Someone here upgraded their riding mower with some kickass LED lights. Does a push mower have a strong enough electrical system to add an LED light? If so, recommendations?
I'm currently slammed with work, and when I get home its baby-watching time until 8:00 ish. Finding daylight to mow the lawn is difficult to do.
Or should I get a bike headlamp and put it on my head and another and just strap it to the mower?
Probably best result would be a few Led flashlights attached to the handle. You may luck out and the handle diam may work with bike light mounts.
Two of these may work http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MT6NU5K/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?qid=1439255498&sr=1-12&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=bike+headlight
For $20 you can get the cheapo HF Drill/light combo. The ones I have seen have the light so it is aimable. Zip tie and that, you would be set. Why are you mowing the lawn at night though? Get one of those snugli things and take the kid with you. If you are worried about it being too loud, get noise cancelling headphones, maybe a mask if it is dusty, and you are ready to rock. If you are getting the lights still, you want them to be closer to the front of the lawnmower than the handle though, on the wheel, maybe low on the handle, so it is closer to the front and the ground.
Toebra wrote: For $20 you can get the cheapo HF Drill/light combo. The ones I have seen have the light so it is aimable. Zip tie and that, you would be set. Why are you mowing the lawn at night though? Get one of those snugli things and take the kid with you. If you are worried about it being too loud, get noise cancelling headphones, maybe a mask if it is dusty, and you are ready to rock. If you are getting the lights still, you want them to be closer to the front of the lawnmower than the handle though, on the wheel, maybe low on the handle, so it is closer to the front and the ground.
I'd rather just mow later in the evening than deal with putting the kid in one of those, with headphones & a mask and subjecting him to 90+ degree weather in the sun + my body heat + my sweat. There is no way that would be a pleasant (if not dangerous) experience for him.
I just dug out my old MagicShine light though for my bike. @ 1200lumens, its 4x as powerful as the flashlight nocones suggested. It mounts perfectly to the handle of the mower, and the battery will strap right next to it. Battery was dead though, so don't know how it will work. I may pick up a second now that knockoffs are 1/2 the price and get a headstrap for it so I can leaf blow, weed trim, & edge.
I'm considering an LED 880 for my snow blower. Thankfully that is a direct fit conversion, no hassle.
Most push mowers don't have charging systems like riding mowers, so nothing to power the light. LED flashlight or bike light would be the easy answer.
how long does it take to mow the lawn? our parents used to leave kids unattended for periods of time that would get them convicted of child neglect and shunned from society these days, and we all survived..
Go to bike shop. Find bright but cheap LED light. Attach to handle as if it were a handle bar. Done.
No need to re-invent the wheel.
Heck, you may even find a re-chargeable one on clearance that is like a car headlight.
novaderrik wrote: how long does it take to mow the lawn? our parents used to leave kids unattended for periods of time that would get them convicted of child neglect and shunned from society these days, and we all survived..
About an hour if you include trimming, blowing & edging.
I would totally be OK with that, but SWMBO doesn't think a 2 month old should be left alone (while awake) for that long.
Get a LED ballcap for your head. You can use it for mowing if you wish, and a lot of other things.
A small battery pack is the way I'd go. I think Alfa has the right idea.
MagicShine I mentioned above. Its stupid bright. I was able to use the dimmest setting just fine. I need a head strap though so I can trim & edge.
I found some 12V 800 lumen rated LED's on Amazon for less then $10 each. They will run off a small sealed 12V battery for hours. So if your mower has a 12V battery for starting I wouldn't worry about the electrical system. I use mine at the race track for general lighting of my paddock area once it gets dark. They were tested at the recent 24hr Lemons race in Joliet, IL and worked fine.
jimbbski wrote: I found some 12V 800 lumen rated LED's on Amazon for less then $10 each. They will run off a small sealed 12V battery for hours. So if your mower has a 12V battery for starting I wouldn't worry about the electrical system. I use mine at the race track for general lighting of my paddock area once it gets dark. They were tested at the recent 24hr Lemons race in Joliet, IL and worked fine.
Probably won't need them for my mower... but have a link? I could use a cheap light like that for something else.
Sorry to be late to the party, but this is the rig you REALLY want!
I'd add two beer cans with tubes to it...
In reply to pinchvalve:
And an IR strobe on the mower in case you lose it.
Link to 12V LED lights I purchased.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XZAQDU/ref=sr_ph_1?m=A1AKFXA5SBNHIA&ie=UTF8&qid=1439492751&sr=sr-1&keywords=12V+led+lights
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