ROPS LED Work Lights

[JerryK]

I was not too happy with the one 55w halogen lamp on the rear of my new tractor, it was mounted on the left rear fender and seem to line up with the one foot diameter discharge chute on my blower. So I ordered five LED 27watt work lamps [ EBAY, $238USD ] and mounted four towards the top of my ROPS. I made and bolted two aluminum bars to the ROPS using 1/4-20 SS bolts, and wired the lamps to the existing work light circuit of the 5035. The circuit only has a 10 amp fuse, and the lights draw about 9 amps. The wiring is plenty big enough, so I will probably pop in a 15 amp fuse. The LED lamps are the 'flood' type, and each is about as bright as a car headlight.

 

[hosspuller]

For folks thinking about doing the same lighting ...
I would not put any lights on the ROPS of an open station tractor. When working at night the lights draw all the bugs to around your head.

 

[MF 1532]

For folks thinking about doing the same lighting ...
I would not put any lights on the ROPS of an open station tractor. When working at night the lights draw all the bugs to around your head.

I agree , except in my case , the only time I'll be on mine after dark will be clearing snow ( hope those bugs are all dead ) :thumbsup: These little tractors have limited places to put lights .

 

[JerryK]

About the only time I would use them is in the winter.... I live a little above the 45th parallel...and it gets dark early up here. Plus, when you blow snow... you can never have enough flashing lights or other illumination to help the general public know that...some where in the big white cloud... you are in there... When the lake effect is blowing in... you can't hardly see to drive before you even turn the blower on .....

 

[Scotty Dive]

Any chance you have a picture of the brackets you made?

 

[JerryK]

I did not use a bracket.. I used two 3/8" by 1 1/4" aluminum bars. The bars are secured to the inside corner of the ROPS by drilling and tapping two 1/4-20 holes in the ROPS. My ROPS is 4" wide, and I drilled two holes in each bar so the 3/8" lamp mounting holes would be about 1" outside the edge of the ROPS. The first picture shows the mounting bars bolted to the ROPS. Inboard of the bars I bored 3/4" holes into the ROPS for the wire..which is enclosed in black split loom for protection. If you are squirmish about drilling into your ROPS, this is not for you. But me, I have never owned a tractor with a ROPS before...so to me...it is just a mounting and wiring attachment to the tractor.. Few holes are not going to weaken it that much anyway... and besides.. my better half would like to get her hands on all the life insurance...
Another thing... if you do this. Put a box [ LCD TV box is what I used under the collapsed down upper half of the ROPS ] under it to collect the chips. When you are done drilling, and before painting, stick your shop vacume hose [ I took the end connector off the corregated hose ] into one end of the ROPS... and blow the chips towards it with compressed air from the other end. That way you do not get all the chips down under your rear tires... [ my floor is wet too from snow blowing ]

 

[LWG]

I installed LED lights on my little skidsteer. They worked fine for about 10 hours of use, then they burned out. I can see blackened LEDs, so I know that at least the LEDs are burned, and likely the circuit board itself. The skidsteer has a magneto which is used to power an electric fuel pump and recharge the battery. The fuel pump has worked for years, so I doubt that the voltage greatly exceeds 12v. I'm trying to figure out why.

 

[JerryK]

Most of these LED units are good up to 30 volts. I know that a normal incandesant bulb will not take an intermittent ground and will burn out quickly if you have one. But I have not heard that about LED units. Good luck.... Jerry

 

[k0ua]

I installed LED lights on my little skidsteer. They worked fine for about 10 hours of use, then they burned out. I can see blackened LEDs, so I know that at least the LEDs are burned, and likely the circuit board itself. The skidsteer has a magneto which is used to power an electric fuel pump and recharge the battery. The fuel pump has worked for years, so I doubt that the voltage greatly exceeds 12v. I'm trying to figure out why.

Something on the Skid Steer emitted a pulse probably that popped the PN junction in the LED (which is still a diode, it just emits light too) and then the 12 volts DC burned up the board and LED housing after the diodes went bad. Now this is just a guess but my best guess. Especially if you measured the charging voltage and it was not significantly over 14 volts. But a reverse pulse from a relay coil or solenoid on the line could have exceeded the Reverse Peak Inverse Voltage rating of the LED.

James K0UA

 

[Down South]

Dang I didn't even consider the Bug factor!

We don't get much real winter down here, We even get them pterodactyl skeeters that escape from LA swamps from time to time.

DS

 

[the6shooter]

I also made 2 brackets for auxiliry lighting this last weekend, it's posted under buildit yourself section. just got them finished and waiting for the paint to dry. but here, are the pic's. I just don't believe in drilling on the rops

 

[the6shooter]

These are just the mock up's they look a little differnt after rounding off the corners and painting. They are made from 2 X 5 angle iron stock, for $7 bucks from the welding supply they where cut to 6" for the square u-bolt hangers.
Hope this helps anyone that needs something like this. Also the lights have the built in switch ordered from Napa auto parts. $20 each
david

 

[boomer632]

Skeeters dont see LED light.. so they are not attracted.. or so ive heard..

Dang I didn't even consider the Bug factor!

We don't get much real winter down here, We even get them pterodactyl skeeters that escape from LA swamps from time to time.

DS

 

[the6shooter]

After seeing this post, on led's and bugs not seeing them, I looked it up and found that because led's don't give off ultra violet light bugs aren't attracted to them, you learn something new every day.
thanks david

 

[northpolefolks]

Bugs not being attracted to LED lights is a good thing. We use LED head lamps now when were walking back to camp hunting in the fall.

I like the look of "the6shooter"s bracket. I don't won't drill into my ROPS, not that it will ever matter but just don't like the thought. I am going to cut some 4"x3" angle and paint it. Put one on both side of the ROPS and should make a good bracket.

Now I just need to pick out the lights. Did you guys wire yours into your existing light switch or put an accessory switch in?

 

[Qapla]

Only problem with the LED's in snow country is since they do not generate any heat, they do not "clean" themselves. As the snow blows and sticks to them, it doesn't melt and diminishes the amount of light they give. The halogen delivers heat to melt the snow and keep themselves clean.

 

[JerryK]

If you go LED lights, they are always in transition. A couple years ago, the 18W 6 LED [ most all these use the CREE 3w LED chip in multiples] lamps were sold for top dollar. Then the 27w 9 LED units came out and the 18W's dropped in price. Now they are selling 35w 12 LED units..and the 27W's are dropping. I hooked mine into the old 'Plow' light wiring and switch on my Mahindra, and deleted the 55wat hallogen that was on the rear. Probably a better setup would be to have both the front and rear lamps on separate switchs.
I am going to use my lamps for area lighting. Each lamp is pointed out about 30 degrees from the centerline to light up everything around the tractor. I also bought the 'flood' type instead of the spot type.

 

[The Haymaker]

Only problem with the LED's in snow country is since they do not generate any heat, they do not "clean" themselves. As the snow blows and sticks to them, it doesn't melt and diminishes the amount of light they give. The halogen delivers heat to melt the snow and keep themselves clean.

LED tail lights for trucks has been the single worst invention since democrats, just for that reason.

 

[LRH]

I made and bolted two aluminum bars to the ROPS using 1/4-20 SS bolts,
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I would check the SS hardware that is in contact with the aluminum. SS and aluminum do not always get along well together.

 

[The Haymaker]

I made and bolted two aluminum bars to the ROPS using 1/4-20 SS bolts,
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I would check the SS hardware that is in contact with the aluminum. SS and aluminum do not always get along well together.

No dissimilar metals play well together. Galvanic reaction occurs. Just throw some anti-size compound in there and never worry again.