Adding LED lights to ROPS

[Scotty Dive]

I have a 15 amp dynamo so adding four 55W halogens is out of the question.

I am going to strap some LED lights to the front and back of the ROPS. I know they do not melt snow for my night time snow removal use, but I should have no problem with wiping them from time to time as needed.

I see some cheap led fog/driving lights on ebay and some really expensive ones too. Has anyone done this add on and can make a recommendation of what lights they used. I am really wondering how bright they are...descriptions on ebay are weak and my mind only understands watts LOL

 

[dex3361]

If you want a good bit of light go with the range of 1000 Lumen LED lights. This will give good useful light.

 

[gtrippleb]

I don't remember what these cost, but they are supposed to be some pretty decent led lights.
Solstice Series - Vision X USA Home - Vision X USA

Here's a review of one of the versions:
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/4x4-off-road-tech/87627-solstice-solo-s1102-spot-2-inch-wow.html

 

[grsthegreat]

the tractor only supplies 15 amps?????

personally i have not had luck with the white LEDs, as they dont seem to spread the light out very far. Maybe they have improved since i played with them about a year ago. I eant some nice HID's for mine hehe. I have a HID flashlight that seems like it can reflect off the moon. i cant believe how powerful that thing is.

 

[savagesultin]

I had just added lights to my ROPS and I bought them off of Ebay. I installed four (two facing forward and two facing back) 9 LED Flood work lights.

27W LED WORK FLOOD CABIN LAMP LIGHT TRUCK 12V 24V | eBay

Now I made him an offer for 4 lights $160 for them. That is what I paid, they are very bright and I made some brackets for them out of 3.5" angle iron. I will post some pics.

The only part that I have to tweak is when I turn around to look behind me the lights are just above eye level and they are just behind me enough that when I turn around the lights are blinding me. I aim to fix this by placing a piece of nylon board (same stuff they use in hockey arenas along the boards) it is only 1/8" thick on the side of the lights facing forward on the inside (my side when looking at them).

I tried a piece already and it works perfectly I just have to figure out how to affix the pieces. If you don't have anything when you turn around you are partially blind and that is just not a situation you want to be in.
I wired them to a DPDT switch so I can turn on the rear lights or I can turn on all of the lights.

I will post pics today to show you what I did.

 

[NSBound]

Have a look at this thread for a good custom LED installation.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Savage - Wow that seems like quite a discount you got on 4 lights.

I saw he sells 24 watt versions as well - which would bring me in right around 8 amps total with all four LED's on. If I turn on my front stock lights that would bring my total amperage (45W X 2 = 90W/12V = 7.5 amps) to 15.5 amps.

Are these light pretty solid and reliable so far? they look it but before I plop down some $$$ I want to make sure. How is the brightness? Can you rely on just two to light up your work area?

 

[skspurling]

the tractor only supplies 15 amps?????

personally i have not had luck with the white LEDs, as they dont seem to spread the light out very far. Maybe they have improved since i played with them about a year ago. I eant some nice HID's for mine hehe. I have a HID flashlight that seems like it can reflect off the moon. i cant believe how powerful that thing is.

That's the standard for the smaller CUT's. There's a 40Amp upgrade for my B2620, but I didn't want to shell out the $$$$. This is a DC system, so the conversion is straight forward. AC systems you have to worry about RMS and all kinds of other stuff like the power factor. On a 12V DC system, using the standard VI=P, that should only be 5 amps for a 55Watt light. Seeing how this is also a diesel engine, what else are you running on this thing? You don't have all the crap a gas engine does like running the ignition. You have higher compression, so your battery has to put out more CC amps. Other than that, what else is drawing off your 15 Amps? You should have plenty of power for two 55W lights.

 

[Scotty Dive]

The two stock front headlights draw 7.5 amps. If I use straight cheapo 55 watt fog lights - two facing forward and two facing backwards (remember I am planing on back blading snow and use the front bucket for piling snow. Anyway...four 55 watt lights gets me to 18.3 amps and thats not using the stock headlights...Slightly over the output of the 15 amp dynamo. If I use the stock headlight also, that brings me to 25.8....olus I have amber fender lights and some illimination lights in my gauges...not much draw but it adds up fast. I am pretty sure the battery will support the 18.3 for the hour or so I need to use the tractor but then that requires me to trickle charge the battery afterwards and stringing out a power cord/charger on wet driveway while its still raining/snowing would be a pain.

I think - if the LED's are bright enough it saves me the effort of converting to a larger alternator (there is not a kit for my tractor and would require a decent amount of modification in the engine compartment).

 

[Zick]

I don't remember what these cost, but they are supposed to be some pretty decent led lights.
Solstice Series - Vision X USA Home - Vision X USA

Here's a review of one of the versions:
Solstice Solo S1102 Spot 2 inch: Wow. - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

Wow:shocked:
Those are probably the best LED lights I've seen so far! I'm gonna save that link incase I decide to buy some in the future. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[savagesultin]

Night pic to show the illumination will be posted tonight

 

[savagesultin]

First pic is from the front

second pic is from the rear

third and fourth are from a distance, now it is complete darkness and there is no other light around. I am not using a flash, these lights are bright.

 

[dex3361]

That is really bright. Those are some great lights.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Those look great....and it looks like it throws some serious light.

I contacted your ebay guy and he quoted me $250 for four of the 24 watts lights....I countered at $150.....Can you tell me how you got him to that price? did the $160 include shipping?

Also...these look pretty rugged. I will have to mount mine on top of the ROPS so they will be more exposed to branches and such then yours. Are they built tough?

 

[savagesultin]

I just low balled him at $160 and he went for it. he wanted $250 for four of them and I told him not a chance, if he gave me a good price and I like the lights that I would be ordering more. Shipping was extra but it was very fast as I ordered something from OK, and these lights came from Australia and the lights arrived before the package from OK,USA.

They are fairly rugged, I was bush mowing a field with lots of spruce trees in spots and the branches were hitting them and no problem. I know it is not a lot of impact but when I drive on the road to get to another field the road is full of pot holes and they smacked together a couple of times before I tightened the mounts up and they did not crack.

In the pictures the rear lights I have pointed down and they shine on the equipment that I have behind me rather than shine straight out. But as I mentioned I have to block the driver inside of the lights as they shine in your eyes when you turn around to check your implements.
I will post some pics of how I fixed this problem later today.

Have a look on Ebay there are others that sell the same light. These have 2000 Lumen but I seen a slightly cheaper set with 1950 Lumen. They are from China and if that does not matter it is only for two of them.

2pcs 27W 12V & 24V LED Work Light OffRoad 4WD 4x4 Flood | eBay

Try to stay with at least 1750 Lumen or higher, I have tried lower rated ones and they don't seem to carry as far. You can get flood, wide flood or pencil flood lights

I have wide flood and I find them great, I tried the pencil beam and it would be nice to have if you had flood or wide flood as it just casts a light straight out. Not great for an all around work light.

Something else you might want to consider is replacing your stock headlight with led ones. My tractor takes a 894 light bulb and I just went to Ebay and typed in 894 led and it shows the replacement.

HID lights are too much work as you need a place to put the ballast, and on my tractor I just could not find a place to put the ballast that it was not exposed to the weather or heat.

Be sure to post some pics when you manage to get it worked out. Let me know if I can be of any more help. I don't mind

 

[grsthegreat]

im not sure how much lumens my 55 watt tractor work lights put out, but i can buy them for about $12.00 on ebay. if i find some time ill try and find lumen output.

They do light up my work area real good, and it seems like 160 - 250 is alot for only 1/2 the power savings. but if the tractors available output is low, then i can see the benifit of using LED's. I like LED's, but there still WAY too spendy.