Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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Marc7703
Joined: Feb 10, 2007
Points: 1
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Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Original Message Feb 10, 2007 10:41 am |
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I would like to add a light ot my Sears snowblower, it is a two stage with the electric start that you use from an outlet, I was wondering if it can be done, how to do it, and what is the best light to use.
Thanks
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nibbler
Joined: Mar 5, 2004
Points: 751
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Re: Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Reply #2 Feb 11, 2007 11:08 am |
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You can also - Check the make of the engine, probably Tecumseh but maybe Briggs and Stratton, get the serial number and model;
- Go to the engine manufacturer's web site and look for a parts manual for th size of engine;
- Using the numbers from step 1, look at the exploded engine diagram and see if an alternator is listed;
- If so find out what the leads are supposed to be supplying;
- Then get a voltmeter and check the lead(s), starting with a 110V AC setting and going to a 12V setting only if the AC didn't show anything.
I have a B&S and the particular engine I have has two leads, one for AC and one for DC, despite going through the above I still messed up and connected a 110V lead to a 12V light, it was very bright ... for a while. A bit of heat shrink tubing can be shrunk around the connection once you have it setup correctly. Either that or use spade lugs and wrap it with good quality electricians tape,
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nibbler
Joined: Mar 5, 2004
Points: 751
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Re: Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Reply #6 Feb 14, 2007 10:41 pm |
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mech12 - You're right I had a look at the B&S alternator replacement guide and it looks like I got things confused. According to the book my particular engine has a 3A DC unregulated battery charging lead and a 14V AC lighting circuit lead. Most of the diagrams just show DC and AC without specifyig what the voltages are so I got it confused. Either way, the point I was trying to make was that if you have two leads and one of them is supposed to be higher voltage AC you check the AC first. If you try to measure an AC source with a meter set for DC then you get the average voltage which is usually zero. I also had a look at Wikipedia here and according to their definition an alternator is simply a generator that creates AC current. The term is normally used for units driven by automotive or other internal combustion engines but it can refer to larger units. They even have a picture of a large hydro driven unit.
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Bill_H
Location: Maine
Joined: Jan 12, 2008
Points: 354
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Re: Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Reply #9 Mar 11, 2008 6:15 pm |
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Both Marc and Jasonn, Do what nibbler says and find out what size (probably in amps) alternator you have. It's a nominal 12V system, so use 12 when doing your calculations: Watts = 12 * Amps. Depending on where you live, you may have to buy your lamps online, no big deal as they're pretty inexpensive and not really heavy to ship. For example, there's a good selection at Tractor Supply: http://tinyurl.com/244eq5
The larger 55W units will require a 5 Amp alternator (5A * 12V = 60W, so 5 to spare). I didn't see a wattage rating on the round ones, but PAR36 bulbs can be purchased in multiple ratings. Jason - Yes, you can put two, or 3, or 15 for that matter. Just watch to make sure that the sum of all the wattages doesn't exceed your rating. If you do multiple lights, make sure they are wired in parallel! Do not series (daisy chain) them. It won't hurt anything but they won't be very bright. Personally, I'd go with one, and mount it on the right hand side as high as you can to eliminate the shadow from the chute. You might even want to wire it up temporarily (or just use a powerful flashlight) and hold it in different places until you see one you can live with.
Who the hell let all the morning people run things?
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bevans
tougher than the elements...everything in Wisconsin is
Location: Wisconsin ...close to Brillion
Joined: Dec 15, 2009
Points: 63
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Re: Placing a light on a Sears Two Stage Snowblower
Reply #11 Feb 11, 2010 11:21 pm |
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Sounds like a math word problem.... Depending on where you live and if .....Jason walks up hill.......and (5A * 12V = 60W, so 5 to spare)....times the sq. rt of Pi.....you can put two, or 3, or 15 .......and mount it on the right hand side as high as you can .....my alternator is 18 watts, and when I measured gives out about 15 volts, AC, what would be the wattage bulb to use.......what is the temperature in PA and how much does a beer cost? What the hell...its a friggin light.........spend the $3 bucks and go to sears and get it...........
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