Hobbs hour meter install on mower

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My brand new $8,000 mower only logs hours with the blades running because they wired it to the pto which I think is stupid. I installed a Honda enm hour meter that hooks to the spark plug. It works great, but
Every time we get a good rain the screen goes blank where you cant read it. You can kind of see that it's still working, but anyways can I install hobbs hour meter on this machine? I'm assuming it's just a ground connection and it gets power from the ignition? Do they draw a lot of power?
 
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Sorry I can't help with the "how to" but I thought this was a bit gimmicky until I got my new mower.
Every time I mow I use it. I could do without the push button start and the security code but the panel offers a OLM
a time clock, hour meter, service light, tachometer, and diagnostics etc.

I use the tach daily as my mower has a sweet spot for smoothness and efficiency and I go right to that RPM- makes life easy.
Good Luck!
 
I'm just curious as to how complicated of an install it would be and if it would interfere with other things.
 
I don't get why I have so many problems with these battery powered LCD meters. This is like the third one too. I used to use briggs and Stratton meters which typically lasted 7 years until I got a bad batch of those.i think the problem is they sit on the shelf too long and the battery is near dead by the time it gets sold.
 
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A Hobbs meter uses so little power, they'll run for WEEKS on a battery.

Tie into the ignition, that's the most common source. + and - , Very easy to hook up.

Don't EVER leave the key on, or you'll come back with 1000 hours added to it. That's why most are run through an oil pressure switch.
 
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I'm just curious as to how complicated of an install it would be and if it would interfere with other things.


Very easy to wire, and will not affect any systems.
 
You need a store that has quick turnover. I suspect they are very old stock as you suggest!

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I don't get why I have so many problems with these battery powered LCD meters. This is like the third one too. I used to use briggs and Stratton meters which typically lasted 7 years until I got a bad batch of those.i think the problem is they sit on the shelf too long and the battery is near dead by the time it gets sold.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
A Hobbs meter uses so little power, they'll run for WEEKS on a battery.

Tie into the ignition, that's the most common source. + and - , Very easy to hook up.

Don't EVER leave the key on, or you'll come back with 1000 hours added to it. That's why most are run through an oil pressure switch.

I haven't looked at it yet, but I'm hoping it's just a spade connector hooked into the ignition. I'm looking for a way to wire it up without splicing the existing wires.
 
I haven't looked at how the wires are connected, hopefully it's just a matter of bolted it on to the existing terminal.
 
I recently put one on my JD 317, not a Hobbs, but a similar china made analog hour meter.
Simple 2 wire install, power wire and ground.
My Deere has switched power going to the headlight switch, so i tied into the feed wire going to the headlight switch.
 
When you say tie, do you mean you spliced into a wire on the machine? I'm trying to figure out an area to mount it without doing that.
 
Yes I cut the wire and spliced into it.
I don't see any way you're going to do it without splicing unless you have some kind of unused accessory wire somewhere.

cut the wire, use some good heat shrink butt connectors or solder and heat shrink tubing.
 
Ok I can do that no problem. I have an entire container of heat shrink butt connectors. I'll just squeeze the wire for the hour meter into it and hang the meter somewsomewhere protected from the elements.

I have an analog style meter on my boat and it's 25 years old. Fixing to turn over 1000 hours.
 
Originally Posted By: cronk
I recently put one on my JD 317, not a Hobbs, but a similar china made analog hour meter.
Simple 2 wire install, power wire and ground.
My Deere has switched power going to the headlight switch, so i tied into the feed wire going to the headlight switch.


What do you think caused the hour meter screen to go black and come back randomly? Even though it goes blank, it still seems to log time. I thought it was the rain, but it got rained on yesterday and worked the whole day.
 
Sometimes I have seen the digital ones go blank or all black if left out in direct sunlight on a hot day.
I prefer the analog ones for longevity and reliability.
 
Originally Posted By: cronk
Sometimes I have seen the digital ones go blank or all black if left out in direct sunlight on a hot day.
I prefer the analog ones for longevity and reliability.


I do have it on a black dash exposed to direct sunlight, my other hour meter which is also an enm on a self propelled mower is double sided taped to the deck which is red. That one hasn't had any problems. Maybe I need to relocate it. idk. Or just hard wire a new one on and call it a day. This is one of those stand on mowers.

I did finally get a chance to look under my mower to see the key switch and it appears to be a 7 prong switch and looking at a diagram online or a 7 prong key switch it appears that it is the yellow wire has 12v power when the key is switched on.
 
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