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Harbor Freight $10 Off Road Lights

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by goufcustom, Jul 27, 2012.

  1. Jul 27, 2012 at 5:44 PM
    #1
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Anyone running the $10 Harbor Freight, see link below, I am not a huge off-roader, and I dont think I will use them a ton, but wanted to see how much I would use them if I had them, and then maybe buy better ones later. They would be behind a Satoshi, thoughts? I dont want to convert them to HIDs, just want to run them stock, or maybe put a higher watt bulb in them.
     
  2. Jul 27, 2012 at 5:54 PM
    #2
    Forster46

    Forster46 Very nice how much?

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    link dont work
     
  3. Jul 27, 2012 at 5:56 PM
    #3
    Toy Yoda

    Toy Yoda gotta make sure Youtube comes down to tape this

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  4. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:07 PM
    #4
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Sorry, not sure what happened, fixed in OP, and here too -
     
  5. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:11 PM
    #5
    t4daddy

    t4daddy Well-Known Member

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    Prolly half ass decent lights. For twenty bucks you can find out, keep us posted.
     
  6. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:13 PM
    #6
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Yeah, I am not sure I need or really want lights, and have been on the fence for awhile, and I am not really sure I want to spend $150+ on lights just to not use them. We will see, maybe if I end up near a HF I will grab a set.

    I have a feeling the lights output is low.
     
  7. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:30 PM
    #7
    Rich91710

    Rich91710 Well-Known Member

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    There's a reason they're only $10 ;)
     
  8. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:30 PM
    #8
    Polymerhead

    Polymerhead Well-Known Member

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    I'd drop $15 more and go with the 100w if I was going cheap. What's $35 vs. $20?
     
  9. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:47 PM
    #9
    Polymerhead

    Polymerhead Well-Known Member

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    Dude, have you been drinking? lol. The link I posted is two 100w lights for $35. The OP's post is one 55w light for $10. My math is right.
     
  10. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:47 PM
    #10
    t4daddy

    t4daddy Well-Known Member

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    Yep, China.
     
  11. Jul 27, 2012 at 6:52 PM
    #11
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Nice, that might be worth the extra $15, and it comes with the switch and some wires.

    And I know they wont last long, I usually stay away from buying things twice, but that is with things I know I really want, things like this that I just dont know if I want/need I got cheap to figure out if I want to spend the big bucks on good ones.
     
  12. Aug 11, 2012 at 8:54 PM
    #12
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    I was able to get the 100w Off Road lights from HF today for $17.99 with a coupon. Might install them tomorrow! I will post some pictures and a review soon.
     
  13. Aug 12, 2012 at 10:23 AM
    #13
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Finally got it and opened it up to check it out.

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    OPENING THEM UP!

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    WATER SEAL

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    WIRES

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    In-Line FUSE

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    SWITCH

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  14. Aug 12, 2012 at 10:24 AM
    #14
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Wiring Diagram

    [​IMG]


    I have never had a set of lights, so I have no point of reference, but they seem well made considering I paid $17.99 for them. Also the front "grill" is not removable, It can likely be dremeled out but I am just going to leave it since they are going behind my grill. The mounting stud is short and fat at 3/8" (per the paperwork). After lunch I may try to get them installed. Not thrilled that they dont use an H-3 type bulb, but again what can you expect, a set up bulbs would cost more than this entire set, so...

    The wiring just needs some electrical tape to keep it from getting wet, other wise this looks good to go.


    I will report back once they are in and I have a chance to try them in the dark.
     
  15. Aug 12, 2012 at 11:56 AM
    #15
    Rich91710

    Rich91710 Well-Known Member

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    Don't use that fuse, or any fuse from Harbor Freight.

    A couple of years ago there was a rash of "smokers" on a few forums.
    The common thread was that the fuses were melting and burning. Some were failing even when excessive current was not being drawn, but some were not blowing when tested at current above their rating.

    These were all fuses that were supplied with HF electrical products, or fuses from the large HF fuse kits.

    Beware Chinese electrical parts.
     
  16. Aug 12, 2012 at 12:41 PM
    #16
    Dirty Jersey

    Dirty Jersey Rich

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    The only tools I get from Harbor Frieght are ones u consider disposable. One job and done. I.E. $15 power drill used for ejector pump install. You get what you pay for.
     
  17. Aug 25, 2012 at 11:50 PM
    #17
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    Yes, very true, if these work for 6 months and then break and I end up using them then I will simply replace them with a higher quality set, but right now I have no idea if I will even use them. Off Road lights have just been on my mind for awhile and wanted to give them a try without dropping a $100+ on something I may not even use. The money saved on not buying a set of Hellas went directly to buying new UCAs for my lift, which is my current priority.

    Hope to have them installed in about a month, got a lot going on and cant get to this, but I will post some pictures and such once they are installed. I just got the hardware to make my own behind the grill light bar last week, atleast that will be reusable if/when these break.
     
  18. Aug 26, 2012 at 12:00 AM
    #18
    KalamaKid

    KalamaKid Well-Known Member

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    same shit as everyone else
    I ran some of those on another truck for about a year. They rusted to shit a month after installing them. (didn't live in a high corrosion area) Wiring they come with is too small for the amperage and they all around needed to be trashed. Not too bright either.
     
  19. Aug 29, 2012 at 4:49 PM
    #19
    danwat1234

    danwat1234 New Member

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    I'm curious how long they'll last. Great price. There aren't that many people in forums that have installed them (that I've found). So far it seems like the bulbs and switch is the weak point.
     
  20. Sep 17, 2012 at 8:13 PM
    #20
    goufcustom

    goufcustom [OP] 7.62x63mm

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    I started to install the HF off road lights; they are not wired up, the bracket took forever to build. Because these lights are so thick, they had to be mounted a lot closer to the radiator, so the bracket I initially build had to be modified, lots of cutting and grinding...
    They are extremely tightly fitted in there, I dont recommend them because of this, I will finish wiring them and run them to see how they work and all, but they might get moved to my Miata, the factory lights on that thing suck the big one, so these might tuck nicely into the fish mouth on that thing.

    I also replaced the HF fuse with a fuse I had laying around, was a spare for something, but wasn't a HF fuse, so that should help.

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    More to come.
     

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