Traveler III
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HID vs LED
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Expedition Master I
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It totally depends on the application. Projector or reflector housing? High or low beam?I've never had an issue with HID headlights and as you said they are brighter. I'll add that I've been running HIDs since 2003 problem free. On top of that they make better use of the headlight housing because their light casting is similar to that of a halogen bulb. Every vehicle is different but LED in a reflector housing can just plain ol suck. They are very bright but the light lacks focus and the design suffers from shadows. I run HID lows (projectors) with LED highs (reflectors) and I can't wait to get rid of the LEDs because the light they throw down range is awful.
Pathfinder III
LEDs are the way to go. No need to warm up and can turn them on/off/on/off/on/off all day without killing the bulbs.
I get my lights and parts from sidetrackedoffroad.com
I get my lights and parts from sidetrackedoffroad.com
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I have to echo LED as well. HID looks cool, but the negatives outweigh the positives overall.
Expedition Master I
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Just curious what you consider to be a negative? I'm a function>form guy and I choose HID for my low beams because they flat out outperform LEDs. Nothing to do "looking cool". I might entertain the idea of putting LEDs in projectors but a quick search of google images shows how they don't have the throw or the left/right coverage of even half decent halogens.
Pathfinder III
Your daily Low beam HIDs are perfect for that application, they do a really nice job at giving a good amount of light for road driving. I agree a good kit or factory set of HIDs for low beam is the way to go. Specially staying legal on the road and being able to see way more than your standard halogen light.
For offroad driving slow and fast application I go back to my vote above on LEDs.
I guess we should be more specific on the original post and voting so we can make a case for said application
Pathfinder II
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I'm hemming and hawing about this myself. My last truck had HID low beams and halogen high beams and it was excellent. But there is a new LED bulb out for my truck that gets close enough in performance for me to consider them. But their high beam performance is no better than low beam... which is why I'm installing light bars.
Member III
Member III
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While I have nothing more than factory halogen bulbs, I had considered LED for a while due to their low demand for electricity compared to HID.
Long story short, LED don't melt snow or ice. Freezing rain turning to snow while on a highway means you need to stop a lot to clear the lights off .
Hence why I run factory lighting here in Canada. I suppose it's location specific. Just something to factor in when deciding.
Long story short, LED don't melt snow or ice. Freezing rain turning to snow while on a highway means you need to stop a lot to clear the lights off .
Hence why I run factory lighting here in Canada. I suppose it's location specific. Just something to factor in when deciding.
Also add in that putting an LED bulb in a standard headlight housing is going to cause all kind of glare to other drivers. I encounter a few guys who have done this on their trucks on my early morning commute and it is horrible.
In my experience, they're generally overpriced when weighed against their reliability and durability - and they can be a drain on your battery. Like anything, if you spend enough you're going to get the best of the best, but I have yet to see a set of HID lights that outperform LED or even super-bright Halogen's - enough - where I can justify buying them.
Expedition Master I
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Haha. I've had HIR bulbs to replace my high beam LEDs for a long time now. The hold up is Subaru's DRL setup which uses the high beams in the states. I have a plan but have been dragging my feet.
I'm not going to lie, I chuckled a bit when you brought price into the discussion. I bought my first LED bulb for a vehicle in 2002 ($) and have been swapping my vehicles and households since ($). I absolutely love every application of LED light EXCEPT for retrofitted headlights. All along the way I've paid a ridiculous amount of money in 'bulbs' because in every other application the short throw output is fantastic and the current draw is just a bonus. My LED high beams were no exception. They were quite pricey but unless you have OE housings designed to use LED you will suffer the same shortcomings. Different housings will perform differently but you can't escape the current LED bulb design in which even manufacturers will admit to shadows.
As I stated previously, I've yet to have an issue with HID. OE or aftermarket. I've never had to replace a bulb or ballast. That's 13 years of luminary bliss. My wife has been flat out abusive to her HIDs and still nothing. I literally cringe when her auto headlights turn on and off every time she pulls into or out of the garage. Typically you do get what you pay for but my only satisfaction when it comes to my LED high beams is their role as daytime running lights. Lumens wise they should be blinding but I don't even get flashed.
Hey, everyone has an exception to the rule. I can only tell you what my experience has been. You have to admit though - the prices on LED in 2002 vs the prices today are two different worlds completely.
I've just seen enough people "go dark" on the trail with their HID's where I haven't seen it happen with LED's. We do have a lot of trap rock here in New England.. Gets a little bouncy and jarring.......
Member III
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Absolutely. Most people don't seem to think that after a simple mod like that, one needs to adjust the aim of the beam for that very reason (and after adding a lift too).
I think this is also dependent on the reflector assembly itself. There is a guy with a White GMC I encounter some mornings and the light from both his fog lights and low beams is horribly out of focus. The second you get right next to the front of his hood you get blinded. It's like it is throwing off 180 degrees of bright scattered light. I normally stay behind him and it's amazing to see how he lights up overhead signs on the interstate, way off to the direct side in the ditch. and directly on the ground right in front of his bumper. I'm hoping to encounter him when it is raining or snowing to see the what the light show will look like...
Side note, I am by no means anti LED, I just think all LED's need to be in the proper housing or behind the proper lens.
Expedition Master I
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This is exactly what my high beams do. Bright scattered light that barely lights anything up in front of my low beams. This is also exactly what you see in searched images. To each their own but I don't see why anyone would want the current LED options swapped into their headlights. You get what you pay for and I've never seen a quality HID kit fail.
I'll add that I'm actually not a big fan of putting either option into halogen reflector housing low beams because of the glare. For reasons I mentioned previously HID will make much better use of the housing but with the increased output even a properly aimed headlight can potentially be blinding to oncoming drivers. I've had OE D2R HID headlights and they were quite a bit different than the halogen option ones from the same vehicle. Not saying not to use HIDs but I like that people mentioned the need for proper aiming post install.
Off-Road Ranger I
It's just my two cents. Lots of talk about HID/LED/Halogen, one major consideration is what your eye can and cannot process as well as something else. Halogen lights have a yellow looking light as compared to an HID/LED. The eye processes that light more effectively because of the frequency and the pupil does not constrict as much as compared to the same lumen output of an HID/LED. So what does the HID/LED do to the eye? There is so much (scatter) light closeup the eye pupil constricts and reduces vision capability, this can be made even worse if fog or rain is present (more particles to increase reflection/scatter). OK so those that have seen my rig know I have lots of lights. Yellow LED diffused fog/dust low front. Low LED white spots aimed to highlight white and yellow road stripping and track width. Do I have light bars yes, are they bright as s--t yes. And if I use them I slow way down.
Expedition Master I
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Both HID and LED are available in warmer temps. I never recommend anything north of 5000k which is "daylight". By comparison OE HID typically comes in around 4300k and is the most usable light temperature.
Just wait til the fed approves laser headlights...
Just wait til the fed approves laser headlights...
Member III
I've probably mentioned this before on another one of the forums pages but in my opinion LED is definately the way ahead. My favourite make of lamp is Lazerlamps.com they make a whole range of large and small with narrow beam to spot beam, short range to long range. their prices are probably higher than most but the build quality is awesome. they supply lamps to the world rally circuit.
