They are required to stay operational while subjected to the elements from being left outside and to resist physical damage and attack from corrosive chemicals, fertilizers and dung.
The result often is that they don’t work properly. The ‘tailboard’ has been the traditional quick fix for decades. These are usually cheap and cheerful but, in reality, don’t offer a long-term solution.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting systems have been making inroads as they are particularly suited to the agri sector.
Pricing has come down and the big advantage for agri users is that they do not use conventional bulbs and associated bulb holders.
Instead, LED light units use multiple small but bright LEDs to perform the function of a conventional bulb. The majority are sealed for life units with many thousands of hours working capability before possible failure of an individual LED bulb.
One of the reasons for the popular tailboard quick fix is handiness but also because not everyone is confident enough to tackle a lighting system and repair it successfully. Two Irish firms, QTP Ltd and RockFit Technologies Ltd, have recognised the market for pre-wired plug-and-play systems. We decided to try out the different systems for ourselves, starting this week with the QTP system.
QTP
QTP — Quality Tractor Parts — is a Mullingar-based firm owned by Matt Buckley (and often known as Matt Buckley’s) which offers options to suit almost every lighting type and configuration. There are different types of side and rear lamp, plus cables of varying lengths to suit different tasks.
We fitted the QTP system to an Ifor Williams cattle trailer because lighting options would replace the existing rear lights and side markers without making or modifying any mounting brackets. QTP supplied the data in Table 1 for our cattle trailer project; it includes the firm’s suggested retail prices. QTP does not supply to the end user, just to dealers and merchants, so prices may vary across retailers.
Fitting
To start with, we had to remove the trailer’s existing lamps and wiring. That’s the easy bit. There can be a lot of components in the QTP system, so it’s best to lay them out on the ground or a flat trailer, so you know what goes where. Lay them out on a clean surface because all of the loom plugs/sockets come pre-greased to ensure a good connection and long life trouble free.
The kit will have to be partially assembled to determine the correct plug for the left and right rear lamp as the loom is not marked. Once the original lights and wiring were removed from the cattle trailer, new holes had to be drilled to mount the rear LEDs and the side markers fitted perfectly.
Wiring of the side marker lamps required wires to be run from the plugs at the rear lamps all the way forward. Plugs and sockets are tight going together to help keep contaminants out.
Care has to be taken. Multi-pin plugs and sockets will only plug in one way which is indicated by arrows. You have to take your time and line up the arrows and pins. Trying to multi-lock them together will end badly.
On the plus side, their small size makes them easy to route through holes and tight spaces in the trailer’s undercarriage. A number plate ‘bezel’ and lamp had to be modified to suit the trailer at a later stage.
Overall, fitting worked out well and very tidy. It was possible to route a lot of the QTP wiring as done originally by the trailer manufacturer. Where we couldn’t, plastic ties were used to secure wiring and make safe from damage. The slim size of the two-core wiring to the side markers allowed us to use the original securing points which really made for a tidy job on the exposed wiring up to the front mounted lamps.
QTP products are stocked by agricultural dealers and merchants around the country. If you cannot find one, telephone QTP at 044-9341638, email: info@qtponline.com or check out the firm’s website at www.qtponline.com.
Likes
Lots of lamp options.
Lots of loom length options.
Dislikes
Loom plug and socket assemblies a bit fiddly for ‘agricultural’ fingers.
SHARING OPTIONS