better head lights for a 318: my results

[Wayne_H]

OK, like a lot of folks with 318痴 I壇 like brighter headlights. Several of the threads on this forum suggested changing the stock 1156 bulbs to either 50 watt 795 or 35 watt 796 bulbs. A few folks were worried about the wire getting hot, so I decided to do an experiment or two.

First off, remember that the headlights are right above the horizontal mounted muffler? So even with the lights off it gets hot!

As somebody already pointed out, Deere used a high quality reflective paint to harness and focus more of the light energy. I polished my paint up as best I could, but in several spots there was no paint left to polish, so my options were spraying chrome paint or using HVAC shiny tape. The chrome paint I bought and tested on smooth metal was horrible, so the best I could do was use HVAC metal tape that was ok, but not as reflective as the OEM deere paint? Anyone know of a good chrome paint?

Now for the lights. I壇 suggest not using any combination of 795 bulbs? To get a fair test I left my engine off and connected a 13.8 volt 20 amp power supply. The 795 bulbs draw 3.90 amps each, and that makes sense since they are 50 watt bulbs. (13.8 volts x 3.90 amps = 53 watts or so) With three of these bulbs the wire did not get warm, but smoke started coming out of the sockets, so I decided to turn it off and get out my IR temperature probe. The outside of the socket showed 250 degrees F after less than five minutes, so I scrapped that idea since it also made the socket smoke

OK, next I tried the 35 watt 796 bulbs. As expected they drew 2.93 amps each. The highest temperature I saw on the outside of the socket was 194 degrees. Still hot, but I think that might be ok.

Last I checked the OEM 1156 bulbs. They drew 2.14 amos and got up to 170 degrees.

So, I decided to try three 35 watt 796 bulbs and cut some grass last night. Frankly, the lights still seem dim, but nothing melted or caught fire, so I guess I知 good to go.

As a last test I tried my 4400 lights. Those are great! I wish I could do the same thing on the 318. I don稚 want to drill into the deck pan or hood, but I may install some of these or similar lights onto the front right above the front bumper.

Any questions email me at wayne@flymha.com

Wayne

 

[slow wrench]

Good R&D,i will check out the 796 bulb and try some polished aluminum flashing if my lens comes apart .

 

[creekbend]

Good job. I respect your attitude in regards that you don't give up and you continue trying until you formulate and find the solution.:thumbsup::tractor:

 

[captplaid]

How about mounting some aftermarket led's on the front?

Low enough amps?

 

[Wayne_H]

Captlaid: Well, I think that is probably the best solution.... I'm looking into it now.

Wayne

 

[psdx]

Don't forget to factor in the capacity of your generator. Coupled with the normal drain for running the engine, some of these current drains sound unsustainable - likely depleting the battery. +1 for an LED solution.

 

[RBLapham]

SuperBrightLEDs.com has LED replacements for anything, see their 12V car bulbs. Some are really bright, probably a call to them or email and they can get you a bright one to fit. I did that for mine, but insist it is not a headlight - but a garden tractor work light. For some legal reason or not they say their bulbs are not intended for headlights. I just asked for the brightest bulb to replace the 1156 and they said the 1156-x45-T: 45HP-LED BA15S Tower Bulb was the brightest. These use 290 mA and should not cause any overload or heat problems. About $25 each plus shipping. I haven't bought mine yet but want to put in my X300.

 

[psdx]

SuperBrightLEDs.com has LED replacements for anything, see their 12V car bulbs. Some are really bright, probably a call to them or email and they can get you a bright one to fit. I did that for mine, but insist it is not a headlight - but a garden tractor work light. For some legal reason or not they say their bulbs are not intended for headlights. I just asked for the brightest bulb to replace the 1156 and they said the 1156-x45-T: 45HP-LED BA15S Tower Bulb was the brightest. These use 290 mA and should not cause any overload or heat problems. About $25 each plus shipping. I haven't bought mine yet but want to put in my X300.

I assumed the LEDs used for these bulbs were similar in output to those used some of the better LED flashlights. I looked this bulb up and I was wrong. This is the brightest LED replacement for an 1156 style bulb I could find, but it's still less light output than a standard incandescent 1156 bulb. This one puts out 210 lumens according the SuperBrightLEDs.com. And while the incandescent bulbs do lose output over time, a new bulb's output is 400 lumens. By way of comparison, some of the LEDs used in flashlights can output 700 lumens or more with about 10 watts of input.

I think the factory lighting on my B3030 is poor at best, though it's no worse than many others. It would be nice if the kind of money it takes to buy a new tractor would be enough to include sealed beam headlights...

 

[AverageJoe]

I assumed the LEDs used for these bulbs were similar in output to those used some of the better LED flashlights. I looked this bulb up and I was wrong. This is the brightest LED replacement for an 1156 style bulb I could find, but it's still less light output than a standard incandescent 1156 bulb. This one puts out 210 lumens according the SuperBrightLEDs.com. And while the incandescent bulbs do lose output over time, a new bulb's output is 400 lumens. By way of comparison, some of the LEDs used in flashlights can output 700 lumens or more with about 10 watts of input.

I think the factory lighting on my B3030 is poor at best, though it's no worse than many others. It would be nice if the kind of money it takes to buy a new tractor would be enough to include sealed beam headlights...

For the 318, nothing I've seen so far beats these.
John Deere LED Head Lights
I bought a set (yes they seem pricey at first, but consider $25 each for 3 superbright leds), and they are incredible! First class work. I'd highly recommend them to anyone wanting more light without cutting holes to mount floodlights.