Driving Light Comparison - Australian 4WD

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fj40forlife said:
anyone elses run this kind ?
Click to expand...

I don't, but I have used a pair of the Hella 4000 (Luminator) HID's in driving pattern (see my sig link) recently in Moab. I posted a pic of the rig (non-LC) they were on while going to Moab, but will spare you (me) the grief.

They are just plain AMAZING.
I know some people do not like HID's, but it was scary bright!!! :D

In the future I want to upgrade the ballasts (and bulbs) from 35w to 55w to make them just a little brighter. ;)

Oh yeah, when I stumbled on the comparison test link earlier on Mud (maybe by LoneStar or someone else:confused: I was very thrilled about it. Thanks again!)

Mot
 
The Lightforce lights are effective in a spot pattern, but have distribution quality issues when set to driving (dark spots, burn-in areas, etc.). In addition, the mounting is just OK, not great and resulted in too much vibration, making that strong focal beam dance on the horizon.

They are waterproof and very durable.

Lighting is more than just lumens and beam distance IMHO.
 
expeditionswest said:
The Lightforce lights are effective in a spot pattern, but have distribution quality issues when set to driving (dark spots, burn-in areas, etc.). In addition, the mounting is just OK, not great and resulted in too much vibration, making that strong focal beam dance on the horizon.

They are waterproof and very durable.

Lighting is more than just lumens and beam distance IMHO.
Click to expand...

Agreed, having a good beam pattern is very important. Have you tried using any of the clip-on flood or spot/flood covers for the lightforce? They seem like they would do a much better job at providing a smoother light output. I just wish I could find some details about the beam patterns before purchasing them.

As far as the mounts, I haven't had any vibration issues with mine. When you consider that a pair of lightforces weigh about a pound, compared to 12+ lbs for the Hellas, the mounting becomes less of an issue. I've always had problems with heavier lights, they always seem to work their way loose and creep over time. Or maybe my mounting platform just isn't stiff enough for the weight.

One problem I've had with the lightforces is finding a way to secure them. There's really nothing preventing someone from either unbolting the lights from the mount or unscrewing the reflector, and no real way to prevent that. I may be overly paranoid, but I would always worry about someone tampering with the lights. Also, they are somewhat expensive for "plastic" lights
 
the biggest issue I've had with the lightforce has been cracking at the base of the plastic reflector due (probably) to being overtightened.... It may well have been my fault, but it would be great if the mfr made it more difficult to overtighten the threaded adjustment portion.

On second thought- the *biggest* problem I've had is that on one set, the silver reflective coating has completely delaminated. No silver left at all... which converts the $200+ lights into as much junk. Which is too bad as I did really like them. Fortunately, I've got another set (the ones for which I need the bulbs) and will mount them instead. But I was surprised that the coating came off in only 6 years (2 of those years were parked outside in tropical wet/heat with some water inside the reflector from cracked base ... )

The clip on covers work pretty well. I've tried the ribbed one and it does a good job of spreading the light out to the sides. I've also tried the fogged looking one and it REALLY spreads the light out. Fine if you are lighting up an area for camping or maybe good for rock crawling as it only lights up a short distance ahead. The orange covers work well if you want orange/yellow light too. The black covers look good and keep stuff clean.
 
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