Hid vs led

[Old pops]

Hi I have 9 inch hid hella iluminators and 6 inch led spots on shogun I know the hide throw beam a lot further and leds give great spread are there any led driving/spot lights out there that will throw the beam about the same as hids that don’t cost more than the truck and do you really think there is a massive difference between eBay specials and high price led spots I’m only asking you guys as you have probably used the lot thanks

[Jasonmc73]

Hi I have 9 inch hid hella iluminators and 6 inch led spots on shogun I know the hide throw beam a lot further and leds give great spread are there any led driving/spot lights out there that will throw the beam about the same as hids that don’t cost more than the truck and do you really think there is a massive difference between eBay specials and high price led spots I’m only asking you guys as you have probably used the lot thanks

Lights are a bit like brands of oil , everyone uses a different one & everyone says it's the best

Here in Australia this is one brand that does get a good wrap & in discussion with local Auto contractor whom fits up trucks for Brown & Hurley amongst other, he rates them highly as well.

Should be able to burn the street signs of at ground level with these.

When i get there will be fitting this brand more than likely

https://www.stedi.com.au/type-x-pro-led-driving-lights.html

https://www.stedi.com.au/st3303-pro-28-2-inch-double-row-ultra-high-output-led-bar.html

If you want cheap but work ok, stacks & stacks of these in Aussie,

https://au.adventurekings.com/lighting-and-power/led-lights/kings-9-domin8r-xtreme-driving-lights-fitted-with-osram-leds-pair-with-included-20-lightbar-3-worklights-wiring-harnesses-ultimate-pack-1-lux-at-1384m.html

[Old pops]

Think the price on the stadi ones I’d want to see into the future lol thanks very much I’ll see if I can get the king ones over here thanks again

[NFT5]

Choosing the right driving lights really comes down to making a proper assessment of your needs and, of course, your budget.


Do you, in the UK, really need lights that will throw 2000+ metres? Or is something with a range of 600m but plenty of width to cope with the twisty roads a better solution?


Next question is do you want lights that will last or be replaced in 2-3 years? Buying on price can usually be a false economy.


Then you need to look at your personal needs. With a username like "old pops" I'd guess that you're no longer a young whipper snapper. How's your eyesight? Do your eyes get tired if you're out in bright sunlight all day? Maybe LED isn't the best choice if so, given the high blue content of the light. How's your colour vision? Is it important to be able to discern wildlife and variations in the road quickly and easily? Maybe halogen with its higher CRI would be a better choice.


Also you need to look at your vehicle. How much room do you have for lights? What would you mount them on? What are your existing headlights? HID or halogen? When you flick on high beam, do you need the extra penetration of the driving lights or are the existing high beams enough for a few seconds while HIDs warm up? These things need to be considered.


Once you've set a specification then go looking for lights that meet your needs. Chances are that you'll have to revise your budget, at least a bit, or make some compromises.


As to brands, well as said above you'll get 100 replies and 98 different recommendations, most of which will be based on price rather than meeting your real needs. Cie la vie.....


If you want some help doing a needs assessment then run through the questions above and tell me more about what you do, where you go and how you use the vehicle at night.

[Jasonmc73]

Think the price on the stadi ones I’d want to see into the future lol thanks very much I’ll see if I can get the king ones over here thanks again

All in Australian dollars you might be surprised in your dollars.

Try this link on for price & functionality, to be honest probably more what i'm leaning towards.

I think enough light for me & I won't have to squint due to brightness

I just sent you street sign burners for a start & you can work down from there?

https://www.stedi.com.au/st4k-28-inch-double-row-52-led-light-bar.html

Chris is your man that replied who understands lights & bulbs, talk to Chris/ NFT5

[Old pops]

Thanks again for your reply’s the lights I have on are ok the hids give me a good range and the leds give tidy spread but I’d rather one pair of light to do both jobs I do travel on long dark roads but also winedy lanes the shogun/pajero headlights are good but could do with the throwing out a bit further on high beam are for driving in dark I’m ok my eyesight is good apart from reading and I’m not colour blind yet 😂 I’ve tried updated halogens no good compared to leds and hids my light bar on the roof isn’t up to much on distance but good on lanes but saying that crap in rain and snow just highlights the weather I to be honest the prices on the king lights is ok but will probably cost me an arm and leg to get them shipped over here and I’ve got boxes of spotlight and driving lights that were meant to be good but I found I didn’t like the beam pattern or weren’t bright enough so I just really want your advice before I buy another set of lights I will say the hella iluminators hids are good lights but need more of a spread

[Mundy55]

Hi I have 9 inch hid hella iluminators and 6 inch led spots on shogun I know the hide throw beam a lot further and leds give great spread are there any led driving/spot lights out there that will throw the beam about the same as hids that don’t cost more than the truck and do you really think there is a massive difference between eBay specials and high price led spots I’m only asking you guys as you have probably used the lot thanks

Thanks again for your reply’s the lights I have on are ok the hids give me a good range and the leds give tidy spread but I’d rather one pair of light to do both jobs I do travel on long dark roads but also winedy lanes the shogun/pajero headlights are good but could do with the throwing out a bit further on high beam are for driving in dark I’m ok my eyesight is good apart from reading and I’m not colour blind yet 😂 I’ve tried updated halogens no good compared to leds and hids my light bar on the roof isn’t up to much on distance but good on lanes but saying that crap in rain and snow just highlights the weather I to be honest the prices on the king lights is ok but will probably cost me an arm and leg to get them shipped over here and I’ve got boxes of spotlight and driving lights that were meant to be good but I found I didn’t like the beam pattern or weren’t bright enough so I just really want your advice before I buy another set of lights I will say the hella iluminators hids are good lights but need more of a spread

I'd love to assist you if I could but I find it too hard to read your posts without punctuation. Can you PLEASE, at least, put in full stops.

[BruceandBobbi]

I'd love to assist you if I could but I find it too hard to read your posts without punctuation. Can you PLEASE, at least, put in full stops.

Oh dear.

Old pops is asking for advice on an internet message board, not submitting a PhD thesis.

[Swede50]

Oh dear.

Old pops is asking for advice on an internet message board, not submitting a PhD thesis.

Ifindithardtoreadaswell.....BUT I agree with you.

[Jasonmc73]

Thanks again for your reply’s but I’d rather one pair of light to do both jobs I do travel on long dark roads but also winedy lanes the shogun/pajero headlights are good but could do with the throwing out a bit further on high beam are for driving in dark

That's why once I get bull bar fitted a decent quality middle range Stedi STK4 type light bar might just be the trick for me, i feel the STK3303 would annoy me to bright, reflection of signs etc, do i really need to see even 1 kilometre down the road with spot lights . I think this brand seems ok, I'm not familiar with UK brands sorry, ours are mostly Chinese & "branded" by local companies me thinks?

Just my thoughts & direction of travel, i'm no expert, I might be an EXSPIRT (drip under pressure), but that's about it from me i'm sorry.

[Kingbrown]

Ifindithardtoreadaswell.....BUT I agree with you.

I guess we all place differing levels of importance on various aspects of communication, but I'll pose this question:

What credence would you place on a reply to a question if it's just a rambling disgorgement of thoughts and if it's difficult for you to interpret ?

Would the likes of NJ SWB or OJ or NFT5 be as credible if their postings were hard to read &/or full of errors ?

[Swede50]

I guess we all place differing levels of importance on various aspects of communication, but I'll pose this question:

What credence would you place on a reply to a question if it's just a rambling disgorgement of thoughts and if it's difficult for you to interpret ?

Would the likes of NJ SWB or OJ or NFT5 be as credible if their postings were hard to read &/or full of errors ?

You know what, I agree with you as well....
Just trying to lighten things up a bit. We are on a forum after all.
What we must all realise is that not everyone has the same communication or language skills.
English is a second language to me and I have worked hard to try to get it right.
I think we were just trying to give the OP a break, not being critical in your direction.

[BruceandBobbi]

This...What we must all realise is that not everyone has the same communication or language skills.

[Tonks]

PUNCTUre situATION?

G’day from WA,

Maybe he needs the lights to avoid a PUNCTUre situATION ?

Just a thought.

Regards, Tonks

[NFT5]

Thanks again for your reply’s the lights I have on are ok the hids give me a good range and the leds give tidy spread but I’d rather one pair of light to do both jobs I do travel on long dark roads but also winedy lanes the shogun/pajero headlights are good but could do with the throwing out a bit further on high beam are for driving in dark I’m ok my eyesight is good apart from reading and I’m not colour blind yet �� I’ve tried updated halogens no good compared to leds and hids my light bar on the roof isn’t up to much on distance but good on lanes but saying that crap in rain and snow just highlights the weather I to be honest the prices on the king lights is ok but will probably cost me an arm and leg to get them shipped over here and I’ve got boxes of spotlight and driving lights that were meant to be good but I found I didn’t like the beam pattern or weren’t bright enough so I just really want your advice before I buy another set of lights I will say the hella iluminators hids are good lights but need more of a spread

You've already highlighted one of the major problems with LED, i.e. that the colour highlights and reflects back off rain, fog or smoke. This is a much bigger problem with the cheaper varieties since the higher end products pay more attention to the colour temperatures of the LEDs.


Since you already have the Hella Luminators and say that they are good lights but need more spread, why don't you have a look at just replacing the inserts. You don't say which model Luminators that you have but Hella do make a whole range of different inserts for most of the Luminators range. I suspect that you have a spot beam insert in there now which certainly will give you long range but, I agree, the spread is not the best.



For example this light has slightly shorter range than the clear lens spots, but also has a nice wide spread. This one has a bit more length and slightly less spread. Take note of the European Reference Numbers - 17.5 is less intense, 37.5 is very intense and 50 is the highest, but may not be the most suitable for you if you want slightly less intensity and more width.



Have a play with the Hella Eliver Comparison Tool which will give you some idea of how the different lights actually perform. Link is here.


You may have to become good friends with your local Hella distributor since not all will carry the (very large) range of inserts. And, yes, I know that they're not cheap - but that's the price you pay for quality.



The other light that may meet your needs is Fyrlyt. Yes, I know, halogen. But not like any halogen you've ever seen before. I had Hella Rallye 4000 HID on my Pajero and they were pretty good lights, only let down by leaking like a sieve in deep water crossings. After replacing the inserts, yet again after filling with water, I made the change to Fyrlyt Nemesis. In terms of light output they blow the Hellas out of the water. That was over 5 years ago and I still love them. Range a little less but width galore and a colour I can drive with for hours and not get tired eyes. Website is here. Have a look at the videos.