Adding LEDs to Farm Equipment to Increase Productivity and Save Energy

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In order to be productive on the farm, it is imperative that we are able to see what we’re doing. With shorter days right around the corner, the ability to get farm work done will soon be greatly diminished. Sure the sun will rise an early hour thanks to daylight savings time, but it can be tough at times to rise right along with it. In cases such as this, having good lighting options around your farm and especially on your farm equipment can be very advantageous.

A popular addition to farm equipment in recent years has been light sources consisting of white light-emitting diodes. These are widely known as LEDs and are praised for low energy consumption and long life (40,000 hours with little to no maintenance). When used in vehicles and farm equipment, this long life and efficiency is doubly useful as LEDs in turn lend to longer lifespans in batteries and alternators on the machinery in which they are present. LEDs do not have a filament to burn out, instead operating based on the activity of electrons in a semiconductor material which in turn causes them to glow. Additionally, they emit very little heat which makes them useful in various items around the house in addition to being ideal for farm use. They also do not contain heavy pollutants, making them great for going green.

Perhaps the best location for LED lights around your farm in on the tractor. Imagine a long day in the field when you are so close to finishing the work you set out to do but need just one more hour to get it done. If only you had a safe, energy efficient light source to use that would not exhaust your eyes in ways that other bulbs might. Whatever the task you need to complete, the reality is that darkness is not an ally of farm work. When the sun sets, the job ends unless you make some upgrades and additions to your equipment to keep you going after the sun punches the time clock for the day.

 

If you have an older tractor and are convinced you cannot add LEDs to it, think again. Retrofitting is simple, requiring few additional parts if you are merely replacing bulbs as seen in the video below. Though additional lighting may be a concern in terms of overloading the electrical system, that is not a problem with LEDs thanks to their energy efficiency. LEDs can easily be added to tractors of all ages enhance safety when they are used. By adding LEDs to farm equipment, there is nary a late night farm task you won’t be able to accomplish.

By and large, LED light is nothing new, having been around the 1960’s, it is growing in popularity in the house, on the road, and around the farm. As more advances are made in terms of technology, LEDs are becoming more and more attractive to the farmer with a to-do list. Whether you farm fulltime or still maintain a day job as you try to get your beginning farm established, forcing you to work late into the evenings or early in the morning without your companion the sun to guide you, adding LEDs could prove useful in helping you get the job done.

Although the expense of buying new items for the farm is often a deterrent, LEDs are becoming more and more affordable all the time. Even if there isn’t much wiggle room in the budget now, LEDs will soon pay for themselves with the increased productivity they enable. Being able to see safely while working in darkness will aid you in accomplishing goals in a safe manner and that in itself is priceless.