Best quality LED bars for lowest prices?

for this i would say get some hella 500's and do a HID conversion to them.

probably just around $100 for this set up.

 

X2

 

Not even close to the same thing, Rigid holds a patent on their optics and that is how they can throw the light further than anyone else. Have you ever notice some companies have the bubble over the LED and others do not but the led is set back far in the casing. Rigid has the patent on combining the two for the best focused pattern using the bubble inside the reflector ofthe light. Not to mention all the proprietary heat stuff they got going on. If the circuit board starts to get to hot it backs down the voltage to maintain the proper temp to increases LED life then kicks back up the voltage once the board cools down.

 

yes, we have seen where rigid claimed to have patents on things but when the patents were looked up it came back as like 3 different companies holding the same patent (or something along those lines). in other words, rigid charges more and you pretty much get an extended warranty out of it. YMMV

 

^^ This is a pretty good option. "fog" type lights are not meant to have much distance.

HID off-road lights will give you the best distance.

A high quality HID light, such as lightforce, would be ideal, but a retrofitted Hella 500 is pretty decent, while being much less expensive. A good number of people around here like them.

LED bars are great; But they simply do not have the distance of HID's and some halogens. The technology is simply not there yet (it's coming, though).

There is no question that Rigid makes a good product. There is also no question that they are pricey.

The patent's on their optics are indeed proprietary, and they do have some good technology when it comes to electronics and heat protection.

I do want to point out that Rigid has sued some companies for infringing on their patents. (I commend them for doing so, protect your product - I'm not bashing Rigid) I'm not sure of which companies they've sued. I believe they we're going after some US distributors of Aurora lights. I believe that a number of these distributors stopped selling those lights.

But apparently, either Aurora or the one of the distributors, was able to modify the lenses/reflectors/optics to the point where they were no longer infringing on the Rigid patents. In doing this, they claim to have only decreased the light output by 7%.

If this is in fact true, then you're able to get a light that's 93% as powerful as a Rigid light, for about 1/4 of the price.

I'd say that is pretty close to the same thing.

I realize that most of the lights mentioned in this thread do not qualify as lights that do, or may have infringed on Rigid's patents... however, the title of this thread is "Best Quality LED bars for the lowest Prices".

To come in here, with a kind of blanket statement, saying that nothing comes close in performance, particularly anything less than half the price, is untrue.

Again, not hating on Rigid, but there are plenty of brands of LED lights that are significantly less expensive than rigid, while still being very high quality.

 

link to Rigid drama.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/252528-how-long-before-led-light-bar-prices-drop-6.html

if you're loaded the rigids would be great...
if you're not, like me, then look to the other guys for your lights.

 

+2

I have the 20" Bar mounted in y lower grill. Plenty Bright.

 

i have recently been in contact with Aurora...i was one of the guys getting their bars for peeps and was contacted by rigid regarding patent issues. Aurora has assured me that the changes they have made to their led bars are in fact different and will not infringe on rigid patents. i have an "original" aurora bar on my truck and all i can say is it lit up gorman at night. i since stopped carrying the aurora products until i was notified by them of the changes. i am waiting for a display sample to be sent to me to assure the changes. i have dealt with many chinese manufacturers and most, if not all of them do not have an internal refractive lens like the rigids. therefore, they cannot magnify and throw light as well as rigids. if anyone is interested in good quality light bars at amazing prices...let me know. im not in it to make money as i already make money at my day job. i can provide you guys with honest answers regarding any led lighting needs you may have. the TW community has helped and educated me and im just trying to give back a little. with all that said, Rigid makes amazing products with lifetime warranties and you cant knock em for it. i just cant justify the prices....other than the dually lights, which i have bought.