If you have to clear snow it is usually when ambient light is on the low side.
A version of my snow blower with lights is not available in Germany, and I prefer LEDs over standard bulbs.
The following description should be easily adapted to other blowers and material at hand:
My snow blower has no alternator but 12V batteries from a cordless drill are already in the tool box. I also didn’t want to have another battery system only for seasonal use which ruled out bicycle lights that are either wimpy or expensive. So I bought a 10W LED flood wash light; it features a tough aluminum housing, IP65 protection and the wide beam angle is excellent for close-range illumination.
My 12V cordless drill is a DeWalt. To get a battery mount with the necessary contacts, an old Elu (= now DeWalt) 12V flashlight’s body was cut in half. It was the cheapest solution to get the parts.
To mount the remnant of the flashlight to the snow blower handle it has been glued into a piece of stainless steel tube. This was machined to also accept a small switch with rubber cap and a cable gland. The tube is closed with a plastic end cap. This gives a good seal, but is not as final as a metal plug.
I've machined two nylon blocks for a secure fit of the battery mount to the snow blower handle; to my amazement a hole in the handle for the necessary bolt has been kindly provided by the manufacturer. The hole in the battery mount for the long M6 bolt was tapped, there’s also an additional nut from the inside. The nut is turned slightly tapered in a lathe to conform better to the inside of the pipe.
The light itself is installed with two small pipe hangers. They may not be the best looking solution, but they do their job perfectly and inexpensive, so I could not resist.
A version of my snow blower with lights is not available in Germany, and I prefer LEDs over standard bulbs.
The following description should be easily adapted to other blowers and material at hand:
My snow blower has no alternator but 12V batteries from a cordless drill are already in the tool box. I also didn’t want to have another battery system only for seasonal use which ruled out bicycle lights that are either wimpy or expensive. So I bought a 10W LED flood wash light; it features a tough aluminum housing, IP65 protection and the wide beam angle is excellent for close-range illumination.
My 12V cordless drill is a DeWalt. To get a battery mount with the necessary contacts, an old Elu (= now DeWalt) 12V flashlight’s body was cut in half. It was the cheapest solution to get the parts.
To mount the remnant of the flashlight to the snow blower handle it has been glued into a piece of stainless steel tube. This was machined to also accept a small switch with rubber cap and a cable gland. The tube is closed with a plastic end cap. This gives a good seal, but is not as final as a metal plug.
I've machined two nylon blocks for a secure fit of the battery mount to the snow blower handle; to my amazement a hole in the handle for the necessary bolt has been kindly provided by the manufacturer. The hole in the battery mount for the long M6 bolt was tapped, there’s also an additional nut from the inside. The nut is turned slightly tapered in a lathe to conform better to the inside of the pipe.
The light itself is installed with two small pipe hangers. They may not be the best looking solution, but they do their job perfectly and inexpensive, so I could not resist.