Customizing headlights

[MJPetersen]

I have a Yanmar 1510 D. The headlight bulbs have been burned out for some time now and I have not been able to find replacements here. I am trying to have it ready to plow snow this winter (probably won't snow now!!) and that means that lights are necessary. I tried to find replacement bulbs here but without success. I know that I could order them from the States and get them, but here i could not find them.

I decided that I was going to change them to some other bulb, the standard halogen headlight bulb fof cars were not too expensive, but they draw relatively high current 55-70 watts rather than the original 25/35. Since I want to add more work lights I decided that the bulbs much be low wattage. I finally settled on one of the new LED bulbs that is supposed to produce the light of a 60 watt bulb but only use 1.5 watts!! If they work I will be able to make all kinds of work lights and still not draw too much current for my smallish alternator.

I choose the smaller standard size and need to make an adapter to fit it into the old light housing. I did not want to ruin the original light housings. I carefully cut the bottom off a couple of soda cans, used a hole saw to cut the middle out for the bulb "socket", Then I hotglued the bulb and the adapter together and then into the old housing.

Then with short pigtails soldered on and terminals they are read to reinstall. They work!!! I cannot wait to full dark and see how it helps!! I want to now plan how to add additional work lights using the larger LEDs.

I thought the project might be of interest to some.

Mike

 

[john_bud]

Very nice and a good way to put more standard stuff in the tractor.

We call that "farmerized" around here.

jb

 

[radioman]

very cool. classic old time fixes. its too bad there too many of us not willing to try something like that.

 

[CCWKen]

Brilliant!

 

[MJPetersen]

I drove around the yard last night just for fun and the lights are much brighter than the original Stanley bulbs I believe. Thanks for your kind comments and if any one was laughing they kept it to themselves.

I worked for many years as a heavy epupment mechanic in AK. Often it was in inaccessible places where parts would have to be flown in. In those situations you get creative to get the machine through a few more shifts so that part have time to get there. Make it work!

I did find a place here where you can buy driving lights for cars that are LED, but they are kind of expensive (over $100) for a pair. I have less than $20 in my project. Admittedly they use bulbs that are rated brighter, how bright do you need for traveling at 15 mph max?

Mike

 

[4shorts]

Mike that's pretty smart thinking you did there. I don't think anyone is laughing. I think most would pat you on the back and say "Good job" Nice work sir.

 

[ToadHill]

The first thought I had was "No matter where in the world you are you can always find Coca Cola.

 

[KJM]

Mike,
Nice retro-fit. I did something similar to my B7100. When I got it, the previous owner had opened the bonnet with the loader in the air and then knocked the valve. Instant crushed front and with it the Kubota lights!

My solution was a pair of 21-LED 30degree spread MR16 bulbs. I made some mounting brackets and put them into the holes for the old lights. They do work a treat! They light the back of the loader bucket up beautifully I'm in the process of making something to go on the top of the ROPS frame!

Cheers
/Kevin

 

[Ductape]

Mike,
Great idea. I recently added LED bulbs to my tail lights, also so i could add more worklights with a lower amperage draw. Looks like you found the perfect solution!

 

[MJPetersen]

Heh it is good to know that I am not the only one huh? Kevin, I tried to use the MR 16 but they are a bit too big to fit in the existing opening of the headlights of the Yanmar so I went with the MR11 which is only 35 mm vs 50 mm. That is why I needed the adapter. The 16 was a little bit brighter Maybe 30 LEDs but the 11 fit with a meager 26 or something like that. They each only draw 1.5 amp. The bigger ones drew 1.7 or there about.

Scott, The little dynamo is not all that powerful so it is necessary to find ways to cut the amp use. LEDs help.

Good to hear from you.

Mike

 

[ninefinger]

It is a little hard to laugh when one sees something that works and think " why didn't I think of that?"

 

[gemini5362]

The first thought I had was "No matter where in the world you are you can always find Coca Cola.

actually you can not find Coca Cola in Saudi Arabia unless they have changed the laws since I lived there. You can find Dr. Pepper and Pepsi but not Coca Cola

 

[3RRL]

Mike, bravo ... excellent!
I just love that old school American ingenuity.
Rob-

 

[MJPetersen]

Rob, Now that you are living out at your ranch and a long ways from parts and supplies, you will find that there are lots of new ways to "make it work until the next time I go to town." The worst situation is when you just pull in the drive see the tractor sitting there and suddenly remember that you were going to pick up that 1/2 " bolt.

Coke is almost ubiquitous, but there are a few places that Pepsi wins out. For my purposes either would work.

I have been following the other LED thread and I am just dieing to try out the other bulbs (1156) that is in the discussion there. We will see.

Mike

 

[KubotaSam]

I am a little confused here. Where are you guys getting your bulbs? I would love to convert the bulbs on my B7100 to LED'S. Are they available at an auto parts store like NAPA? Who make them and what is the part number?

 

[MJPetersen]

Sam, Check out the other LED Headlights thread. There is a lot of discussion of specific bulbs and the where suggestions. There even are a couple of people that work for companies that make light assemblies with LED technology that reply there.

I used a 12 volt household bulb which I bought at a big building supply store. It is designed to take the place of a halogen spot. There are 2 sizes in this type of bulb: the MR16 is a completely sealed unit that is about 2 inches in diameter, and the MR11 (what I used) is about 1 3/8 inches in diameter.

However, on the other thread they introduced me to some new and brighter possibilities. The 1156 is a replacement for tail lights, turn, and stop lights. It has a bunch of configurations and one of the ones that I found has leds on the sides to take advantage of the reflector in the headlight assembly.

Mike

 

[RussMan]

I may have to get brave and try to improvise like you did MJPeterson.
I am courious, did you order the LEB bulbs (MR 11 or whatever was the number) online or did you find it locally?

I want to add lights so I will have to buy the light housing, and pull out the high-wattage bulbs. But that is still cheaper than $100/light for the LED lights for mounting on my ROPS.

 

[Lefty_Kubota]

thanks so much for posting.. Im going to do this same mod to mine this weekend now...

 

[MJPetersen]

I am curious, did you order the LED bulbs (MR 11 or whatever was the number) online or did you find it locally?

I was able to get the MR 11's at a big building supply store--Home Depot or Lowes in style. If you have the room a MR 16 is also 12 volt and a bit brighter. But for existing housings I believe the 1156 bulbs which have LED's on the sides to bounce light off the reflectors would be the best.

I want to add lights so I will have to buy the light housing, and pull out the high-wattage bulbs. But that is still cheaper than $100/light for the LED lights for mounting on my ROPS.

This is what I was thinking of doing, just make sure that your add on lights do not use sealed beams, but rather have a base of some sort. Then just do a google search for "1156 LED" and you will get plenty of places that you can buy them. I posted pictures above of what I found on the internet here in Poland, but I found similar things in the US too. The base for the 1156 is the same as for tail lights and stop lights on cars, therefore you could get a short pigtail form a junk car tail light and use that. If you used the two contact bulb for brake/tail light then you could even have a high/low beam. You will have to make sure that they are white for the floods and head lights.

Mike

 

[gemini5362]

I did a google search and here is the first one i came up with an MR16 50 watt 12 volt bulb is 7.50 per 5 pack

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