Cheap vs. Expensive Lights

[dejones64]

I thought the same about cheap vs expensive, and it was not a mod high on my list. Until I hit a deer one night, 1 month after getting my Bronco. Lights moved to the top of my list. I wanted to make sure everything was lit up, ditches and further out (I drive country roads at night). I went with Diode Dynamics Sport (fogs and spot) and a 30" light bar. I didn't cry, I did that when I hit the deer. My only regret is that I should have gone with the Pro (suppose then I wish I would have went with the Max). My ditch lights (4) are Rough Country Osram wide angle, affordable. Might not keep me from hitting another deer, but at least I'll see it coming.

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[ctskier]

I've always hated my cars lights, except for my first audi which had cornering lights and amazing Xenon lamps. Don't love LED that's now use.

when i had my WRX, forget about it, pitiful halogens.

With the Badlands, I specifically did a nighttime test drive and found them to be ok, but knew right away that I was adding fogs when I got her. Put them in day 2, the Baja designs.

NOT CHEAP, but the middle fog in my avatar is street legal and WOW does it provide great street legal light for back roads and weather. With the skiing, it will be VERY handy, and if I put the other two lights on it will look like daytime which will be super helpful in back roads of VT and NH where I can get away with that with not many other cars around.

So I'm a big thumbs up on expensive after market lights.

 

[userdude]

Full disclosure: Not a light guy. I don't have any, and the only ones I've considered are deer lights as @dejones64 said.

On a build quality and test/durability factor, I would hope the top dollar lights have a ton of engineering and quality control that goes into them, so they not only last but work at peak performance for as long as possible. Great engineering costs money if you need it, and simple is hard, not easy. However, a masterwork of engineering isn't what every wants or needs.

So I would say if you don't need lights that are bulletproof, find something you're willing to live with. Just keep in mind one day you might find out what you're missing.

 

[BlueWaffle]

Paying name brand money is a fools game unless you literally race across baja in the middle of the night at 100mph.

Shit... even those guys don't pay name brand money... they get given them.


Roadshock FTW MF'R.

 

[Fordified1]

Cheap lights built by little Chinese children for the win! They work great so far. Will upgrade later if necessary.

 

[UNBROKN]

Higher priced is not always the best option for everyone. I bought the Rough Country LEDs. I paid $390.00 for both sets. I think they are a little cheaper now. I have had them on for over 2 years. No problems. The pods sometimes have a little bit of a whistle. If I changed the angle, it would go away. I like the angle they are more than the noise bothers me.

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/3-inch-led-wide-angle-lights-70904
https://www.roughcountry.com/product/30-inch-led-light-bar-70730bl

I LOVE my lights. I use them a lot. I live down a dead end street and the auto high beams shut off at 29mph. I use them to see the deer BEFORE they run into the road. I also use them when driving on the highway sometimes and cut them off when I see oncoming cars. I know I am not supposed to run them on the road, but 24000 extra lumens is hard to beat.
I wired them directly to my aux switches. It was a breeze. Cut the connector off and use solder butt connectors. Worst part of install was drilling 2 holes in my bumper to mount the 30" light bar. Was a bit of a pain to tighten the bolts where I mounted it. Here is what they all look like.

Got these later and have not mounted them yet. They will go in the front bumper.
https://www.roughcountry.com/product/8in-led-light-bar-70718bl

 

[Chrome_Pony]

Do you enjoy wildly inflated light output claims with disappointing output, constant condensation issues, burnt out LEDs, coatings yellowing or corroding off altogether, and rusty hardware leaking orange down your rig with questionable or downright nonexistent warranty service?

Then yes, cheap ass Chinesium LEDs are for you.

As I have had every single one of these experiences with a variety of brands of cheap LED lights, I now have a variety of expensive ones to avoid repeating it.

 

[Fordified1]

Apparently this is a touchy subject

 

[thesocalexplorer]

I went with some relatively crappy pod lights, just because I knew they won't be having that much run time in the grand scheme of things. Just needed some extra light off to the sides. They have had at most 2-3 hours of run time in the past few years, still running well. No burnt LEDs or water intrusion / finish issues.

I am planning on putting some quality units to replace my OEM fogs this summer, since I run my fogs all the time.

 

[rws]

I've installed Lasfit fog and driving pods on the modular bumper and Rough Country OSRAM pods as ditch lights. All wired through my aux switches so they are fused. So far, no issues, but I'll admit I don't hard-core off-road and don't need to light up the night so, for my intended purpose, these options are working for me. Your mileage and illumination may vary.

For fun, I did a quick comparison, using some AI to save me the search work and here's a quick little table. Lots more detail, but didn't way to turn this into a white-paper. Basically, cost can quickly mount when you consider the quality of the lens, the type and power of the LED, etc. We each determine "value" in our own way... would I love to have the high-end lights, sure, can I justify them in my current off-roading activities, no. And most of all, and I mean, most of all, can I justify the cost to my wife?!

 

[Fordified1]

FYI , If a magnet won’t stick to it, it won’t rust. Quality of the seals and powder coat could definitely be an issue over time though. All these lights probably have the ability to remove the lenses to re-seal them.

 

[dejones64]

I've installed Lasfit fog and driving pods on the modular bumper and Rough Country OSRAM pods as ditch lights. All wired through my aux switches so they are fused. So far, no issues, but I'll admit I don't hard-core off-road and don't need to light up the night so, for my intended purpose, these options are working for me. Your mileage and illumination may vary.

For fun, I did a quick comparison, using some AI to save me the search work and here's a quick little table. Lots more detail, but didn't way to turn this into a white-paper. Basically, cost can quickly mount when you consider the quality of the lens, the type and power of the LED, etc. We each determine "value" in our own way... would I love to have the high-end lights, sure, can I justify them in my current off-roading activities, no. And most of all, and I mean, most of all, can I justify the cost to my wife?!

I love the RC OSRAM lights. I have 2 pair - A-pillars and top corners of the bumper. Covers a lot of area.

 

[broadicustomworks]

I began with cheap lights from Tractor Supply. Some rectangle blackout style. Liked the amber backlight, they threw some light, worked ok I guess.
Wanted a round-style to be more conventional looking (and took my rectangle lights and made flounder gigging lights FWIW).
Loved the look of the LP6, found a knockoff one on Amazon for about $30 each.
I spent the $60 and mounted the two up on the cowl.
Initially they were awesome. Amber backlit, bright when on, saved my bacon more than once with Deer.
It took a few short months before I started seeing condensation in one of them.
The black powdercoating faded to a dull grey.
The reflector pans began to tarnish.
Then the other followed suit with the water and tarnishing.
I took them apart, cleaned up the pans best I could, wiped it all down well, repainted the housings, reassembled. I did not silicone them, only used the rubber seal there from the factory.
Got another few months and the same started again.

Having lights up there on these backcountry roads has literally saved me from a dozen or more deer collisions. I keep them pointed out about 30-35 degrees out, so they light up ditches quite well.
Struggled with what name brand to finally invest some $ in, as now I had to burn my time and energy into dealing with cowl lighting 3 times already.

Got the 6" Gravity Pro's from KC and am very happy with them so far.
The Flex Eras seem nice and they have some funky triangle lights that would make good aux lighting in smaller spaces.
I had the same mentality: I can buy X amount over and over. But at some point you just grow tired of the substandard lifespan or performance and tired of spending time reinstalling the same stuff over and over.

No shame in doing what you feel is best for YOU. I don't have thousands to drop on lights, never will. But a couple hundred investment has been worth it. I can sit in a chair and chill vs. routing wiring and aiming lights in 100 degree sunshine.

 

[Baja Designs]

I’ve been looking at adding lights to my new Bronco and am blown away by how expensive the name-brand options are. I also saw that there are a number of sellers on Amazon (see Auxbeam, Nilite, and Lasfit) who offer very reasonably priced alternatives. While I’m sure the quality is much lower, they can be replaced many times over for less than the cost of name brands.

4” ditch light pods for $90: https://a.co/d/3hk8qtO
52“ Light bar for $170: https://a.co/d/0fEdrg7
Fog pocket lights for $150: Light https://a.co/d/8CXpOQS

This setup from amazon would cost ~$410 (and given prime day sales, actually much less).

Baja Designs has a somewhat similar (though obviously much nicer) set up on their website for $4,398.85 (https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/ford-bronco-stage-3-light-bundle-kit/?vid=169469).

I’d like to see if I’m missing something about the value proposition of the bigger brands and why I should be paying thousands instead of hundreds. $4,400 for lights just seems outrageous.

For over 30 years, we've specialized in premium lighting solutions tailored for off-road enthusiasts. Our products are accompanied by a Lifetime Warranty, reflecting our commitment to quality and innovation. While we acknowledge that our offerings may not fit every budget, we emphasize that the right choice depends on your specific off-roading style and requirements.

Starting at $232.95, our lighting solutions include a harness and a lifetime warranty, making them ideal for casual off-roaders. For those seeking more performance during off-roading, we offer tailored solutions to meet Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced needs without stretching your budget.

Our Stage kits are designed as a foundational option for enthusiasts to customize their vehicles. We understand that individual needs vary, so our kits are customizable—add or remove components as needed. We advocate starting with essentials and expanding gradually.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to me via PM or email at [email protected]. I can gladly help you out with any questions you may need.

Best,
Brahian Herrera | Forum Sales & Support
Email: [email protected] | Phone: (760) 560-2252 Ext 201

 

[Bikeric]

I'm a cheap SOB, so I went with Nilight and Harbor Freight for pretty much all my lights. I even found a cool light at a BIN store (Amazon return) for $7 and ran it below my winch until I bashed it on some rocks on Hell's Revenge in Moab. It was a $7 light and I still cried, I can't imagine how I would feel busting a $700+ light. Oh wait, I broke one of my Signature Headlights and had to replace that. I didn't cry that time because I got to go back with something aftermarket. I guess my whole point is that I like my salmon grilled, not fried.

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