added HID floodlights to the loader

[GinNB]

You can never have enough light when working at night, so after converting my cabcorner lights to HID, I added a pair of floods from Sloan's that accept 9005 bulbs. VVME has a nice 35w slim digital HID kit that I ordered with 4300k 9005 bulbs.

I was going to go with 55w kits, but VVME didn't have them in the digital slim format and they've got a good reputation and good shipping arrangements to Canada, so I settled a little with the 35w kits even though I wired everything heavily enough to easily handle a 55w kit.

I ran fused 12ga wire from the battery into a project box (with the 7-contact strip removed) in the cab. I used the cig lighter for switched power to activate the 40 amp headlight relay that powers the lights. I put a toggle between the cig lighter power and the relay so that the lights were only on if the tractor was turned on and the switch was up- no accidental dead batteries that way.

The Quicke loader has a nice tunnel for routing hydraulic hoses, so I used an electrical fish to get the two 14ga wires up front to the lights.

Now I can use my cabcorner floods to light up the sides of the tractor and the loader floods as headlights in the field. TONS of light.

Rear cabcorner lights to be done this winter, and possibly two more Sloan floods mounted on the rear fenders point backwards. I made sure I had enough capacity in the project box to do at least two more pairs of lights.

Vampires beware- daylight is coming! :laughing:

 

[milkman636]

Thanks for posting Gin.

I've been looking for a spot to mount some floods out front. Have you found any downside to your mounts yet?

 

[GinNB]

No downsides yet but I'd prefer to have the ballast, wires, and ignitor mounted in a project box on the back of the mount, which would mean maybe another piece of plate welded to make a fat "L". I had initially wanted to put an all-in-one HID there which wouldn't have an external ballast but changed my mind.

Location works fine- the lights are exposed to branches and things, but that's where I wanted them so they didn't block my vision. I used floodlights instead of traps but I guess I'd have to swap them for traps to see if I made the right decision. The floods are good for lighting the ground with changing loader angles but don't punch out as far forward as traps would. Maybe make an "L" plate extension nice and long and put another pair of lights on???