Toolcat headlights led?

[laurencen]

since changing the work lights on the Toolcat its night and day difference, anyone changed the head lights to LED and if so what brand and style did you use?

on another note Merry Christmas everyone be safe

 

[laurencen]

pulled a bulb out of headlights and the bulb has high and low beam, its wired but best I can figure only low beam is working, has anyone figured out if the high beam works? is there a switch Im missing somewhere? if not going to switch the leads and see if its any better

 

[DEWFPO]

I've never had but one beam pattern. Don't even know how i would switch it. When I need more light, I throw on the upper work lights. If you figure it out, let us know.

 

[laurencen]

my service manual is at work but when I get it tomorrow will review the electrical schematic and see where the high beam wire goes, hoping I can add a switch to go between high and low, I moved the power to the high side of the bulb and way more light, a easy option is just switch connectors but would prefer to switch between both

 

[DEWFPO]

Thanks, and Merry Christmas.

 

[ruffdog]

Schematic only shows pink and black going to drive lights. My TC then has a blue and black pigtail from the lights and connecting to the pink/black. Inside the light housing there is a green, black, and gray going to the bulb. It seems like the gray is quite loose like there is no wire connected to it inside the housing. The housing is two pieces with what looks like aluminum rivets holding them together. I did not take it apart to see the connection between the blue/black and G/BK/Gray.

 

[laurencen]

ruffdog never looked at the connection outside the light, just saw the connector inside the housing, if you switch the grey and black the bulb goes high beam, maybe that is easier I just assumed the w wires made it to the cab, possibly feed a extra wire to the headlamp is another option

thanks for looking at schematic, not made it to work as yet, busy day at home

 

[ruffdog]

Yeah...just a 2 wire connection outside the light.

 

[liamcward]

Hey Laurence!

What brand / setup did you end up going with? I’m excited to be picking up my used toolcat in the new year and this is first on my project list!

I’ve been looking at the ‘nightrider’ LEDs but haven’t looked around much past that yet.

Hope you have a great Christmas!

 

[Song Dogger]

I gave LED headlights a try. The OEM halogens were stamped "64183 OSRAM 12V R2" which apparently is 45W and 1000/700 lumens (hi/lo beam) with a P45t base. I trialed Ruiandsion fanless LEDs that advertise 1800/1200 lumens (hi/lo beam). Ruiandsion LEDs with fans offer as high as 3000 lumens, but I wanted to avoid fans.

Here's the light pattern on my garage door from about 8' away. The halogen on the right is a concentrated beam, while the LED on the left spreads the beam with a shadow gap in the middle.


Here's the light pattern on the ground, one photo showing a single halogen and the other a single LED (both passenger side). Again, the halogen is concentrated, and the LED spreads out with a centered shadow gap. Seems like that LED shadow gap is right where the halogen concentrates.


Here's both LEDs installed. The shadow gap is less pronounced, but evident. Still, I think the LED coverage is an improvement over the halogen.


Seems odd the bulbs have high beams but there's no switch for it. I doubt I'll bother wiring it. I rarely use my headlights since they bounce like bobbleheads when moving, especially with chains. The work lights shown below don't reach out as far, but they're stable and provide more than enough light for my speeds.


Side note, both headlight lenses were factory installed upside down. At least I think so - the stamped letter and numbers were at the top and upside down. Online photos show them at the bottom and right side up. How it's installed definitely affects the dispersion pattern. Maybe the factory knows something I don't, but I flipped them. If anyone is willing, let us know how yours are installed.