Lighting Tower Buying Guide: How to Light a Worksite Properly
The Short Answer
To choose a lighting tower, match the lit area to your site (a modern LED tower like the Bobcat PL40 covers roughly 4,000–5,000 m²), check run time per tank against your shift pattern (look for 100+ hours), and choose LED over metal halide for instant start-up, lower fuel burn and longer lamp life. For remote or windy sites, check mast height, wind rating and trailer compliance.
LED vs metal halide: LED wins for almost every site
Older metal halide towers need several minutes to warm up, burn more diesel, and their lamps degrade quickly. Modern LED towers switch on instantly, sip fuel, and their fixtures last tens of thousands of hours. Unless you're matching an existing metal halide fleet, buy LED.
- Instant on/off with no restrike delay after a power interruption
- Roughly half the fuel consumption of an equivalent metal halide tower
- Lamp life measured in tens of thousands of hours — fewer service callouts
- Better colour rendering, which improves safety on night shifts
Coverage: how much area does one tower light?
A four-lamp LED tower with a 8–9 m mast typically lights 4,000 to 5,000 square metres to a workable level. As a rule of thumb, plan one tower per major work zone rather than trying to stretch coverage — shadows from plant and stockpiles cut real-world coverage well below the brochure figure.
Run time and fuel: the numbers that matter on remote sites
For mining and remote civil work, refuelling trips are the hidden cost. Look for extended-run fuel tanks giving 100+ hours between fills, automatic start/stop on photocell or timer, and a fuel gauge you can read without climbing on the trailer.
Practical checklist before you buy
- Mast: hydraulic or winch raise, 360° rotation, wind rating suited to your region
- Trailer: ADR-compliant for on-road towing between sites
- Noise: check dB(A) rating if the tower runs near residences or camps
- Service access: single-side service doors save time in the field
- Support: national parts availability — a tower that's down at night is a safety issue, not just a cost
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square metres does a lighting tower cover?
A modern four-lamp LED lighting tower with an 8–9 metre mast lights approximately 4,000–5,000 square metres to a workable level. Plan one tower per work zone, as plant and stockpiles cast shadows that reduce effective coverage.
How long can a lighting tower run without refuelling?
Extended-tank LED lighting towers can run more than 100 hours between refills at full load. Automatic photocell or timer start/stop stretches this further by only running the tower when light is needed.
Should I hire or buy a lighting tower?
If you need lighting for more than roughly 6 months of the year, buying is usually cheaper than hiring. Projects with short, defined night-work phases are better served by hire.
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