Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

O-K, the light kit that is sold as an 'Accessory' for the Honda Snowblowers comes with a standard 12 V sealed beam, like the old car headlights of yesteryear. But it IS Halogen as Honda says, a $10.00 dollar GE Par36 50 Watt bulb that puts out 300 Lumens.  It is in fact manufactured for this and many other applications by a company named (PM) Peterson Manufacturing, (www.pmlights.com)   They list the light in its rubber weather and vibration resistant mount as a Model 507, and if you go to www.foxtaillights.com they sell it for about 30 bucks, without the special HONDA snowblower bracket you need to mount it to the Honda snowblower, for the kit that Honda sells that includes this expect to pay $ 60.00 buckaroos.   Now IF, like me, You want to install a light more modern, capable and bright here's what you do.  You again go to FoxTailLights.com, and buy the PM model 907 light with 10 LED Diodes to light your way and an estimated 100,000 hour durability and an output of 1000 Lumens  . . . that light with the same rubber mount sells for $ 72.00 plus shipping and anything else they can add. 

The light kit, like the Commercial Skid Shoes is supplied with the electroplated zinc, Guaranteed to RUST in record time, bolts, nuts & washers.  If you don't like rust on your new snowblower go to www.allensfasteners.com and replace the HONDA QuickRust hardware with some Stainless Steel.

Incidentally the Peterson Manufacturing (PM) Technical rep said that the OEM accesory light they supply Honda, the 50watt 12V sealed bean requires 2.54 amps, the new LED unit needs just  .51 amps to operate, so the extra power to run the switch is not going to be a problem.  Just make sure the unit gets as good a ground contact as you can or it might  not work. 

PM makes a stick-on reflective in either amber or red they call them "Spitfires", IMHO they are the brightest reflectors I've ever seen should anyone need such a thing.

New Yorker,

Quick question, does the LED light work with a simple replacement of the 507 with the 907 in the rubber housing?  Do the wires connect the same?  If so, I will order the light and take a photo.

Is there any fickering while the engine is running?

So I replace this:

with this:

aa335 wrote:

I think we are the only state left with that rule.

Steve_Cebu wrote:

Steve, It’s just dang expensive to live here.

We are taxed up the WAZZZO ..

njal wrote:

Yeah it is, I had relatives that lived there. They've since moved. My aunt has friends who still live there. Taxes in NYC are pretty bad also. Gas here is about $3.01 but our property taxes are insane considering we get no real benefits from paying them.

I am not a New Yorker but I will answer your question.  Yes you can replace your original with the LED replacement.  No it will not plug right in.  You will need to crimp a connector or cut and splice your original connector. Not a big deal at all.  It should not flicker.  Now just to through my 2 cents in,  Lights on a snowblower are not to see what is in front of you.  They are meant so you are seen.  In my opinion LED lights give a fake looking white light. I myself do not like the look. I will keep my old fashion power eating not green lights.  kderobertis wrote:

Just be careful about installing LED light on your snowblowers.  LED requires steady and tight DC voltage source and not sure the DC supplied by the snowblower is that steady without going thru a voltage conditioner.  Analog light is not that finicky and can handle some voltage imperfections.  My bike has NightRider bike lights and it comes with a Li battery supply.    So be careful about changing the light before checking the power source.

You can't pump your own gas in Oregon either. njal wrote:

snowmachine wrote:
What gets me is that you can't pump your own gas in NJ, but it's still cheaper than gas in NY, CT, and MA. It's about the same price as gas here in Maine but we have to pump it ourselves.

So much for the lie that you pump your own to save money.

Bill_H wrote:
Actually, I rather pump my own gas not so much to save money, but to avoid gas station attendant installed scratches.  I also declined those hand dry at those automated car washes at gas stations.  Who knows how many cars that towel has been used on and how many times it has been dropped on the ground.  No thanks.  I use touchless car wash for a reason. 

kderobertis wrote:

The 507F,( OEM accessory) will have only 1 wire coming from it which would 'plug-in' to the only wire unconnected on the side of the engine.  (mine was folded behind the electric starter motor out of sight so you may need to look for it).  My advice is before doing anything test that wire to make sure it is working, mine was not and needed the dealer to replace it.  (Test with a two wire circuit test light by attaching one lead to the socket for the light and touching the snowblowers frame on some unpainted place, like a bolt head.)  the test light should tell you by lighting up that the machine is producing power. (of course the engine must be running to do this test). 

The 907  (LED version) will have two wires coming from it, a white (Ground) wire and the red power connection wire.  The wire is a braided copper 16 guage, so buy a plug in connector that can be crimped onto that 16 guage red wire.  The rubber mount holds the lamp in place by simple friction, so you can easily remove it in both the 507 or the 907.  The white wire can be connected one of two ways. 1- open the rubber housing and solder it to the rivet inside the rubber housing same-same the old light,  so when you are finished it connects by the bolts and brackets to the frame and grounds the circuit OR 2- leave it outside the housing of the 907 which is the way it arrives (it still says 507 on the rubber) and run it to a frame bolt and fasten it. (you will need some 16 guage wire and a snap connector from Radio Shack to extend the wire.) Either works, so long as the circuit on the machine does.  I added a switch, but that is not needed unless you want to do it. 

The stock bulb requires, according to Peterson Manufacturing, almost 4 times the amps that the LED unit does, so there is not only plenty of power to operate the light, I was able to run a wire to the control panel and back to install a switch as well.  Peterson told me the new LED light only draws .51 amps, which seems incredibly little. No Flickering just bright white light.

Once you overcome the cost, the rest is fairly simple.  Best of Luck, it looks awesome.