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.

 

[frank_f15]

as u can see there are numerous ways to do it with out drilling, although i don;t think drilling a few small holes would hurt. did u check how the dealer would do it if u had him install the light?

 

[Joeinindy]

On my L3430 I bought two 55W fog lights from Wal-Mart for apx $25.00 and mounted them on the rops using small self taping screws ( about 1/8"x 1"). They are mounted just below the hinge on the rops and on the outside edge, so the rops will still fold down if needed.. I used black wire loom from the lights down to the holes in the fenders. There is a hot link under the right fender for power. Where the loom meets the fog lights I sealed the gap with clear kitchen and bath adhesive chalk. I used two black cable ties on each side to keep the loom tight against the sides of the rops. The lights are just high enough that they are not affected by the loader, and just wide enough that they shine past the sides of the bucket when it is raised. The lights come mounted on a base that swivels, so I can point them different directions if I need side lighting. The switch is mounted on the plate above the tool box behind the seat. The lights came with a switch that is back lit, I can either reach back and switch them on or turn them on just by raising the tool box lid. On the back of the tractor I mounted a JD rectangle light that has a built in toggle switch in the same hole that the slow moving sign is( that orange triangle)and remounted the sign back into the same hole. The JD light came with a bracket that fits just right in this spot, the light was about $20.00. Hope this gives you some ideas for your L3430.

 

[Joeinindy]

Opps! Should have said my L3410, Don't know if the sign and hot link are the same on the newer model.

 

[tc35dforme]

Ahh that lovely liability thing. Well I guess I could argue that since New Holland didn't take away my drill when I bought the tractor they were negligent in preventing me from drilling the ROPS /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!! Same logic they gun haters are using against the manufacturers nationwide.

I'm comfortable with my actions.

By the way...New Holland's owner's manual also states: " If a front end loader is used, always use a FOPS ( Falling Object Protective Structure ) canopy to avoid injury from falling objects." They gave me a loader and no FOPS /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jlong]

Hi,

I have a post under the "Customization" catagory under the post titled "Rear Lighting". There are some pics there that will give you a simple design using all-thread, without drilling the ROPS. I've re-wired and cleaned up the installation since the pics, but the old pics will give you the basic idea. Good Luck!

 

[Soundguy]

Don't drill or weld your rops.
I've mounted lights and other things many ways... real tempo stuff was with a magnetic base... have also done quick and dirty attatchments as well as decent looking ones with hose clamps. Heavier stuff with U bolts, like the factory does for the canopies. Have also used those spring loaded 'hand clamps' i call them.. they are used to clamp tow flats together to dry, or hold something, etc.. they are nice and strong.. I'm holding up a radion in the barn with one right now.. clamp is holding on a 2x6, and the open arms are holding the bracket to a little boom box for tunes while i work on the tractors..

For farly permanent but easy to remove attatchments, why not make a small lshaped bracket, attatch it to the rops via ubolt, or hose clamp, then make the light mount to it with a wingnut or similar.. hav ethe power on a quick release insulated plug / jack.. run the wires in wireloom or 'spagetti' tubbing, lashed to the uprights and routed to power... use zip ties to hold the wire loom in place.

Good luck.

Soundguy

 

[Thomasre]

Joeinindy, My dealer suggested that lights were commonly mounted by drilling ROPS - - I'll go back to dealer and ask again. I like my dealer and I'm sure mechanically the folks are good, but since the paint is still new, I want the lights mounted as cleanly and functional as possible. I'm not convinced that the service guys will be as careful as I will be when attaching the lights, protecting the finish etc. Any chance of see pic(s) of your lights mounting?

 

[Thomasre]

Soundguy, Thanks. Your description with U-bolts should be functional, and if I paint the u-bolts ROPS grey, I suppose everything would look O.K. If, I'm not drilling, that's certainly the quick attach method functional and strudy. In the end, I'm looking for functional with "best look", however that is defined. Got any pics? I went to web and looked at magnetic ground blocks at Harbor Freight. Any idea if magnetic ground blocks will be strong, stable for mounting lights?

 

[Thomasre]

Darren - I trying to get the whole picture. I maybe a little slow. Any chance of more descriptive info. Thanks.

 

[Thomasre]

Ctyler, thanks - looked at Magnetic ground blocks. Couple of questions. First I don't weld so.. Will gound block be strong, strudy? Second, will I need to scratch / remove paint at contact point to get good ground to ROPS, or did you use a separate ground wire? Any problem from this mounting? Any Pics?