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Thanks.

 

I started replying in the quote...

Why not yet? You feel the Tech is not there yet? Also, you have some links or vids of the light pattern and distance comparissons?

RTT - For us, right now, not a realistic purchase. In a year , most likely. Unless a deal/trade works out sooner. Space is at a premium.

 

Okay here is why.

The first thing you need to know about lights is get the whole more lumens is better out of your head. Thats just an advertising stunt to get you to buy stuff. And it works.

The thing you need to look for is Lux and distance. 1 lux is basically the amount of light you need to be able to read print. Thus it's "useable" light. Cause we all know lights go much farther then what we can see.

So. Now look at this graph of rigids 50'' LED bar.

Data: http://www.rigidindustries.com/sites/default/files/catalog/18.pdf
Patterns: http://www.rigidindustries.com/sites/default/files/catalog/19.pdf

According to this chart with their new "hypershot" lenses even..1000m @ 1 lux. Thats good yea?

Laughable..

Lightforce 240 with only a 35w hid you ask?

Page 9 is the graph : http://www.lightforceusa.com/images/pages/LF%20DL%20CATALOGUE%20FEB%202010_email1.pdf

1300 yards...for only a 35w HID..

think of a 55w HID..or 75w HID..or 100w HID...good..god haha

on top of that..thats a big ass light bar. Ill take two lights over that big thing any day.

And at that size of LED bar..your not gaining anything for less power consumption. 50'' still draws 20-22 amps.


the only thing LEDs have on big lamps..is life. LEDs last LONNNGG time. HIDs and Bulbs burn out.



but doesn't matter. You can spend half the money and get MORE light and MORE distance in a smaller foot print leaving you more room to put more lights to fill the empty front sides to gain peripheral view.

They aren't worth the money and don't go as far so aren't as useful.


BUT



I am a believer and do know for a fact that it won't be long when the LED bars do catch up and out preform or at least match big lamps. im sure that will happen in the next 3-6 years. But costs won't come down to match them for at least 10 years id bet.

You can look at TJM lamps or the FYRLYTs are epic too.

So there is why i would never run an LED bar as a main light...yet.

I don't think an Rigid bar is a great deal. I don't care who sells it too you. Rigid has strict rules about minimum pricing and vendors can not break those rules. They are all expensive IMO. you can get lots of other single row LED bars for side and rear fills for much cheaper that'll perform just as fine. Unless your dying for the "wow" and "cool" factor. Go for it. Its your money and your truck I don't want to make you change from what YOU want for YOUR rig.



also..Front LT...is the shit haha

shame no RTT though..seriously one of the BEST mods i have done to my rig. so nice to have. Plus..the ladies love it


i should also add, no matter what you get..it'll be impressive and a step up so don't feel like you NEED two big lamps instead of a LED bar. they both work fine..im just making suggestions based on my experience and what i know.

 

This is the reason i am here. To learn and make investments, not purchases.

 

Well said Blackdawg. I love my Baja Designs 8" rounds for their price, adjust-ability, their light output. They are getting converted to HID this winter and will still cost me less then most LED bars with somewhat similar output.

 

I have a pair of Hella 4000s which are the 240 equivalent, and had them HID for awhile, but found that I did not use them as often as I liked, so I put the halogen bulbs back in and wired them with the highs for quick on/off. Now I find them much more useful as they are quick to turn on, and use them all the time. The point being that you should carefully consider how/when you will actually use them when designing your light setup.

 

great point. That is why my LF240s aren't HID.

But in the super dark situations i love having the roof HIDs

but i use the LF240s all the time due to them being halogen.

 

Yup, a barrage of light is certainly awesome so that you can pick specific combos for certain situations. I eventually plan to have a bar wired up with the highs and then turn the 4000s back to HID, cause they certainly were ridiculous with 55w HID, but I just was not using them to their potential so I modified my setup to work better for my current uses.

 

yea Hella 4000s i have read have a better lens and reflector angle for HIDs and they beam out damn good. But i can't really confirm that..i was gonna go with those originally till these 240s popped up for a steal.

Having flexibility is great. I love it. being able to adapt to situations is all part of the adventure for me too.

 

I'm glad this hasn't turned into an LED vs. HIDs flame war, and actually resembling an intelligent conversation...

Just got back from PNW Customs/Bell Off Road, where I bend my tubing. Great bunch of guys - they do a lot of custom SEMA builds. They've had a lot of issues with Rigids fogging up in the PNW, most of their builds use Baja Designs HIDs.

I'd definitely like to upgrade to 240s, and do an HID retrofit. But, for now, my Kragens are holding up just fine.

 

Yea me too..jesus..haha

i wouldn't retro fit LF240s. Be VERY tricky to do. They do sell their own kits for it though that id do or just buy 240s HIDs out right.

the Kragens work. No denying that.

I think LED bars in general have that issue really..

 

I have the euro beam and think they have a great pattern, definitely a spot far out, and then a decent fill in between. I think combined with a bar to fill in closer would be just about ideal.

Intelligent conversation, what's that?

 

LED flood and two or three big spots would be a great combo. almost ideal really.

yea..that never happens on TW...wtf....

 

I have seen a few good write ups on the 240s, but they are certainly pretty involved, the heat sink if I recall was the most work. My 4000s were super easy, only had to file the hole where they insert into the reflector just a bit, then just wiring them up.

 

yea the way the 240s mounts are make it much much more involved then Hellas. but you can buy a pretty much plug and play kit from LF if ya want.

 

Nice conversation going on here. I definitely need to find the flood fill in for closer. The BD's are spots amd will light up the road an insane distance forward. I need to look up the actual length. I am planning on running the BD plug and play kit to convert to HID. It's just hella expensive.

 

I had some Blitzpro LED's but they ended up both getting water in the housing. I still have my 7" Kragens and they do good work. I am going with a bar on the bumper and getting 2 more HIDS and throwing all 4 on top.

 

I keep hearing this, It's the only reason I haven't bought their new 32" bar for my bumper. Which would finally give me an excuse to move my 4 Kragen HIDs to the roof...

 

Yeah the one has water in it and one row of LED's out, the other has water too. Just going to get better cubes.