# LED Light on New HS720 Commercial



## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

Pics below…

So after posting my LED light mod to a Honda HS520 last year ( https://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/honda-snowblowers/130714-pic-led-light-added-hs520.html ), an older friend fell in love with the machine. He has shoulder issues and needed an electric start, and more importantly a dependable machine he could rely on. My 2013 HS520 has electric start--although I never used it because Hondas are so easy to start. So I gave him my HS520, and used it as an excuse to buy a new HS720. Of course I needed a light on the new machine!

So here’s the mod to the HS720 for the new light. Because I snow angel 26 properties now I opted for the Commercial version: the HS720CC. There is no electric start option on it--which means the starter bracket and the support bar with pre-punched mounting holes on the cross member were not available to me to attach a light and battery box. Plus, there is really no great front-of-machine option for mounting a light on the HS720CC--unless you want to mount it downhill from the gas fill/cap, which seems a really bad idea (or a great way to get an Ig Nobel Award).

I utilized a clamp bracket approach this time around scabbed from a cheap bicycle water bottle mount. But I swapped out the 1 inch mounting bolts for 35mm M5's so I could add Posilok nuts due to the severe vibration it will undergo. Then I improved on the LED light (I think) over the previous version. The improved version is now a much smaller mini LED version (just 3 LEDs vs. the 6 on Version 1). Yet it is 1024 lumens vs. the previous 630 lumens, and consumes less power. The light was more pricey than the one I got on sale for my HS520 last year, but you get what you pay for: the new one only sucks 360 milliamps @ 12 VDC. As I write this I am watching the voltage on a Fluke 115 and am still seeing 11.22 V after 2+ hrs. using a 1.4 Amp Hour SLA battery. My requirement is for 2-3 hours of light, as Calgary typically sees sunrise by 0800 in the dead of winter. And I ain’t getting up before 0500--no matter how much I like my neighbours.

In a residential area like I am in with streetlights, blower lights are more about being seen than being able to see. (Update: after 4+ hrs., and a battery measurement of 8.71 VDC, the light is still very visible and bright enough for full night operation.) So even if I forget to re-charge overnight, it looks like I have 2 days of operation on full charge. 

One lesson I learned from Version 1 on the HS520 was that a spotlight beam pattern--which works great on my HS724 ACTD--doesn’t cut it on the single stage Honda. Because you can't mount the light in front, any spotlight pattern mounted behind the chute just gets scattered on the back of the chute and shoots back at you. Instead I found a “worklight” beam pattern is best for the single stage machines. Maybe Toros, Murrays, etc., have room for a light up front, but the Hondas don’t. From behind the chute the wider beam pattern reflects off snow banks when you tilt the machine down to engage the auger. This light then scatters and provides more than adequate illumination in front of the paddles for the operator. Best of all every crazy driver can see both you and the machine. If wearing proper PPE with reflective tape, you stand out because the scattered light also hits the tape. If you’ve also got reflective tape on your machine it shows you off off even better. A spotlight beam pattern directed in front of machine doesn’t do this.

Originally I modified the mounting supports to incorporate slidable adjustment brackets I machined. These gave the operator some up and down play with the work light to suit personal preference. But after testing with the machine running (the 720 vibrates more than the 520) I hated that the adjustment brackets were held in place with set screws. I hate set screws. They suck in any application that vibrates, even with Loctite. So I ditched that approach and mounted with just the tube brackets, then added Posiloks as insurance.

As a final note I just use a Battery Tender Jr. and a weatherproof pigtail to charge the battery. The lighted rocker switch is also weatherproof. I should have got a red-lit rocker switch as this is a Honda, but I like Yami’s too, so blue is still cool, and they were on sale. This is my first time mounting a mini SLA battery sideways, so I’ll be monitoring this too. The manufacturer says it is not an issue, but we’ll see. One last lesson from Version 1 was that no matter how well sealed the battery box is, corrosion will occur. Even the use of recessed steel screws into the cast aluminum housing creates rust. This time around a quick coat of Plasti Dip, or even a silicone seal seems like a good idea.

Update: I got tired of watching the DVOM and shut it down. It still lights up my garage brightly and it is 7 hrs later. I'm calling this a success.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Very nice work! 



Though fully-draining the battery will likely be hard on it, and may cause it to degrade more quickly. From your current-draw, you'd pull 1.4Ah in just under 4 hours. And if SLA are like deep-cycles, I've heard they will last longer (lifespan) if you don't use more than half of their capacity. If it was me, I'd at least recharge it after every use, to try and minimize the depth of the discharges.


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

You are right - these little batteries are not deep cycle Optimas. I agree and will be recharging each day as you suggest. I was curious to see how long it would last as I was so amazed at the draw difference compared to my previous light. I sure feel safer with a light. Thanks.


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