More lights on TC18?

[hazmat]

Bob,

At my previous job we built ambulances & rescue vehicles. The electrical loads often exceeded the alternator's output. The high tech solution was to use a load manager that turns off non-essential lights and appliances if the alternator can't keep up (voltage drop).

The low-tech solution is your setup. Overdraw the alternator for "short" periods of time, and let the batteries recover later.

It should be noted that frequent deep drains on the battery will shorten it's life. Generally you only want to use less than 1/2 the batteries reserve. You can easily calculate how long you can run your lights - simply divide your battery's amp-hour rating by your discharge rate (load-alternator).

The batteries on our little tractors generally have low-reserve ratings. They are designed to have enough juice to start the engine & little else. The ambulances generally had 2-3 large batteries & the rescue trucks often had 4. Also - the emergency vehicles had on-board battery chargers they would plug into "shore power" at the station to top off the batteries before the next run.

 

[jwstewar]

According to the manual our 24s came with either a 35 or a 40 AMP alternator. I believe it actually has the 40 because the 40 was listed in the actual specs of the tractor, but the 35 was listed elsewhere and just wasn't updated when it changed. I have 2 55 watt lights on the roll bar, and one facing rear (I also believe it to be 55 watt) and I run all of these concurrently with the 4 55-watt headlights. I've run these for several hours at a time w/o any problems - some of that at even at idle or slightly above. Sometimes I tend to use my tractor as a really big flashlight. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[v8dave]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( BTW, for those asking, the alternator on this tractor is a 20 Amp unit. My next question was that if I wanted to use these "new" lights simultaneously with the existing lights on the tractor, would I not have to subtract the amperage of the existing lights from the 20 available and stay within that limit? That question seems to be answered in the second reply.

Thanks, again for the advise. )</font>

To answer your question. Yes, you have to subtract the amperage load of the existing lights.

The dynamo/generator (my Kubota doesn't have an alternator, and I suspect your JD doesn't either) capacity rating is the total rating. All loads have to be counted if you want to stay within the stated capacity.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sometimes I tend to use my tractor as a really big flashlight. )</font>

On many occasions I have done that as well. One time the wife lost a nice watch in the pasture.. I hopped onthe old 8n.. (2) 6v - 35w headlights.. and a 6v-35w rear worklight.. and drove up and down the pasture.. and found the watch.

Other times I use that same tractor to haul feed down to the pigs and chickens. It throws enough light for the chickens to come of fthe roost and eat some cracked corn scattered on the ground.

Soundguy

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I hopped onthe old 8n.. (2) 6v - 35w headlights.. and a 6v-35w rear worklight.. and drove up and down the pasture.. and found the watch. )</font>
I can picture me doing the same thing, and finding the watch under one of my tires, all smashed! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif John