Hello,
A lawn mower should have enough features to deal with stubborn grass effortlessly. But some models feature headlights too. So what do these components mean? Why do lawn mowers have headlights?
We will help you understand the importance of the lights on your mowers. You can also discover some possible problems with them and learn how to solve them. Let’s read on to discover!
Contents
Why Do Lawn Mowers Have Headlights?
Lawn mowers have headlights mainly for illumination purposes, especially in hot regions. Besides, they are also helpful in terms of snow plowing, safety, and storage. To be more specific:
- Illumination: Homeowners who live in rural regions need more lighting at night. Hence, lawn mowers should have lights to help them clean their yard when it’s dark or gets overcast.
- Hot areas: Some people don’t want to mow their lawns during the daytime because of the hot weather. If they perform this task at night, the headlights of the mowers will come in handy.
- Snow plowing: You can use a lawn mower as a snowblower to wipe the white, sticky stuff off your properties. Since winter doesn’t give you much light, the lawn mower should.
- Safety: The headlights on a lawn mower help you detect debris in dark areas.
- Storage: You can keep your mower in a poorly-lit place. Headlights, in this case, will allow you to maneuver the equipment into its storage spot easily.
Read more: [Top 6] Best Mower For Thick Grass
You need more lighting to mow your lawn in the dark
Why Aren’t Lawn Mower Lights Working?
Headlights on lawn mowers make it simpler to perform their tasks during the nighttime or in dim light and increase visibility.
If the headlights don’t work, there will be tons of problems in terms of safety.
Here are possible causes for this case:
- Switches: The switch is in charge of controlling the power of the headlights. If it gets broken, the bulbs won’t work.
- Harnesses: The switch and the bulb receive electricity from the battery via the wire harness. Your tractor’s lights may not function properly with a faulty or damaged harness.
- Sockets: The socket is where you install the bulb. This component secures the bulb and allows electricity to flow through it. So if the socket has fallen out, is missing, or gets broken, the bulb can’t take the power it needs to light.
- Bulbs: The problem may arise from the bulb itself.
Read more: Black+Decker BEMW472BH review – A great Electric Lawn Mower
The lights do not work for some reasons
How To Troubleshoot A Lawn Mower Lights That Not Working?
Once you identify the cause, you can address the problem quickly. Here are our solutions for each situation.
Switches
You can check the switch by connecting a voltmeter to it. If the reading is not 12 volts, you need to do two things:
- Connect the positive ends of the voltmeter and the switch together
- Connect the negative end of the voltmeter to the negative end of the battery
After that, if the meter shows a 12-volt value, the switch is receiving power. But if lights still don’t work, it’s your switch to blame for.
To replace the switch, please follow these steps:
- Open the hood and find the switch.
- Press the hooks on the switch casing to remove these hooks.
- Disconnect the wires and link them to the new switch.
- Insert the switch into its spot.
- Test the bulb.
Harnesses
Use a voltmeter to check for 12 volts to inspect the harness. Looking for a power loss is necessary for all connectors.
If you notice a voltage drop, investigate any evidence of damage in the socket or outlet. Check the wiring after examining the connectors for any loose wiring.
Check the wires for cracks too. If you find any, fix it by sealing the problematic wire using electrical tape.
Sockets
If you have a faulty socket, here is how to replace it:
- Locate the socket underneath the hood.
- Next, turn your socket clockwise.
- Unplug the wires.
- Take a part of the harness off and establish a new connection.
- Mount the new socket after slipping the heat shrink tubing over the wires.
- Twist and connect these wires together to create a connection. You need to crimp on the correct female and male spade connections.
- Lift the heat shrink over the connector and compress it with a tiny flame or a lighter to produce a tight, firm seal that will prevent the moisture from leaking inside.
- Test if the bulb can work.
Bulbs
First, check the bulb to see if it’s the cause. Remove the old bulb by turning the socket clockwise to release it. Now, install a new one.
If the new bulb doesn’t work, the problem must be something else. But if it works normally, the old one may have broken or burned out.
Learn how to fix the lights
What Is The Purpose Of The Bar On A Zero Turn Mower?
Aside from the headlights, every lawn mower has extra features. For example, Zero Turn lawn mowers come with a support bar. So what can the bar do?
Steering wheels maneuver both wheels at the same time. Meanwhile, lap bars will control one wheel separately. This setup allows you to move, turn, and reposition as rapidly and effectively as possible.
Moreover, with each movement of the bar, you have complete control over the direction and speed of each wheel.
If you grab one left or right bar and push it forward, your mower can spin counterclockwise slowly. And if you hold both bars and push them backwards or forwards, the mower will move backwards or forwards in a straight pattern. The key is to apply the right pressure level.
This video will show you how a bar works on a Zero Turn mower:
Conclusion
A mawn lower with headlights will give you tons of safety, illumination, and storage benefits. So once they get broken, follow our shared instructions to fix them immediately.
Hopefully, you will find this guide helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thank you for reading!
