Which lights, Lightforce or IPF?

[AJ Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AJ]

I'll be going the crystal blue lens. Good for increased clarity and reduces the reflection from street signs. At this stage I'm thinking pencil/spot on the driver's side and combo on the passenger side.

Cheers,
AJ

[bettsy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bettsy]

Hi D4D

I fitted a set of 240 Blitz about a week ago with the standard clear lenses and found that twisting the lights out altered the light in a manner that I wasn't happy with. I then fitted a crsytal blue set of covers, with the left side been the spread combo, and the right still just a plain spot. I am very happy with their perfomance with them wound all the way in.

Regards

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Like AJ I couldn't wait for the Genesis, rang Lightforce and they advised another 6-8 weeks so I got the 240 Bliltz's as the XGT's didn't fit to well on the Soverign bullbar.
Now that I have the Blitz I noticed some comments about the "turning" of the lights to adjust the spread or pencil. I read Mav's comments about turning the adjustment to much can reduce the light output.
So with this information what adjustments do I need to do? Do I leave them the way they are (wound in all the way) and just purchase a couple of filters? I want one light for a pencil beam and the other for a spread so what colour filters do I require and do I need to adjust the lights at all?

Appreciate the advice.

Leave them wound in and just buy the one spread/spot filter for the passengers side 240. They retail for around $28 but you can sometimes pick them up cheaper on ebay.

Unless you want the matching blue filters then your up for two one plain and one spread/spot.
Cheers

Mav

[BooyaMedic Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close BooyaMedic]

Like AJ I couldn't wait for the Genesis, rang Lightforce and they advised another 6-8 weeks so I got the 240 Bliltz's as the XGT's didn't fit to well on the Soverign bullbar.
Now that I have the Blitz I noticed some comments about the "turning" of the lights to adjust the spread or pencil. I read Mav's comments about turning the adjustment to much can reduce the light output.
So with this information what adjustments do I need to do? Do I leave them the way they are (wound in all the way) and just purchase a couple of filters? I want one light for a pencil beam and the other for a spread so what colour filters do I require and do I need to adjust the lights at all?

Appreciate the advice.

I got my XGT's fitted yesterday, and they look great! Dont know what your on about "not fitting well"??

:?:

[D4D4Prado Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close D4D4Prado]

BooyaMedic,

For me personally (and that is what I found, others may differ) when I put the XGT's on the Soverign Bar there was no room for adjustment as the lights were pressed hard up against the bullbar. The XGT's also looked out of place because of the size (IMO only) because you couldn't move them up, down or sideways.
Even thought the Blitz's are basically the same size they have a different mounting system so they don't look to big and can be adjusted accordingly. They don't hit the bullbar and I have quite a bit of room in between, didn't get that with the XGT's.

Hope that explains what I found, others may differ.

[Nick Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nick]

Hi guys,

We are taking delivery of new D4D with sovereign bullbar in about 5 weeks (hopefully). Never had a proper 4WD before (trading a Rav4). Looking at IPF driving lights but don't know much about what we need. Tossing up between the 900XS and the 968s. We drive to Broken Hill a bit from Adelaide and will do some long outback trips but probably not the sort of serious 4WDing that a lot of you guys do. Are the 900XS overkill for that sort of driving or would the 968s be good enough?

Also, where is it best to mount them? Most seem to be close together in front of the grill.

Thanks a lot.

[Spurio Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spurio]

Hi Nick,

Congrates on the purchase.

The question is whether you really need additional lights. If you still have good eyes, for most conditions, the prado has pretty good ones anyway. However, if you are doing a lot of high speed night driving, additional hi-beam lights provide extra view into the gloom. You may be better making a priority list for accessories maybe a UHF radio first ?

Personally, after using both I can't see the life time value in lightforce (plastic construction) over the IPFs (metal). Lightforce has a very effective advertising campaign, it would be good to have an unbias life span comparisons, but pig may fly. Unless lightforce has some mystical receipe that is unknown to the rest of the plastic industry, the main issue is UV deterioration. So if you park in direct sunlight the lights will fade and loose structural integrity, so if you hit them with a bat they would shatter.

As for the IPFs, time has proven they are an effective product, if you can afford the extremes, I would go with them as they are the ducks nuts of the IPF std range (non HID) they are sealed.

As for mounting, depends on which state you are in or planning to drive through, each has its own regs on maximum height, pairing, wiring. Most states require the lights don't intefer with drivers vision or "field of view" (i.e. they are not supposed to be fitted on the top bar of a bullbar) and roof top lights (if allowed) are only supposed to be for "ornamental" purposes. There are heaps of vehicles around that do not comply but if you get pulled over it will depend on the copper. If you came over a hill lit up like an jumbo on final approach and you dazzled a copper or RTA inspector, what do you think would happen ?

that's my 2.5c with inflation and GST of course 8)

[dirttracker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dirttracker]

Nick,
Do a search on driving lights for a cross section of views. I have lightforce 240 s and they outperform everything I have come across baring HID, which I may upgrade my 240s to next year. My reading of the forum posts is that lightforce is better than IPF or any others, but read for yourself. I recommend a combo cover and a clear in crystal blue as an extra. As for the UV exposure, I have never heard of this as an issue, but I am interested if anyone has had a problem, I am sure Lightforce would too and would replace them!

At the end of the line, it was performance that won me over.

Best wishes for your reading and purchase.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

The September issue of 4x4 Australia also has an article comparing all sorts of lights, including the IPF and LightForce.

Cheers,
LFaR.

[Spurio Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spurio]

The September issue of 4x4 Australia also has an article comparing all sorts of lights, including the IPF and LightForce.

It would be nice to have a review done by authors who receive no payments or benefits from manufacturers or brands

The cash for comment scandal opened the opinion of many radio listeners, pity there has not been an investigation into all print media editiorials.

There are very few mags that are fully funded by subscribers. Most are 'targeted junk mail' which people pay for. The last time I looked at the big sellers there was about 5 pages of ads before the content page, it would be lucky if half the editorials were written by the mag and not the PR dept of what ever product

It has become so bad that manufacturer's have rights to monitor the internet for any potential defamation or 'act as' an average Joe Blow and promote their own interest. Some have even created their own forums then use viral spam email programs on a weekly basis to keep members uptodate.

The opinion of most mags is worth no more than a company sales pitch But wait we have 4wd shows - yeah right

[Nick Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nick]

Thanks guys for the in depth feedback. I must say I like the look of the IPF XS (the light force just look HUGE) and I also lean more to the metal construction rather than polymer of LF. That said, it doesn't count for much if performance is poor (aint that the truth!).

Thanks LFaR for the info re 4x4...I'll check it out. I do agree though with what Spurio said about not putting too much emphasis on mags....they raved about the X Trail and when we took one away to Broken Hill as hire car recently (we have to keep our RAV away from long trips to keep the miles down for the trade) it was absolutely rubbish.

Has anyone who has the IPF XS been unhappy with them??

Thanks again,
Nick

[SteveM Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close SteveM]

I have a set of Blitz 240's that are now 7 to 8 years old having originally been on my previous 1998 Prado. At the time their light output far exceeded the competition.

No UV deterioration of plastic at this time so I would say that 8 years is unbiased enough. However the plastic connectors to the wiring loom a had to be replaced several times because of UV deterioration. These are not Lightforce supplied.

Originally had 2 clear spread filters - great light but 1 stolen so replaced with 2 blue spread filters. Very happy with their performance.

Friends have both Lightforce and IPF - both are good and now have similar light output. I just like the look of the Lightforce.

[Zapper Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zapper]

can't comment on the Lightforce but I went for the IPF combo with blue lenses and I am very happy with the light output and build.

[mav Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

they raved about the X Trail and when we took one away to Broken Hill as hire car recently (we have to keep our RAV away from long trips to keep the miles down for the trade) it was absolutely rubbish.

We have hired X-Trails a couple of times and there is no way I would own one they are, as you say, utter rubbish.

[Nick Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nick]

Yeah Mav...it is actually interesting how we arrived at buying a Prado.

We have a 5 year old Rav 4 and wanted to upgrade to a "proper" 4WD and one big enough to cope with a everything you need for young family of 4. We initially were going to go for an X trail as they were so well written up, have a pretty big boot and are said to be the best of the medium sized 4WD without low range. Our budget was such we felt we couldn't go more than that. Then we checked out the Prado and there was no comparison so we thought what the hell, we'll go the Prado.
We never even got to test driving the X trail.

Recently we had to go to Broken Hill and we did not want to take our Rav as we have to keep the miles down as a condition of our guaranteed trade in price. So we thought it would be fun to hire an X Trail.

Well the X Trail was very disappointing. I seemed to sit so low in the thing for a 4WD (I am short and this car made me feel even shorter!). The bonnet bumped around the whole way and it just felt like a very basic car complete with creaks and rattles. When we got back our Rav felt so much more solid. Not one rattle, solid and no creaks.

Very glad we did not go for the X Trail and can't wait for our new D4D in about 5 weeks.

I know this is off the thread...getting back to that I am leaning towards the IPF but will do some more reading etc etc