 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Best Front LED Headlights To Buy.. |
 
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| karlp606 Member Since: 19 Aug 2021 Location: Hull Posts: 298   
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So theres quite a few about and some ebay ones Ive seen wont pass the MOT as they dont have the E mark. Ive seen quite a threads with these cheap LEDs passing the MOT as they dont even check the e mark!
What have people bought, where from and how have they been? These are the ones I have looked at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393273570786?_t...%3A2060778 |
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28th Sep 2021 1:22pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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The advice I would buy you is don't buy cheap. Buy cheap, buy twice, or just live with being really disappointed....
I have a now old set of Speaker Evo's and they are superb... Brilliant light, excellent spread across the road and a less current draw than standard halogen lamps. If I had to pick something I wish was better it would be high beam. It is just and little too much of a spot. But the auxiliary spots fill that gap just fine. In short, buy something branded and E-marked. |
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28th Sep 2021 2:06pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20371
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As above, but black Noldens for me.
They are the way to go, but if I had issues ever I’d probably go back to Crystal lenses and H4 bulbs with upgrade loom I already have. They have an excellent output for a superb price, the LED lights pricing is astronomical for what they are and I doubt I would pay for them again. I do like the LED’s but it’s more an aesthetic thing than performance, they do preform well but are costly. The top three in my opinion are the only ones worth looking at and lawful. JW Speaker, Nolden and trucklite. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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28th Sep 2021 4:07pm |
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| Snowy90 Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Surrey Posts: 482 
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Trucklites here, been great, always pass the MOT
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28th Sep 2021 4:13pm |
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| CarMan Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 1861
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Love my newly acquired Trucklites and from the front they look great but is it me, or do they look slightly bug-eyed from the side view e.g. they stick out more than Wipac crystals
 Rob
1993 200tdi 90 hard-top 1998 300tdi 90 soft-top 2016 2.2 XS 90 hard-top (sold) |
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28th Sep 2021 4:35pm |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4209 
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I’m always the killjoy when it comes to Trucklites, sorry. I’ve had them a few years and once you get over the lovely whiteness of the light I dint think they are that great. For me the cut off is too sharp which gives the effect of a well lit area immediately in front, but then nothing beyond that, which makes more distant objects seem less illuminated than with conventional lights.
Just my opinion. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS |
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28th Sep 2021 5:21pm |
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| Hufflepuff Member Since: 25 Oct 2014 Location: Hampshire Posts: 727  
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I think I am in agreement with you Bluest. I've had a set of Nolden's on my truck for a few years now, and while much brighter than the stock candles the Defender came with, its still not as good as other vehicles for actually seeing down the road.
The mainbeam in particular is weak - it fills in the sharp cut-off off the regular beam, but doesn't seem to shine any further which always disappoints me. A further drawback is travelling abroad where you drive on the right - there doesn't seem to be any way to not dazzle oncoming drivers, at least no way of taping them that I found to prevent annoyed flashes from other motorists. Not sure if I'll buy them again. The low power draw is a considerable bonus, but I would have liked to have seen a crystal+H4+upgraded loom setup to compare. Perhaps I just need additional spotlights for mainbeam work. 2005 Td5 90 XS 1989 V8 110 CSW |
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28th Sep 2021 5:28pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3675 
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Watching with interest as I’m considering the same. The Truck Lites look the most factory but given what you boys have said, perhaps not the best output?l along with the Noldens. How are JW’s?
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28th Sep 2021 5:40pm |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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Love my JWs, the low beam is wide and symmetrical and if you are abroad all you need to do is use some electrical tape on the lens to blank out the left hand portion of the beam. Takes a bit of effort but it is possible.
Do we need an at night comparison set of photos? Happy to do the JWs...  All you need is a dark straight road tonight. |
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28th Sep 2021 5:51pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3675
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Yes please Geobloke!
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28th Sep 2021 6:28pm |
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| X4CAC Member Since: 30 Apr 2018 Location: Midlands Posts: 212 
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I spent a lot of time researching headlights when I decided to upgrade mine and when it comes to the 'best' there are really only 2 options, JW Speaker and Noldens.
I couldn't bring myself to like the Speakers as they look so aftermarket IMO. If I'd had the choice I probably would have gone for Noldens Gen 1 similar to what they fitted to the 70th anniversary editions but I just couldn't find any stock for the dark chrome version (regular chrome just looked a little too shiney for me). I settled on the Noldens Gen2 in dark chrome - bought from Urban Automotive who gave me a 10% discount (due to quoting a particular Facebook group that I'm a member off). Mine have been fitted over 18 months now and they've been great and essentially a fit and forget item 
Click image to enlarge |
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29th Sep 2021 9:20am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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Your wish as they say....
So, this was just a quick test, nothing scientific whatsoever. Consisted of a relatively straight and flat dark country road, a Defender 110, pair of JW Speaker Evo 2 headlights in chrome (it matters to light output, honest) and a generic light bar hung under a bumper mounted A-bar. Click image to enlarge In order: Low Beam, High Beam and High Beam + Light Bar. Then just for completeness sake Low Beam dipped to position 3 on the headlight levellers. The reason for the last one is I have found it incredibly useful when driving in fog and for not dazzling on-coming drivers when in built-up areas or a twilight when headlights are useful but range is not necessary. These are very bright lights, it is good to be considerate. Click image to enlarge NB: The iPhone 8s is not a great device for doing this sort of test, but you get the idea I hope.
Also the light bar I have is great at producing light, but it just pours light out in all directions. Awful focusing. Then again it was a very cheap light bar... |
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29th Sep 2021 10:10am |
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| camelman Member Since: 27 Feb 2013 Location: Peak District Posts: 3372
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When doing light comparison shots, it's useful to use the 'manual' settings on your phone camera and lock the exposure so you can actually compare brightness levels,.
The light bar market is full of all sorts of stuff from £50 through to £1000+ As a taster, here's a pic of the Laser Triple R28 on my 110. Contrary to the previously mentioned issue of some of them throwing light out all over the place, the beam on this one is very focussed and still generates 1lm of light at 1.3km (Most LED headlights only achieve that a couple of hundred meters on full beam). It's too bright to use on most roads however as the reflection from road signs is so bright as to dazzle you!! Great searching for missing persons on the moors however... I've actually added diffusers to the edge of the light bar to give a bit more spread into the hedges. I also run a pair of LASER ST4's on the 130 and they are also far better than the EVO2 on full beam. EVO2's on full beam in this photo: Click image to enlarge The Triple R28 doing its stuff. Click image to enlarge Last edited by camelman on 29th Sep 2021 10:41am. Edited 1 time in total |
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29th Sep 2021 10:26am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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I only meant my particular light bar, definitely not all of them, that and you get what you pay for. I bought cheap in this instance and i got cheap optics |
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29th Sep 2021 10:36am |
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