LED bulb for Headlights ?

[NYJIMMY]

Good morning. I have been lurking here for years and finally joined up. I have a Kubota B7500. My headlights are original/stock and I would like some more light. Can I swap out the incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs? If so, does anyone know a make and stock number that would work ? Thanks.

 

[davesl708]

Hi. Welcome.

I don't know if LED's are up to headlight replacement yet but most on here are adding light bars to get more light in all areas.
I hope others on here can help answer the question.

 

[NYJIMMY]

Thanks. I wonder if my "dynamo" would be up to running accessory lights. Plus mounting might be an issue as I have to fold down my ROPS to get the tractor in my tiny barn.

 

[davesl708]

LED's use only a fraction of the power incandescent lights do. If you added 30 watts of LED's you would only draw 2.5 amps of power and have six times the light.

 

[ch1ch2]

I do not know about your lights but most tractor lights are size "PAR 36". If you look on line you can find them for around $26 to over $150.

If you use them on the highway you may want to get DOT approved lights. LED will be brighter and less wattage. If not highway then you can get many many time brighter using less wattage.

 

[nybirdman]

If you have FEL:it blocks most of the headlights anyway.This is why most will add LED lights or light bars.
They work great by the way and don't draw much power.

 

[The Fred]

Mr. Jimmy,

I've done a few LED and HID conversions in cars and what I see is that both LED and HID bulbs use about 1/2 the current of Halogen or incandescent bulbs. An H7 halogen bulb uses 7 amps and the HID conversion for that bulb uses 3.5 amps.

The biggest problem with LED lighting is the AC wave they put off that interferes with other circuitry.

Good luck, Fred

 

[msb1766]

I replaced all of the incandescent bulbs on my Sc2450 tractor with LED bulbs.
What a difference the led's make, here is what and where I bought. It took a lot of research to find the best bulb for the money.

Tail Lights Bulb # 1157
Amazon.com: JDM ASTAR Super Bright 573 Chipsets 1156 1141 173 756 LED Bulbs with Projector,Brilliant Red: Automotive

Hazard Lights Bulb # 1142
Amazon.com: 4 X BA15D 55 27 SMD 1142 176 For Boat Marine RV Car LED Light Bulb Xenon White 6K: Automotive

Side Front Bulbs # 1156
Amazon.com: JDM ASTAR 96 Lumens Super Bright 573 Chipsets 1156 1141 173 756 LED Bulbs with Projector,Xenon White: Automotive

Headlights # H6m
Amazon.com: Genssi Elite 1W White H6m 723 LED 12V ATV Scooter LED Lamp Headlight Light Bulbs (Pack of 2): Automotive

 

[zmansmac]

Hey NYJIMMY, I felt the same way about the original bulbs in my B7500. As others have mentioned, there are a lot of choices out there for LED replacement bulbs. But I bought a pair from Amazon last year and are very happy with them. I especially like the convex lens on the end. Much brighter, and a white light.
Amazon.com: LUYED 2 x 9Lumens Super Bright 1156 314 78-EX Chipsets 1156 1141 13 756 LED Bulbs Used For Back Up Reverse Lights,Brake Lights,Tail Lights,Rv lights,Xenon White: Automotive

 

[crazyal]

I would look into color temps before making a choice. Most LED lights are a higher color (6000k and up) that gives off a white, if not slightly blueish tint. Incandescent and halogen bulbs are more of a softer yellow color with a temp down around 4000k. The yellow color produces more usable light for the same given amount of power and works better in foul weather. I personally would stick with 5000k or lower.

 

[Fallon]

I put 5200k HIDs in my Tacoma. Wish I'd gone with 4000k ones. The higher the Kelvin number the more blue or purple the light. Any higher than 5200 & to some degree over 4000k the more eye strain & fatigue it causes & the less light is usable by your eyes for a given wattage or number of lumens.

Lots of LEDs are 6000k, beware.

 

[Ehanson]

I fashioned a set into my lenses, very good light.

 

[NYJIMMY]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. It looks like a ROPS mounted LED system is the way to go. I have been looking at ropslighting.com They look like decent quality and easy install. I like that they can be repositioned and removed without too much fuss. I have to lower my ROPS to get in my little shed. I have to figure out if I have any free connections back there I can use.

 

[GoldenCityMuse]

6000-6500K LED's are noon sunlight. Much better than the too yellow soft white. COuld also depend on your eyeballs, but I always go with the 6000K LED's.

 

[dickfoster]

Thanks. I wonder if my "dynamo" would be up to running accessory lights. Plus mounting might be an issue as I have to fold down my ROPS to get the tractor in my tiny barn.

Dynamo? Do you mean alternator? Likely so because LEDs require less current and power than filament lamps.

 

[dickfoster]

6000-6500K LED's are noon sunlight. Much better than the too yellow soft white. COuld also depend on your eyeballs, but I always go with the 6000K LED's.

Mean noon daylight, Washington DC, is 5500 to 6000 K but who's matching colors at night with the light from a tractor? I don't like them too blue and the human eye is less sensitive on the blue end anyway. Human eye sensitivity peaks in green and drops off on the red and blue ends. One thing about hot filament lamps is that they put out across the entire spectrum where LEDs, fluorescents, HIDs etc. have spectral peaks and dips.

 

[Ehanson]

Mean noon daylight, Washington DC, is 5500 to 6000 K but who's matching colors at night with the light from a tractor? I don't like them too blue and the human eye is less sensitive on the blue end anyway. Human eye sensitivity peaks in green and drops off on the red and blue ends. One thing about hot filament lamps is that they put out across the entire spectrum where LEDs, fluorescents, HIDs etc. have spectral peaks and dips.

Just thinking about the spectrum thing , I wonder if running two different, or three different "Kelvins" would do to perception?

 

[aczlan]

Dynamo? Do you mean alternator? Likely so because LEDs require less current and power than filament lamps.

No, the B7500 has a dynamo rather than an alternator.

Aaron Z

 

[MinnesotaEric]

If you have FEL:it blocks most of the headlights anyway.This is why most will add LED lights or light bars.
They work great by the way and don't draw much power.

Get flood lights. I regularly work at night. And three pairs of lights surround my tractor with a halo of light.

 

[dickfoster]

No, the B7500 has a dynamo rather than an alternator.

Aaron Z

Wow that's old technology, one might says backwards. I wonder why they did that. Less power per rev.

As to the original question, I think lights mounted higher up than the headlights like on the ROPS would probably be more useful anyway.