That is the cleanest ROPS lights instalation I've seen so far bar none. I am currently in the process of installing a bar light and two pod lights on my BX2680. My plan is slightly different than yours but very similar. My biggest issue so far is finding space for the relays and such. Sub-compact means Kubota has already taken up most of all the hidden spaces. I'm deciding whether or not to upload a video....
Thanks for the kind words Joel. "Clean" was exactly what I was aiming for, so I appreciate your feedback. I too struggled a bit to find a place for the relays. As I guess you saw in the video I ended up purchasing a small Box that is mounted up under the toolbox. So far, so good. Good luck on your install! 👍😎 And definitely make the video!!!
@watershedoverlook It took awhile for me to get my lights installed. Here's a very quick video of the result. th-cam.com/video/yXcnNlfQVCQ/w-d-xo.html
I know I'm late to your channel, but I'm loving it. Great looking install, what a difference those lights make and a very clean and professional looking instal. Can't wait to get my tractor and utilize these great tips!
Nice job on your light installation! I have the exact same set up as you LX2610 with a backhoe so I had to change my junction box location. I used a Nilight 420W Lightbar/ dual pod setup. I mounted my dual lead harness directly from the battery and ran both leads into my rear located junction box, where I wired each lead independently to their own lighted on/off switch, one for front and one for the rear. One relay is appropriate for this application, cuz the relay lowers the amp load on the switches. I also used liquid tight conduit from the battery to my junction boxes and from the junction box to the switch box located on the right side top of fender. I also added two alternating quad flash units facing the rear on the rops for driving on the road at night.
Thanks. Sounds like you have a nice setup. I have considered additional flashing lights too...are you happy with yours, and can you recommend or provide a link? Thanks again, Chris
Very professional install Chris and the diagram will be very helpful to others. What a difference it made when you turned them on 😳👍🏻, have a good one 👍🏻
@@watershedoverlook I took delivery of my new LX3310 two weeks ago. Looking to add lights before this winter for snowblowing. Your video and detailed information was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful. Congrats on the new tractor and ood luck on the install. DIY My Way had a couple of good videos on his lights that I found very helpful. Honestly, almost every tractor channel has a ROPS light video and each one offers a little something different...switch placement, wire routing, mounting, etc. Kinda illuminating (sorry, I had too 🤦♂️) just watching a bunch of them! Have a great day...👍😎
I'm doing it your way! Any tips on fishing the wire up through the ROPS, and especially out through the small hole at the top? I would have thought you'd start at the top, but it doesn't sound like you did. thanks!
Good luck on your project Richard. To be honest, I don't specifically remember. I THINK what I did was fold the ROPS so I had access to the middle, then run an electrician's fish tape up the inside. Then I fed a loop of twine or a small wire into the hole at the top and hooked it with the loop on the end of the fish tape and pulled it down. (The bottom half of the ROPS is easy.) then I used that to pull the actual wires through. It took a few tries but I don't remember it being too difficult.
Nice clean install! I am planning a lighting system for my BX and this gives me some ideas. I can’t mount mine the same way because I need the headroom for running my backhoe, but yours looks great! I particularly liked your wiring and the u channel usage. Nice work!
Morning Chris. Nice job on the lights - big difference. LOL - gotta love those deer flies. BTW - next time you are in to your dealer ask him why it is a big deal to alter (drill) into your ROPs. It is a big no-no. He'll explain. Thanks for the great overview. Cheers!
Thanks Gordon. Actually, I started to go deeper into the "altering the ROPS" discussion but decided that the additional "interactions" in the comments weren't worth the headache. 🤕 In the end it's a simple thing to add lights without drilling, so it seems like a no-brainer! Have a great Memorial Day weekend. (I seem to remember you guys up north have "Remembrance Day" which I think is a similar holiday?)
I've watched several videos on installing ROPS lights but your u-channel idea is the best I've seen. Hope you don't mind me "borrowing" (stealing ;p) that one! It protects the wires and hardware, gives a single solid mounting point for the lights, eliminates several snag points for brush and vines, and it looks clean and tidy! One question.... Did you seal or close up the ends of the u-channel or leave it open?
Hey Rudy, thanks for the kind words, and by all means please DO appropriate the idea! I did consider sealing the ends, either by welding or silicone but in the end decided not to. My tractor is stored inside and I'm not typically using it in pouring rain so water is not a huge issue. Also, EVERYTHING in there is heat-shrinked and so I decided that a little airflow would be better to allow any moisture that did manage to get in to more quickly get out. Thanks for watching and good luck on the install!
@@watershedoverlook Good point on letting the moisture get out of there I didn't think of that and my 1023e lives in the barn so I'll do the same. I used to install car audio on the side so I'm all about soldering, heat shrink, and sealing connections. Most of the business I did then was fixing crappy free installs from the big box stores where they didn't mount headunits properly and used cheap crimp connectors with no solder and 6 months later there was static and skipping. Same principles apply! Thanks!
Chris, Thank You for the excellent instructional video. I appreciate the parts list also. What size drill bit did you end up using for the two switches. Thanks again for your help.
Thanks for watching and the kind words Daniel. Actually, I didn't use a drill bit at all. I knocked out the blanks and the switches fit the existing holes. 👍😎👍
Sorry, missed this. Because the power "pigtail" circuit (that I connected to for power) is already fused, I did not add an additional in-line fuse. Thanks for watching, and sorry for the slow reply. 👍
I completely understand! Thankfully, the terrible part of deerfly season here is roughly Memorial Day to July 4th. They don't totally disappear but their numbers drop dramatically.
Nice install job. I may borrow some of your ideas when I finally get around to installing my led pods. What did you use to fish the wires through the ROPS?
So where does your power actually come from the auxiliary pigtail correct...? What would I need to do if I would want to run a stronger light set from NiLigjt. Was looking at the combo set, 300w for the front and two 60w for the rear. Is this possible or I might fry something. I've seen a few guys use this light set. Any insight. Thanks mate. Gave you a thumbs up. You really seem to know what your doing. 👍
Thanks for watching Allen. Yes, I get my power from the switched pigtail. If you go with higher power lights you will definitely need a better power source. You might consider running a power source directly to the battery. You could still use the pigtail to power a relay if you wanted "switched" power. Something else to consider though is charging. Don't know what your tractor situation is but I know the B2650/LX2610 doesn't have a full alternator but "dynamo"(?) that is basically just strong enough to keep the battery charged. If you are going with high-power lights that might be an issue. For what it's worth, my lights do a great job...probably better than what the video shows. Good luck.
@@watershedoverlook Thanks for answering. I'm getting my Kubota BX23S delivered in two weeks. Super excited. I would like to order my set of lights now so I can be ready to install them when I get the BX. Does the BX23s have an alternator or just dynamo like you say I'm not sure. Thanks again. Pleasure watching your video's...
I ran 14 ga wire up through the ROPS. (Info in video description.) To be honest, I don't specifically remember how I fished the wire...I had several ideas at the time. What I THINK I did was fold the ROPS so I had access to the middle, then run an electrician's fish tape up the inside. Then I fed a loop of twine or a small wire into the hole at the top and hooked it with the loop on the end of the fish tape and pulled it down (the bottom half of the ROPS is easy), then I used that to pull the actual wires through. It took a few tries but I don't remember it being too difficult. Thanks for watching!?
Thanks for watching. Links for the lights (includes harness), switches, etc. are in the description. As mentioned in the video I made the bracket (2" x 1/2" U-Channel steel from Home Depot) and made my own harness. Hope that helps. 👍😎
I sort of already have one...there is a factory "cigarette lighter" style power outlet by the cup holder that I can plug one directly into...used it once already!! 👍😎
Sir,How did you run the wire all the way through the rops ? I have a bx and where it bolts to the tractor, there is full blockage inside the channel where the bolts go.making it impossible for me to get anything through it..I unbolted the rope to look up in side.its all blockage. Any help would be appreciated.. Scott
Wow...that's weird. I wish I could be more helpful but I had no issues running the wires up through the ROPS of the LX. It is open at the bottom and I fed the wires up through with no problem. I feel confident there are videos of similar installs on BX tractors out there...possibly you can find more info there? Again sorry I couldn't be more help, but good luck in your install. - Chris
Sorry for the slow reply Allen...I missed this comment. I bought additional relays because the kit only came with one and I needed two, one for the front and one for the rear. The cost difference between buying a single vs the six pack was negligible and I figured I might find a use in other projects for the leftovers! Hopefully by now you have taken delivery of your BX and have a blinding light setup of your own! 👍😎
Here is a comment on Amazon can you check to see if this is true I would really appreciate it. I'm subscribe to your channel. Thanks Mate....... Earlier this month I bought the Nilight ZH016 12 Inch 72W Spot Combo Bar 2PCS 4 Inch 18W. I installed them on my quad and immediately noticed how dim they are compared to the stock halogens. I hooked up a TRMS DC clamp meter only to discover they were pulling about 3 amps when it should be closer to 8.5 amps ((72w+18w+18w)/12.6v nominal voltage with engine off). I think connected them to a different gel battery that was charged that morning with my NOCO charger. With the battery at about 12.6v the "72w" light was really only 23.9w (1.9a x 12.6v) and the "18w" lights were just 7.5w (.6a x 12.6v). A light package that advertises 108 total watts is really just 39.06 watts. Quite the difference!
Allen, I can't really speak to why the Amazon commenter might be having said issues... perhaps there is an issue with the lights themselves, the wiring method or the multimeter? I don't really have access to my wiring without some serious "surgery" on my tractor so I can't test them with a multimeter, but what I CAN tell you is that the LAST word I would use to describe my lights is "dim". Based on my inexpert eye, I'd say I'm getting all the voltage I'm supposed to! Further, I just added a pair of the 18 watt lights as backup floods on my trailer and again, I have NO complaints about brightness. I did have problems with voltage drop when I wired them in series, so maybe that is the issue the reviewer is having? Both my tractor and trailer lights are wired in parallel. That's the best I can offer...hope it helps. - Chris
That is the cleanest ROPS lights instalation I've seen so far bar none. I am currently in the process of installing a bar light and two pod lights on my BX2680. My plan is slightly different than yours but very similar. My biggest issue so far is finding space for the relays and such. Sub-compact means Kubota has already taken up most of all the hidden spaces. I'm deciding whether or not to upload a video....
Thanks for the kind words Joel. "Clean" was exactly what I was aiming for, so I appreciate your feedback. I too struggled a bit to find a place for the relays. As I guess you saw in the video I ended up purchasing a small Box that is mounted up under the toolbox. So far, so good. Good luck on your install! 👍😎
And definitely make the video!!!
@watershedoverlook It took awhile for me to get my lights installed. Here's a very quick video of the result. th-cam.com/video/yXcnNlfQVCQ/w-d-xo.html
I know I'm late to your channel, but I'm loving it. Great looking install, what a difference those lights make and a very clean and professional looking instal. Can't wait to get my tractor and utilize these great tips!
@mikecoo9933 Glad you're enjoying the content, Mike! 👍😎
Awesome job, clean install that doesn't looked hacked. Have a great day, Jason
Thanks Jason!
Nice job on your light installation! I have the exact same set up as you LX2610 with a backhoe so I had to change my junction box location. I used a Nilight 420W Lightbar/ dual pod setup. I mounted my dual lead harness directly from the battery and ran both leads into my rear located junction box, where I wired each lead independently to their own lighted on/off switch, one for front and one for the rear. One relay is appropriate for this application, cuz the relay lowers the amp load on the switches. I also used liquid tight conduit from the battery to my junction boxes and from the junction box to the switch box located on the right side top of fender. I also added two alternating quad flash units facing the rear on the rops for driving on the road at night.
Thanks. Sounds like you have a nice setup. I have considered additional flashing lights too...are you happy with yours, and can you recommend or provide a link? Thanks again, Chris
Very professional install Chris and the diagram will be very helpful to others. What a difference it made when you turned them on 😳👍🏻, have a good one 👍🏻
Many thanks Luc!
Chris. Impressive. Very nice, clean install. Thanks for sharing.
DJ
Thanks, and thanks for watching! 👍😎👍
Very impressive set up for ROPS lights. Appreciate your attention to detail.
Thanks for the kind words and for watching! 👍😎
@@watershedoverlook I took delivery of my new LX3310 two weeks ago. Looking to add lights before this winter for snowblowing. Your video and detailed information was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful. Congrats on the new tractor and ood luck on the install. DIY My Way had a couple of good videos on his lights that I found very helpful. Honestly, almost every tractor channel has a ROPS light video and each one offers a little something different...switch placement, wire routing, mounting, etc. Kinda illuminating (sorry, I had too 🤦♂️) just watching a bunch of them! Have a great day...👍😎
I'm doing it your way! Any tips on fishing the wire up through the ROPS, and especially out through the small hole at the top? I would have thought you'd start at the top, but it doesn't sound like you did. thanks!
Good luck on your project Richard. To be honest, I don't specifically remember. I THINK what I did was fold the ROPS so I had access to the middle, then run an electrician's fish tape up the inside. Then I fed a loop of twine or a small wire into the hole at the top and hooked it with the loop on the end of the fish tape and pulled it down. (The bottom half of the ROPS is easy.) then I used that to pull the actual wires through. It took a few tries but I don't remember it being too difficult.
Nice clean install! I am planning a lighting system for my BX and this gives me some ideas. I can’t mount mine the same way because I need the headroom for running my backhoe, but yours looks great! I particularly liked your wiring and the u channel usage. Nice work!
Sorry I missed this comment when you made it Lucas...my ADD in full activation! Thanks (belatedly) for the kind words. Cheers!
That U-channel was a great idea! Nice work.
Thanks Chad!
Great video Chris 👍 Looks like the lights work good. You are killing it.☀️😁👍
Thanks Mitch. This video fought me the whole way...glad to finally get it in the can!
Good videos, thanks for taking the time to make and share.
Sorry for not replying sooner...apparently I missed this comment. Thanks for watching Brett!
Morning Chris. Nice job on the lights - big difference. LOL - gotta love those deer flies. BTW - next time you are in to your dealer ask him why it is a big deal to alter (drill) into your ROPs. It is a big no-no. He'll explain. Thanks for the great overview. Cheers!
Thanks Gordon. Actually, I started to go deeper into the "altering the ROPS" discussion but decided that the additional "interactions" in the comments weren't worth the headache. 🤕 In the end it's a simple thing to add lights without drilling, so it seems like a no-brainer! Have a great Memorial Day weekend. (I seem to remember you guys up north have "Remembrance Day" which I think is a similar holiday?)
LOL. Good call Chris.:)) We did last weekend - Victoria Day (honoring Queen Victoria). Have a good one my friend!
I've watched several videos on installing ROPS lights but your u-channel idea is the best I've seen. Hope you don't mind me "borrowing" (stealing ;p) that one!
It protects the wires and hardware, gives a single solid mounting point for the lights, eliminates several snag points for brush and vines, and it looks clean and tidy!
One question.... Did you seal or close up the ends of the u-channel or leave it open?
Hey Rudy, thanks for the kind words, and by all means please DO appropriate the idea! I did consider sealing the ends, either by welding or silicone but in the end decided not to. My tractor is stored inside and I'm not typically using it in pouring rain so water is not a huge issue. Also, EVERYTHING in there is heat-shrinked and so I decided that a little airflow would be better to allow any moisture that did manage to get in to more quickly get out.
Thanks for watching and good luck on the install!
@@watershedoverlook Good point on letting the moisture get out of there I didn't think of that and my 1023e lives in the barn so I'll do the same. I used to install car audio on the side so I'm all about soldering, heat shrink, and sealing connections.
Most of the business I did then was fixing crappy free installs from the big box stores where they didn't mount headunits properly and used cheap crimp connectors with no solder and 6 months later there was static and skipping.
Same principles apply!
Thanks!
Thank you for posting
My pleasure...thanks for watching! 👍😎
Very nice and clean install. Great call with c channel to hide the wiring where the lights are mounted.👍
Thanks for watching!
Chris, Thank You for the excellent instructional video. I appreciate the parts list also.
What size drill bit did you end up using for the two switches. Thanks again for your help.
Thanks for watching and the kind words Daniel. Actually, I didn't use a drill bit at all. I knocked out the blanks and the switches fit the existing holes. 👍😎👍
Hey Chris. Nice work! Where did you decide to add your in-line fuses to keep them dry but accessible?
Sorry, missed this. Because the power "pigtail" circuit (that I connected to for power) is already fused, I did not add an additional in-line fuse.
Thanks for watching, and sorry for the slow reply. 👍
Perfect install.
Thanks William! 👍😎
Chris
can you give more info on the switches,,, Like the nice square mounting,,,
THanks
Thanks for watching Glen. There is an Amazon link to the switches I purchased in the video description. Hope that helps!👍😎
Thanks , I need to remember to tell my wife she has a few packages coming from Amazon :)
Soon you'll be looking for jobs you "need" to do after dark! Thanks for watching. 👍😎
Like you, my hatred of deer and horsefly’s are immense. We don’t go to our cabin in north Minnesota until September when their lifecycle is over
I completely understand! Thankfully, the terrible part of deerfly season here is roughly Memorial Day to July 4th. They don't totally disappear but their numbers drop dramatically.
Nice install job. I may borrow some of your ideas when I finally get around to installing my led pods. What did you use to fish the wires through the ROPS?
So where does your power actually come from the auxiliary pigtail correct...? What would I need to do if I would want to run a stronger light set from NiLigjt. Was looking at the combo set, 300w for the front and two 60w for the rear. Is this possible or I might fry something. I've seen a few guys use this light set. Any insight. Thanks mate. Gave you a thumbs up. You really seem to know what your doing. 👍
Thanks for watching Allen. Yes, I get my power from the switched pigtail. If you go with higher power lights you will definitely need a better power source. You might consider running a power source directly to the battery. You could still use the pigtail to power a relay if you wanted "switched" power. Something else to consider though is charging. Don't know what your tractor situation is but I know the B2650/LX2610 doesn't have a full alternator but "dynamo"(?) that is basically just strong enough to keep the battery charged. If you are going with high-power lights that might be an issue. For what it's worth, my lights do a great job...probably better than what the video shows. Good luck.
@@watershedoverlook Thanks for answering. I'm getting my Kubota BX23S delivered in two weeks. Super excited. I would like to order my set of lights now so I can be ready to install them when I get the BX. Does the BX23s have an alternator or just dynamo like you say I'm not sure. Thanks again. Pleasure watching your video's...
Nice work
What size wire fits through the hole in the ROPS and how did you fish it through? I have a similar hole on my 2650. Just wondering what wire to buy.
I ran 14 ga wire up through the ROPS. (Info in video description.) To be honest, I don't specifically remember how I fished the wire...I had several ideas at the time. What I THINK I did was fold the ROPS so I had access to the middle, then run an electrician's fish tape up the inside. Then I fed a loop of twine or a small wire into the hole at the top and hooked it with the loop on the end of the fish tape and pulled it down (the bottom half of the ROPS is easy), then I used that to pull the actual wires through. It took a few tries but I don't remember it being too difficult.
Thanks for watching!?
Nice job
Thanks! 👍😎
Nice video
Thanks for watching! 👍😎
Great job. Where did you get the switches?
Thanks! The switches came from Amazon...there's a link is in the video description. 👍😎
Any links to the lights, bracket and wire harness you used Sir?
Thanks for watching. Links for the lights (includes harness), switches, etc. are in the description. As mentioned in the video I made the bracket (2" x 1/2" U-Channel steel from Home Depot) and made my own harness. Hope that helps. 👍😎
Nice!!! Going to mount a set on my Hindi I think. I see a USB charge port option in your future...
I sort of already have one...there is a factory "cigarette lighter" style power outlet by the cup holder that I can plug one directly into...used it once already!! 👍😎
I see you are familiar with EA.. Get their Wicked Tooth Bar.. Highly recommended for our Virginia Clay. (I'm up in Fauquier County)
Sir,How did you run the wire all the way through the rops ? I have a bx and where it bolts to the tractor, there is full blockage inside the channel where the bolts go.making it impossible for me to get anything through it..I unbolted the rope to look up in side.its all blockage. Any help would be appreciated..
Scott
Wow...that's weird. I wish I could be more helpful but I had no issues running the wires up through the ROPS of the LX. It is open at the bottom and I fed the wires up through with no problem. I feel confident there are videos of similar installs on BX tractors out there...possibly you can find more info there? Again sorry I couldn't be more help, but good luck in your install. - Chris
The NiLight kit you got already comes with a 40 amp relay. Why did you buy more? Thanks mate
Sorry for the slow reply Allen...I missed this comment. I bought additional relays because the kit only came with one and I needed two, one for the front and one for the rear. The cost difference between buying a single vs the six pack was negligible and I figured I might find a use in other projects for the leftovers!
Hopefully by now you have taken delivery of your BX and have a blinding light setup of your own! 👍😎
Nice work, going to shamelessly copy you. :)
Highest praise I can get Chris...I'll take it! Good luck, and let me know how it turns out! 👍😎
Here is a comment on Amazon can you check to see if this is true I would really appreciate it. I'm subscribe to your channel. Thanks Mate....... Earlier this month I bought the Nilight ZH016 12 Inch 72W Spot Combo Bar 2PCS 4 Inch 18W. I installed them on my quad and immediately noticed how dim they are compared to the stock halogens. I hooked up a TRMS DC clamp meter only to discover they were pulling about 3 amps when it should be closer to 8.5 amps ((72w+18w+18w)/12.6v nominal voltage with engine off).
I think connected them to a different gel battery that was charged that morning with my NOCO charger. With the battery at about 12.6v the "72w" light was really only 23.9w (1.9a x 12.6v) and the "18w" lights were just 7.5w (.6a x 12.6v).
A light package that advertises 108 total watts is really just 39.06 watts. Quite the difference!
Allen, I can't really speak to why the Amazon commenter might be having said issues... perhaps there is an issue with the lights themselves, the wiring method or the multimeter? I don't really have access to my wiring without some serious "surgery" on my tractor so I can't test them with a multimeter, but what I CAN tell you is that the LAST word I would use to describe my lights is "dim". Based on my inexpert eye, I'd say I'm getting all the voltage I'm supposed to! Further, I just added a pair of the 18 watt lights as backup floods on my trailer and again, I have NO complaints about brightness. I did have problems with voltage drop when I wired them in series, so maybe that is the issue the reviewer is having? Both my tractor and trailer lights are wired in parallel. That's the best I can offer...hope it helps. - Chris
You must be a Jimmy Buffett fan
I wouldn't say I qualify as an actual "Parrot Head", but I may have been at a Jimmy show or two back in the day! 🦜😎👍
If the ROPS folds down, mount them on TOP, fooooo!!!
You seem to know something I don't. What do I gain by mounting them on top of the ROPS other than reducing my overhead clearance?