seeking opinions

[PA hayseed]

I have personally found that my Kioti's headlights are almost worthless while doing any FEL work. It has been so nice here lately (65 in January WAHOO!) that I have gotten to use my tractor outside for something other than snow. But being winter now, and getting dark by 5:00pm, almost all the work has to happen after sunset.

Is this just me, or do others feel the same. FYI I own a DK45 sehst 2007.

I was thinking about removing the headlights altogether, and mounting them on the hood of the tractor in a cage - or something to protect them. I know alot of people have lights mounted on their canopies, but I don't have a canopy. I have clearance issues with my garage door, and have to go in with the ROPS at a 45 now, if I did it with a canopy, my rops would have to lay all the way back.

Maybe I will add on to my pole building this summer and make a 10'door so I have no issues. But that is a lot of money (with the rops and the lights added in).

********** I am not knocking the tractor or Kioti - just the lights******

 

[bearhawk]

I find that the lights reflect off the loader crossbrace and the bucket.

So I run with the bucket a little higher than normal so I can see a little better.

How about some smaller lights mounted to the loader arms by the bend.

Maybe some magnet mount ones.

I wonder if JC Whitey might have something that might work...

0.02

 

[kentrodngun]

PA, yes, I too have the same problem. If I drop the bucket low enough, I can see with the headlights, but I'm a bit apprehensive about hitting some raised object in the road / yard / field. Raised bucket makes it even worse as I can't see anything. I don't know if it's any better with another brand of tractor.

A couple of years ago I added some cheap HF fog type lights to the ROPS. A number of guys did similar and you can probably find threads on procedures. A good method seems to be buy two lights and have one face forward and the other backwards.

Some other suggestions (based on my signature)
Buy better quality rubberized light(s);
Add a dashboard fused two position switch (front & rear);
Install flexible tubing to channel the wires through & secure it well to ROPS & frame;
DON'T drill the ROPS - most guys used threaded U bolt set ups.
Only use your tractor in daylight

 

[IslandTractor]

Same issue here when using a bucket. The lights work better when using a grapple though.

I intend to install a FOPS connection to the sunshade and mount lights on that but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[williekioti]

We all have this issue. I doubt brand/model makes much, if any difference. I find the headlights almost useless for FEL work at night due to the back splash of light off the bucket and cross bracing. My pallet forks are slightly better, but still not great.

I addressed this by adding work lights on the ROPS(there's a thread in here somewhere) and have worked perfectly. I too must drop my ROPS for indoor storage and the lights affect positioning/dimensions not a bit(even at a 45*).

To further Kentrodandgun's recommendations;

-quality lights with adjustable base(key feature to be able to put light where you want it) light placement may vary according to task. Mine can go up/down & side to side.

 

[PA hayseed]

I too must drop my ROPS for indoor storage and the lights affect positioning/dimensions not a bit(even at a 45*).

To further Kentrodandgun's recommendations;

-quality lights with adjustable base(key feature to be able to put light where you want it) light placement may vary according to task. Mine can go up/down & side to side.

When I drop the rops at a 45, the top edge of the ROPS will bump the garage door on my pole building slightly. They are 7' doors. I did not forsee buying this big of a tractor when the building was built, thus the clearance issues. I have already insulated the walls and ceilings, and have an insulated garage door (and a grage door opener with a remote mounted on the tractor). I am not inclined to rip out the existing door to install a 9' door - besides - the wife would be unpleased by it not matching the other door.

Using my keen sense of spatial relations, the canopy with lights would definetly hit, folded at the 45. With the rops all the way folded back, the canopy at a 90 degree angle, I am not so sure. If anyone has rops with a canopy and lights, could you please let me know if you 1) fold the rops back with the canopy and lights on, and 2) what is the overall height of the canopy and rops with it folded all the way to the rear. If folding the rops all the way to the rear with the canopy on, came under 7', I would be happy to fold it back and forth for lighting purposes. At least until I can add on to the poole building.

I am also asuming that you would have to ensure you had slack in the light wires to allow for the rops movement.

comments, insights and suggestions are always welcome.

 

[DK35vince]

My DK 35 fits in my polebarn fine. But I need to fold the ROPS and canopy when I want to put my tractor in the garage (7' high doors).
If I fold my ROPS 90 degrees the tip of my canopy is around 6' high.

 

[DK35vince]

In this picture you can see the 2x4 I wedge between the folded ROPS bars to keep the canopy from hitting/rubbing my fenders when folded.

 

[PA hayseed]

In this picture you can see the 2x4 I wedge between the folded ROPS bars to keep the canopy from hitting/rubbing my fenders when folded.

Thanks alot for the pics, and very nice angles to view the rops. The only problem I see is that my 45 ROPS don't fold in half, they pivot at the base. My last tractor they folded in half, but not these. At the base there are two plates, with pin holes at the 90, 45, and flat.

 

[BigDogues]

A lot of folks add light (mounting) bars to the underside of the ROPS using u-bolts. Then you can permanently affix the lights to the bar. The bar lets you drill and mount the lights whereever you want to. Do a search for "lightbar", there is a bunch of threads on this.