Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hi, everyone,

i would like to get some spotlights for my car and was wanting a fairly good set. one pencil and one spread beam. i dont really have a budget yet but i gues i will get the best "value" ones. so is there are list somewhere that properly compares the performances of lights u can buy. i would like to look at a list because then i can see how good the light is and what are the cost of the lights.

ie. if a light goes 700m and its $550 and another goes 600m and its $350 then the better value is the $350 deal.

price means nothing as i saw a list in a 4x4 mag a few yrs ago and a $800 set was beaten by most $300/$400 lights but cant remember any brand names.

Unfortunately 800m means nothing if at that distance the shape of the beam is useless.

It's a very difficult thing to measure.

Steve.

I'm not sure how this will help you but the first set of spotties I bought were 2x Nightstalker 170 pencil beams for $145 with relays these have been fantastic for the price and give out a great amount of light. I then found 2x Ziel spotlights for $50 on a discount table in repco which give out not an incredible amount of light but way more than stock headlights.
I had both sets of lights mounted on my suzuki together and they out shone a set of brand new lightforce spotties the large sized ones can't remember the model.
Also when I bought my 80 series it came with Cibie Oscars which are supposed to be a more expensive brand but I found them to give out crappy light and they rusted and fell apart. They were about 10 years old tho...

I have a pair of IPF 900 series (round ones) and both pencils, better than not having anything but not that great, modified them with HID's made them heaps better but I got a set of 180mm Roolites (almost identical to Lightforce) and they do almost as good as the modified IPF's as I can adjust the beam patern on them.

Plus the Roolites were about half the price of the IPF's BEFORE I modified them

Just got a pair of Narva 225s. Awesome amount of light from these. You can get them for $300 if you look around. Very good bang for the buck. The 175s are also very good.

I have 2 LF 170's and 2 LF 240 XGTS, for distance i'd go the 170's but for the light quality and more spread go the XGT's.

I am very happy with them

Its another one of those things where 1 brand doesnt suit everyone. The amount of light produced in most lights (excluding HID) doesnt change much between the 100 and 130w models, its just how the reflectors and lens are designed. Quite a few brands manage to produce a spottie that is well regarded and has a following. So it really depends on where you intend to mount them, and what driving you do. I find spot beams nearly useless around windy dirt roads, so 2 spread/driving are handy, but if you live on the open plains of wherever, 2 spots are the go. I always liked the cibie super oscars as they have a great "driving" light, but the other brands make you choose between spot or spread.

Its true some cheaper lights do one thing or another really well, but i havnt found any that have a beam pattern that blends in well putting light where i need it, and that makes me tired faster on long trips. I'd be trying to find lights that fit in the space, look and feel like they are put together well from quality materials, and have a strong mount that doesnt let the light shake around over bumps. Then try finding someone with the ones you like to see if the beam pattern suits you.

I've had:
Cibie Super Oscars - Lots of them, some rusted out (15 years old), but i cant go past them. Have put HID kits in a set very easily.
Hella rally 2000 - well made, though a long beam with spot, but i just couldnt tighten the mount enough so they wouldnt end up pointing at the ground.
Rally 4000 - way better mounts, and well made, not cheap though.
IPAA forget which model, but well made, good beam etc. Just too expensive for me.
Narva Bull lights - cheap, but work. Too damn big.
IPF 900D - The round ones, nice lights, and good spread beam, not cheap, and ive heard of a few jumping overboard. (ppl not checking the lense screws obviously).
And ive been through plenty of really cheap brands - really cheap.
Have only heard good things about the new plastic style lights, but havnt tried them myself.

Well depends, I only use them a handful of times a year, so I got some nite stalkers for $150, a spread/spot combo and they seem to do alright to me.

I have some Cibie airports from when supercheap had them on special, haven't fitted or tried them but.

I got a set of roo lights a month ago one has water in it already just from driving with them on in the rain ,at least there gunna send me a new one i guess

yeah this is great guys, i can see what everyone uses and their purposes and decide from that maybe. keep the comments flowing.

The Roolights were advertised in a catalogue recently (Autobarn???) and they were worded as "dustproof and water resistant"; the Lightforce on the same page "dust and waterproof".

Personally I wouldn't spend anywhere near that much on something that can so easily be stolen. I'd also rather balance the money expenditure on upgrading the low beam performance so you've got good vision when vehicles are coming the other way and you can't have driving lights on. (eg. better globes and wiring loom.)

cant go past the roo lites them are vaule i reckon

I've got 4 cibie oscars on mine and they shit all over pretty much anything my mates are using, soon to be HID improved tho
They've been on the car and thru the elements for about 15 years now, havent leaked or needed to be cleaned the only time they've been opened is to change the globes. very happy.
super oscars are a good bet i reckon, I've been impressed with the even spread and huge light output with 100watt globes.
light force are a common one and a friend is pretty happy with them for the price and we've fitted a few rally 4000's which are meant to be the ducks guts according to the supplier but like others have said its all up to personal preference.
check your mates cars out or 4wd clubs and even pull up at a servo and ask someone what kind of lights theyre using if you've been behind them and impressed.
i did that with a few trucks regarding LED tail lights and got a good idea of what ones to go for.
could go thru a few 4x4 mags aswell, they commonly do a write up on all the latest and so called greatest lights and show photos of their pattern and distance.

ok i did some research on the net from some recomendations on here and i think the best value ones are between the "Roolights 180/220" and the "Narva Ultima 225's". these are thier specs:

Roolight 180 = 700m of light, adjustable beam like lightforce, $245.

Roolight 220 = 900m of light, sdjustable beam like lightforce, $320.
http://www.4x4store.com.au/Nite-Stalker ... 88670.html

(con of these are they are easy to steal)

Narva 225's = 900m of light, any combo beam you want, $300 special at repco atm, $350-$400 normally. http://www.griffiths.co.nz/email/Produc ... 9_2008.pdf

(no con that i can see)

might sway towards the narvas if they fit on my bull bar otherwise 180 roolights will do the job nicely.

these crap all over the value for ipf's range and lightforce and keep the tips coming as maybe there are more people wanting to know all this information to suit them aswell. thanks so much everyone!

billyboy90 wrote:ok i did some research on the net from some recomendations on here and i think the best value ones are between the "Roolights 180/220" and the "Narva Ultima 225's". these are thier specs:

Roolight 180 = 700m of light, adjustable beam like lightforce, $245.

Roolight 220 = 900m of light, sdjustable beam like lightforce, $320.
http://www.4x4store.com.au/Nite-Stalker ... 88670.html

(con of these are they are easy to steal)

Narva 225's = 900m of light, any combo beam you want, $300 special at repco atm, $350-$400 normally. http://www.griffiths.co.nz/email/Produc ... 9_2008.pdf

(no con that i can see)

might sway towards the narvas if they fit on my bull bar otherwise 180 roolights will do the job nicely.

these crap all over the value for ipf's range and lightforce and keep the tips coming as maybe there are more people wanting to know all this information to suit them aswell. thanks so much everyone!

Or buy one Lightforce 240xgt and be in front of the othrers.

I got my Narva 225s from repco on the $300 deal.

I've got the 180 Roo Lites, they're not too bad a light actually and I paid $230 for them in Canberra. The only 'problem' i have is that i'm undecided on the best way to focus the beam, it's pretty close to being wound most of the way in (spot beam) but still has a really wide range. How has eveyone else focussed their lights (LF and Roo's)?

My reasons behind me picking the roo lites was price and something new, plus lately i've been driving about 700k's a week and half of that is late at night (Canberra-Orange) since aligning them they have never moved and produce a nice steady light, but this is all on the highway with the occasional dirt road, i haven't tested them on any corrugations nor had any water in them.

Don't get hung up on the distance thing.

What sort of driving are you doing? If it's windy roads, then something with better spread will probably be more appropriate. A 100w globe emits a finite amount of light, a tighter/longer beam just for the sake of "mines longer than yours" means sacrifices in other areas.

I have used a couple of different styles of cibie's and been reasonably happy with them.

I have had IPF and they stayed on the car about a month. IMO Light output was poor.

Have used some hella's and been happy with those. I have 181's as my roof lights as they are reasonably compact.

Some of the larger cheap lights are ok in spot beam. If buying purely on price check out a cibie oscar/super oscar first and see how these are made. Them see what you can find at repco etc that is similiar. The lense should have a nice even curve, be reasonably deep, be reflective and the light should be assembled well with a good mounting system. The glass will determine whether the light is spread or spot. I have found that a glass lens that is slightly opaque across the centre and clear on the outside will give a good compromise between spread and spot. I have bought a few sets of these sorts of lights and had similiar results to my cibie oscars. (they have been replaced because of breakages caused by trees etc jumping out in front of me.

I have never used Narva or lightforce.


as said each light has a purpose and the desired result will depend on your requirements.

i currently use Warn HID driving lights and these are for highway use. I also have 4 hella 181's on the roof for night bush driving which do to mounting position give an excellent spread of light which is focused closer to the vehicle. the Hella's use phillips 55w globes.

the other thing that has not been mentioned is that the quality of the globe can make a difference to.

GOONA im not sure if roolites are the same as lightforces with adjustment but when you turn them the whole way in they actually start widening the beam again, undo them a little and the beam should narrow, thats how mine work,

i love the 170mm lightforces for a few reasons (im running 5)
adjustability (pencil or spread) which is handy with my 3 on roof, really good light output and they are so tough, one example, two week ends ago a magpie flew out in front of me in the bush and it hit one of my bull bar mounted lightforces at about 110, no damage at all, im glad it was not my stock lights or windscreen!

i got the first 2 at tjm for $350 bout 18 months ago, then the other three at autobarn 6 months ago for $163.50 each ($327) a pair.

McGyver- They are exactly the same, was more wondering bout the ideal focus pattern off them, because as you screw them out you get a 'dark centre' so was wondering whether the best way of focussing is to have one a little wider/open and the other pointing inside the 'dark centre'...

P.S. Sorry about the hijack

I got a set of Narva cheapies - $130/pr, 1 spot 1 spread. Added a $98 55w HID kit and they are more than enough light for me.
Also, no-one will bother to steal the narvas.

festy wrote:I got a set of Narva cheapies - $130/pr, 1 spot 1 spread. Added a $98 55w HID kit and they are more than enough light for me.
Also, no-one will bother to steal the narvas.

My Narva Maxims do the job for me fine as well. They cost me $90 about ten years ago. They will give good light out to over 300m which is plenty for me.

murcod wrote:

festy wrote: My Narva Maxims do the job for me fine as well. They cost me $90 about ten years ago. They will give good light out to over 300m which is plenty for me.

With the HIDs mine are good for about a kilometer now

NANE - cheap and decent spots.

ive got 3 sets running and 2 with HID now. awesome light output.

decent mounts and setup (basically same as nitestalker)

Agree with the comments about distance, the only time i would worry about adding distance spots is on a bike or very quick car - mainly because it is possible to 'outrun' standard lights as you focus further and further ahead at speed. On a 4x the spread is what you should look for, unless you drive like a loon .

I've run Hella 160's on my old bike, distance spots - very robust lights, well sealed with good reflectors, and nicely complemented the standard headlight.. helped me avoid hitting a few roos.

One thing you should think about is the difference between low and high beam, it can be bloody dangerous dipping your lights if the difference in brightness is too great - i even notice it in our bixenon equipped car. Best to improve your lowbeam as much as you can with inserts and add spots with a wide spread of light - that is providing your alternator can handle it!

Iv'e had more brands then I care to remember over the years, all with varying light strength etc, and mate to be honest once you sit behind a set of hid lights you will never bother with halogen lights again.
Yes they are that good.
I converted a set of crappy lightforce 240's (yes l/force are strong but the reflector is way crap) with an ebay 50w hid kit that cost me $200 delivered and trust me as I said you will never ever bother with halogen lights again.
Get something cheap and able to take a hid conversion.

chpd80 wrote:I converted a set of crappy lightforce 240's (yes l/force are strong but the reflector is way crap)

On what do you base this opinion?

Its pretty much common knowledge that lightforce sell their products on the fact that they are literally bullet proof, nothing comes close to them on strength,
but (compared to other brands) the reflector and lens is simply not as good quality as others.
I would and will buy them again when I need more lights but will convert them to hid at the same time. that way you have a super strong light with a great light output.

My main hate is glass lenses (although they give much better light), and white covers, lightforce is the best quality with a plastic clear lense.
Thats my 2c worth.

I've got LF 240s. Suit my purpose and they look good!!