LED light comparison

After my last thread about LED lights, I was asked to do a review, more along the "Apples to Apples" lines. Lighting is a personal choice, and much of it depends on the driving conditions, and what the driver wants. Myself, I prefer a nice distance, with a soft transition of illumination twards the sides. I don't like sharp cut offs, as in the dark, the cut off always seems to hide something. Anyway........on to the results, and my personal input. LUX readings were done at 130 feet.

The KC Hilites LZR Cube (Driving), Rigid Industries Dually (Spot), and Baja Designs Squadron Sport (Driving).


First, the KC LZR. Rated at 20 watts of power, and using 4 Cree LP-G emitters, this light is rated at 2600 lumens. It has a nice spread, with no artifacts, and a sharp cut off. It lacks a bit of distance over the others, and its 225 LUX reading showed it to be the lowest output out of all I tested. They are rated to IP68 water proof, however, the one thing that really bugged my about it, and seemed to bug a friend of mine as well, is that the power plug doesn't have anything preventing moisture from getting into the wires from behind the light. Not really a big deal, but at $357.36 (retail), I would expect a little more attention to detail.









Next up, the Rigid Industries Dually in Spot pattern. I chose the spot pattern to compare, as Rigid only seems to make a Driving pattern in the D2, and its more LED's, money, and power. The Dually Diffused has no where near the throw of the others, so it was out. SO.......here we are. Rated at 15.18 watts power, and 1568 lumens. Rigid seems to be tight lipped on what LED's they use, so.......I had to take one apart. Seems they use a Cree LP-G2 Emitter x 4 in the Dually. Given the Spot pattern, it out threw the KC quite a bit, and registered 238 LUX on the meter. Despite the picture showing a tight pattern, it had a nice spill to the side, as you can see in the picture. Really surprised at it being rated almost 1000 lumens less than the KC, but having a higher LUX reading. They do not list an IP rating on their website, that I can find. Retail price is $199.99







And last is the Baja Designs Squadron Sport. Rated at 20 watts, and running 4 Cree XP-G2 LED's, the Squadron Sport is rated at 1800 lumens. I have to say, this light impressed the hell out of me. It registered 335 LUX on the meter, and had the longest throw out of the group. To add, it had nice side illumination as well. retailing at $229.95, it put out the best light for the buck. On top of that, but the light is "customizable". You can change the bezel, and reflectors to match your driving, rather than have to buy a new light set. All without voiding the Life Time warranty! Lenses and Bezels are sold separately, so you can order however many you want. They are rated to IP69 water proof.








Just so we can see them all together:


KC Hilites LZR Cube



Rigid Industries Dually



Baja Designs Squadron Sport


I was so impressed with the Baja Design lights, that I compared them to a set of VisionX light cannons, Retail $449.00. The light cannons registered just over 350 LUX, but it was hard to tell if they threw light further than the Baja Design lights. Regardless, the Squadron sports put more light to the side. At almost half price, and near the same light, the Baja Design Squadron Sports are a hell of a deal.

 

I was going off the data sheet that came in the box of the LZR's, which aren't that old actually, so if the lights were falsely advertised as having different emitters, than they actually do, that could be a problem. Especially as they are still advertised as 2600 lumens. As for the LUX readings, ambient air quality can play a roll in readings, so can light meters. You didn't use the same one I did, and in different conditions, or environment, etc. so I think that's kind of a moot issue. Its like using a Dynamometer to dyno your truck, then I use one out here to do the same. The numbers aren't going to be the same. But if you use the same one, on each truck, you get a better comparison. To address the plug, I agree completely. Its mostly aesthetics, and most likely wouldn't impact longevity, however, my buddy pointed out that it traps moisture in the plastic sleeve the wires run thru. Big deal? I doubt it, and the plug is very well sealed, so you know water isn't going into it. But it looks "cheap". This is the only KC model I have seen this on, so I know its not a common issue. But for the price, it could have been done like Rigid, or Baja Designs. For the light patterns, Yeah, I had a hard time choosing how to compare, as Rigid doesn't have a "Driving" pattern. Only Diffused, Spot, or Hyper Spot. I decided to use the Spot beam, as my friends and I thought it was a decent "Goldilocks" choice. Conversely, the KC LZR doesn't come with a Spot pattern. SO......in the end, me and my buddies voted to use the ones we did.