Review: lasfit 3 inch cube/ditch light HP version

[mrblah]

So for some reason, I keep ditching my ditch lights.

1. I started with dirt cheap, mctuning brand lights, and they flickered themselves to death. They lasted maybe 3 days then they went into the trash.

2. Then I went up to auxbeam 5.5 inch round ditch lights mainly because they looked cool, and they did work very well, but after 4 years, they died. I liked them alot and acted like huge spotlights (which essentially they were at 5.5 inches), but to be honest, it blocked so much of my peripheral vision that I was afraid of people crossing the street. I literally couldn't see people in the cross walk. So they had to be replaced when the passenger light decided to give up the ghost when I was in the middle of bum-Fck nowhere, looking for a campsite.

3. I then went to Diode Dynamics SSC2's (SP??) to replace the burned out auxbeams, mainly because they are one of the smallest ditch lights on the market, and it had a cool backlight feature. However, I'm a vain person. There is no replacement for displacement. I wanted something a bit bigger. So they had to go. Well, I'm going to move them to serve as chase lights.

4. So I decided to try out some 3 inch lasfit pods. They aren't as huge as my auxbeam ones, and not as small as the diode dynamics. Also, while lasfit maybe new to the offroad game, they are no stranger to LED's. Pretty much all my interior and exterior LED bulbs are made by lasfit. I wanted something dependable that was in the middle of the road, price point. I am at a point, where I don't want to keep replacing lights. I have other things I want to spend my money on, so Lasfit it is.

On to the pics (unboxing):

Extremely good packaging. Nothing will get scratched or damaged in transit, and everything is individually wrapped. Excuse the last picture, for some reason a extra connector made it into the pictures that i ordered separately. Also, the instructions, tech data, and pictures are all on one page in tiny print (which believe it or not, works really well when installing).

 

[mrblah]

Here is a quick comparison to the diode dynamics SSC2 that I took off the vehicle.

1. Obviously, the diode dynamic is tiny, and has a tiny little bracket, and has a backlight. Honestly, the backlight is a bit gimmicky.

2. The build quality on the diode dynamic is SUPERB, but the wiring harness is not included, and the one you buy for $100+ is kinda crappy. I bought the wiring harness and wish i didn't.

3. Price point for the lasfit and the diode dynamic is very similar for just the light itself. The price for the diode dynamics wiring harness (plus shipping) is absurd. I DIY my own wiring harness (by chopping up my old wiring harnesses) for the lasfit cubes to save some cheddar.

4. Both Diode dynamic and Lasfit will require purchasing a wiring harness or DIY your own wiring harness. Lasfit is going to be cheaper to buy a wiring harness or DIY your own, due to not having a backlight feature.

5. Lasfit has a pigtail coming out of the back of their light. Not really a fan of this for the ditch light application. I run the wires through my hood for a cleaner install. I can't get the pigtail through the hole in the hood, which kind of bothers my OCD. I don't have a problem with the diode dynamics ditch lights because there is no pigtail connection. The connection is at the back of the lights on the diode dynamics. Overall not a big deal, since most people don't run wires through the hood. I'm one of the few that do.

 

[mrblah]

Build quality of the lasfit:

The build quality is superb.

1. There was no marks or weird powdercoating issues. The powdercoating was done evenly.

2. the lenses are individually wrapped and has a protective plastic to keep it from getting scratched in transit.

3. the lenses are interchangeable and DOT approved (although not in the ditch light location..) Don't be a tool by using this on a public highway now!!!!

4 .the lenses are held in by 4 screws (2 in the front/2 in the rear) that apply equal pressure to a metal frame, and a one piece rubber gasket that helps keep moisture out. Also, the lens is made of thick polycarbonate. The allen key is included with the lights to make changing the lenses very simple.

 

[mrblah]

So onward to installation:

This is where Lasfit needs to improve upon. Those BRACKETS!!!!!

1. The fasteners appear to be stainless steel, so hopefully, they there shoudn't have any rust issues, unlike some of the other manufactures out there.

2. The way the brackets attach to the ditch light brackets (SDHQ) is pretty cool. I like that the bolt hole is boxed in. You don't have to use two hands or two tools to complete the install, so no complaints there.

3. The way the bracket attaches to the cube/lights can be improved upon. There is too much space between the bracket and the cube/lights. You really have to crank down on those bolts to get it where the light won't move (down) on its own. It's easy to fix if it does become a problem...a big, giant washer or a small, tiny nut. I'm going to leave it alone for now. I plan on some dirt therapy in a week or so, and hopefully, I'll have an update for ya'll.

4. The brackets are powder coated black, which is pretty awesome. It's the little details!!!!

 

[mrblah]

Yes, I am afraid of the dark, and yes, I don't know how to park, and the mall parking lot was full so this random parking lot will have to do.

1. The picture was taken in a parking spot that slopes downward (towards front of vehicle), but the view from the lights is pointing up at a parking ramp (upward) and I didn't actually have the lights in its final position (passenger side needs to move up).

2. also, the headlights and my biga$$, roof mounted, light bar were kept off.

3 Light output and beam pattern is VERY GOOD. The beam pattern was focused and wide (left to right) and narrow (top to bottom), with very little light scatter on the hood. Basically, the light pattern falls on top and to the right/left of my headlight cutoff. Very easy to set up, due to how focused and even the beam pattern is. No hotspots so I'm very happy.

Conclusion:

I think these lights are worth the money at this midlevel price point, especially if you can take advantage of the forum discount provided by LASFIT. Hopefully, these are the last pair of ditch lights that you and myself will ever need.

CHEERS!!!

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Nice write up, thanks for the review! I didn’t know Lasfit made these pods, so I will have to check them out!

 

[Vansnxtweek]

Good looking lights man, great writeup. I had some ditch lights in the past, have been thinking about getting some more.

 

[honda250xtitan]

are they re branded Diode Dynamics? they look identical.

 

[mrblah]

are they re branded Diode Dynamics? they look identical.

Cubes be cubes.

The way the lens is attached is different, no pigtail connection, and the brackets are different.

Output and pricing is similar though.

 

[Too Stroked]

are they re branded Diode Dynamics? they look identical.

They are definitely not a re-branded Diode Dynamics light. They are however a blatant Chinese reverse engineered knock off with significantly worse light pattern discipline. See link below. I wouldn't touch them for just that reason.

The SAE J581 Aux High Beam Thread | Page 19 | Tacoma World

 

[Jrunr]

What does the rest of your LED lighting consist of?

 

[mrblah]

Some people get so angry, and assume something made overseas is a knockoff.

So I am wondering what is this "blatant chinese reverse engineered knock off" of because I don't see it in the lasfit product, and if we were to compare it to DD:

Housing is not the same.
construction is not the same
brackets not the same
overall dimensions are not the same
electrical connections are not the same.
light output is not the same
light pattern is not the same
TIR tech is not something new nor is it proprietary.
People who make these assumptions, don't own either DD or lasfit products.

Or some people just feel the need to link to a baseless rant that started in TW, and import it here to t4R because they assume these lights are made overseas, they must be chinese made knock offs.

Anyways, lasfit has a very good track record with their LED products, Alot of people found out about their products through word of mouth alone, including myself. I rather purchase products that I have used in the past that fall within my budget than listen to some baseless rant on TW

Remember ya'll...light bars before lockers..lol.

Now for some free entertainment:

$90 vs $2000 Off-Road Lights - YouTube

 

[mrblah]

What does the rest of your LED lighting consist of?

My light setup is obsolete by today's standard, but they work great so i never had the need to upgrade unless i managed to destroy them.

I currently have:

42 inch double row LED light bar (Auxbeams or mctuning)
30 inch single row LED light bar (Auxbeams or mctuning)
21 inch single row LED light bar (Auxbeams or mctuning)
3 inch ditch lights. (Lasfit)
Morimoto headlights
AUER 2 in 1 LED fogs
Lasfit LED bulbs for all external LED light bulbs
JDM star LED bulbs for all internal LED light bulbs.

What I managed to break are ditch lights for some reason:
1. Auxbeam ditch lights
2. mctuning ditch lights

What I still own but sitting in my office because im too lazy to extend a wiring harness or make new wiring harnesses:
1. Auxbeams 3 inch round LED light pods (roof rack/camp lights)
2. Diode dynamics ssc2's (chase lights).

What I use to run before upgrading to morimotos:
xenon depot HID
Lasfit switchbacks
Piaa Hyper yellow hi beams.

I've been tempted to go BD or Rigid or KC..but to be honest, i don't see the need for them for what I typically do. When it comes to lights, i like to be a baller on a budget...lol

Old pic of the vehicle w/ old ditch lights, but the rest of the light bars can be seen clearly.

 

[Too Stroked]

Some people get so angry, and assume something made overseas is a knockoff.

So I am wondering what is this "blatant chinese reverse engineered knock off" of because I don't see it in the lasfit product, and if we were to compare it to DD:

Housing is not the same.
construction is not the same
brackets not the same
overall dimensions are not the same
electrical connections are not the same.
light output is not the same
light pattern is not the same
TIR tech is not something new nor is it proprietary.
People who make these assumptions, don't own either DD or lasfit products.

Or some people just feel the need to link to a baseless rant that started in TW, and import it here to t4R because they assume these lights are made overseas, they must be chinese made knock offs.

Anyways, lasfit has a very good track record with their LED products, Alot of people found out about their products through word of mouth alone, including myself. I rather purchase products that I have used in the past that fall within my budget than listen to some baseless rant on TW

Remember ya'll...light bars before lockers..lol.

Now for some free entertainment:

$90 vs $2000 Off-Road Lights - YouTube

Good points. Let me address them.

First of all, I don't ever assume that anything made overseas is a knock off. But I spent 36 years in manufacturing for a large US based company and I spend enough time in China to be dangerous. Generally speaking, Chinese contract manufacturers have no issue with copying technology or products. They have no respect for patents or intellectual property and the court system there backs them up. They even stole our technology and knocked off the products they made for us. Even after all that, I don't simply assume. The sad truth is that this stuff happens more often than anybody thinks. BTW, if you read that TW post, you'll see details on how the Lasfit product is a knock off.

As for owning Diode Dynamics and Lasfit products, I actually do thank you. The 4 9soon to be 8) DD pods on my T4R have been stellar performers. The Lasfit 7440 LED bulbs in the same vehicle, not so much.

We all have the right to express our opinions - at least for now. I respect yours and I hope you respect mine.

 

[honda250xtitan]

Cubes be cubes.

The way the lens is attached is different, no pigtail connection, and the brackets are different.

Output and pricing is similar though.

i figured re branded cause the website has the same diagrams that DD uses. but i see now what they actually did lol.


still a good looking light, as long as it works for you thats all that matters :shrug:

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Some people aren't gonna want to hear this, but there are actually some really great products that are made in.....CHINA

 

[honda250xtitan]

Some people aren't gonna want to hear this, but there are actually some really great products that are made in.....CHINA

there really are. it doesnt make it moral or ethical though. but anyways:angel:

 

[mrblah]

Good points. Let me address them.

First of all, I don't ever assume that anything made overseas is a knock off. But I spent 36 years in manufacturing for a large US based company and I spend enough time in China to be dangerous. Generally speaking, Chinese contract manufacturers have no issue with copying technology or products. They have no respect for patents or intellectual property and the court system there backs them up. They even stole our technology and knocked off the products they made for us. Even after all that, I don't simply assume. The sad truth is that this stuff happens more often than anybody thinks. BTW, if you read that TW post, you'll see details on how the Lasfit product is a knock off.

As for owning Diode Dynamics and Lasfit products, I actually do thank you. The 4 9soon to be 8) DD pods on my T4R have been stellar performers. The Lasfit 7440 LED bulbs in the same vehicle, not so much.

We all have the right to express our opinions - at least for now. I respect yours and I hope you respect mine.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Since you clearly stated your reasoning/opinion, i guess so will I.

I do want to point out that you state you don't assume that products made overseas are knockoffs, but then you literally start your next argument with "generally speaking.." and go on to make disparaging remarks on the chinese industry as a whole. IP theft is not regional specific to China. It is a global problem that countries may or may not enforce due to how the geo-political winds blow. Also to stay on topic, we are talking about 3 inch LED cubes, not your perception of the quality or value of chinese made products in general.

As previously mentioned i've read that rant thread on TW, and this is my conclusion:

That thread literally proved NOTHING is the same between DD and LASFIT, and concluded that LASFIT must have tried to make a clone but failed so they made a inferior clone, which is a stretch (its called moving the goal posts when you're evidence doesn't support your argument).

The lenses use the same number of "fins" but the lenses are NOT interchangeable and produce a DIFFERENT light pattern, is far from confirming that lasfit made a clone. It is actually easier to conclude that they are NOT clones.

I did a patent search on TIR technology, and guess what i found as of todays date? Take a good guess.

So current use of TIR technology that both lasfit and DD does not mean they are copies of each other, considering that technology is used in MULTIPLE industries, and in multiple applications and no patents have been issued by the patent office as of today's date to diode dynamics or lasfit in regards to TIR tech in 3 inch cubes.

We also don't know how diode dynamics or lasfit is sourcing their components or what agreements they have on file with their sources in regards to their technology.

Light output is not the same

Light pattern is not the same

Physical dimensions are not the same (brackets, attachment points, and pods)

Physical construction is not the same (nothing is interchangeable)

Electrical/wiring is not the same (pigtail vs non-pigtail)

A cube is a cube (thats where the similarities start and end).


Since you want to throw your background experience into this. I'll tell you mine: I was voted most likely to succeed by my classmates in the 2nd grade.... You probably wondering what does this have anything to do with a discussion about 3 inch cubes made by LASFIT? It doesn't, just like your background has nothing to do with this discussion about 3 inch LED cubes made by LASFIT.

If you want to spread BS on a company, feel free to make your own thread about it. However, if you feel the need to crap in my thread, prepare to get a rebuttal.

cheers!!

 

[mrblah]

So i'm not trying to call anyone out with the following matter, but i want to clarify my stance as a whole, since I'm not in the mood to continue getting drawn into a political debate.

Yeah, i don't like companies that steal IP.

For instance, I won't run certain wheels/rims, that are considered clones, nor would i recommend them. However, I dont trash those companies or the people who run them, because I have never owned them. I have no authority to make a comment due to not actually owning it, or physically having it in my possession. I'm also not stupid enough to rely and repost someone else's experiences because it is hearsay and unverifiable, and can easily be misconstrued as my own experience. I also think its disingenuous and designed to mislead.

The problem i have is this statement and how the poster used a thread on TW to try and prove it: "blatant chinese reverse engineered knockoffs" because thats a pretty broad and highly negative accusation even when DD is not the originator of the 3 inch cubed pod light....so I guess DD products are also "blatant USA reverse engineered knockoffs" of more well known, more premium LED manufacturers... Well, the TW thread just cleverly and conveniently ignore that fact...lol.

I think i've done my best to try to debunked the other posters arguments and the TW thread in general in my previous post, so I don't think i need to reiterate my arguments.

If the poster said, "i tried the cubes and they sucked"... I would not have a problem with it.

However, I'm so tired of people accusing a company of making a "clone" but they don't define what is a "clone", and have nothing from their own experience to support it. I wouldn't exactly call links to other forum posts made by other strangers verifiable evidence, nor does it validate any statement as factual.

If the sole reason to call something a clone is due to the country of origin, i'm going to call BS on that one.

If it uses interchangeable parts (replica) or it uses someone else's IP and patents on file (clone), and sold in the country where its violating the patents or IP or knowingly trying to represent itself as another product in which it is not...then yeah that is a clone/replica/trash/etc.

LOL if we are going to define the lasfit product as a clone based on "looks" then the DD product is also a "clone", because neither companies originated the 3 inch LED cube light. It reminds me of the saying "like the pot calling the kettle black."

Lastly, my response is not to defend products made overseas, my goal was to debunk a flawed argument.

CHEERS!!!

 

[honda250xtitan]

So i'm not trying to call anyone out with the following matter, but i want to clarify my stance as a whole, since I'm not in the mood to continue getting drawn into a political debate.

Yeah, i don't like companies that steal IP.

For instance, I won't run certain wheels/rims, that are considered clones, nor would i recommend them. However, I dont trash those companies or the people who run them, because I have never owned them. I have no authority to make a comment due to not actually owning it, or physically having it in my possession. I'm also not stupid enough to rely and repost someone else's experiences because it is hearsay and unverifiable, and can easily be misconstrued as my own experience. I also think its disingenuous and designed to mislead.

The problem i have is this statement and how the poster used a thread on TW to try and prove it: "blatant chinese reverse engineered knockoffs" because thats a pretty broad and highly negative accusation even when DD is not the originator of the 3 inch cubed pod light....so I guess DD products are also "blatant USA reverse engineered knockoffs" of more well known, more premium LED manufacturers... Well, the TW thread just cleverly and conveniently ignore that fact...lol.

I think i've done my best to try to debunked the other posters arguments and the TW thread in general in my previous post, so I don't think i need to reiterate my arguments.

If the poster said, "i tried the cubes and they sucked"... I would not have a problem with it.

However, I'm so tired of people accusing a company of making a "clone" but they don't define what is a "clone", and have nothing from their own experience to support it.

If the sole reason to call something a clone is due to the country of origin, i'm going to call BS on that one.

If it uses interchangeable parts (replica) or it uses someone else's IP and patents on file (clone), and sold in the country where its violating the patents or IP or knowingly trying to represent itself as another product in which it is not...then yeah that is a clone/replica/trash/etc.

LOL if we are going to define the lasfit product as a clone based on "looks" then the DD product is also a "clone", because neither companies originated the 3 inch LED cube light. It reminds me of the saying "like the pot calling the kettle black."

Lastly, my response is not to defend products made overseas, my goal was to debunk a flawed argument.

CHEERS!!!

your kings are clones of my kings!!!!!