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Question for the tractor electricians
- Thread starter RFB
- Start date
- Views: 7455
AAAHHH, I love it when we all get on the same page.
Just had an idea(or a brain fart). If you wire it with relays as per BJCSC's drawing you will only be drawing the trigger wire current through the switches, an amp or less. Just replace the 15 amp fuse with maybe a 2 amp fuse, then everyone will be happy. Switches will be protected even if they are rated at 5 amps.
DRL
Just had an idea(or a brain fart). If you wire it with relays as per BJCSC's drawing you will only be drawing the trigger wire current through the switches, an amp or less. Just replace the 15 amp fuse with maybe a 2 amp fuse, then everyone will be happy. Switches will be protected even if they are rated at 5 amps.
DRL
RFB,
Your goal is to improve the performance of your tractor's worklights withouts screwing up the existing factory wiring and/or having to rewire everything.
Solution- replace them all with 35 watt HID worklights. This should not overtax your electrical system and provide you with a huge increase in light output.
Problem-cost.
Beef
Your goal is to improve the performance of your tractor's worklights withouts screwing up the existing factory wiring and/or having to rewire everything.
Solution- replace them all with 35 watt HID worklights. This should not overtax your electrical system and provide you with a huge increase in light output.
Problem-cost.
Beef
Beef,
I had thought of that option, but cost for those is way beyond what I wanted to spend for lighting. Unless you know of much less expensive alternatives, all of the HID products I have seen are in the multiple-hundred$ for lights.
I had thought of that option, but cost for those is way beyond what I wanted to spend for lighting. Unless you know of much less expensive alternatives, all of the HID products I have seen are in the multiple-hundred$ for lights.
There are a bunch or HID worklight/offroad manufacturers out there now. They put out so much light, you probably really only need one for the front and one for the rear.
I have a rechargeable, hand held HID flashlight made by Acro. The output is truly unbelievable.
The additional cost is well worth it, if you need it. Your tractor was not inexpensive, and the upgrade is reasonable, relatively speaking.
I have a rechargeable, hand held HID flashlight made by Acro. The output is truly unbelievable.
The additional cost is well worth it, if you need it. Your tractor was not inexpensive, and the upgrade is reasonable, relatively speaking.
JoeL4330
Platinum Member
Me, I would simply use a "double throw" switch (break before make) center-off and have either the two front, or the two rears on, reasoning that I can only look/go in one direction. If, however, you are a constant head-turner, then I would use the same switch but use six new lights so that I had 2F1R or 2R1F depending on where I was going/looking. ...or, since they are already mounted, I might use the pairs of current lights as the "opposite direction" light.
Joel,
I appreciate the thought, but my need for front and rear light is absolute. The areas I work in have zero ambient light. There are no street lights closer than 5 miles or so. When its dark here, it is like a black hole.
The other issue is I do need all front and rears on for the winter tasks of snow clearing. Lots of back & forth FEL activities in close proximities to drop-offs and other hazards. Certain areas are one chance between on-road and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
Good front and rears will do fine, but the 27 watt OEM Kubota candles don't make it.
I appreciate the thought, but my need for front and rear light is absolute. The areas I work in have zero ambient light. There are no street lights closer than 5 miles or so. When its dark here, it is like a black hole.
The other issue is I do need all front and rears on for the winter tasks of snow clearing. Lots of back & forth FEL activities in close proximities to drop-offs and other hazards. Certain areas are one chance between on-road and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
Good front and rears will do fine, but the 27 watt OEM Kubota candles don't make it.
patrick_g
Elite Member
Somehow I am reminded of the two gray haired ladies at the hardware store where the one needs to buy a replacement screw-in fuse for her old fashioned fuse box. She starts to get the 15 amp version as that is what burned out but her friend advised her that she should get the 30 amp version because you get twice the amps for the same price!
It is not good practice to arbitrarily change out a fuse or circuit breaker to a larger value when the rest of the components were not engineered for higher current. Whether or not you will "get away" with it is anyone's guess. Like walking across the street without looking either way, you may make it, or maybe not, but in general it is risky practice.
The recommendations to wire the current wires feeding the current lights to instead power the coil(s) of a light control relay(s) and let the relay contacts provide power to the new lights through appropriately sized wire, is a sure kill. It is a good, safe, and not risky approach.
The suggestion to verify the alternator can safely keep up with the lights is another basic practical step worth taking. If it can't, then use the suggestion made to power the front and rear lights via a double throw switch and only light fronts or rears not both at the same time. This will cut the alternator load in half (assuming equal draw for front and rear lights.) If you put the double throw switch in the wires going to the relay coils the switch can be rated for lower current and therefore cheaper and probably smaller than if in the wires going to the lights. A lighted switch is a good idea so it is super easy to find in the dark.
Please post your final setup and how it worked out for you. My Kubota came with lights fore and aft but I may be looking to replace them with brighter lights and am essentially facing the same questions you are having to resolve.
Luckily I have been through all this on dune buggies and off road trucks for several years. If you really really want the light conversion to just work and not be a source of maint, melted wire bundles, and hassles, don't put in a bigger fuse and use the OEM wires and switches to carry the new load. For every person that got away with that, at least temporarily, there are several others with fried wires and problems much bigger than the work of doing it right the first time. I'd hate to fry the original wiring of a new tractor (or any tractor for that matter.)
Pat
It is not good practice to arbitrarily change out a fuse or circuit breaker to a larger value when the rest of the components were not engineered for higher current. Whether or not you will "get away" with it is anyone's guess. Like walking across the street without looking either way, you may make it, or maybe not, but in general it is risky practice.
The recommendations to wire the current wires feeding the current lights to instead power the coil(s) of a light control relay(s) and let the relay contacts provide power to the new lights through appropriately sized wire, is a sure kill. It is a good, safe, and not risky approach.
The suggestion to verify the alternator can safely keep up with the lights is another basic practical step worth taking. If it can't, then use the suggestion made to power the front and rear lights via a double throw switch and only light fronts or rears not both at the same time. This will cut the alternator load in half (assuming equal draw for front and rear lights.) If you put the double throw switch in the wires going to the relay coils the switch can be rated for lower current and therefore cheaper and probably smaller than if in the wires going to the lights. A lighted switch is a good idea so it is super easy to find in the dark.
Please post your final setup and how it worked out for you. My Kubota came with lights fore and aft but I may be looking to replace them with brighter lights and am essentially facing the same questions you are having to resolve.
Luckily I have been through all this on dune buggies and off road trucks for several years. If you really really want the light conversion to just work and not be a source of maint, melted wire bundles, and hassles, don't put in a bigger fuse and use the OEM wires and switches to carry the new load. For every person that got away with that, at least temporarily, there are several others with fried wires and problems much bigger than the work of doing it right the first time. I'd hate to fry the original wiring of a new tractor (or any tractor for that matter.)
Pat