Lights on your Bobcat

[sqkcrk]

How many of you guys have special lights, or modified lights, on your skidsteer loader for working in the dark. Are there really lights which bees don't come at you like they do w/ white light? I put red gel over my Bobcat lights, but still get bees coming at me. Maybe not as bad as if they were still white. Would orange be better? A friend had some lights mounted low on the face of his machine, behind the headboard, so the edge of the truck would be illuminated. Anybody else do something like that? What about on top of the cab?

I don't like working in the dark, but sometimes one can help doing so. How do you handle the dark?

[jim lyon]

We use amber. They still fly at them some but not too bad. I read a study someone did once that said amber was a bit more difficult for bees to see than red. It also helps a lot not to wear white clothing at night.

[sqkcrk]

I'm thinking that since bees can't see red, maybe the white light behind the gel still shines through. I don't know.

[dbest]

I use Red LED Tail lights in the 4" rubber tractor housings. You can wire the tail and brake lights to different switches so you have brights and dims. I think I have around 10 or 11 mounted on the mast. I have one all the way at the bottom so I can see my forks when they're down.

[BeeTech]

Maybe if you used a LED based light where only red light is produced rather than a white light filtered down to red. Perhaps a one of those red LED stoplights (maybe with a difuser to spread the beam). You could also try an LED amber from a stoplight also.

[AstroZomBEE]

We use amber, but we wire it into the left trigger control on our bobcats. that way the lights are normally off and only turn them on for a second or two to see when you are picking up or setting a pallet down, and just normally run around by moonlight.

[BMAC]

I have one all the way at the bottom so I can see my forks when they're down.

I have been considering placing lights on the lower part of my forks for my skidsteer just for the purpose of seeing fork tips at night time. I usually have another person spotting me when loading/unloading semis but my spotter can never get it right about my fork tips. Its good to see someone has actually done and apparently likes what I was thinking about doing. Maybe a nice little project today as I wait for customers to come buy NUCs.

[tommyt]

Has anyone tried those light sticks the type you shake and break

[Skinner Apiaries]

Ive got some regular off road lights mounted low on my bobcat so I can see the forks when Im loading and unloading, started burning fuses out after a year, and have just left them disconnected.

[dbest]

Ive got some regular off road lights mounted low on my bobcat so I can see the forks when Im loading and unloading, started burning fuses out after a year, and have just left them disconnected.

Sounds like you need a relay!

[Skinner Apiaries]

dennie, its always diy, i need to get it put in by someone that knows what theyre doin

[Mtn. Bee]

I was told by a few old commercial beeks to go with amber and mount them low by the forks to pull the bees down and away from operator as much as possible!
Just bought some switches and elec. supplies the other day to get my skid steer set up, but didn't buy the lights yet as the store I was at didn't have much for options.

[Tim Stewart]

At least paint your forks white.

Tim