Zero turn lighting

[WinterDeere]

Having just gotten thru another fall season, where so often weather and schedule dictate pushing past sunset while either mowing or using the JRCO Blower Buggy on my zero turn, I went thru the usual frustration of zip-tying and duct-taping various Li-Ion LED work lights all over my rig to get the chores done. It's time for something better and permanent.

The rig I'm running when pushing past sunset is most often the Little Wonder Optimax blower (EX27) on the blower buggy, which looks a bit like this:

Mounting lights down near the front casters or even in the forward cowlings by my knees seems like a good recipe for blinding myself from the back-scatter off that big white blower housing, while creating long shadows out front from the blower blocking the lights. My mower has a ROPS, which I usually keep folded down, but the hinges are up at shoulder height. If I clamp lights onto the lower ROPS, they'd be near bicept height. Probably the best-case scenario on this mower.

But I HATE the way the HID's on my tractor ROPS blind me when looking to the side or behind me. I need to find some good LED lights with a shade that can be turned or moved, if I go this route. Otherwise, I need to build shades into the light mounts, which could be done, but maybe not easy to get perfect the first time (unless also adjustable).

Deere sells a light kit for this mower (2009'ish 757 ZTrak), but since it's out of production in must be sourced thru the parts counter at much higher cost (i.e. buying individual components rather than kit). The only thing useful there is to see the kit supported up to two 35W halogens (70W total), so apparently the generator on this little mower could support a decent array of LED's. I'm planning on two facing forward, with the left-hand side angled very far left to see what the blower is moving, and one wide-angle LED lamp facing rearward.

Ideas?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I'm cheap. For $20 I got a pair of these from HF, mounted over each front wheel on Cub Zero. There already was a cut out plug on mower for rocker switch, so there then back to battery where I put a 20A fuse right at battery.
Of course you could spend $100-$200+ for led light bar top of rops.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm cheap. For $20 I got a pair of these from HF, mounted over each front wheel on Cub Zero. There already was a cut out plug on mower for rocker switch, so there then back to battery where I put a 20A fuse right at battery.
Of course you could spend $100-$200+ for led light bar top of rops.View attachment 839047

Oh, I'm definitely going LED, since I want maximum lighting and I'm not sure how much current these zero-turns can actually support. Deere literature is always vague, they actually show only one 35W halogen as part of the OEM kit in the Deere parts catalog, but in the shop manual it shows two, so I'm not sure how much added load capacity they had planned into the system, on top of the more substantial PTO clutch draw.

No biggie though, they make LED equivalents of that light for $20/pair, just without any sort of shade that would keep me from blinding myself with it mounted behind my arm on the ROPS.

My switch panel does not have a knockout in the laminate for the switch, but knowing they sell a press-in square bodied rocker with the kit, I'm guessing I'll find a knockout in the aluminum panel behind the laminate. Easily addressed with an X-Acto knife.

Like you, plan is straight to battery, or perhaps battery lug on the starter solenoid if that's more accessible, with a fuse at the lug.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

A few (bad, but idea) pictures I just took.
I need to wash mower.
I like lights out front like a car & they work well, installed 5 years ago. I looked them up, 55 watts, so 110 for two or 9.2 amps which should be fine, intermittent use.

 

[WinterDeere]

Thanks Fuddy! That looks ideal if I weren't running the blower buggy. But if I put them down anywhere near that low, the thing they'd be lighting most is the blinding white back side of my leaf blower! If I were just mowing, then yeah, I'd put them exactly where you have them.

 

[LittleBill21]

just mount the lights on the blower and use a trailer plug disconnect to remove when done.

https://www.amazon.com/Hoypeyfiy-Tr...b8efcb1aa25b3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[WinterDeere]

just mount the lights on the blower and use a trailer plug disconnect to remove when done.

https://www.amazon.com/Hoypeyfiy-Tr...b8efcb1aa25b3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Thought about that, and it's a good idea if they're only ever needed for blowing leaves. But was leaning toward ROPS mounting, since I wouldn't lose them for mowing.

But finding LED work lights with an adjustable shade has been a bit of a challenge. That would be key to mounting them behind me on the ROPS, so as to not blind myself every time I glance behind me to turn or back up. Anyone who has had landscape lights knows the shade I'm speaking of, they're pretty common in that application.

I need this:



Not this:

 

[jyoutz]

This is what I mounted to my tractor canopy. One is all that’s needed, and I mounted a small 4” light facing the rear. Mount the center of your ROPs. It would be easy enough to fashion a shade box to put it in. They also sell a compatible wiring harness, direct to battery with a relay and switch.

8 in. Spot/Flood Combo LED Light Bar

Amazing deals on this 8In Spot/Flood Led Light Bar at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Hay Dude]

Another thread destroying the myth that “zero turns are only good for mowing grass”

 

[2manyrocks]

Why not put some magnetic base lights on the leafblower? You could either move them to the ROPs to mow or install another set of lights on the ROPs to only use for mowing because lights aren't all that expensive.

 

[2515R Dude]

i have great experience with those, one pair i installed on my duck boat, another on my pontoon, another on my motorcycle.
Cheap and extremely powerful. There are many variations of them on Amazon/
here is the link : LINK I have no affiliations with them, just a happy customer.

 

[LittleBill21]

Thought about that, and it's a good idea if they're only ever needed for blowing leaves. But was leaning toward ROPS mounting, since I wouldn't lose them for mowing.

But finding LED work lights with an adjustable shade has been a bit of a challenge. That would be key to mounting them behind me on the ROPS, so as to not blind myself every time I glance behind me to turn or back up. Anyone who has had landscape lights knows the shade I'm speaking of, they're pretty common in that application.

I need this:

View attachment 839080

Not this:

View attachment 839134

then put both in, and use a switch to turn off the rops one when the blower is on

 

[WinterDeere]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Some good ideas I probably wouldn't have thought of on my own.

Why not put some magnetic base lights on the leafblower? You could either move them to the ROPs to mow or install another set of lights on the ROPs to only use for mowing because lights aren't all that expensive.

When you say magnetic, you mean something with it's own battery, so no wiring? I guess having a few magnetic battery-powered lights floating around the shop would be handy for many other things, as well. They'd need to have enough battery to last an hour or two (my experience is most don't), and magnets strong enough to keep them planted on a painted vertical surface that's bouncing around the lawn at speed. Last thing we want is a light assembly under a running mower deck, or landing in the mess of running belts and pulleys on top of mower deck.

 

[ray66v]

I'm thinking, you would be better off with a light strapped to your head, than having lights mounted as low as your feet on a ZT.

 

[2manyrocks]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. Some good ideas I probably wouldn't have thought of on my own.



When you say magnetic, you mean something with it's own battery, so no wiring? I guess having a few magnetic battery-powered lights floating around the shop would be handy for many other things, as well. They'd need to have enough battery to last an hour or two (my experience is most don't), and magnets strong enough to keep them planted on a painted vertical surface that's bouncing around the lawn at speed. Last thing we want is a light assembly under a running mower deck, or landing in the mess of running belts and pulleys on top of mower deck.

I was just thinking somebody probably makes a magnetic light that you could stick on the blower. Even if they don't, I have a fishing magnet from Amazon that has a strong grip and potentially could be used as a mount if you could find a light that you otherwise like.

The other aspect is you could use them to test where you would like to permanently bolt lights in place.