Attaching Work Lights?

[Thomasre]

Just received Kubota L3430 with Loader & foldable ROPS. I want to attach work light(s) to ROPS? or at least high enough to shine light past loader with at least one light for rear. I prefer to not drill the ROPS to attach, or is it normal to attach by drilling ROPS? A post by Thcri in New Holland owning / operating suggested attaching with magnets. Sounds good, but how?. Can anyone suggest best attachment methods for lights with foldable ROPS. ROPS - will be up when lights are in use, actually ROPS will be up practically all the time. Best value light kits? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thomas, I just make some bent brackets with 1/8" aluminum for the trapezoid lights I bought to mount on my ROPS. The mounting bolt that came with the lights is used to effect the clamping action around the ROPS without affecting the structure of the ROPS in any way. Since I had the material lying around in my woodworking shop, my "new" cost was effectively zero, but this stuff sells inexpensively at the big-box home centers. I think what I used was 1 1/4" wide, if I recall. I'll be posting pics in the Kubota own/operate forum once I have things wired up...hopefully this weekend.

 

[Thomasre]

jbecker - Thanks, I'll be watching for your post & pics.

 

[tdenny]

Thomasre,

There are tons of examples of how people have gotten around drilling holes in their ROPS for light attachments. Do more searches under "all threads".

I don't have foldable ROPS and even if I did I'd bolt them as I'd most likely never need a reason to fold them. I bought my tractor used so I had no warranty or other issues like that so I just drilled a few little holes for the mounting brackets. I'm no expert but I just can't see how those small holes could cause any integrity problems with my ROPS though. Good luck - the lights are great to have. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[CTyler]

I used magnetic grounds used for welding from Harbor freight.
Attached the 55w lights, also from HF, to them and stickem where you want. Put them on the ROPS forward or backward, one each direction etc.. Got the idea here on TBN from another thread.

 

[tc35dforme]

I am surely in the minority here, but I personally don't think that drilling a couple of 3/8" holes in the ROPS will cause a catastrophic failure. You need to believe that this ROPS assembly has been designed with a HUGE safety factor. The engineers must figure on more than the slow steady tip of the tractor and the ROPS is able to carry much more than the static weight of the tractor. There are kinetic forces at work here !!

What I did, and please don't tell the ROPS police, was drill ( 3 ) holes just large enough to fit a 5/16" bolt through. Ground away the paint, welded a nut over the hole so that the bolt would pass through the nut and into the ROPS void. Then I painted it, and bolted on the lights.

I even drilled a 3/8" hole and added a rubber grommett so I could route the wires up through the tube.

This works great and the lights don't wiggle.

Just my approach.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Turn off the work lights, and SLOWLY step away from the tractor.

ROPS POLICE

Rick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( tc35dforme wrote:

I am surely in the minority here, but I personally don't think that drilling a couple of 3/8" holes in the ROPS will cause a catastrophic failure. )</font>

You are probably correct from an engineering perspective, but there is that legal thing that could come into play should you topple the tractor and be injured due to any kind of ROPS failure. They have a legal out as they state clearly in writing, "thou shalt not drill", etc on the tractor sticker and in the manual.

I've chosen to heed their request even though I really, really, really, really want to run those wires up through the tubing... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I hole a little "ROPS-colored" spray paint will help those shiny silver aluminum brackets disappear a little!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've constructed a couple of race cars for SCCA road racing. Each tube in the roll cage is required to have a 1/8" hole so the tech inspector can measure the wall thickness, but we are admonished to have no other holes in the cage. It's OK to weld tabs on our cages and drill holes in the tabs; I might consider the same thing on my ROPS when I install lights. I don't know if there is a general or specific recommendation or prohibition against that sort of welding.

Knowing something (although certainly not an expert) about roll cage design, I actually don't have a whole lot of faith in my ROPS, although I suppose it's better than nothing. I hope I never have to find out.

 

[Darren]

One of things I want to do with ROPS mounted lights is to locate them above the tires. I'm going to use a piece of thin plate welded to the top of a piece of tube with the same cross section as the ROPS. The thin plate will extend forward so it sets on top of the ROPS.

The new tube will be directly behind the top tube on the ROPS. I'll use large band clamps to attach it. With the side extension, I have room to put a removable guard around the lights. The lights will mount below the tube so they should shrug most of the stuff.

If needed, the whole light bar could be removed easily.