Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > DIY LED Snowblower light
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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jrtrebor
 
Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539
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DIY LED Snowblower light
Original Message Nov 25, 2012 11:35 am |
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Thought some might be interested in this. The light that I had on my blower was an outdoor landscape fixture that I picked up on clearance a while back. It had put a 12V 25W Halogen bulb in it. It worked fine, but I kind of wanted a LED bulb. Found this one on a site called Dealextreme. Here's a link to the site page. They come directly from Hong Kong so you won't get it quickly. But for $6.99 and free shipping it a pretty good deal. I bought two.    I just removed the old bulb and put in the new one. Here is a photo of the fixture. I think I paid $9.99 for it.   Here is a photo of the light output of the new LED bulb. From the light to the end of the white stripes is about 17'. The bulb puts out plenty of light. Especially considering that when there is snow on the ground. There will be a lot of reflection of the light off the snow.  All of the Building supply stores carry fixtures that can be used as a blower light. Here's one Home Depot carries that takes the MR16 bulb for $19.99 So for about $27.00 and a little bit of wait time on the bulb. You can make yourself a pretty nice light for your blower. That draws very little current, is durable and long lasting.
This message was modified Dec 21, 2013 by a moderator
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chd584
Joined: Nov 7, 2013
Points: 4
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Re: DIY LED Snowblower light
Reply #17 Dec 3, 2013 6:32 pm |
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Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up using a landscape lighting fixture with a few mods. You can see the install here: http://www.perr.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=12018&p=89693#p89693
This message was modified Dec 3, 2013 by chd584
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chd584
Joined: Nov 7, 2013
Points: 4
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Re: DIY LED Snowblower light
Reply #19 Dec 4, 2013 8:31 am |
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Thanks, jrtrebor, for your suggestion about securing the bulb from the front. Even with the tie downs I have in place, it couldn't hurt to add this feature as well.
I worked on a plumbing project over the weekend and came across an old garbage disposal stopper in my box of spare parts. I discovered that its tapered 3" to 1-3/8" diameter and 1" height would be perfect for this type of application.
I ground down the handle side and added a thick rubber washer (1-1/4" ID). The EcoSmart bulb has a raised lip with this diameter which should keep the bulb firmly in place without obstructing any of the LEDs.
Since it is metal, the stopper assembly should also double as a reflector cup and increase the intensity of the headlight.
This message was modified Dec 10, 2013 by chd584
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chd584
Joined: Nov 7, 2013
Points: 4
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Re: DIY LED Snowblower light
Reply #20 Dec 10, 2013 12:25 pm |
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jrhawk9
Location: Wisconsin Dells, WI
Joined: Jan 4, 2013
Points: 5
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Re: DIY LED Snowblower light
Reply #22 Jan 3, 2014 8:46 pm |
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I just did an LED upgrade to my Pro 32 as well. I used all 10W CREE LED's. I used two -FLOOD- and two -SPOT-. My blower only has an AC power source, so I used a -BRIDGE RECTIFIER- to convert it to DC so the LED's wouldn't flicker from the AC current. I then used 2 - 2200mfd / 50V smoothing capacitors on the DC side to help clean up and stabilize the DC voltage. I have it wired up with a SPDT switch which allows me to use my stock headlight OR my LED's. I have both left and right DC lines fused with 2A fuses and also have the main AC line to the rectifier fused with a single 2A fuse. I'm running 4 - 10 watt CREE LED's and they are consuming less than 2 amps total. I have attached the wiring diagram below. The switch and fuses are not shown. I also have two video links posted below showing them during the day and at night.  -HERE- is a video showing them during the day. -HERE- is a video showing them at night comparing them to my stock light bulb. The stock one is first....you'll know when I turn on the LED's.
This message was modified Jan 4, 2014 by jrhawk9
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jrhawk9
Location: Wisconsin Dells, WI
Joined: Jan 4, 2013
Points: 5
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Re: DIY LED Snowblower light
Reply #25 Jan 3, 2014 11:51 pm |
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Awesome job.
Looks like a pair of car headlights.
Thanks for the diagram and videos.
Tell us about the long deflector.
thanks! I added the deflector to help control the fluffy snow. It actually does a pretty decent job of it.
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