Seems to be an OK baby tractor so far

[HomeBrew2]

Thanks for the kind replies. I fully expect to get the spotlight hung up on something, which is why I didn't spend any money on it, but am hoping to just mangle it up instead of tearing it off outright. I also modified the tail lights by neatly splitting off the red lens from the black housing with a wide xacto knife then cutting clear lenses to fit ... a little mood lighting /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jpr62902]

You should change your name to Mad Max. That thing looks like it came straight out of The Road Warrior (Eeet's the lost of the V ayts!). Nice machine!

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Wow, that was fun )</font>I like your rake holder in the picture.
I've been thinking of mounting a hanging swinging light on the cross member that you put the rake holder on to light up the bucket shadow when the headlight are on.

 

[RalphVa]

Shoulda gotta a tooth bar to use as your rake. Then you wouldn't need to tote that rake along.

I keep a tool belt with a couple small pruners, large channel locks and tin snips in it on the 90 degree arm of my FEL. Better there than around my naked waist sitting on the tractor.

Ralph

 

[HomeBrew2]

Jim, I am considering the name change to MadMax ... I intentionally took off my quick-n-dirty brush forks with 1/2" chain sling (poor man's grapple) to make things fair but ... the name I selected really fits better. Please see attached. Although 3 full (5 gal) kegs of homebrewed beer fit on the flatbed, the half kegs ride better. In all seriousity, thanks for the reply /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[HomeBrew2]

Thanks LB, the rake holder is being "auditioned" but hasn't dumped the rakes in my face yet so we'll see how it works out. I thought about the same lighting thing you were thinking of but couldn't get anything to pencil out. Please post if you do cuz my spotlight only does "so" much.

 

[bky]

Wow my first thought was when I saw the picture was the clampets (I just couldn’t see granny on the back in the rocking chair. lmao: cool: great adaptation

 

[HomeBrew2]

Oh ... yer right, Ralph, the tooth bar's comin' ... can't decide on where and when to get the parts as I can't swallow the jack for a store-bought one (plus shipping to Bumfouck, CA). I'm with you on the tool inventory: please note the relative size of the tool box. Also, I substituted an 18v sawsall and various blades for the pruners and other assorted cutters I thought I might need. ... I too have suffered from the tell-tale-naked-belly-tool-belt chaffing and don't wish to endure that again /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Cheers!

 

[HomeBrew2]

Bill, Bill, Bill ... we're in mourning here ... hence the BX23 TL'BACKHOE' !?! ... Granny did give me her jug in her last moments though ... but compared to my moon, I'm not sure I came out ahead /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Cheers!

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Thanks LB, the rake holder is being "auditioned" but hasn't dumped the rakes in my face yet so we'll see how it works out. I thought about the same lighting thing you were thinking of but couldn't get anything to pencil out. Please post if you do cuz my spotlight only does "so" much. )</font>

============
Maybe you can get some ideas or adapt something from the following.


Here are some thoughts I've been kicking around concerning lights on ROPS.

1. Use two lights rather than 4 lights.
Mount them on a light bar that will swivel the lights up and down.
Install the lights on the bar in a manner that will permit the lights to be rotated 360 degrees.
The 360 degrees allows you to have light to the rear and front or both to the front or both to the rear.
Use magnets to mount the brackets for the light bar to the top rear edge of the rops instead of on top of the rops or under the top of the rops.
Next bolt the ends of the light bar to the brackets with one bolt through each bracket into the bar.
Tighten the bolts just enough to hold the bar in place but loose enough to move it by hand.

The SWIVELING LIGHT BAR ALLOWS:
(A) Allows adjustment of the distance the lights shine out from the tractor.
(B) Gives more clearance above the lights and more head room under them.
(C) Lessens the chance of catching the lights on something overhead.
(D) Allows the lights to flip down if hit rather than breaking them.
(E) You can just flip the lights down to work under low hanging branches instead of having to remove them from the rops. However you still have the option of removing the bar and lights and unplugging the trailer connector.

*ADVANTAGES OF THE 360 DEGREE ROTATION*
(A) Permits two lights instead of requiring 4 lights, thus reducing current flow.
(B) Lights can be turned both to front or both to rear. Or they can be turned one to FRONT And one to REAR. They can also be used for side lighting. Swiveling lights can provide illumination 360 degrees around the tractor.
--------------------------
Adjustment from one position to another is instant by hand. No wrenches or tools required.
I would put a separate switch on each light.
I prefer to connect the lights to the Ignition switch rather than the tail lights with a switch on the main line between the Ignition switch and the auxiliary lights.
You can always add 1 or 2 more swiveling lights to the light bar if you want them.
You could also place the extra swiveling lights on a sperate bar magnetically mounted to the front edge of the ROPS instead.

A low profile light preferred over high profile lights.
Use a dual direction light with a clear lens on both sides that will cast light to the front and rear at the same time.

I've been using this system of combining a rotating light bar with swivel mounted lights to install fog and driving lights on my pickups successfully for years.
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More thoughts on lights.

Thinking about experimenting with a hanging swing light magnetically attached to the cross member of the FEL to illuminate the bucket shadow when using the head lights.

A low mount light or two to shine under the loader bucket.
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I have been playing around with adding all kinds of combinations of lights to cars since I got my first car at age seventeen.