Know-how
Knowledge base
Practical, factual articles about machine lighting: mounting, IP ratings, flash patterns and choosing the right package.
- 01
Package 2 vs Package 3: what is in a kit?
The same bar ships in several package levels. How to read the article number suffix, what Package 2 contains, and what the LED light bar in Package 3 adds.
3 min read
- 02
Why pre-wired bars save real installation time
Every kit arrives with the loom fitted and every lead labelled: work light in/out, position light, flashlight, night dimming. What those labels mean for the installer.
3 min read
- 03
IP ratings explained: what IP68 and IP69K actually mean
How to read an IP code, the difference between immersion and washdown resistance, and why the manufacturer still warns against pressure washers on lamps.
3 min read
- 04
R65 and the 20 flash patterns of the flashlights
The LED flashlights ship with 20 selectable flash patterns. What ECE R65 approval means, the full pattern list, and how to program the units with one button.
2 min read
- 05
Mounting principles: original bolts, clamps and spacer blocks
The mounting rules that come back across the range: use the machine's original mounting points, protect the finish when fitting clamps, and never use a bar as a step.
3 min read
- 06
Position lights and public roads: what the rules say
The manufacturer's regulatory note on VVFS 2003:27, the switch requirement for class 1 motorised implements, and why you should check your own country's rules.
3 min read
- 07
Roof, hood, grille, counterweight or side: which bar type fits your machine?
The five mounting locations in the range and how they map to machine types: counterweight and roof for excavators, roof and hood for wheel loaders, roof for tractors.
3 min read
- 08
Maintaining anodised aluminium bars: cleaning, checks and recycling
The manufacturer's maintenance rules: cleaning agents between pH 6 and 8, no pressure washer on the lamps, a check before use, and how to sort the materials at end of life.
3 min read
- 09
Work light, position light, flashlight: the three functions on a bar
A MachineBars bar usually carries three different light functions, each wired to its own circuit. What work lights, position lights and flashlights do, and why they are kept separate.
3 min read
- 10
Does this bar fit my machine? How to read the fitment line
Every product page shows a fitment line quoted straight from the factory. How to read it, why we never expand model ranges, and what to do when your variant is not certain.
3 min read
- 11
Powder coating: a bar in your own colour
Bars come anodised as standard, but many can be powder coated in a colour of your choice on request. How the option works and what to expect.
2 min read