evan price
Silver Member
I've got an S470 Satoh Buck tractor. When I bought it (used) it was missing one of the headlamp bulbs. According to the info I dug up from here and there these are a bulb also shared with scooters, snowmobiles and motorcycles from the 70s and 80s. They were only 25 watts apiece however, even in high beam (25w/25w). They are called a P15D MPF bulb (Miniature Pre-Focused) and while they are more easily found overseas than in the US, they are available. The local big bike shop said they thought they might have them for $12 each; I was going to stop by and see what's what, but being cheap and a tightwad and since I had a large pile of various old junk lying around I had other ideas.
I have a bunch of old lawn tractors lying around behind the garage I use for parts to repair other mowers. One of them was a Central Park model with a really nice solid steel chromed front grille. It had a set of miniature automotive-style sealed beam headlamps. I'd saved it for this reason.
The bulbs are a GE model 4412 bulb which is 38 watts apiece. They are single filament (no high beam). They are a fluted lens style like a fog lamp or utility bulb. They use 1/4" slip on connectors on the back for power. Brand new they cost almost as much as the MPF bulbs but make a lot more light and a lot better light dispersion. However, my salvaged lights were thus free.
The Satoh factory lamp assemblies are held into the plastic nose cone with phillips screws going through three tabs welded to the headlamp bucket 120 degrees apart. The Satoh lamps are smaller than the GE 4412's are. I took everything apart and started experimenting.
I first tried making an overcomplicated triangular mounting frame out of coat hanger wire that would attach with the original screws. I bent the wire into a triangle, welded the ends together and tack-welded some washers at the points. This didn't work because the wires had to fit under the lamps and I couldn't get the bends right. Went in the junkpile.
Then I saw a package of wood screws in my tool bench. These were #8 x 1-1/4" long flathead screws. The flathead screws have a taper under the head for countersinking. I screwed them into the original holes in the nose cone but they did not grab the bulb properly. I then stuck some 1/4" flat washers on the screws that could tip diagonally on the tapered screw heads. Viola! They took some fiddling to get them lined up parallel and straight up-and-down since there is no mounting bucket with notches, but they fit right in. I used the original wires from the lawn tractor. I added some 14-awg crimp ring connectors intended for 5/16" bolts to the ends of the wires. These I curled with pliers until they were a cylinder shape to make my own bullet connectors which then pressed right into the original Satoh headlamp connectors- no cutting required.
The new lights are a lot brighter and provide a lot more visibility forward especially for the anticipated winter snow plowing season soon to come.
There wound up being no modification to the original Satoh parts and I could easily put the Satoh lamps and wiring harness right back in the tractor if I wanted to.
4412 sealed-beam assemblies were used for a lot of things like lawn & garden equipment, tractors, fog lamps, antique cars, etc. and my NAPA store has them in stock.
I just found the battery charger for my camera so I will try to get some pics.
This would work for the round headlamp style Mitsubishi or Satoh tractors (or others), not for rectangular ones.
Maybe could fit a 4703 (lo) or 4701 (hi) mini-euro sealed beam from the GM cars & trucks in there? If so, can find them in the auto junkyard for a couple bucks each instead of new. I'd advise using the high beam assembly, they get used less and provide more light.
I have a bunch of old lawn tractors lying around behind the garage I use for parts to repair other mowers. One of them was a Central Park model with a really nice solid steel chromed front grille. It had a set of miniature automotive-style sealed beam headlamps. I'd saved it for this reason.
The bulbs are a GE model 4412 bulb which is 38 watts apiece. They are single filament (no high beam). They are a fluted lens style like a fog lamp or utility bulb. They use 1/4" slip on connectors on the back for power. Brand new they cost almost as much as the MPF bulbs but make a lot more light and a lot better light dispersion. However, my salvaged lights were thus free.
The Satoh factory lamp assemblies are held into the plastic nose cone with phillips screws going through three tabs welded to the headlamp bucket 120 degrees apart. The Satoh lamps are smaller than the GE 4412's are. I took everything apart and started experimenting.
I first tried making an overcomplicated triangular mounting frame out of coat hanger wire that would attach with the original screws. I bent the wire into a triangle, welded the ends together and tack-welded some washers at the points. This didn't work because the wires had to fit under the lamps and I couldn't get the bends right. Went in the junkpile.
Then I saw a package of wood screws in my tool bench. These were #8 x 1-1/4" long flathead screws. The flathead screws have a taper under the head for countersinking. I screwed them into the original holes in the nose cone but they did not grab the bulb properly. I then stuck some 1/4" flat washers on the screws that could tip diagonally on the tapered screw heads. Viola! They took some fiddling to get them lined up parallel and straight up-and-down since there is no mounting bucket with notches, but they fit right in. I used the original wires from the lawn tractor. I added some 14-awg crimp ring connectors intended for 5/16" bolts to the ends of the wires. These I curled with pliers until they were a cylinder shape to make my own bullet connectors which then pressed right into the original Satoh headlamp connectors- no cutting required.
The new lights are a lot brighter and provide a lot more visibility forward especially for the anticipated winter snow plowing season soon to come.
There wound up being no modification to the original Satoh parts and I could easily put the Satoh lamps and wiring harness right back in the tractor if I wanted to.
4412 sealed-beam assemblies were used for a lot of things like lawn & garden equipment, tractors, fog lamps, antique cars, etc. and my NAPA store has them in stock.
I just found the battery charger for my camera so I will try to get some pics.
This would work for the round headlamp style Mitsubishi or Satoh tractors (or others), not for rectangular ones.
Maybe could fit a 4703 (lo) or 4701 (hi) mini-euro sealed beam from the GM cars & trucks in there? If so, can find them in the auto junkyard for a couple bucks each instead of new. I'd advise using the high beam assembly, they get used less and provide more light.
