HorseFixer 2,013 #151 Posted November 25, 2009 Duke, is there any meter you don't have???? Infrared thermometers, light meters that measure candle power.. I have a dang mulitmeter! Period! NO! It just comes from years and years of accumulation garage sales and being at the right place at the right time I guess. :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #152 Posted November 25, 2009 Okay last night I think I showed that you are not going to replace a Single Halogen Light Bulb with A Single LED Light Bulb and be anywhere near as BRIGHT! <_< So whats the solution? It will require another trip to the HorseFixer Shop and lab to do some more tests! I went back out in the garage last night and ran an AMP test on a single Halogen bulb and found that they draw 2.83 Amps X 6 that would be 16.98 + the strobe at about 3 amps would be 19.98 + the two stock tractor lights would be .65 that would be a total of 20.63 AMPS and thats not even Operating the Chute Motors You can see where I am going here I am almost 21 AMPS and the tractor charging system at best is 15 AMPS! I am 6 amps over without factoring in the chute motors. That is why it is important to GO LED Well I slept on it overnight and went right out in the Garage after work and I think I have found a solution. The globes in these lights are just that a glass Len's with a chrome rear shield with a socket to hold a clip in H-3 bulb. I already made mention that the 36 LED flat panel arrangement was the brightest I had found, What if I could squeeze 3 of those 36 LED panels in one light? 108 LED's well after testing that is exactly what I am going to do. I found that the 3 LED Panels fit in the globe like a glove. And not only that..... They produce more light than a Halogen bulb and draw around 1 Amp Each. I think the problem is solved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 1,030 #153 Posted November 25, 2009 Have you checked the real output of your tractors chaging system?? it might not be up to the full 15amps, and if you max it out for hours at a time will it hold up?? how much resistance in all the wires, switches and conections you ran? how many amps does the coil need just to run the tractor?? resistance acrossed the amp meter I know most of mine melt down right there, major weak spot, and if it takes all it can just to keep up with the lights ect.... will it have any left to charge the batt.? just a thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #154 Posted November 25, 2009 Have you checked the real output of your tractors chaging system?? it might not be up to the full 15amps, and if you max it out for hours at a time will it hold up?? how much resistance in all the wires, switches and conections you ran? how many amps does the coil need just to run the tractor?? resistance acrossed the amp meter I know most of mine melt down right there, major weak spot, and if it takes all it can just to keep up with the lights ect.... will it have any left to charge the batt.? just a thought. I didn't run anything New thru the Tractors amp meter, so all it has is the original tractor lights and engine starter. everything else is ran thru a main 10 ga THHN Fused wire to the control box directly from the battery and branches out from there down to 12 GA then to 14ga accordingly. 10 GA handles 30 amps 12 - 20 an 14 - 15 amps I don't expect to draw 15 amps at anytime and most of the time under 10 thats why I did all this work going to LED's to ensure it will be well below the 15 amp charging system max for just that reason! :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whfan74 2,068 #155 Posted November 25, 2009 Very nice Duke........are you sure you are going to move that blower over to the bigger tractor next year??? You have so many contraptions on that baby it would take a week to unplug everything! :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #156 Posted November 25, 2009 I love the smell of smoking voltage regulators in the morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #157 Posted November 25, 2009 I love the smell of smoking voltage regulators in the morning. Jim when you get tired of SMELLING & replacing them switch to LED's! :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #158 Posted November 25, 2009 I've only replaced one in over 30 years of owning Wheel Horses. If you don't overload them they live a long healthy life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #159 Posted November 25, 2009 Very nice Duke........are you sure you are going to move that blower over to the bigger tractor next year??? You have so many contraptions on that baby it would take a week to unplug everything! Scotty, Yes, there will be a bigger tractor for the blower eventually. Everything will be duplicated on that machine and I am sure ideas will be refined and improved! This one will have everything stay in place but instead of a blower there will be a new Duked out plow system installed fully automated! Wait till you get a load of this! :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Curmudgeon 28 #160 Posted November 25, 2009 IMO, which usually isn't always so humble.... yeah, you're way underpowered to take full advantage of the blower. HOWEVER, you are planning a power upgrade, and by then, you'll have all the nit picky stuff worked out and can do it up right with the power upgrade. What a guy, always a thunkin!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #161 Posted November 26, 2009 This one will have everything stay in place but instead of a blower there will be a new Duked out plow system installed fully automated! Fully automated means you push a button and watch it do it's thing. No other operator input needed. You're in luck though, I have some used Mitsubishi 12 channel FXn series PLC's I could give you a good deal on, and they only draw about .6 amperes with all channels programmed and they have slots for up to 4 expansion modules in case you need to add an A/D, D/A or ethernet card. Any expansion modules will only add about .2 amperes each. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hounddoghundzsa 7 #163 Posted November 26, 2009 niiiiiiiiiiiice! :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #164 Posted November 26, 2009 Thanks anyway but I like my tractors plain and simple. I design, build, program and install automated manufacturing equipment for a living. I appreciate the simplicity and dependability of my tractors and prefer to leave them uncomplicated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #165 Posted November 26, 2009 Here's one for you to practice on. 0101001101101111011011010110010100100000011011110110011000100000011101010111001100100000011000010111 0010011001010010000001110010011001010110000101101100011011000111100100100000011100110110100101100011 0110101100100000011000010110111001100100001000000111010001101001011100100110010101100100001000000110 1111011001100010000001111001011011110111010101110010001000000011010000100000011100000110000101100111 011001010010000001100010011100100110000101100111011001100110010101110011011101000111001100101110 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chazm 413 #166 Posted November 26, 2009 I appreciate the simplicity and dependability of my tractors and prefer to leave them uncomplicated. Well said Jim :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #167 Posted November 26, 2009 Here's one for you to practice on. 0101001101101111011011010110010100100000011011110110011000100000011101010111001100100000011000010111 0010011001010010000001110010011001010110000101101100011011000111100100100000011100110110100101100011 0110101100100000011000010110111001100100001000000111010001101001011100100110010101100100001000000110 1111011001100010000001111001011011110111010101110010001000000011010000100000011100000110000101100111 011001010010000001100010011100100110000101100111011001100110010101110011011101000111001100101110 WoW! I'm Impressed! Uncomplicated Tractors and all! Yer my HERO! :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim_M 178 #168 Posted November 26, 2009 I was pretty sure I was Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #169 Posted November 27, 2009 I have been reading some talk about what kind of front tires to use and prevents the PUSHING when turning and taking the weight off the front end by letting the blower or attachment down. I asked several vendors that sold tires for our tractors and "ALL OF THEM" told me that the TRI RIBBED tires provided the best steering and best performance in snow to prevent this PUSHING EFFECT. They also sent me to MILLER TIRE and said that Firestone were the only ones who had these tires and owned the mold to produce them 16X6.50X8 after due inquiry was made I pick up a set of these. I was glad to see that they were not made in China like everything else is! I removed the rims off the tractor Wednesday morning broke the beads and took the Tires off using my Harbor Freight Bench Mount tire machine I then made a trip to the sandblaster and gave them a good blasting, blew them off, and wiped them down with Lacquer thinner. After they were dry I primed them with etch primer and about around 8:00 p.m. I gave them their first coat of val spar white with hardener thinned with naphtha to go thru my Badger Airbrush. I let them dry overnight and hung them up in front of my furnace air duct. The next morning yesterday (Thanksgiving) I gave them a second coat. I wanted to put them on the tractor this morning but there was no way that was going to happen drying naturally so I set up my Quartz Lights and gave them a good baking for about 10 hours overnight! I guess when you are desperate you will try anything! All I can say is it worked I gave the rims (inside) the Ole fingernail test and the paint was hard! There was absolutely no way using enamel that I would have been able to mount these tires the next day without somehow baking this paint! The temps was around 280 deg on these rims after shooting with my infra red thermometer. The next move was to mount the tires on the rims. After the last go with my RJ-35 mounting the Tires on the Rims and Talking with RAY Suburban 550 he said him and Linda mounted his and used cardboard and then a towel under them greased them up with Liquid soap and used a rubber hammer. Well I set up a piece of 3/4 Plywood on two sawhorses and them put down my towels and soaped the tire down on the edge and the rim you can usually work it down in the tire no problem NOW COMES THE HARD PART! <_< Getting The Tire over The Other Rim Edge! Well when your by yourself working ya gotta have more hands I experimented and used my QUICK GRIP Clamps! Between them and a rubber coated channel lock pliers used as a tire spoon (To Keep From Scratching Yer Freshly Painted Rim) works like a Charm for me. Now the next thing to do was to inflate the tire! well we all know how much of a pain that can be! The big boys use a tire belt well last year when doing my RJ I experimented with a ratchet tie down strap and it worked like a dream and I have been using ever since! New Bearings Installed! Well the final thing to do was to take the ole girl for a test drive! Well all I can say is WOW! I cannot believe it! The Damn Tractor feels like it has power steering! They Say On The MILLER Tires E-Bay Site: You will like the way your garden tractor looks & steers with these tires. All I can say is BELIEVE IT! The tractor steers and rides like a dream! The best part is from what all the tire dealers have told me is the "NO PUSH" Factor! Did I want to spend $140.00 on a set of tires? Heck No, But am I Glad I did? Hell YES! I would do it again in a HEART BEAT Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Suburban 550 28 #170 Posted November 27, 2009 Look real good, my friend. Looks like you're ready for the snow. :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gerry w 2 #171 Posted November 27, 2009 NICE!!! I'd bet they are easier to steer cause the majority of the weight is on the center rib and not spread out across the entire flat surface of the tire??? As when we over inflate a tire it's easier, what do you think? Sure looks great and beats roll chain! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,013 #172 Posted November 28, 2009 NICE!!! I'd bet they are easier to steer cause the majority of the weight is on the center rib and not spread out across the entire flat surface of the tire??? As when we over inflate a tire it's easier, what do you think? Sure looks great and beats roll chain! Thanks Ray and Ger Yep! Yer exactly right Gerry, Ray and I were talking about that tonight on the phone Im not kidding the dang tractor really feels light in front I thought I was gonna have to start weight lifting in order to steer the blasted thing I am really happy with it now! What got me to thinking about them in the first place was Glen Pettit Glen Jeri and I were talking on the phone about a month or so ago and he said the TRI RIBBED Jobbies were the way to go. As Ray told me tonight, Duke why do you think the big tractor guys have them? I would say a 100,000 Farmers can't be wrong! :notworthy: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwgdog66 23 #173 Posted November 28, 2009 Thanks Ray and Ger Yep! Yer exactly right Gerry, Ray and I were talking about that tonight on the phone Im not kidding the dang tractor really feels light in front I thought I was gonna have to start weight lifting in order to steer the blasted thing I am really happy with it now! What got me to thinking about them in the first place was Glen Pettit Glen Jeri and I were talking on the phone about a month or so ago and he said the TRI RIBBED Jobbies were the way to go. As Ray told me tonight, Duke why do you think the big tractor guys have them? I would say a 100,000 Farmers can't be wrong! I have a set of these on my C-160. They do steer great. And grab very well in fresh dirt to! Let us know how they do in the snow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Curmudgeon 28 #174 Posted December 1, 2009 :notworthy: :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Operator 7 #175 Posted December 1, 2009 Yup looking real good!! It's been great watching the progress pictures too! Randy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
