Kubota LED Work Lights Review - Not Impressed

[deathtoblackberries]

Can I make them work, yes but for the premium price $198 for a pair I'm not impressed.

There is virtually zero information on these work lights online. No pictures, no PDF's so I ordered them blind hoping since Kubota was selling them they would be decent. So first here's a photo of the light. Each has an integrated on/off switch so you have to reach back/up to turn them on/off. Not sure yet if they would turn off with the light switch on the dash, based on the instructions I would say no you must used the integrated switch, not ideal. As you can see they didn't exactly splurge on wire connectors.

I have read that there is a folded up taped off pair of wires available under a rear fender for work lights. Instead the instructions for these tell you to disconnect the rear tail light wires, and connect these work lights in-between the tractor and tail lights. Then secure in a hairball with some included enormous zip ties.

Yep made in China. Now to be fair these are aluminum housings and the electrical box is overkill thick gauge aluminum so kudos for making them rugged I guess.

Here's the guts, and we get to the major design flaw. See that 1/2 nut, you loosen it to adjust the angle of the light then tighten to secure. Only you have to disconnect the wires AND pull the snap in switch out to get to the nut. Poor design imo.

Now this is being overly cheap, don't drill and tap the holes just blast through with a self tapping sheet metal screw.

U clamps for clamping the light to the ROPS. I will likely scrap these, remove the light from the electrical box and scrap that, that will leave the light on a single post type bolt, I'll likely buy a longer bolt and run that through the existing holes in the ROPS. That would make it much easier to adjust the angle of the light without having to rip out half the electrical to get to the nut. I will likely purchase some much better electrical cord vs the wire and plastic loom they provided. Some soldering and sealing and it should be fairly weather/dust proof.

 

[robertm]

I bought some from a guy in Canada. Made for the BX. Well, shame on me. He asked for my review and I was honest. Light quality, great. Brackets? Great. Wiring and switches? Cheap.
I wired in three switches on the dash to a nice waterproof box on the back of my BX. The box has waterproof 4-pin trailer light receptacles. My lights have the matching plugs. I can independently switch forward or rear lights, and the third runs the receptacle for my sprayer.
Buy LED lights on Amazon, and make your own. Use 14ga extension cord for the wiring. Protected wires and durable.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

I bought some from a guy in Canada. Made for the BX. Well, shame on me. He asked for my review and I was honest. Light quality, great. Brackets? Great. Wiring and switches? Cheap.
I wired in three switches on the dash to a nice waterproof box on the back of my BX. The box has waterproof 4-pin trailer light receptacles. My lights have the matching plugs. I can independently switch forward or rear lights, and the third runs the receptacle for my sprayer.
Buy LED lights on Amazon, and make your own. Use 14ga extension cord for the wiring. Protected wires and durable.

Outstanding Robert, do it right and do it once. I'll be browsing McMasterCarr this afternoon for this project. Fortunately I will use LED lights infrequently. If I was in an area that snows a lot and out after dark blowing snow I'd step up to a light bar or some of the other aftermarket LED lights. Just wanted to post this review of the Kubota light kit as a public service announcement. Also my dealer suggested I go aftermarket, I had to force them to order these so kudos to the dealer.

 

[amigauser]

I think all Kubota non-cab tractors use the work light circuit under the fender. On mine they only light with power on and I think headlights on as well. I agree that ALL Kubota work lights both Led a conventional are way over priced for what they are.

 

[Farmer495]

I skipped the Kubota rear light kit on an M7040SU and just bought my own lights. The fender wiring harness (at least on the M) was only live when the ignition was on, I wired a switch in near the 3pt levers since I didn't want to be turning around to turn the light on and off.

 

[Gator6x4]

If i was installing the lights I would put a grounded to chassis on/off switch where I wanted it. Mount the lights ground them good. Locate the wire that supplies voltage to the light switch. Find a location either on the ignition switch or in the fuse box that had 12 volt with the switch in the on position. Run a fused wire from that location to the switch. Then run a wire from the switch to the lights. Connecting the wire to the wire going to built in switch that supplies voltage to the light. Turn the switch on the lights to the on position and always leave it there. Turn the lights on and off with the ignition switch or the installed light switch.

Only one wire, the wire supplying voltage should be needed going to the light. The lights will be grounded to the chassis and hopefully you also grounded the on/off switch.

 

[Farmer495]

If i was installing the lights I would put a grounded to chassis on/off switch where I wanted it. Mount the lights ground them good. Locate the wire that supplies voltage to the light switch. Find a location either on the ignition switch or in the fuse box that had 12 volt with the switch in the on position. Run a fused wire from that location to the switch. Then run a wire from the switch to the lights. Connecting the wire to the wire going to built in switch that supplies voltage to the light. Turn the switch on the lights to the on position and always leave it there. Turn the lights on and off with the ignition switch or the installed light switch.

Only one wire, the wire supplying voltage should be needed going to the light. The lights will be grounded to the chassis and hopefully you also grounded the on/off switch.

Why would you ground the switch? That doesn't make any sense to me.