of deflector at an angle on that 2 x 6 to cause branches to shed off as well. But aren't you also snagging your rops also ?

You could drop your rops down in back as a very temporary measure too . . . but of course safety is needed too.

It would seem that if you are close enough to hit your lights . . those branches are close enough to hit you or the rops or the tractor. Can you just chainsaw a clear path of branches . . . If this was a path to your wood working area ?

 

[Ooklaa]

Niko,

I'm not quite sure what the issue is . . are you breaking or bending the lights or are they just catching on branches or ??? Obviously on your model the directional/tail lights are armoured by the surrounding metal brackets. Are you catching on them going forward or when backing up?

You could temporarily while working put a 2 x 6 across from one side to the other to protect the lights from damage. You could even create some kind of deflector at an angle on that 2 x 6 to cause branches to shed off as well. But aren't you also snagging your rops also ?

You could drop your rops down in back as a very temporary measure too . . . but of course safety is needed too.

It would seem that if you are close enough to hit your lights . . those branches are close enough to hit you or the rops or the tractor. Can you just chainsaw a clear path of branches . . . If this was a path to your wood working area ?

Rookie mistakes pretty much. The armor is their but it sucks as it doesn not go cover up the lit from all directions and the inside plastic is junk and not very stong. When im backing up or moving forward ill get them hung up on branches left to right ir even small trees standing. I was hoping to get something that is flat and sticks right to the rops or protrudes only a lil bit. maybe even something magnetic so i can move it or if.need bee fall off if hit.

 

[MidwestSCUT]

Why on earth did they ever put these lights outside of the ROPS? My port side light only made it 40 hours on my machine before meeting a sycamore tree. :thumbdown:

 

[AxleHub]

Why on earth did they ever put these lights outside of the ROPS? My port side light only made it 40 hours on my machine before meeting a sycamore tree. :thumbdown:

Lights must be viewable from both front and rear by traffic/drivers.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Why on earth did they ever put these lights outside of the ROPS? My port side light only made it 40 hours on my machine before meeting a sycamore tree. :thumbdown:

Some lawyer decided that the lights had to be the widest thing on the tractor. :confused2: Ed

 

[AxleHub]

Some lawyer decided that the lights had to be the widest thing on the tractor. :confused2: Ed

Ed . . alot of those lawyers are in state legislatures and federal congress. Because its a tractor and not a lawn mower . . Its law that they gave to be operational and viewable to oncoming traffic if the tractor is on any street or road owned by a government agency on any level.

Ooklaa could make his lights quick detachable if he'd like . . as long as he puts them back on when he is going to be on any road.

But we know ooklaa has a mmm on his tractor and that protrudes further than the lights lol.

I guess my point is an obvious one . . the lights are a surprise to no one. When we buy a tractor we see exactly where the lights are and how they are located. MF did a good job of displaying them and protecting them and its very little difference in width than other brands of the same size. The branches are the problem . . not the lights imo. So you remove or avoid the problem imo.

As an example . . this. Winter while clearing snow . . my bucket bumped a siding corner on the garage . . no big deal. It wasn't my bucket's fault or my tractor's fault . . it was the operator. Either I should have hand shovelled that little area . . or kept the tractor 6 inches away.

 

[Ooklaa]

Well when im clearing my property I dont have my MMM on. i mean i said it it was a rookie mistake for me hitting the lights. But i would also have to say that yea we all saw where the lights are when we bought the machine but we also can state our real life stories of usability and practicality. So saying that im not going to replace them with the same things because I think they are in a very akward spot. Im going to replace them with somthing that just sits flush with the rops bar. Im enjoying my tractor very much so and it is my first one so like anythig else I can do some modifying.

But i still have not seen yet. No one has modified the rear lights yet?

 

[ohmyback]

I have watched a couple videos on youtube. People drilled a new hole and mounted them inside.

 

[Snobdds]

With a backhoe on, the lights need to be on the outside or there is no room to work with the seat backwards.

Low profile magnetic is probably your best bet.

 

[AxleHub]

Ooklaa,

As I mentioned in an earlier post . . if the need is only when you are working on your land . . why not set both lights up on quick connects . . so you could take each of the signal lights off and then work and then when done reconnect each one? You worked with cars prior to your restaurant activity . . and certainly that industry has lots of quick disconnect accessory pieces (for the electrical connections and the mechanical connection).

As long as you reattach and reconnect after doing your woods work . . Wouldn't that solve the problem?

Or . . you mentioned part of the problem was a couple rookie mistakes. Does that mean its no longer the problem it was before and those mistakes won't be repeated ?

New topic: I knew you use your gc1720 for lawn mowing also. But you now stated you take your mmm off before working in the woods (makes sense). But I thought you were in the woods on a regular basis for firewood. So are you taking the mmm off and on every week or ????

I've been considering getting a skid plate for the underside of my gc1715 from brotek for a long time now. . But haven't done it yet . . my issue is more about snow than it is about branches or rocks. Nice thing about them is you can have it on whether you have the mmm on or not. Have you gotten or considered one for your unit, I know we talked about them quite awhile ago?

 

[jlgurr]

Has anyone priced a Massey replacement? I need one but when asking for the cost he said "You don't wanna know."

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[Ooklaa]

I might invest in the under armor but well see. I still have not seen a picture or talked to anyone who actually has one on our tractor. Its pretty easy taking the attchments off and on. I mo my lwn with just my MMM on, i take my backhoe off first and then my fel. Put my mmm on then mo my lawn.

Currnety looking at led strip brake light with turn signals to reaplace my lights.

 

[irvingj]

Lights area bit different on the newer ones, but I found that Kubota lights made for a much less expensive replacement for my OEM Massey ROPS lights.

I also had trouble nicking the darned things (and got tired of repairing/replacing them), so made some clamps to mount them on the inside of the ROPS. It doesn't hinder me when using backhoe, and I haven't had one issue with the lights ever since.:cool2:

I think a lot of the problem is that the lights are situated where you're NOT looking while using the tractor; that is, up and a bit behind the operator. Yes, maybe a "newbie" issue, but I bet I'd still be hitting them if I hadn't moved them!

Here's a bit of "after & before", also showing the Kubota light:

 

[AxleHub]

Irving,

Your "before " picture is a considerably different light than what is on the gc1700 series. It appears the gc2300 series tail lights were different.

 

[jlgurr]

I had no idea the TLB ROPS was so much wider than mine. Yours widens at your hinge but mine rises straight to the top.

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