Ditch lights help

I am wanting to add ditch lights but I'm not sure which brand to go with. I don't want to go any bigger than 3" pods, may go with 2". I've looked in Baja Design, Diode Dynamics, Aux Beam, Lasfit.

What do you have and what do you like about them or don't like about them.

What other options are out there?

Post pictures as well. I don't really like the weird looking back of the light, as that is all I will see if I don't like them.

I will be using these often but will not have them on when someone is coming toward me or I'm behind.

 

Can’t go wrong with Diode Dynamics. Super bright and reliable.

 

You know, last ones I bought were from AliExpress. Right now they’re only used to illuminate the skulls but we’re under $20. With your plan to use them offer, high end ones might be for you. If not, maybe a cheap pair to see how it goes then upgrade to good ones.

Here’s what they look like and the beam pattern before I installed them on the truck. They were just plugged in to test. They were the only lights on in the pic.

 

First thing you will want to detail is how your looking to use them there's 2 applications that will affect which beam pattern you want. You can expand your high beam width by using a spot/driving or are you looking for more of a close high angle set up so you can see into the ditch nearer to you. If so that is best achiever with a flood/scene light.

I personally use mine to widen the high beam spread to spot deer sooner on back roads. I have used rigid,diode dynamics and baja designs. So for the baja designs are my favorite. The white is not as harsh as others giving way better colour definition and less eye fatigue. And their yellow lighting actually matches between their bars and pods, unlike diode.
Definitely don't worry about what the back of the light looks like. You hardly see them from inside the cab unless they have tall brackets. Light colour and pattern is the main concern with lighting.

 

Your setup is what I am looking to do. Do you use yours in fog? If so how does it do for you?

 

Anything above the headlight line is completely useless in the fog regardless of white or yellow lense.
That's where my lower set up comes into play. Baja designs sae fog lights and the s8 combo in yellow really help in bad snow/foggy conditions. You want as little glare off the snow as possible and that light as low to the road as you can. There has been day I leave my markers/tail lights on but shut the headlights off and alonly use the fog lights so I can get better definition on where my road lines are.

Everything uptop in white is for distance in clear conditions. I use my ditch lights more than anything else especially in the winter as every ice fish trip the drive out and home is in the dark on tight back roads with deer everywhere. My roof bar hardly gets used it's the last diode product I'm looking to replace to get a less straining white colour up there.

You'll pay extra to go with baja designs but after running a bunch side by side they are my favorite so far.

It's always hard to show light colour through a picture but I figured this one does it well. The left is lit up by a baja s2 sport flood. And it doesn't look anywhere near as white washed compared to the lighting off my awning led which is a much more harsh white

 

I would recommend the rigid dss pro, if that is expensive to you, then I know caliraised makes a good copy of that, never tested caliraised myself tho.
https://youtu.be/5JBUJmKQZPQ?si=ZTUml5PFwMXfCQF_

 

I have the Baja designs sport and I use mine when I’m driving early mornings to help spot the elk on the side of the road. The one thing I don’t like about them is the glare off the hood and off of the sides of the light itself. I just painted the edges of my covers black and adjust the light until I get the least amount of glare.

 

Nobody mentioned the hood glare you will get from ditch lights until you, and it happens even when they are turned to the side. Mine were moved up to the front of my truck , and I have a set on the top sides of my shell that don’t glare up front.

 

https://www.morimotohid.com/Morimoto-4Banger-LED-Pods-NCS-Combo-Beam?quantity=1

Morimoto hasn't been a let down. I know they aren't as popular as Diode Dynamics, Rigid, or Baja Designs, but they hold up well, produce a better yellow in my opinion and are plug and play. You can get ditch lights, fog set up, as well as light bars. I'm currently pairing the 2Banger version with a Victory 4x4 blitz bumper.

 

We offer a low pro ditch light kit, the kit includes everything you need to mount and wire up the lights!

We are also running our black November 15% off sale right now!

https://caliraisedled.com/products/2016-2021-toyota-tacoma-ditch-light-brackets-kit

 

Get a good driving or spot and the glare is minimal and completely manageable. If you have anything flood or a side shooter that isn't side specific then yep your going to have a bad time. Roof mounted light bars are far more difficult to manage but even then do it right and it becomes a useful light with minimal glare.
Originally learned my lesson when I did Amazon bars all over my old ranger.

Those are rigid d2 spots. My combo lense bajas have less glare some how being a wider lower pattern and a shorter mount

 

I tried those but am old school, and found that any part lit up on the hood bugs the heck out of me. Used to run 24v aircraft landing lights behind the grill on my ‘68 BMW rally car back in high school, so I went back to front mounted spots and floods. The rear side lights are good though.

 

I wanted to do front mounted lp6 or lp9's but towing on hot days i did not want to limit my air flow to the rad at all.