ROP Bar - Light Mounts

[Trimley]

2-3/4" wide. 3/8" × 3-1/2" short × 6" long Aluminum "L"

Now I need to decide on some lights to mount to them.

I also plan to use the same mounts for lights on the boom.

Mounts flipped. Temp Lights?

**The frame seen under the top of the ROP Bar is WIP for a roof.**

 

[Trimley]

I looked long and hard for lights.

These are on the way.

Now to find a dash switch.

I just ran a fish wire down the inside of the ROP and out the bottom. YAY!!!!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Looks nice.

I like how the roof will "protect" the lights.

How are you going to fasten the aluminum brackets to the ROPS?

U bolts?

 

[Trimley]

Looks nice.

I like how the roof will "protect" the lights.

How are you going to fasten the aluminum brackets to the ROPS?

U bolts?

The two existing holes near the top. I'm also planning to attach the roof frame to the same mounts.

 

[drygulch]

I did something similar on mine. Got these when they were on sale for $23. They have bright spots, but not horrible. FWIW, yours look similar in wattage and I have found mine to be bright enough for my taste. And I do a fair amount of work after dark.

I mounted using nylon washers and nylon lock nuts so you can just reach up and pivot them as needed. I typically keep one pointed rearward and one forward, depending on the task, but nice having the flexibility.

 

[Trimley]

I did something similar on mine. Got these when they were on sale for $23. They have bright spots, but not horrible. FWIW, yours look similar in wattage and I have found mine to be bright enough for my taste. And I do a fair amount of work after dark.

I mounted using nylon washers and nylon lock nuts so you can just reach up and pivot them as needed. I typically keep one pointed rearward and one forward, depending on the task, but nice having the flexibility.

I'm going to give it a try with two on the ROP Bar, first. If they work as I expect for high visibility on the hoe, I'll stick with those facing back.

Then I'll approach making new mounts. In the case of that, I'll make mounts to which I mount two lights (forward & rear ward back-to-back) on each side. The roof frame will also be attached to the light mounts.

 

[drygulch]

I'm going to give it a try with two on the ROP Bar, first. If they work as I expect for high visibility on the hoe, I'll stick with those facing back.

Then I'll approach making new mounts. In the case of that, I'll make mounts to which I mount two lights (forward & rear ward back-to-back) on each side. The roof frame will also be attached to the light mounts.

Gotcha

Will be curious about your light distribution. Would have preferred a little more even lighting on mine, but tolerable.

I had ordered a smallish light bar for forward, but found the two smaller lights were illuminating enough, so I returned.

Greg

 

[DustyRusty]

I did something similar on mine. Got these when they were on sale for $23. They have bright spots, but not horrible. FWIW, yours look similar in wattage and I have found mine to be bright enough for my taste. And I do a fair amount of work after dark.

I mounted using nylon washers and nylon lock nuts so you can just reach up and pivot them as needed. I typically keep one pointed rearward and one forward, depending on the task, but nice having the flexibility.

Amazon sells returns as "used" and you can usually get a good deal on them. This is for the lights you posted a link to..

Save with Used - Like New
$20.74$20.74

 

[chim]

.........................Will be curious about your light distribution. .........................

Effective lighting of a desired area has a lot to do with where you position the lights. In the examples below, you can see the difference it makes. These were snapped on Friday night while mowing. Haven't done a lot of mowing after dark since retiring, but last week was really busy, Saturday was already tight for time and I don't mow Sunday. By Monday the yard would have looked pretty bad. The L4240 has 4 forward-facing Maxxima MWL-42's. Two are mounted as replacements for the factory halogen lights at the cab roof, and two are mounted in the grille guard.

The first picture shows what it looks like with the two cab-mounted lights on. There's not much difference between having all four lit or just the cab-mounted lights lit. They are OK for loader work and plowing snow, but all that light bouncing off the hood does nothing helpful while mowing. They wash out the color and detail.

The second picture was taken with only the grille-mounted lights being used. The definition of the area in front of the tractor is greater. The cut/uncut is much easier to see without the visual interference created by the cab-mounted lights.

When running ROPS tractors I tried lights mounted on the loader frames or grilles and mounted on the ROPS. The ones on the ROPS were less desirable for a few reasons. They didn't work as well for mowing. They were slightly behind me and created glare by hitting the back of my eyeglass lenses, and they attracted bugs in warm weather, which I didn't like bouncing off my head and ears.

 

[Trimley]

In my experience off-roading, most I see when out at night, most have their lighting in all the wrong places...for looks. Light dispersal is based on reflector design. Most aftermarket LED lighting (even replacement LED headlight bulbs), the beam is fractured. As an example, when driving at night. Glare and a blinding dispersement of (fractured, not focused) headlight beams are very prevalent. This is what is found mostly and readily available. Research, development and quality (I get it, it's just a tractor. I'm not spending three figures for two lights) doesn't come cheap. The tool works as effectively and efficiently, as the operator is competent.

Just sayin.

 

[drygulch]

They were slightly behind me and created glare by hitting the back of my eyeglass lenses, and they attracted bugs in warm weather, which I didn't like bouncing off my head and ears.

I do agree with you Chim. I find my own ROPS mounted lighting isn't ideal (glare, bugs, etc). While working, I often ponder a forward location where they wouldn't be blocked by the loader or be in physical peril. And if I took the loader off, I might as well sell the tractor.

On the JD mower, I added lights like your second picture that work quite well. Seeing the cut/uncut is better than mowing in daylight.

 

[Trimley]

I've thought about adding lights to a cross-bar that gets mounted to (spanning across) the FEL arms. That might work nicely.

 

[chim]

One of the things I forget to consider is that not everyone uses a tractor like I do. The Kubota is without its loader and frame most of the time between March and December because the main usage is mowing. All Winter it has the FEL frame with a snow plow (whether it snows or not).

It's easy on and off and the tractor is much more nimble without it. For example, today I wanted to clean up some tree trimmings. I went to the shed, mounted the loader, pulled the tractor outside, dropped the bucket, put the forks on and hauled a few loads of limbs, dropped the forks, reinstalled the bucket and had the tractor back in the shed without the loader and frame. This all took less than 1/2 hour.

 

[chim]

I've tried a number of different approaches. Below are pics of the first Kubota. Yep, the ROPS Cops weren't happy. The best arrangement for that one doesn't even look like it'd work. It wore two Tractor Supply flood halogens. They were nestled between the loader arms and the hood, mounted to part of the loader frame that stayed on the tractor.

What was remarkable was the light pattern. When seated on the tractor the lights appeared to provide a nice 180° lighted area. In reality there was a small darker area, but the hood blocked it from view. The lights worked OK for loader work. Only downside was the annoying bright flashes of orange when the bucket passed in front of them.

 

[Trimley]

I've tried a number of different approaches. Below are pics of the first Kubota. Yep, the ROPS Cops weren't happy. The best arrangement for that one doesn't even look like it'd work. It wore two Tractor Supply flood halogens. They were nestled between the loader arms and the hood, mounted to part of the loader frame that stayed on the tractor.

What was remarkable was the light pattern. When seated on the tractor the lights appeared to provide a nice 180° lighted area. In reality there was a small darker area, but the hood blocked it from view. The lights worked OK for loader work. Only downside was the annoying bright flashes of orange when the bucket passed in front of them.

That's the thing with a FEL tractor, all the lights look good when it's not in use.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

NILIGHT NOTE: The Nilight units I've tested use 60% of the power (Watts) they claim. Figuring their LED driver is inefficient given the heat coming off them it's convenient to assume that "real-world illumination" is about half what their marketing people claim.

This is consistent with Chinese marketing rules of, "Everyone exaggerates; 50% of a claimed rating is acceptable, 49% is lying." Therefore the price-conscious manufacturers of "quality goods" that I deal with target 51% to give them a "safe margin of error."

I consider Nilight "excellent quality for the price" and use them myself. When comparing them to a quality U.S. manufacturer like JW Speaker figure a 60W Nilight is about equal to a 30W JW Speaker in brightness, Nilight beam spread and CRI is going to be maybe 50% as good. That means if a 60W Nilight costs 25% of a 30W JW Speaker then considering power usage, materials used, and all those little things that add up it's apples-to-apples until you smack a light and wreck it, in which case the replacement cost of the Nilight is more palatable. (Note Nilight is often 10% the cost or less of JW Speaker, so if 25% is apples-to-apples 10% is "about half the cost of an equivalent JW Speaker" which is why I run Nilight in non-critical situations.)

 

[bambam31]

I’m with others who disliked ROPS mounted lights. I’m in south Alabama. The bugs were terrible. I‘m much happier with them mounted on the end of the canopy. What ever you do. Good luck.

 

[The Evil Twin]

While I have yet to do it, my thought was to mount lights on the loader frame. Keep the bugs away from me, yet not get blocked by the bucket (as much)

 

[Trimley]

I’m with others who disliked ROPS mounted lights. I’m in south Alabama. The bugs were terrible. I‘m much happier with them mounted on the end of the canopy. What ever you do. Good luck.

At this point I'm staged for testing lights in several positions, due to mount size. The lights can be clamped to the mounts, then the mount with light, can be moved and clamped most anywhere.

Where I'm at on the WA Coast, bugs have never been much of an issue.

 

[Trimley]

My lights and ROPS Gray paint arrived today.

I couldn't help myself to clamp the lights to the mounts, and test them. They fit nicely, both on the mounts, and tucked under the ROP Bar in the bend.

Wide Beam Floods. They're definitely bright.

Now to decide how to go about my best approach to run the wires. My plan is to run the wires inside the ROP Bar and out the bottom. There's an internal "baffle" near the bottom on both sides, so the bar needs to come off.