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.
This message was modified Jan 7, 2011 by New_Yorker
