I just installed headlights a used Toro that I just picked up this week. I decided to put mine up in front of the controls to light up everything including the engine so I can keep an eye on things while I'm moving snow. I would never put them down on the top of the shroud like this guy did, because when you're in deep snow, most of the time it will be coming over the top of the auger housing and bend the shit out of the lights, so that's a dumb idea where I'm from.
Hi there, do you know how many Watts / Amps your alternator is putting out ? Was just watching a new video by Donyboy73 and he installed a whopping 72 Watt LED on his snowblower and just want to get input from somebody else who has done this install before going ahead. ( Dony is a small engine repair guy that has his own channel ) Anyway, I don't want to burn out my blower's alternator ( if that's what it is called on a snowblower ) yours is rated at 18 Watts his is 72 Watts so a huge difference.... his new video was posted today : ua-cam.com/video/ecVm0lpHRfw/v-deo.html ( I will remove any links if you wish ) Thanks for any info MnP40c !
I think doniboy (not sure of his name) but he did a video on how he ran his lights. And he had a similar set up. Both your video and his had great info and detail!! Awesome job!!
Thank you for the video. Just did the exact same thing to my 254cc Deluxe 28 (purchased Oct. 2017), using your post on the forum and video as a template. I didn't do a switch or the capacitors, but did use the rectifier and only get flicker at low/turtle idle. I grounded both the DC- and the ground from the stater to the same spot under the control panel just for kicks and have no issues. Now I just have to wait for some real snow to hit! Thanks again.
LED lighting creates harsh shadows, although they are improving them year by year. Also, as traffic light installers figured out the hard way, LED's won't melt off the snow that covers them in the winter. What I don't like is that fixed light Ariens came up with in these year blowers. Most people put a shield over it(Ariens later made factory parts to do this). Luckily, the Ariens I bought has a bolt on adjustable halogen bulb, so I can just set it how I like it.
Would like to see someone who's come up with a good water tight implementation for capacitors & rectifier. Seems you could house all the electronics together with just the wires exiting. Also, a waterproof switch would be a better solution than a standard toggle that will eventually corrode. Otherwise a well done video. Some concern with the stator capacity when adding 2x 18 watts of draw vs the OEM supplied Ariens incandescent bulb. Ariens used a higher output stator on models with a light & equipped with heated hand grips. With the snow drought over past few years a LED headlamp gives plenty of illuminations and a lot cheaper.
This is all fine and good for those who can pull this off, but for Joe-snowblower, it's blah-blah-blah. Put an idiot proof kit together and sell it!!! Yeah, we know Ariens light sucks, so sell a better one for the general public.
I’m puzzled by all the complicated wiring. My blower had a halogen light but the housing was all busted. I just tapped those wires and added a led light. Probably could have just swapped out an led bulb like I did on my lawn tractor headlights if the housing wasn’t busted.
Anybody running amber lights to cut down on glare? So far I just replaced the white 1156 bulb with the amber version and though not as bright visibility is much better. Hoping to do an led light bar this winter...
Very well done, thank you! I wanted to know what camera you used, but it appears from the floor shadow that you used a phone. Am I correct? The camera performance is excellent. Thanks again!
Hi Charlie, someone on the forum said that the Ariens 28 Deluxe can handle up to 60W total output. When I tested the wires the voltage ranged between 9V to 16V (depending on the throttle). So between the two lights I am using up 36 watts. I've read that others have done similar modifications with the same snow blower as mine, and they had handwarmers. So I believe it can be done. I can't say specifically how its done, you may or may not have to choose lower watt output for your LEDs.
Nice install! Have you tested it on snow in the dark yet? It looked like you didn't get any snow over there yet... With my installation with the LED's just by the handles, I get a lot of glare from the snow being thown, as the light hits the snow very close by. It looks like a great idea to move the lights further to the front! I will also try to add a couple of capacitors to my installation. When running on idle, mine flicker a bit as well... Great video!
We've had a couple "big snows" here so far, and the lights work great at night! I do like having them in front of the chute, it seems to help a lot with glare and prevents shadows cast by the chute. I highly recommend mounting them above the auger. Just make sure if you do move your lights, secure the lights well because they vibrate quite a bit.
Absolutely enjoyed your video. I plan on purchasing a new Ariens snowblower in the fall and the first project on my list will be to add LED lighting. I'm getting up there in years and I don't quite understand the wiring completely (dementia?). Is there any chance of showing a simple schematic to show how everything is wired? Your installation is very professional and I would like to follow your exact instructions. Thank you in advance.
GREAT VIDEO! I bought a brand new Ariens Deluxe 30. The factory installed light is horrible and searching alternative light options I found this video. I bought the same lights, bridge rectifier and inline fuse from Amazon for under $25. I spent maybe another $20 for wire, connectors, heat shrink and a switch. I opted to mount my lights up higher by the handles for two reasons. Sometimes I get snowfalls deeper than the auger housing is tall. I also don't want to deal with disconnecting the lights if/when I ever have to remove the auger housing for service. Otherwise I have the same basic set up and these lights are BRIGHT!
I do not like where you put the led lights on the bucket because, if you have trouble with your auger gear box, you have to separate the bucket from the machine to make the repair. Now you have to separate the wires also.
carl cappy That is a good point, you could always put some kind of quick connectors on the wires so they can be easily disconnected. Or install the lights on the handlebars. Thanks for the post,
Did you delete the Halogen altogether? also you stated that the LEDs might flicker if you tap into the light... even with the fuse and capacitors in line?? Great video!
Yep I deleted the halogen all together. The LEDs need the bridge rectifier to convert the voltage to DC. Unless of course your snowblower/mower already puts out DC voltage (i.e. has a battery). If the lights were directly connected to the AC wires, the lights would have had a strobe/flicker effect when in motion. Similar to some of those LED christmas lights you see out there. The capitors and fuse do not fix this, because you'd still be using Alternating Current.
Nice job of the installation. Did you consider raising the lights so they sit a little higher? When I did my installation I took into account snow being higher than the auger housing bucket.Look forward to seeing a review when it snows.
I considered it, but here in Michigan we usually don't get too much snow. If you live in an area that receives a lot of snow, you can definitely do the same job but just install the lights to the handle bars. If I remember, I will try to create a video the next time we get a big snow storm, and I will show you how the lights look at night. So far I love them, I can see everything clear as day.
+MnP40c - i assume you have floods on the front? I'm have spots there and two floods above the cab. I had to put the ones on the bucket higher up as the angle of the bracket/auger housing causes light to be blocked. raising them up gets the full light. Have you noticed this about your bucket lights?
I think they are floods but I don't know for sure. For being on top of the auger, the lights put out a nice wide angle beam, and also shine fairly far down the driveway. I haven't actually tried putting lights any higher up. Thx for the comment
Not to be meant as a critic comment, but meant more as an inquiry; why would you mount these two headlamps on the top of the cowling when you 'may' encounter snowdrifts and snowbanks delivered by the city plow that will be higher? The other query is how much night time snowplowing do you actually do? I have an older Ariens that has the original incandescent light and I find it works well enough in the dark hours to see what I am doing. I'm not sure how well that rectifier will fair out being exposed to the elements. Neat process though.
Clarify, both Capactors come off POS dc terminal of Bridge Ret? And are connected in Parallel to ea other? Then a Fast Blow FUSE ( ? Amp) to Led light(s)? Have I got that right.
@MnP40c Quick question on the grounding wires only. So I'm connecting the ground/black wire from the Stator to the AC- on the bridge rectifier and in a separate instance, I'm also connecting the ground wire(s) of the LED lights to the ground on the switch. There also a ground/black wire running between the DC- on the rectifier and the ground on the rocker switch as well. Does this sound right so far? The question is... is the rocker switch ground an actual pig tail join consisting of a ground wire coming from the DC- on the rectifier AND the grounding wires coming from the LEDs themselves?
I knew when I put a wind shroud on, my halogen light would be useless as it lights up the interior of the shroud. But I think I might just remove the existing light and reposition to the more sensible location you put your LED's. Anyone have a comment?
How did you determine what size (watts) LED lights you could run off that wire? I have a brand new 28" Deluxe SHO Ariens (306cc). The stock bulb is only a 20w halogen (which is so bad!) so I have no idea what size LEDs I can run off that wire.
I forgot how I determined that, but I vaguely remember finding a post on the snowblower forum stating that total output should be about 40watts or less. For my snowblower I am using 2 18watt for a total of 36 watts. That seems to be working fine for me.
Can't you just install the L.E.D without capacitor and rectifier? Just 12v dc as it is through the engine and the light, just interrupt with a switch right? ground to the switch with the positive making 12v when auxiliary is turned on by ignition and then load side from the switch to the new light?
Hi MnP40c, getting ready to do some mods. Going to add a led light and heated hand grips. Thanks for the pointers. I realize now it's a little more to it than just splicing a couple wires. Need to do some research!
You dont need all of that ofcourse they tell you that you need to spend 109 bucks for that. CRap I did the same thing one live wire from factore light and a ground wire bam done
Clean install, but I have a question. Doesn't the OE halogen bulb operate on DC voltage? Couldn't you just splice into the leads that power the halogen bulb for your additional LED lights?
The Halogen bulb operates on either AC or DC voltage, which is why it works fine with the AC voltage that comes out of the stator. Technically, I could have run the LED lights directly off of those wires, but that would have caused the LED lights to flicker. The reason for converting the AC voltage to DC is to prevent the LED lights from flickering or having a strobe effect.
Halogen bulbs are merely incandescent bulbs filled with inert gas and iodine or bromine. The filament will heat up no matter which direction the current flows, unlike diode lamps which need only DC.
The light placement is perfect. Lights up what’s in front of you. Stock placement lights up the blower and is absolute garbage for what’s in front of you.
great video, nice st up of light, if i understand right the capaciters is used to smoothen out the DC wave think i want to do the same on my old Canadiana 1032 the light on from the stator is not very good
Great video i did the same thing with my husqvarna snowblower..i had to attach a battery box to the frame since my machine did not come with a lite...keep up the good work
Switches usually have three connectors (Power, Accessory, Ground). You would have the negative wire from the rectifier connect to the ground connector on the switch. Then the positive wire from the rectifier connected to the power connector on the switch. Then you would run the LEDs positive wire to the accessory connector on the switch, and the negative wire from the LED lights would also connect to the ground connector on the switch. Hopefully that makes sense, and my explanation isn't too confusing. Good Luck! :-)
Yes it does, and thanks. I suppose my issue is that I bought a harness from a car part store, and that has a relay switch in it. Perhaps I may need to remove that to see.
Art Reina I believe the third wire is due to the switch he purchased. It appears to be a lighted switch, and therefore needs a positive and a negative to light the switch itself. A cheaper switch may only have 2 tabs. Positive coming in from the rectifier and power going out to the lights. The negative in this case would travel directly from the rectifier to the lights. I believe this is the case.
Be warned that most of the eBay and Amazon lights are over-rated as to wattage. Several reviewers have tested them on regulated power supplies and they are only 6 watts or so. Still fairly bright but not 18W.
Excellent job, I have an older craftsman I was thinking of installing lights on and I was considering placing the lights where you did, your feedback about removing the glare of the chute cements that idea. Your wiring is the most professional looking of any video on the subject I've seen to date.
I looked up the replacement halogen bulb for the snowblower and was listed as a single 20 watt halogen. But you added (2) 18 watt lights. Does anyone know the max wattage the snowblower can handle? I'm concerned about drawing too much power and frying something. Your setup looks awesome and is the exact setup I'm going for, minus the on/off switch. I personally don't care if the lights are on all the time like the factory light. The factory supplied halogen light is useless in it's factory location. Great work, thanks for sharing.
Hi Mark, on the snowblower forum someone said that the max watt the Ariens Deluxe 28 can handle is 60w. However, my LEDs are using 36W, and I feel like I can't go any higher than that. The reason I say that, is when the throttle is not on high, the LEDs flicker a little bit because they aren't getting enough power. At full throttle, they are fine. So if you have the same snowblower as me, I would stick to 36W or below.
hey there i have the same snowblower i put lamp on with the fuse the bridge rectifier it still flickers a little bit with power on high why how can i eliminate that
How many watts total are your led lights? Placing two capacitors between the bridge rectifier and the lights may help/eliminate the flickering. id try that
I'm curious, did the full wave bridge rectifier work for you? If so, what is the model number of the one you used? I bet a lot of other people out there would like to add higher watt LEDs if they can. Thanks!
MnP40c hey it worked better then the single phrase bridge rectifier it still blinks very little or it might just be the vibration of the engine but to me it seams pretty good I bought it at Amazon if it was car it would of been easier www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007Z7LXVQ/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 that's the link for the rectifier the light I got free from bad reviews from the company aux beam on and other light that failed www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EHKPW6K/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1484282606&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=auxbeam+spot+and+flood+beam
Yes, the capacitors are optional. As quoted from SuperEdge88 on www.snowblowerforum.com "Using two 2200mfd 50v capacitors may be needed to clean up voltage ripple that comes off of the DC output on your bridge rectifier. Some LED lights are sensitive to this ripple and may fail prematurely. Simple adding these capacitors in parallel on the DC output side of the bridge rectifier is a good precaution. Wire in the Capacitor(s) between the LED light(s) and the bridge rectifier. So the postive and negative of the bridge rectifier will go to the positive and negative of the capacitor. Then the positive and negative of the capacitor then get wired to the LED(s) positive and negative."
MnP40c Now I am confused on Capacitor connections, seems like they are connected to Both sides +/- of bridge ret. and to ea other at the same time????? I keep rereading the explanation over + over. Help...
The capacitors are just connected in parallel between the bridge rectifier's DC-Output +/- and the +/- wires on the LED lights. The capacitors can be connected together if you are using two of them. You could also just connect the capacitors straight to the bridge rectifier itself and they should still function the same way. Hopefully that helps, sometimes its hard to explain. On my blower I have the capacitors connected between the +/- DC OUT on the rectifier, and the switch I am using to turn the lights on and off. I may try to make another video sometime with some clearer footage.
Your post is top rate, my hat is off to you. I just ordered a new Airens Deluxe 28 SHO. Will this wireing set up work on the Snow Thrower I just ordered? I have ordered the LED lights, bridge rectifier, got the capacitors, fuse holders and weather resistant switch at Radio shack.
Thanks KLH. I believe this setup should work on your blower, but I would double check to make sure the current isn't already DC from the stator. I'm not to familiar with the new blowers, but if it is already putting out DC, then you won't have to convert the current. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!
Hey buddy great video, very informative. I have the same snowblower But in my case I connected the bridge rectifier and capacitors just like you said in your video. But it still flicked a bit. And also when I turned down the idle the lights where flickering like crazy you think you can give me some input on what I should do next.... PS sweet mustang in the background
The use of a pointer would be helpful. The shaky left to right and front to back camera work gave me a headache. You didn't source purchases, you didn't show the wiring diagram, didn't explain why a capacitor was needed, where the fuse is and why that rating. From an educational viewpoint it was more confusing than instructive. Now to really learn how to do a LED conversion I have to go to a different site. The loud engine noise and shouting over it was a poor choice. You could have turned the engine volume down (editing) and simply did a normal volume voice over.
Sorry my video did not meet your expectations. If you read the description it lists the model #s of the capicitors I used, and the bridge rectifier. Also I sourced where I bought them. Go to ebay and search the model # of each, and you will find them out there. If I have time, I will create a more detailed video with diagrams and such. Sorry if you think I wasted your time...
jeez Charlie...would you like for him to come over and install the for you....he said go on the forum for a more informative install...he's just showing you what he did...and its not rocket science...if the fuse and capacitors are an issue maybe skip this project....
Sorry to say, but if you can't watch this guys video and successfully wrap your head around what he's telling you along with visually seeing the connections to wire the switch, capacitors ,fuse and rectifier along with installing the lights then it would be safe to say that you probably shouldn't be fucking around with your snow blower to begin with..... period.
You neglected the Sqrt(2)=1.414 difference between AC RMS voltage and AC peak voltage. Your rectifier and capacitive filter leaves you with the peak voltage less the diode drop. Using a bridge rectifier and capacitor filter from an alternator gets you ((Vac*1.414)-1.2) volts, if you have 12VRMS AC you get 15.8VDC and if you have 14.4VRMS AC you get 19.2 VDC. If your Cree LED's power converter is OK with the high DC voltage, that's great, If not you'd need either a voltage regulator of a DC to DC converter. The alternator has enough capacity for handwarmers, so drawing all the current in a small fraction of the cycle near the voltage peak should be OK. If it weren't you'd need to add a fairly large choke to increase the conduction angle.
I just installed headlights a used Toro that I just picked up this week. I decided to put mine up in front of the controls to light up everything including the engine so I can keep an eye on things while I'm moving snow. I would never put them down on the top of the shroud like this guy did, because when you're in deep snow, most of the time it will be coming over the top of the auger housing and bend the shit out of the lights, so that's a dumb idea where I'm from.
Hi there, do you know how many Watts / Amps your alternator is putting out ? Was just watching a new video by Donyboy73 and he installed a whopping 72 Watt LED on his snowblower and just want to get input from somebody else who has done this install before going ahead. ( Dony is a small engine repair guy that has his own channel ) Anyway, I don't want to burn out my blower's alternator ( if that's what it is called on a snowblower ) yours is rated at 18 Watts his is 72 Watts so a huge difference.... his new video was posted today : ua-cam.com/video/ecVm0lpHRfw/v-deo.html ( I will remove any links if you wish ) Thanks for any info MnP40c !
hi, what video camera are you using, your video is super clear
Just my phone camera (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge) :-)
Can you please show a wiring diagram for this.
Thankyou.
I think doniboy (not sure of his name) but he did a video on how he ran his lights. And he had a similar set up.
Both your video and his had great info and detail!! Awesome job!!
His UA-cam channel is: Donyboy73
Thank you for the video. Just did the exact same thing to my 254cc Deluxe 28 (purchased Oct. 2017), using your post on the forum and video as a template. I didn't do a switch or the capacitors, but did use the rectifier and only get flicker at low/turtle idle. I grounded both the DC- and the ground from the stater to the same spot under the control panel just for kicks and have no issues. Now I just have to wait for some real snow to hit! Thanks again.
My FIL just bought this blower. Why a $3K machine doesn't come with an adequate LED light these days is beyond me! Awesome setup!
LED lighting creates harsh shadows, although they are improving them year by year. Also, as traffic light installers figured out the hard way, LED's won't melt off the snow that covers them in the winter.
What I don't like is that fixed light Ariens came up with in these year blowers. Most people put a shield over it(Ariens later made factory parts to do this). Luckily, the Ariens I bought has a bolt on adjustable halogen bulb, so I can just set it how I like it.
is the 28 wortht he extra 100 dollars over the 24inch model?
Definitely. 28 seems to be the perfect width for doing sidewalks and such.
Would like to see someone who's come up with a good water tight implementation for capacitors & rectifier. Seems you could house all the electronics together with just the wires exiting. Also, a waterproof switch would be a better solution than a standard toggle that will eventually corrode. Otherwise a well done video. Some concern with the stator capacity when adding 2x 18 watts of draw vs the OEM supplied Ariens incandescent bulb. Ariens used a higher output stator on models with a light & equipped with heated hand grips. With the snow drought over past few years a LED headlamp gives plenty of illuminations and a lot cheaper.
This is all fine and good for those who can pull this off, but for Joe-snowblower, it's blah-blah-blah. Put an idiot proof kit together and sell it!!! Yeah, we know Ariens light sucks, so sell a better one for the general public.
I’m puzzled by all the complicated wiring. My blower had a halogen light but the housing was all busted. I just tapped those wires and added a led light. Probably could have just swapped out an led bulb like I did on my lawn tractor headlights if the housing wasn’t busted.
Would this work ok alongside heated hand grips?
Anybody running amber lights to cut down on glare? So far I just replaced the white 1156 bulb with the amber version and though not as bright visibility is much better. Hoping to do an led light bar this winter...
Very well done, thank you!
I wanted to know what camera you used, but it appears from the floor shadow that you used a phone. Am I correct?
The camera performance is excellent. Thanks again!
Scott Madis Thanks! Yep, I think I was using a Samsung s7 edge
Iv been reading the thread at SB forum , I'm glad you did a video are they each 18w bars? Would you be able to run handwarmers also?
Hi Charlie, someone on the forum said that the Ariens 28 Deluxe can handle up to 60W total output. When I tested the wires the voltage ranged between 9V to 16V (depending on the throttle). So between the two lights I am using up 36 watts. I've read that others have done similar modifications with the same snow blower as mine, and they had handwarmers. So I believe it can be done. I can't say specifically how its done, you may or may not have to choose lower watt output for your LEDs.
Can you make a wiring diagram on how you wired your lights, please
Nice install! Have you tested it on snow in the dark yet? It looked like you didn't get any snow over there yet... With my installation with the LED's just by the handles, I get a lot of glare from the snow being thown, as the light hits the snow very close by. It looks like a great idea to move the lights further to the front! I will also try to add a couple of capacitors to my installation. When running on idle, mine flicker a bit as well... Great video!
We've had a couple "big snows" here so far, and the lights work great at night! I do like having them in front of the chute, it seems to help a lot with glare and prevents shadows cast by the chute. I highly recommend mounting them above the auger. Just make sure if you do move your lights, secure the lights well because they vibrate quite a bit.
Absolutely enjoyed your video. I plan on purchasing a new Ariens snowblower in the fall and the first project on my list will be to add LED lighting. I'm getting up there in years and I don't quite understand the wiring completely (dementia?). Is there any chance of showing a simple schematic to show how everything is wired? Your installation is very professional and I would like to follow your exact instructions. Thank you in advance.
Good video nice mustang too
Wish you would’ve shown how you did it from start to finish. Nice job though
Nice job next upgrade heated hand grip kit install
That rectifier doesn't look waterproof, how's it handling the water
GREAT VIDEO! I bought a brand new Ariens Deluxe 30. The factory installed light is horrible and searching alternative light options I found this video. I bought the same lights, bridge rectifier and inline fuse from Amazon for under $25. I spent maybe another $20 for wire, connectors, heat shrink and a switch. I opted to mount my lights up higher by the handles for two reasons. Sometimes I get snowfalls deeper than the auger housing is tall. I also don't want to deal with disconnecting the lights if/when I ever have to remove the auger housing for service. Otherwise I have the same basic set up and these lights are BRIGHT!
Scott Matthews Thanks Scott. I would love to see how it turns out! Hope the install goes smoothly, and hopefully my video helps you out.
intelligent thinking
Nice video, but who makes an ariends snow blower?
I do not like where you put the led lights on the bucket because, if you have trouble with your auger gear box, you have to separate the bucket from the machine to make the repair. Now you have to separate the wires also.
carl cappy That is a good point, you could always put some kind of quick connectors on the wires so they can be easily disconnected. Or install the lights on the handlebars. Thanks for the post,
@@mnp40c89 or just un-bolt the two lights and cut a couple of zip ties
And nowadays some come factory with a light bar on the housing. Cub Cadet/MTD comes to mind...
Did you delete the Halogen altogether? also you stated that the LEDs might flicker if you tap into the light... even with the fuse and capacitors in line?? Great video!
Yep I deleted the halogen all together. The LEDs need the bridge rectifier to convert the voltage to DC. Unless of course your snowblower/mower already puts out DC voltage (i.e. has a battery). If the lights were directly connected to the AC wires, the lights would have had a strobe/flicker effect when in motion. Similar to some of those LED christmas lights you see out there. The capitors and fuse do not fix this, because you'd still be using Alternating Current.
I just added 2 LED lights on my 28 Deluxe in a very similar fashion. they are super bright.
Hi. Did you post a review of your LED light set up on your snow blower? Thanks.
How did you connect the capacitors to the wires? Difficult to see in the video. Looks like you spliced them in and wrapped with electrical tape.
Yep they were spliced into the wires between the rectifier and the switch. I soldered the connections then wrapped some electrical tape around them.
Nice job with your installation. Hopefully you guys are getting more snow than we are. BTW nice Mustang.
We haven't had much snow here in Michigan so far, hope we get some soon so I can use my snow blower some more! haha
Nice job of the installation. Did you consider raising the lights so they sit a little higher? When I did my installation I took into account snow being higher than the auger housing bucket.Look forward to seeing a review when it snows.
I considered it, but here in Michigan we usually don't get too much snow. If you live in an area that receives a lot of snow, you can definitely do the same job but just install the lights to the handle bars. If I remember, I will try to create a video the next time we get a big snow storm, and I will show you how the lights look at night. So far I love them, I can see everything clear as day.
+MnP40c - i assume you have floods on the front? I'm have spots there and two floods above the cab. I had to put the ones on the bucket higher up as the angle of the bracket/auger housing causes light to be blocked. raising them up gets the full light. Have you noticed this about your bucket lights?
I think they are floods but I don't know for sure. For being on top of the auger, the lights put out a nice wide angle beam, and also shine fairly far down the driveway. I haven't actually tried putting lights any higher up. Thx for the comment
MnP40c sweet! You on snowblowerforum.com? Im posting my updates there now as bassguitarist1985
xboxer1985 I am on there, I will have to check it out! Have you posted on there before? Your name sounds familiar
MnP40c yessir! Im a frequent forum flyer.
Best spot to mount the lights,but do they ice - up when blowing snow?
Not too bad, occasionally have to wipe them off
Nice video! Did you add the 2 capacitors to the same wires ( spaced out) or do you have a +/- wire for each capacitor?
I added the 2 capacitors to the same wires spaced out.
Not to be meant as a critic comment, but meant more as an inquiry; why would you mount these two headlamps on the top of the cowling when you 'may' encounter snowdrifts and snowbanks delivered by the city plow that will be higher? The other query is how much night time snowplowing do you actually do? I have an older Ariens that has the original incandescent light and I find it works well enough in the dark hours to see what I am doing. I'm not sure how well that rectifier will fair out being exposed to the elements. Neat process though.
Clarify, both Capactors come off POS dc terminal of Bridge Ret? And are connected in Parallel to ea other? Then a Fast Blow FUSE ( ? Amp) to Led light(s)? Have I got that right.
@MnP40c Quick question on the grounding wires only. So I'm connecting the ground/black wire from the Stator to the AC- on the bridge rectifier and in a separate instance, I'm also connecting the ground wire(s) of the LED lights to the ground on the switch. There also a ground/black wire running between the DC- on the rectifier and the ground on the rocker switch as well. Does this sound right so far? The question is... is the rocker switch ground an actual pig tail join consisting of a ground wire coming from the DC- on the rectifier AND the grounding wires coming from the LEDs themselves?
I knew when I put a wind shroud on, my halogen light would be useless as it lights up the interior of the shroud. But I think I might just remove the existing light and reposition to the more sensible location you put your LED's. Anyone have a comment?
I used your schematic, but I can't figure out what the ground going to the - terminal on the switch is for. My circuit works without it.
How did you determine what size (watts) LED lights you could run off that wire? I have a brand new 28" Deluxe SHO Ariens (306cc). The stock bulb is only a 20w halogen (which is so bad!) so I have no idea what size LEDs I can run off that wire.
I forgot how I determined that, but I vaguely remember finding a post on the snowblower forum stating that total output should be about 40watts or less. For my snowblower I am using 2 18watt for a total of 36 watts. That seems to be working fine for me.
Can't you just install the L.E.D without capacitor and rectifier? Just 12v dc as it is through the engine and the light, just interrupt with a switch right? ground to the switch with the positive making 12v when auxiliary is turned on by ignition and then load side from the switch to the new light?
Can I pull a rectifier from an old power supply? I have two truck accent lights that I got from walmart and they cast a nice circle of light.
I recover tons of hardware like this so year!
Hi MnP40c, getting ready to do some mods. Going to add a led light and heated hand grips. Thanks for the pointers. I realize now it's a little more to it than just splicing a couple wires. Need to do some research!
You dont need all of that ofcourse they tell you that you need to spend 109 bucks for that. CRap I did the same thing one live wire from factore light and a ground wire bam done
Clean install, but I have a question. Doesn't the OE halogen bulb operate on DC voltage? Couldn't you just splice into the leads that power the halogen bulb for your additional LED lights?
The Halogen bulb operates on either AC or DC voltage, which is why it works fine with the AC voltage that comes out of the stator. Technically, I could have run the LED lights directly off of those wires, but that would have caused the LED lights to flicker. The reason for converting the AC voltage to DC is to prevent the LED lights from flickering or having a strobe effect.
Thanks. I've never seen a halogen run on AC.
Halogen bulbs are merely incandescent bulbs filled with inert gas and iodine or bromine. The filament will heat up no matter which direction the current flows, unlike diode lamps which need only DC.
Great video very nice installation, and well explained. Thanks for posting. (Running gas engine in closed garage not good for your health).
Other than the light placement, good job 👍
The light placement is perfect. Lights up what’s in front of you. Stock placement lights up the blower and is absolute garbage for what’s in front of you.
@@joeythefoxxo first hard snow over the top bye bye lights.
@@MichaelRei99 That’s a fair point. Where I am, the snow is never over the top of the snow blower.
great video, nice st up of light,
if i understand right the capaciters is used to smoothen out the DC wave
think i want to do the same on my old Canadiana 1032 the light on from the stator is not very good
Great video i did the same thing with my husqvarna snowblower..i had to attach a battery box to the frame since my machine did not come with a lite...keep up the good work
May be a silly question, I followed every step clearly, but I wanted to ask, where does the third wire off the switch go??.
Switches usually have three connectors (Power, Accessory, Ground). You would have the negative wire from the rectifier connect to the ground connector on the switch. Then the positive wire from the rectifier connected to the power connector on the switch. Then you would run the LEDs positive wire to the accessory connector on the switch, and the negative wire from the LED lights would also connect to the ground connector on the switch. Hopefully that makes sense, and my explanation isn't too confusing. Good Luck! :-)
Yes it does, and thanks. I suppose my issue is that I bought a harness from a car part store, and that has a relay switch in it. Perhaps I may need to remove that to see.
Art Reina I believe the third wire is due to the switch he purchased. It appears to be a lighted switch, and therefore needs a positive and a negative to light the switch itself. A cheaper switch may only have 2 tabs. Positive coming in from the rectifier and power going out to the lights. The negative in this case would travel directly from the rectifier to the lights. I believe this is the case.
Like. Do you have a wiring diagram? How as the lights wired - series or parallel?
Sweet. Can you post the parts numbers that you bought.
I burnt two LED lights on my snow blower... I did buy a rectifier...
Did you use any capacitors?
I just purchased an MTD/Craftsman 28" with the 243cc engine... Would you happen to know if it has ac or dc output from the engine?
All stators are AC... DC only if you have a battery on board.
Wow a ton of light coming off that, great job
Be warned that most of the eBay and Amazon lights are over-rated as to wattage. Several reviewers have tested them on regulated power supplies and they are only 6 watts or so. Still fairly bright but not 18W.
Either way 1 6 watt led is better than the halogen. Hell the free flashlights from harbor freight put out more light than snowblower light
I need to check if my snowblower have DC or AC output.
Ac
Question: Since it’s been a while would you change anything now like the mounting of the lights does it get blocked with snow? Or?
Yes the light placement was questionable.
Excellent job, I have an older craftsman I was thinking of installing lights on and I was considering placing the lights where you did, your feedback about removing the glare of the chute cements that idea. Your wiring is the most professional looking of any video on the subject I've seen to date.
I bought magnetic rechargeable work lights and they work great.
Nice job.
Nice job
MnP40c I set this up on my D28 as well but only one light will work at a time because it shorts the other out for some reason. Thoughts?
What capacitor amp you use please?
What Motor oil do you use?
Parts list please
I looked up the replacement halogen bulb for the snowblower and was listed as a single 20 watt halogen. But you added (2) 18 watt lights. Does anyone know the max wattage the snowblower can handle? I'm concerned about drawing too much power and frying something. Your setup looks awesome and is the exact setup I'm going for, minus the on/off switch. I personally don't care if the lights are on all the time like the factory light. The factory supplied halogen light is useless in it's factory location. Great work, thanks for sharing.
Hi Mark, on the snowblower forum someone said that the max watt the Ariens Deluxe 28 can handle is 60w. However, my LEDs are using 36W, and I feel like I can't go any higher than that. The reason I say that, is when the throttle is not on high, the LEDs flicker a little bit because they aren't getting enough power. At full throttle, they are fine. So if you have the same snowblower as me, I would stick to 36W or below.
Mark Bowyer j
Nice
hey there i have the same snowblower i put lamp on with the fuse the bridge rectifier it still flickers a little bit with power on high why how can i eliminate that
How many watts total are your led lights? Placing two capacitors between the bridge rectifier and the lights may help/eliminate the flickering. id try that
it's 80 watts I saw putting a full wave bridge rectifier works I got single phrase
I'm curious, did the full wave bridge rectifier work for you? If so, what is the model number of the one you used? I bet a lot of other people out there would like to add higher watt LEDs if they can. Thanks!
MnP40c hey it worked better then the single phrase bridge rectifier it still blinks very little or it might just be the vibration of the engine but to me it seams pretty good I bought it at Amazon if it was car it would of been easier www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007Z7LXVQ/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 that's the link for the rectifier the light I got free from bad reviews from the company aux beam on and other light that failed www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EHKPW6K/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1484282606&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=auxbeam+spot+and+flood+beam
MnP40c BTW did you add dieelectric grease a lot to rectifier the switch to keep water out
No USB charger mod yet?
Nope, but I'm sure it could be done:-)
Why put them on the bucket? Why not keep it higher up like clamped to the lower part of the handles?
I only did that because I didn't want the shadow caused by the chute
Snow sticks to led. Doesn't come warm enough...
NICELY DONE MY MAN!
A much simpler way without any wiring is pick up one or two bicycle headlights. Easily removeable and USB rechargeable.
Can I run this with out the capacitors?
Yes, the capacitors are optional. As quoted from SuperEdge88 on www.snowblowerforum.com "Using two 2200mfd 50v capacitors may be needed to clean up voltage ripple that comes off of the DC output on your bridge rectifier. Some LED lights are sensitive to this ripple and may fail prematurely. Simple adding these capacitors in parallel on the DC output side of the bridge rectifier is a good precaution. Wire in the Capacitor(s) between the LED light(s) and the bridge rectifier. So the postive and negative of the bridge rectifier will go to the positive and negative of the capacitor. Then the positive and negative of the capacitor then get wired to the LED(s) positive and negative."
MnP40c Now I am confused on Capacitor connections, seems like they are connected to Both sides +/- of bridge ret. and to ea other at the same time????? I keep rereading the explanation over + over. Help...
The capacitors are just connected in parallel between the bridge rectifier's DC-Output +/- and the +/- wires on the LED lights. The capacitors can be connected together if you are using two of them. You could also just connect the capacitors straight to the bridge rectifier itself and they should still function the same way. Hopefully that helps, sometimes its hard to explain. On my blower I have the capacitors connected between the +/- DC OUT on the rectifier, and the switch I am using to turn the lights on and off. I may try to make another video sometime with some clearer footage.
MnP40c , If you ever make another video, draw a schematic of your set up. An image worth a thousand words. That's bright.👍
Your post is top rate, my hat is off to you. I just ordered a new Airens Deluxe 28 SHO. Will this wireing set up work on the Snow Thrower I just ordered? I have ordered the LED lights, bridge rectifier, got the capacitors, fuse holders and weather resistant switch at Radio shack.
Thanks KLH. I believe this setup should work on your blower, but I would double check to make sure the current isn't already DC from the stator. I'm not to familiar with the new blowers, but if it is already putting out DC, then you won't have to convert the current. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!
Hey buddy great video, very informative. I have the same snowblower But in my case I connected the bridge rectifier and capacitors just like you said in your video. But it still flicked a bit. And also when I turned down the idle the lights where flickering like crazy you think you can give me some input on what I should do next.... PS sweet mustang in the background
Really nice, but why not just avoid using your machine in the dark?
Good job
did he say Supahead 88?
this is pointless waste of time and money unless you snowblow at night time alot
It is, a pointless waste of time. Thanks for sharing your input.
Weenie, some of us do.
So why did you come and waste seven and a half minutes of your life watching this if you were not interested in nightime snowblowing to begin with?
I've never needed a light cause I always blow snow during the day and never at night.
I just plow in the daytime no need for lights.
u suck!
Strange location, could be damaged in deep snow and/or knocking down a large snow bank.
Nice work though!
The use of a pointer would be helpful. The shaky left to right and front to back camera work gave me a headache. You didn't source purchases, you didn't show the wiring diagram, didn't explain why a capacitor was needed, where the fuse is and why that rating. From an educational viewpoint it was more confusing than instructive. Now to really learn how to do a LED conversion I have to go to a different site. The loud engine noise and shouting over it was a poor choice. You could have turned the engine volume down (editing) and simply did a normal volume voice over.
Sorry my video did not meet your expectations. If you read the description it lists the model #s of the capicitors I used, and the bridge rectifier. Also I sourced where I bought them. Go to ebay and search the model # of each, and you will find them out there. If I have time, I will create a more detailed video with diagrams and such. Sorry if you think I wasted your time...
Nothing wrong with your video man. Any parts one would not understand, just go to the web page you posted.
jeez Charlie...would you like for him to come over and install the for you....he said go on the forum for a more informative install...he's just showing you what he did...and its not rocket science...if the fuse and capacitors are an issue maybe skip this project....
Sorry to say, but if you can't watch this guys video and successfully wrap your head around what he's telling you along with visually seeing the connections to wire the switch, capacitors ,fuse and rectifier along with installing the lights then it would be safe to say that you probably shouldn't be fucking around with your snow blower to begin with..... period.
You neglected the Sqrt(2)=1.414 difference between AC RMS voltage and AC peak voltage. Your rectifier and capacitive filter leaves you with the peak voltage less the diode drop.
Using a bridge rectifier and capacitor filter from an alternator gets you ((Vac*1.414)-1.2) volts, if you have 12VRMS AC you get 15.8VDC and if you have 14.4VRMS AC you get 19.2 VDC. If your Cree LED's power converter is OK with the high DC voltage, that's great, If not you'd need either a voltage regulator of a DC to DC converter.
The alternator has enough capacity for handwarmers, so drawing all the current in a small fraction of the cycle near the voltage peak should be OK. If it weren't you'd need to add a fairly large choke to increase the conduction angle.
Amazon sells these lamps and the input voltage is shown as 9V - 32V so they may have regulator in the case.
What are the specs of your rectifier?
vibratorification the model is KBPC5010. 50A 1000V Full Bridge Rectifier, found it on eBay