What auxiliary lights to go with? PIAA? Hella? Etc?

[UARandy3]

I'm getting ready to buy some auxiliary lights to go on my brush guard. As the days are getting shorter and it's getting closer to hunting season, I need to get a set of lights to help light up further down the road and wider to light up the tree line to spot deer etc.

I don't have any experience with lights so I'm hoping for some insight. I'm thinking a 6" light will be a good size as far as I can tell. Also, I know someone will say to convert them to HID, but I'm not going to bc I'm currently running PIAA bulbs in my heads and fogs and am pretty pleased with them.

I was thinking I'd like to run some Hella 500 Black Magics bc they look sweet but have read about sub-par output (the BM 1000s are 8" and prob would look too big). This has me leaning more towards the PIAA 520. Do any of yall have any experience in the various beam patterns (driving vs fog vs ATP)?

I know a few are running Hella's and several are running PIAA's. I'm looking at >$200 so that also rules out Lightforce. Any help, experience, or other options to consider would be appreciated! Thanks in advance

 

[the great him]

your gonna want to run the 520 ATPs, they have the best pattern, they arent flat like a fog, but they arent a spot like a pencil, and they are a little wider than a driving light. PIAA makes the best light kit out there, their wiring that comes with the lights is idiot proof, its all plug and play. i dont like how Hella does wiring, their diagrams are confusing and use a lot of needless and pointless steps. LightForce is another option but ive never ran them so i can not speak of them, but i want to try some sometime.

 

[cobiker]

I have Hella Comets, pencil beams. Good throw but way too narrow to be useful for anything but going 80mph on a straight unlit freeway. And then they have to be aimed perfectly. If I had known, Id have gotten a wider beam profile. More useful on slower speed and offroad situations.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

yeah x2 on the PIAA's,they are pretty bad aWORD. I almost installed them by myself and that is almost amazing!

i have the ion crystal ones so not really good for extra light, but they are awesome on rainy or foggy days! just make sure you get the bigger ones. i'm beginning to think mine look a little too itty bitty for my brush guard, well whats left of it lol

 

[Supra725]

I vote for Piaa's too..

I have had mine for over 10 years and only burnt through 1 set of bulbs...
mine is the 520's fog

on the other hand, if my dog didn't chew through my hella micro de wiring.. I would have my retrofit, Piaa's and Hella..

hopefully this x-mas, I can have some extra cash to buy an new pair of Hella Micro De's and some hella h3 yellow bulbs or an hid conversion kit 3000k..

for where I live, winter is known for fog.. it get's so bad that I can't even see the car in front of me... The Piaa's cut through it with ease..

 

[UARandy3]

Yeah my first choice was the PIAAs but know a TON of people run Hellas. I didn't know if there was something I was missing in the Hellas or if they were just popular bc they're relatively cheap or what.
I was a little torn between getting the driving pattern or the ATP. The ATP has a 40 degree beam pattern vs the 15 degree pattern of the driving beam. The ATP seems like a good option. I really like the Lightforce lineup but don't particularly want to spend that much.
BTW, Supra, your lighting looks really good. I was going to do a retrofit my heads and do HIDs in my fogs, but I think I'll be ok with just going with a set of auxiliary lights for when I'm on the backroads dodging deer. And if not, I can always do a retrofit at a later point haha.

 

[Supra725]

Thanks mate. You will love the light output when you get the retrofit.

Good luck on your purchase, when winter comes I snap some pictures of it in the fog.

I think It would be even better if I can get the Hellas micro de's with the 3000k his in it.

 

[blcktpgsr]

PIAA's the only brand I run on mine, 4 pairs to be exact.. with the exception of one tiny pair of mad mad bright Hella xenons.

 

[BrianSD_42]

A ton of people do run Hellas. They are good and cheaper then the PIAAs. I have had both and now run PIAA 520 Fog Lights. I would go with the PIAA even though they are more cash. PIAA is a very good product.

Even if a bulb burns out, all you have to do is email in your receipt and they will send you a set of new bulbs for free.

 

[the great him]

id also say look at the PIAA 580s they are awesome and just slightly bigger than the 520s but look better on the front, thats what mine are

 

[GX4SEVEND]

Since alot of people seem to like the PIAA 520's, how do those compare to something like the Hella 500ff or the IPF 968's?

 

[the great him]

Since alot of people seem to like the PIAA 520's, how do those compare to something like the Hella 500ff or the IPF 968's?

PIAAs are by far superior to Hellas in every way, from quality of the light beam, to quality of the wiring(PIAA uses hi grade wire, not cheep wire like Hella) used to actual quality of the lamp and material used to make the lamp(PIAAs are all metal housings and brackets vs Hellas plastic, you will get a lot more vibration with the hellas). as far as the IPFs go ive never run the 968s but its an IPF light so its gotta be good(IPF is a part of ARB if that tells you anything) the only issue i have with IPF lights is they are hard to get and get parts for, no body stocks them and everything has to be special ordered. i only know of one shop in the portland/vancouver metro area that even sells IPF and has an in stock selection(very small) and its a Land Rover shop. so everything is higher than a cats a$$

 

[Elton H]

my Light Forces 170s are amazing for the 50 bucks i payed for them

 

[the great him]

my Light Forces 170s are amazing for the 50 bucks i payed for them

where did you get LightForces for $50!?! i think they were stolen:jk:

 

[Elton H]

100 bucks off ebay and then i sold my old hella's for 50 so yea

 

[cordrayj1]

40" rigid industries led light bar.

 

[the great him]

thats still a damn good deal

 

[Smog-guy707]

I'm running hella 700 with the 100w bulb upgrade and they work damn well are night. I got them because I gota helluva deal for em. If I had the money for the PIAA at the time I woulda went with those...but I'm very content for now

 

[gaterose]

id also say look at the PIAA 580s they are awesome and just slightly bigger than the 520s but look better on the front, thats what mine are

:iagree: I love my 580s, wish
my lightbar had room for 4 instead of 2 580s & 2 520s.

Edit: In general I think PIAA makes great bulbs, I even have their bulbs in my KCs and Hellas, as well as oem highs, backup, and fog.

When I got the 580s w 85=135w bulbs, they just blew my Hella 500s with 100w upgrades out of the water

 

[the great him]

:iagree: I love my 580s, wish
my lightbar had room for 4 instead of 2 580s & 2 520s.

hey just an FYI, if you ever bring that thing to WA, im gonna impound it and put a lean on it...:jk: i love your rig and so does my wife....