| Author | Message | ||
     Victor Biro (Vabiro) New Member Username: Vabiro Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hi, I am looking at a variety of lighting for off-road and rural highway use. I will be mounting on my front A-bar in front of the grill. I have looked at products from Hella, IPF, LightForce and the factory lights from Land Rover. One question is what sort of lamp would be best suited to my application. When I say "what sort" I mean spot, driving, fog, or some sort of combo lamp. What adds to the confusion is the use of brand-specific expressions like "Euro Beam". I would be interest in what others would suggest for an application that combines off-road and on road applications. Also, some of you might have the Land Rover lights. Are they any good when compared to others from Hella, IPF and LightForce? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Victor | ||
| Dave Smith (Javelinadave) Member Username: Javelinadave Post Number: 57 Registered: 07-2002 |
I had genuine Rover lights on my Disco and I thought they were expensive, weak, and cheesily built. On my Defender I have IPF 900's and they kick butt! They are strong, bright and very very easy to install. They have a snap together harness that a chimp could put together. All for about $200 http://www.arb.com.au/IPF_900_USA.htm Hella's are also always a good choice for any lighting. Good luck...Dave | ||
| John W (Disco_gold) New Member Username: Disco_gold Post Number: 11 Registered: 09-2003 |
I recently put a pair of IPF 968s on my DII A- bar. They are a driving/fog combo. They come with 55w bulbs installed but the kit included 100w bulbs as well. You can also upgrade to 130w bulb if you want. I use the 100w and I am very happy with them. The kit came with everything needed to install and cost $115. I don't have much experience with other lights but the 968s work well for me. | ||
| Jess Brandt (Disco285) Member Username: Disco285 Post Number: 140 Registered: 09-2002 |
i love KC Hilites most notably for there 23 year warranty, i just paid $10 for shipping, and got two new lights, cuz they were rusty on the bottom and one didn't work... i'm kool with that, and these had been in an accident... | ||
| Lewis Jones (Cutter) Member Username: Cutter Post Number: 110 Registered: 10-2003 |
I have Hella 500's in the clear fog pattern. Love 'em! Only about $65. KC's suck, they throw a tiny circle of light waaaay down the trail. Totally useless off road. IPF's are great, too. I have never used them, but I see them on night runs and they do good. I have no idea what pattern they were. I'll stick with Hellas. | ||
| Peter J Blatt (Peteb) Senior Member Username: Peteb Post Number: 286 Registered: 10-2002 |
I am using 4 lights from napa, the cups are rubber, and they are 15.00 ea, the bulbs are 100w aircraft landing lights, the bulbs are sealed so i dont fill them with water off road, and the bulbs are 15.00 ea, I dont worry about stone chips, or theft, they are very bright and cheap, kind of a rectangular pattern of light, Dean brown, Jaime, and rick have seen them, and they do work quite well. Peter. | ||
| Craig Kobayashi (Koby) Senior Member Username: Koby Post Number: 631 Registered: 02-2002 |
Hella 4000: Cornering, Euro and Fog. 4000 X 2 = 8K http://expeditionexchange.com/bbrr3/DCP_0397.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/miller2/DSC04562.jpg 4000 X 4 = 16K http://expeditionexchange.com/hornburg2/DSC05191.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/pismo2003/DSC06882.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/ics2/DSC07745.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/ics2/PA250004.jpg 4000 X 6 = 24K http://expeditionexchange.com/bbrr3/DCP_0363.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/pismo2003/DSC06894.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/pismo2003/pismo0068.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/pismo2003/pismo0055.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/pismo2003/pismo0075.jpg http://expeditionexchange.com/ics2/PA250041.jpg Here's a Disco 2 with IPF lights: http://www.expeditionexchange.com/miller2/DSC04623.jpg and the same D2 with Hella 24K: http://www.expeditionexchange.com/ics2/DSC07723.jpg | ||
| Wes (Wes) Member Username: Wes Post Number: 198 Registered: 02-2002 |
What kind of modifications need to be done on an ARB bumper to get hella 4000's to fit? Drilling or welding or both? thanks | ||
| p (Pfb) Member Username: Pfb Post Number: 73 Registered: 08-2003 |
I have PIAA Pro 89 XT's in fog pattern. I live in the mountains, and I love them cause they throw light into the corners that would otherwise be blind. They also throw light about as far as the stock high beams. If you live out in the sticks with lots of long, dark, straight roads, a narrower driving beam might be better. | ||
| Alan Yim (Alan) Senior Member Username: Alan Post Number: 876 Registered: 09-2002 |
I have PIAA 520 fog lamps and like Pfb was saying, it's nice when you're in the woods. Most trails around here are mountain type wooded trails so I like the wider light pattern. | ||
| Nadim Samara (Discodino) Member Username: Discodino Post Number: 144 Registered: 02-2003 |
I currently have 2 Hella FF100 Fogs on my bumper and will be installing 4 FF300 Clear Lights on the roof. You can't them for price (24$ each), size (TINY), weight (TINY), corrosion resistance (PLASTIC) and Illumination (STRONG). IMHO, The "HID" and the bla bla bla 10" wide lights are best for LONG Distance SPEED driving...if that is what you are doing, then so be it, but for trail use, the FFs are GREAT. | ||
| Devin Walton (Devin_walton) New Member Username: Devin_walton Post Number: 32 Registered: 03-2003 |
I recently installed 6 of the IPF MSR 900's on my Disco and I'm happy with them overall for quality / performance and as mentioned above, installation was super easy. I had the Hella 4000's on my Defender and I have to say that it they are definitely a superior light. The IPF's are nice, but if you're looking for the best light (and don't mind paying for it), the Hella rules. Devin | ||
| Victor Biro (Vabiro) New Member Username: Vabiro Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks for all the great input, but a couple of questions still remain for me: 1. Much of the driving to and from the trails is on 2 lane highway (90kph/55mph) with great risk for hitting moose and deer. At that speed, and given the risk of slipery roads, over-driving the head lights is the big risk. Which would be optimal, when combined with trail use: upgrading the factory lights to 55/100 and adding a spot beam, or upgrade the HL and use a "driving light"? 2. What is the difference between the Euro beam, Spot, flood, fog, driving lights? Spot seems obvious, but is the Euro Beam simply a driving light, and what is the difference between a clear fog light and a driving light? Enquiring mind want to know? Victor | ||
| Greg French (Gregfrench) Senior Member Username: Gregfrench Post Number: 651 Registered: 11-2002 |
You will want to check your local laws to be sure you can use these lights on the road before you buy. I have a pair of Hella 3000's. They throw a medium pattern way down the road about to where the high beams stop. Unfortunately, they are not road leagal. I do use them on the road, though, as I drive at 4am down long, wooded highway areas with lots of dead deer on the side of the road. If I see an oncoming car, I have to quickly turn them off. I also have the Hella 550 clear fogs, which are road legal if they are set level with-or below your low beams. I am really quite impressed with the beam pattern. It is so wide I can almost see behind me, and have saved me from hitting deer (and other things) on the side of the road. If you are looking for enhanced on-road illumination, I would go with them. They are cheap (around $50 at advance) and work better than I expected. -Spot beams project a small diameter beam a long distance ahead of you. Good for high-speed desert racing. -Euro beams are high class spots from what I have read -Flood are medium distance and medium beam width (like the 3000's) -Fog are close distance with a narrow, wide pattern. Of course, the best thing to do is buy many sets of different beam patterns and intensities. Someone once said you can never have too many off road lights! Hope this helps | ||
| Rob Davison (Nosivad_bor) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Nosivad_bor Post Number: 1201 Registered: 02-2003 |
http://www.expeditionexchange.com/hella/index.htm ready away | ||
| Ray Gerber (Raygerber) Member Username: Raygerber Post Number: 154 Registered: 09-2002 |
victor- Another good web resource is: http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/hella.htm Wes- I have two Hella 4000's on my ARB (airbag) that came with the truck but it doesn't appear there was any modification done to fit them, they're just mounted on the lower light tabs. |
