Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

O-K, the light kit that is sold as an 'Accessory' for the Honda Snowblowers comes with a standard 12 V sealed beam, like the old car headlights of yesteryear. But it IS Halogen as Honda says, a $10.00 dollar GE Par36 50 Watt bulb that puts out 300 Lumens.  It is in fact manufactured for this and many other applications by a company named (PM) Peterson Manufacturing, (www.pmlights.com)   They list the light in its rubber weather and vibration resistant mount as a Model 507, and if you go to www.foxtaillights.com they sell it for about 30 bucks, without the special HONDA snowblower bracket you need to mount it to the Honda snowblower, for the kit that Honda sells that includes this expect to pay $ 60.00 buckaroos.   Now IF, like me, You want to install a light more modern, capable and bright here's what you do.  You again go to FoxTailLights.com, and buy the PM model 907 light with 10 LED Diodes to light your way and an estimated 100,000 hour durability and an output of 1000 Lumens  . . . that light with the same rubber mount sells for $ 72.00 plus shipping and anything else they can add. 

The light kit, like the Commercial Skid Shoes is supplied with the electroplated zinc, Guaranteed to RUST in record time, bolts, nuts & washers.  If you don't like rust on your new snowblower go to www.allensfasteners.com and replace the HONDA QuickRust hardware with some Stainless Steel.

Incidentally the Peterson Manufacturing (PM) Technical rep said that the OEM accesory light they supply Honda, the 50watt 12V sealed bean requires 2.54 amps, the new LED unit needs just  .51 amps to operate, so the extra power to run the switch is not going to be a problem.  Just make sure the unit gets as good a ground contact as you can or it might  not work. 

PM makes a stick-on reflective in either amber or red they call them "Spitfires", IMHO they are the brightest reflectors I've ever seen should anyone need such a thing.

New Yorker,

Can we see a photo of your new LED light?  Are you located on Long Island, because I would like to perform the update on my 2011 Honda HS928TA, since I already have the Honda Light Kit installed.

Ken,

What makes your Honda unit a 2011 model? My blower was built timestamp of Jun 2010.  The built timestamp is on the back of the snowblower.  It has the year timestamp of A in hex (which is equivalent to 10 in decimal) and month timestamp of June.  Just curious how is your unit timestamped?

Honda builds machines in 2010 for the 2010-2011 season, so they get classified as 2011 machines.  Like a car, they start building cars in summer of 2010, for  the 2011 year.  A machine doesn't need to be physically built in 2011 to be labeled a 2011 machine.

Dealers selling 2011 snowblowers:

http://www.nelsonsspeedshop.com/pages/newvehicles/viewmodel/1370/193/2586/2011/honda-power-equipment-hs928tas.aspx

http://www.harborpowerhouse.com/honda-snowblowers/two-stage-wheel

kderobertis wrote:
Show off ! 

That's the third time this evening I've seen this darn snowblower.  It's so shiny, red, and beautiful.   

Actually, I'm more impressed with the paver driveway and front steps. 

I see you got the engine at full throttle and no snow to blow.    I think you need another coat of wax on those buckets as a sacrificial offering to the snow gods.  The console could use some low sheen armor-all.

kderobertis wrote:

I have a feeling that we will not see any pics coming from New_Yorker who most likely is from New Jersey, same as another "former poster, same dogmatic opinions and attitude and all based on Internet info and spec sheets and no practical info in the real world. I'd also like to see some pics of his Honda with an LED light kit on it. I won't hold my breath tho.

So my guess is either he won't reply or will make excuses. Time will tell.

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Greetings Everyone, Here we have one of many antagonistic, when not completely useless posts by Steve_Cebu, no shocker there ! Note his contempt for New Jersey residents, which is supposed to insult me.  As for the internet info, let's examine Steve_Cebus first posting to me to see how He holds up under his own standard.  I think you'll you will discover that Steve is guilty of what phychiatrists call "Projection" in insulting myself and others, He attributes to Others what he himself would do in the same situation. 

When I first came to this forum I asked if anyone had any information about installing an LED light on my Homda Snowblower.  Steve was the 1st to respond.  He evidently did a google search, found nothing, and copied what he did find anyway rather than avoid commenting on that which he had no information or relevance to the question asked.  Here's that valueless post, an oldie but a goodie that proves that Steve_Cebu does what he accuses me of doing, despite any proof.  I highlighted and Underlined the key phrsaes to assist you.

Enjoy !

_______________________________________________________________

o k here goes: http://patmullins.com/ledlightmyths.html#toc2

"LEDs produce more light per watt than an incandescent bulb.  But most of the watts they consume is still converted to heat, and if not dissipated, will drastically shorten their life.  Heat doesn't radiate from an LED, so it must be conducted away, usually into an exchanger to free flowing air.  The LED junction must operate below about 85°C."

And from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode

"Like other lighting devices, LED performance is temperature dependent. Most manufacturers’ published ratings of LEDs are for an operating temperature of 25°C. LEDs used outdoors, such as traffic signals or in-pavement signal lights, and that are utilized in climates where the temperature within the luminaire gets very hot, could result in low signal intensities or even failure.^[36]

LED light output actually rises at colder temperatures (leveling off depending on type at around -30C^{[citation needed]}). Consequently, LED technology may be a good replacement in uses such as supermarket freezer lighting^[37][38][39] and will last longer than other technologies. Because LEDs emit less heat than incandescent bulbs, they are an energy-efficient technology for uses such as freezers. However, because they emit little heat, ice and snow may build up on the LED luminaire in colder climates.^[36] This lack of waste heat generation has been observed to cause sometimes significant problems with street traffic signals and airport runway lighting in snow-prone areas, although some research has been done to try to develop heat sink technologies to transfer heat to other areas of the luminaire.". . .

_______________________________

Steve has NO ORIGINAL thoughts of his own knowledge, beyond mindless insults.  So he, not I Google the baloney he posts.  Like I said, "PROJECTION" attributing to me, what Steve_Cebu does in the same situation.

No information about a snowblower, its electrical output, the light either from the OEM or the potentially new LED light, just a buncha Google Info or wikipedia that added nothing to the question asked.

So you will all forgive me when I ignore Steve_Cebu's aimless postings in the future, because they lead only to embarassing poor Steve, and they serve no purpose.

Now, who's going to tell me how I began the offensive insult postings ? ? ? Let me point out that this useless post from ol stevie I did NOT expose back when he first posted it, I was NOT interested in belittling anyone.  However the best defense is a good offense, so if this bit of truth and reality offends ol stevie, how's that bad ?

kderobertis wrote:
Sorry for going on a tangential journey but that's nice property.  Love the landscaping. 

Man oh man that is one awesome driveway!

Love the landscaping also..

Steve_Cebu wrote:

yo steve aint notthing wrong with jersey!!!

course we could use more snow! :-)

njal wrote:
Yup.  Nothing wrong with NJ.  Except the gas pump.  Why can't I put gas in my own car?

I could use some snow around here.  :)

aa335 wrote:

I bet you guys pay more fro fuel.

we are at 289/299 for reg..

I always try and pump my own ,I dont trust the knucklehead with the nozle.

I can't handle nicks in my paint!!

We had 2 inc of snow here today,I used a brrom :( what a bummer!!

njal wrote:
Yup.  I'm paying $3.39 per gallon for premium.  Ouch. 

Yeah, I don't get why you can't pump your own gas in NJ.  Those people don't care about your car, why should they touch your car?  Is there a pump handler union in NJ?

New_Yorker wrote:

So you are DavidNJ after all. I still don't see any pics from you with your alleged snowblower or you using it. Just a lot of stuff from an online manual. You have contributed nothing except opinions about a snowblower that you do not even attempt to prove that you own. You are never going to post any pics because you do not have a Honda, you bought an MTD instead. You are only posting tech info gleaned from online info and a supposed manual that you own which is doubtful. So you dream up a starwman arguement in which you do not answer any of what I have posted as you have to avoid the truth at all costs.

As far as LED lights apparantly I did not make myself clear however a poster later on was able to so i saw no point in expounding on the fact that an LED does get hot and that is why it requires a heat sink. The actual light itself does not get hot but if you run it without a heat sink the LED will fail and quickly. You chose to ignore my saying that.

Anyway back to your strawman arguement. Either produce the pics of your Honda 928 with your LED light attachment or get relegated back to being the liar you have been in this forum. You have little to no practical experience and it shows. Posting tech articles on snowblowers that anyone could look up doesn't count David.

njal wrote:

The only thing wrong with Jersey is DavidNJ a former poster from New Jersey now going under the name New_Yorker. He was booted off for being insulting and rude. Jersey State is cool tho.

kderobertis wrote:

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Somehow I didn't imagine for even a moment that I was your Debut at insulting people, and posting irrelevant wikipedia answers.  Question is how did the Moderator manage to not Boot you after your obvious history.  You're still here offending others and posting garbage.  More proof of my earlier warnings not to believe the pseudo-expert on these forums.   Oh,  and I find that I have no need to prove anything to you or anyone else here.  Last time I looked this was still a Free Country. 

New_Yorker wrote:

I have not insulted anyone. What I see is you attempt to discredit me through strawman arguements by taking one post out of a series of posts to claim I was wrong about LED lights. Lights that you do not have on your Honda and neither do you have a Honda, of that I am fairly certain. Post the pics of your LED light setup on your Honda and that will prove that you aren't really DavidNJ because he bought a MTD snowblower again. People on here disagree all the time. It's the nature of a forum. You have been unable to point out where I have been rude and insulting and in fact the threads you were in were locked out because of your behavior. You like to use the term pseudo-expert yet you yourself do not even own the machine you claim to own which is why you will never post a pic of it. You read tech specs from manufacturer websites and somehow that makes you an expert?! You have posted no wothwhile content at all. So what exactly does that make you? I'm noit an expert and I have never claimed to be one. You make that claim and then try and discredit me. Show me one post where I claimed to be an expert, you can't. I'm just a guy who owns a Toro 1028 snowblower and I've posted pics and videos of it on here and shared my experiences. What have you done except create problems where none exist?

I'll sit back and wait for pics that will never get posted because you do not own the machine that you claim to own. You were booted off before because of your behavior. You can't prove anything to anyone because you have no practical information a to share. I'm still awaiting a list of people whom I have offended other than yourself.

People read these posts and they'll know you are full of hot air. No matter how you try an squirm out of it you don't own a Honda and you didn't put an LED light on it. You are a fraud! If not prove me wrong and I will apologize and say no more.

Like the quote says "Never wrestle with a pig - you get dirty and the pig likes it"

Either way I'm out of this mindless conversation.

New Yorker,

The number over the housing I just add for really no reason, it's something I add  to identify the width of the machine, for my  snow blower and lawn equiptment.

As for the photo, it was shot with the iPhone very simple.

New Yorker,

Quick question, does the LED light work with a simple replacement of the 507 with the 907 in the rubber housing?  Do the wires connect the same?  If so, I will order the light and take a photo.

Is there any fickering while the engine is running?

So I replace this:

with this:

aa335 wrote:

I think we are the only state left with that rule.

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Steve, It’s just dang expensive to live here.

We are taxed up the WAZZZO ..

njal wrote:

Yeah it is, I had relatives that lived there. They've since moved. My aunt has friends who still live there. Taxes in NYC are pretty bad also. Gas here is about $3.01 but our property taxes are insane considering we get no real benefits from paying them.

I am not a New Yorker but I will answer your question.  Yes you can replace your original with the LED replacement.  No it will not plug right in.  You will need to crimp a connector or cut and splice your original connector. Not a big deal at all.  It should not flicker.  Now just to through my 2 cents in,  Lights on a snowblower are not to see what is in front of you.  They are meant so you are seen.  In my opinion LED lights give a fake looking white light. I myself do not like the look. I will keep my old fashion power eating not green lights.  kderobertis wrote:

Just be careful about installing LED light on your snowblowers.  LED requires steady and tight DC voltage source and not sure the DC supplied by the snowblower is that steady without going thru a voltage conditioner.  Analog light is not that finicky and can handle some voltage imperfections.  My bike has NightRider bike lights and it comes with a Li battery supply.    So be careful about changing the light before checking the power source.

You can't pump your own gas in Oregon either. njal wrote:

snowmachine wrote:
What gets me is that you can't pump your own gas in NJ, but it's still cheaper than gas in NY, CT, and MA. It's about the same price as gas here in Maine but we have to pump it ourselves.

So much for the lie that you pump your own to save money.

Bill_H wrote:
Actually, I rather pump my own gas not so much to save money, but to avoid gas station attendant installed scratches.  I also declined those hand dry at those automated car washes at gas stations.  Who knows how many cars that towel has been used on and how many times it has been dropped on the ground.  No thanks.  I use touchless car wash for a reason. 

kderobertis wrote:

The 507F,( OEM accessory) will have only 1 wire coming from it which would 'plug-in' to the only wire unconnected on the side of the engine.  (mine was folded behind the electric starter motor out of sight so you may need to look for it).  My advice is before doing anything test that wire to make sure it is working, mine was not and needed the dealer to replace it.  (Test with a two wire circuit test light by attaching one lead to the socket for the light and touching the snowblowers frame on some unpainted place, like a bolt head.)  the test light should tell you by lighting up that the machine is producing power. (of course the engine must be running to do this test). 

The 907  (LED version) will have two wires coming from it, a white (Ground) wire and the red power connection wire.  The wire is a braided copper 16 guage, so buy a plug in connector that can be crimped onto that 16 guage red wire.  The rubber mount holds the lamp in place by simple friction, so you can easily remove it in both the 507 or the 907.  The white wire can be connected one of two ways. 1- open the rubber housing and solder it to the rivet inside the rubber housing same-same the old light,  so when you are finished it connects by the bolts and brackets to the frame and grounds the circuit OR 2- leave it outside the housing of the 907 which is the way it arrives (it still says 507 on the rubber) and run it to a frame bolt and fasten it. (you will need some 16 guage wire and a snap connector from Radio Shack to extend the wire.) Either works, so long as the circuit on the machine does.  I added a switch, but that is not needed unless you want to do it. 

The stock bulb requires, according to Peterson Manufacturing, almost 4 times the amps that the LED unit does, so there is not only plenty of power to operate the light, I was able to run a wire to the control panel and back to install a switch as well.  Peterson told me the new LED light only draws .51 amps, which seems incredibly little. No Flickering just bright white light.

Once you overcome the cost, the rest is fairly simple.  Best of Luck, it looks awesome.

MN_Runner wrote:
This advice has no validity on the swap of the PM 507 and PM 907 lights.  Peterson Manufacuring designed their 907 LED unit to work in such applications as the Honda Snowblower and has provided whatever circuitry is needed within the LED lamp itself.  A simple call to Peterson Manufacturing who makes Both the OEM Accessory unit and the LED UpGrade unit will reassure anyone needing such reassurance.  The same LED lamp in this model 907 is used for and sold by PM for many other applications, like stop lights, turn indicators etc. and it has a wide range of voltages it will accept.   I would never have suggested the idea if I was not certain the light works perfectly.  The LED also has a 100,000 hour life expectancy according to PM.  Have a great day.

Show me the pictures of your setup.  LED lights can only handle so much current so you need some way to control current going thru the LED otherwise you will burn out the LED light.  A resistor is typically added to limit the current going thru the LED.   I am not sure how current  regulation is accomplished with the snowblower power source.  If you (New_Yorker) have the specs for the snowblower power supply, please share the information with us.

I decided the standard Honda light kit is fine for me, not worth the possible aggravation.

Stock light does the job for me.

njal wrote:
Ditto. I live in an oak forest and it gets real dark when the it's overcast or there's no moon. I honestly never thought about an upgrade until I read this thread. I guess it all comes down to personal choice but the stock light kit provides plenty of visibilty and works fine for my needs.

Just installed the LED Lght last night (PM 907)...Works great.  No issues, no flickering.  I bought it since my original light broke at the bracket from all the vibration.  So I figured I would try the new light..Nice and white

bob1459 wrote:
Can you post pics of what this looks like?

Sure..I will take a pic tonight...It looks exactly the same except for seeing the LEDs in the front.  The light uses the same housing and mounts. 

That would be great.  I'm also interested in seeing what kind of light pattern those LED lights cast.   Also, does it light up when the engine is at idle?  What throttle position does the LED come on or get full brightness?  I wonder if the light have some sort of voltage regulator circuitry.

aa335 wrote:

The light pattern is more focused out front.  Light worked just as before.  Full throttle its bright and low throttle is dimmer.  Stays lit at idel.  When I pulled the light out of the housing it was a small disc sealed.  It does not flicker.  PM said its a direct replacement of the 507 and it comes with a 5 year warranty.  On a side note, can I get this board to email me when someone posts to this thread?  Can't seem to find that option here.

Here are some pictures

 

bob1459 wrote:

Great Pics! Have you had any trouble with the LED light when it's really cold?

Steve_Cebu wrote:

No trouble...I installed on a 20 degree day too.

bob1459 wrote:

I meant a cold day like we get around here.   Right now it's about 6 degrees and often below zero with the wind blowing. Brrrrrr..

Steve_Cebu wrote:

I don't think the cold will  be a problem.  We get those days here too, but I have not had to use the snow blower with the new light in that condition yet.  Plus I usually start it in the garage first anyway.  I don't shut it off unitl its back in either.  Unless I run out of gas. Is it worth spending the money on it if your light is working?  No...When the light fails, time for the upgrade.  I have had mine for 10 years and the mount broke.  Never had to replace the light bulb on the 507.

bob1459 wrote:

Yeah i would think if it's time to replace the light then LED might be the way to go.

bob1459 wrote:
Thanks Bob,

I'd consider this lightset when my factory installed one fails.

I installed the 907 LED on my Honda HS 828, as a replacement for the 507 halogen bulb, which gave up after 20 seasons.  Red to power, white to ground, soldered bayonet connectors onto the previous setup for quick connections.  Fired it up, works FINE.  Bright at idle, too!

So far, I am a happy camper!