Are KC lights out of date bc of LED bars?

Want extra lightning to go with the off road look however I feel that LED bars are whats in now.


What do you guys think about LED bars vs halogen KC lights?

 

LED light bars... kick ass.

I would not use anything but, due to increased visibility amongst other drivers that could be out there. They tend to see LED a lot better.

Not to mention you can purchase flood/spot combo bars which are great for performing two functions at once. While halogen is limited to spot, or flood only, I believe.

 

At least on my 91, I prefer the look of older round style lights. My Lightforces have filters that can be spot/flood or both. I use LEDs for rear,side, and assorted lighting needs, but for my main bumper/roof rack lights I'm sticking with round lights. Keep buying LED bars people, you are driving the price down on my halogens ha ha.

On my 14 I will probably try some LED bars.

 

You can always piss people off and get TruckLite LED 7" round headlights. Mount them like offroad lights but wire them in with your headlight switch.

 

That's a good way to get ticketed real quick. ^^^

 

KC light's is still in the game...

http://www.kchilites.com/lights/c-series-led.html

 

DOT approved headlights. Have the hot wires run to relays controlled by headlights, and a single on/off switch controlling the ground side. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.

 

It doesn't matter how they are wired, or if they are DOT approved lights or not. If they are aimed as highs while you are driving your with your lows you will disturb everyone's vision. DOT approved or not. If you are driving around with them on aimed as lows then you really aren't doing much for long distance vision. Which is what KC lights and LED light bars are meant to do. Increase long distance vision.

 

Any aux lights turned on while driving in traffic will get cops attention. As far as distance on them, what would I know, I only run them on my tacoma.
Back to the question about KCs being outdated, I actually have seen more people getting them instead of bars. My cousin went back to KCs after he took out his bar on a branch (cheaper to replace).

 

I snapped one of my largest bars that I used to have inside my grille clean off its mounting tabs. It still lights up but no longer is mountable. I preferred to get a new LED light bar because I enjoy their visibility a lot more.

KC light bars have somewhat of a desert look to them. They have their place in the offroading world and still look badass.

 

Can't beat the look of the classic KCs, but you can't beat the performance of the led bars/lights. Personally, I love my LEDs but I like KCs as well.

 

I will add, I don't like it when people mix the two versions of lights. I have seen very few rigs that have a mix that still look good.

 

Comparing halogen lights to LED lights is like comparing 8-track to the modern CD. Runs cooler, consume less current, brighter, last longer. What's not to love about LEDs?

 

L
E
D

just my $.02

 

http://www.kchilites.com/lights/gravity-led.html

Not only does KC now offer a plethora of led bars, they also offer LED versions of the typical "KC lights". I love that they make a direct, drop in LED upgrade to certain models they offered in Halogens.

 

LED lights up everything, including dust particles so well, they can blind you from seeing through the dust (or mist) by all the reflected light. Because of this, they may not be the best choice for off roading with others, or off road racing, because of the dust you will be driving through.

The question is really not brand specific (KC), but light type. Also, halogen is old technology and HID is what has replaced it... giving more light at half the watts needed for halogen. The one negative of HID is the slow start-up (warm-up) required to reach full brightness. KC and other brands (Hella, Baja Designs, etc.) offer HID or Halogen in all sizes of lamps.

I think the future might be an LED insert in a traditional lamp instead of a light bar so you will get light beams to penetrate through dust/ mist and light up the ground ahead.
LED bars are great for lighting up a wide area, like a stadium lighting system does, as long as there is no dust in the air to blind you trying to see through it.

 

There is a simpler way to avoid being blinded by the light bar's... Don't look at them as they are directly in your face.

I think KC has done well by updated their round style lamps to LED technology. You get round headlights and updated 21st century lighting. The best of both worlds.

HID not only has a slow start up time, but the ballast which controls their light up has to work very hard to get that bulb going. Which not only hurts your electrical, but it hurts the ballast itself, and decreases it's lifespan rather quickly. I just prefer LED overall. Resistant to vibration (unlike HID, Halogen), much easier to make waterproof, much brighter, and on top of that you can customize the lighting configuration and patterns rather easily because of their ability to be mounted virtually anywhere in a setup.

 

What?

Don't look at my own light bar? huh?

I am talking about the light out in front of the truck that you are looking at from in the cab, while driving.


In the past, LED bars makes all the dust light up, whereas standard lamps penetrate through and light up the ground.

If you are not in a dusty environment, then no problem with LED. The only way around that dust issue is with amber lens, so I have heard.

I have not seen these new LED lamps in action. I hope they work more like halogen or HID lamps instead of like the LED light bars... ie. penetrate to the ground without all the back lighting of dust.

 

KC is now making LED Light bars - http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/333344-new-kc-hilites-led-tacoma-grilles-tapautoparts.html