LED lights - which brand?

F

fish hook

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jul 22, 2011
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The incandecants corroded up over the winter due to trapped water from a crack in one of the lights. Thought this would be a good time to upgrade to LEDs. I have the rectangular 8" x 2-7/8" x 2-3/4" over 80 lights. I'm looking at the Haul Master brand sold at Harbor Freight for $39.99 and Optronics brand for roughly 60 bucks. Anyone have any thoughts or experience (good or bad) with either of these brands?
 
MH Hawker

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
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Jul 13, 2011
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Re: LED lights - which brand?

I have been using the harbor freight ones for over a year with no problems.
 
roscoe

roscoe

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21,891
Re: LED lights - which brand?

I bought 2 sets of Optronics.
One set is fine.
2nd set was bad right out of the box, one brake/turn signal was bad, the other the tail light was bad. ??

I have noticed a couple retailers are no longer handling the Optronics.

I bought a set of Petersons, good so far.

Also spent the big bucks to get a set of Wesbar lights.
Just put them on last week. Appear much brighter than the Optronics.
The Wesbar lights require you to use their wiring harness with the plug in connector.


Some of the cheaper lights are not fully sealed, so the wiring can become corroded. The led will last a long time, but the wiring will not.
 
dingbat

dingbat

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Messages
17,072
Re: LED lights - which brand?

It doesn't matter.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm changing light sets just as often using LED, only a lot more expensive. When this last set of LED is done I’m going back to my Westbar "over 80" incandescent. A new lamp assembly is cheaper that a complete new light every couple of years
 
T

tx1961whaler

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May 31, 2008
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Re: LED lights - which brand?

Putting on a set of Harbor Freight LEDs on this weekend. Actually putting them ON THE TRAILER this time. Replacing the conventional ones that I have, which aren't on my trailer at all. They mount in my rear rodholders of the boat. I could never keep the lights working when the whaler was a saltwater beast..........so I put them on the boat, took them out of the rod holders at the ramp prep and threw them in the car before launch. 2 PVC tubes and 20 feet of cable = indestructible trailer lights. But tacky.
 
F

fish hook

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jul 22, 2011
Messages
94
Re: LED lights - which brand?

thank for the responses. picked up a set from Harbor Freight today.
 
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LinwoodKellon

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May 30, 2012
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Re: LED lights - which brand?

ok so i have the led light kit i wanna connect under my dashboard and rear seats but im having the issue of where do i connect it to it says it needs 12v witch everyone tells me thats what a car battery outputs.

all need to know is if its possible to do that? like would it be ok to connect it strait to the battery ? or anything else in the car or would i need something else to turn the voltage down?
 
H

H20Rat

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Mar 8, 2009
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Re: LED lights - which brand?

LinwoodKellon said:
ok so i have the led light kit i wanna connect under my dashboard and rear seats but im having the issue of where do i connect it to it says it needs 12v witch everyone tells me thats what a car battery outputs.

all need to know is if its possible to do that? like would it be ok to connect it strait to the battery ? or anything else in the car or would i need something else to turn the voltage down?
Click to expand...


Unless you know what you are doing and know why you need to do it, never go straight to the battery. I'm assuming it is some type of accent lighting? Just split it into the red wire on the back of your radio, that will go on/off with the key. (could also use the cigarette lighter power wire if it is switched with the key, some vehicles are, some aren't.)
 
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