Are LED light bars worth the ?? I have never seen one in person and i cant tell much in the pics and vids that are available

 

I don't think they are worth the money.

they get expensive FAST....buy a good 6" or larger driving light beam. install at 50w or higher HID kit, 4300k, and you have TONS of light.

 

The flip side to the expense is the low draw on your battery becuase the LED source operates at a lower wattage but produces the same or better light output. The LED light source should last 50,000 hours or longer and even when burned that long you will only lose about 30% of your light output and they should continue to function for another 50,000 hours. The color temp of the light source will vary from manufacturer but the higher kelvin temperature usually give you better perceived light. In other words some people perceive cooler light temps as being brighter. I will admit that they are expensive but more companies are producing these types of lights and competition helps drive the cost down with time. I have had the oportunity to see these LED light bars both big and small running during the day and at night and it is quite impressive.

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a classic looking pair of round KC 50 or 100 watt slim driving or fog lights from $160 -$200 with mounting brackets, it's really up to the user as to what they want to spend and what look they want.

I am working on an LED light bar myself that I will be installing on my hood that I will be test running to see how it performs and looks. It also helps that I am in the lighting industry but not in the car lighting industry so this will be my first stab at a light for my jeep.

Hope this helps.

 

yes some of your facts are correct regarding lower draw. however the color temprature is totally false. anything over 4300k, you loose light output. perceived light is a marketing term for people trying to hawk crappy colored 6000-12000k light sources. I have 4300k, been next to vechiles with 6000k and up and mine are putting out MORE light, and they are easier on the eyes too. all the blue/purple/crystal white garbage, is just that garbage. I drive where moose litter the highways. 4300k or below is best as you have more ACUTAL light output. I would rather pay 200 bucks for my 50w HID retro'ed Hella 500s than 1500 for a led light bar that draw 30w less and puts out aprrox the same light, they rate the Lumens of these led bars at the source, they do not throw the light as far as HID equipped good quality Lights.

quick edit,

throw a set of 6000k halogen bulbs in a jeep and throw a set of normal halogen bulbs in back to back. on a nice dark rainy night. see how your percieved lighting theroy works then!....a great example would be PIAA bulbs, they are rated at preceived light output of 100 watts from a 55w bulb. because they are 6000k "colored" the are supposed to be preceived to be brighter, in the real world however, they are not as bright, and down right dangerous in rainy foggy conditions.

been there and tested pretty well everything. put a set of rigid duallys on my windshield mounts and tried them with my hellas. You could not even see the Rigid beams when I turned on the Hella HID setup. and for the same costs. Its All about the output. the big 60" led light bars that are roof mounted are around 1500 bucks, for 600 you can have 6 Hella 500s with 50w or 70w HID retros in, I can guarantee that the hella setup will squash the LED bar with REAL Light output....

Im not talking about how much light they produce when you LOOK AT the light, but how much light the light throws UP the road/trail. makes a huge difference.

 

Depending on the brand they can cost a lot , I have a Chinese one and I love it so far

Cost 425 for a 32" bar On the cowl

This is a pitch black road to my house

 

I think we are on the same page but I guess I should have been more clear in my post as I never specifed what color temp and I agree with your kelvin choice. Understand that I am working in an industry where 4100K is considered high. I am not a fan of cooler temps myself, as a matter of fact I find people running bluish replacement lamps annoying and its only function is to provide an HID look for those who don't want to spend the money on HID retros. I sell LED light fixtures everyday and I design parking lots and interior spaces that on paper do not stand up to an HID light source and phometrically out perform LED. Oddly enough the end user that has money will always side with LED after a mock-up of both sources because they percieve it brighter when it is not. I sell them what they want as long as I can sell something. LED's are getting better and the lumen output and CRI rendering are getting better daily and like computers and other electronics as new stuff keeps coming out the decent performing older stuff starts to come down in price. I myself am waiting to afford to buy a set of KC 100W slims to mount on hood brackets so I would say we are on the same page. The other LED light I am working doesn't cost me a thing so it is just an experiment. People will keep buying the LED light bars and there is nothing wrong with that, as for me I would rather spend my money on bumpers and upgrading my axles.

 

For sure light bars are pricey but I wouldn't trade my 50" rigid for any other light source out there. I ran a total of 7 lightforce 170's and although those were a great light they just don't compare to the light output of the Rigids.

 

Ahh, misunderstood!

Gotcha now!

Led would be ok for close up lighting for say reverse lighting or rock lights, but Not good for running lights.

 

X2 - The 50" Rigid puts out a lot of light

 

Im going to go take a photo of my light output to compare my setup. I will be going to fairly wide open road to get the shot.