Max II LED headlight experiment

[mountainman]

My first Max II had the old style round headlights. They were 18 watt and I thought they worked fine. At one point I bought some 36 watt bulbs to try and although they were much brighter they also drew six amps which I considered a big load for a small starter battery. I reinstalled the 18 watt bulbs.

So I was amused six years ago when my second Max II, with new style rectangular headlights, came with 36 watt bulbs. Since then I've had to replace the voltage regulator twice which I attribute to a lot of driving with the headlights on. I believe the stock voltage regulator isn't designed for continuous six amp operation. The second replacement voltage regulator had a higher rating and has worked for years.

Even so I bought a pair of these LED bulbs for $30 to see if they would work:

38-SMD Xenon White HID 881 LED Fog Light Bulbs Daytime Running Light Bulbs

They have 38 surface mount LEDs mounted on a post and the proper base connector. The vendor doesn't list specifications but I estimated they would be as bright as the stock bulbs and draw 1/2 amp each.

I was disappointed with the result. The bulbs are quite bright and they may even put out as much light as the stock bulbs, but the output doesn't form a beam like the stock bulbs and appears dimmer. See the following pictures.

I plan to do another test with both bulbs at night when it's warmer outside. The vendor sells bulbs with 68 surface mount LEDs for $40/pair but I'd want to get the height of the post before buying them in case they're too tall to fit in the housing.

[MAXII420]

Ever consider adding more lights? My Max has 6 total it really lights the woods up!

[mustangwagz]

yah those are good for lighting up an area, however..not so great for projecting light in directions you need it. Notice a majority of those lights are on the side...thats most of the problem. LED's need to point in direction of area you want to illuminate. Here is a link to the lights that i use on EVERYTHING now a days. Found them via work, and now i use them everywhere i can. i have access to them for cheap...so i use them. My old quad, My sideBYside for roll bar lights and back up lights, and eventually on my coot for lighting. Im not sure how they would work for On-Road use, but i can tell ya that they suck to look into..hahaha. Also, on the site, they got TONS of other options you may be interested in as well. Light bars have become a HUGE fad now a days, and honestly they work wanders..i ride with guys that use them and man o man...what a difference! anyhow, check out the site.

SSI Item

[jpswift1]

Hey Wagz, here's a great deal on a pair of LED offroad lights. A few members already bought these......I think it was Lewis, Jerseybigfoot, and George.

Tuff LED Lights 2 X 4" Inch Square 27watt LED Work Lamp Light 1550 Lumen, Off Road, Atv, Utv, Polaris Ranger : Amazon.com : Automotive

Tuff LED Lights 2 X 4" Inch Round 27watt LED Work Lamp Light 1550 Lumen, Off Road, Atv, Utv, Polaris Ranger : Amazon.com : Automotive

I think I might pick some of these up one of these days.

[famvburg]

Over the last several years I've switched some airplane landing lights to LED. The LEDs replaced 100W 4509 lamps, FYI, those are PAR-36 bulbs (4 1/2" dia.) which is common for off-road lights and tractor lights, etc. My Max II has rectangular lights so I don't know what size the older round ones are. Anyway, a 100W bulb at 12V draws just over 8A (figure 10A for fusing) and about 4A at 24V, not that this matters for us, but the 100W LED equivalents draw nothing. I've never looked for automotive LEDs of this wattage but I know there are lower wattage LEDs that fit PAR-36. If you really want light from an LED, get a couple of 100W equivalent landing lights, even if you have to put them in off-road mounts. Aircraft ones aren't cheap, even an off-brand (unapproved) type is $200 and up, but the airplanes I have put them in, the pilots love them. If I ever start a lot of serious night running, that's probably what I would do.

[mustangwagz]

Hey Wagz, here's a great deal on a pair of LED offroad lights. A few members already bought these......I think it was Lewis, Jerseybigfoot, and George.

Tuff LED Lights 2 X 4" Inch Square 27watt LED Work Lamp Light 1550 Lumen, Off Road, Atv, Utv, Polaris Ranger : Amazon.com : Automotive

Tuff LED Lights 2 X 4" Inch Round 27watt LED Work Lamp Light 1550 Lumen, Off Road, Atv, Utv, Polaris Ranger : Amazon.com : Automotive

I think I might pick some of these up one of these days.

Whoa, that is cheap man! they sell them here at NAPA for around 100 bucks or more!! And THOSE are badass lights too btw, guy i work with bought some for his service truck, but liked them so much he used them on a sidebyside instead! hahaha

[mountainman]

Please forgive the thread bump, I said I'd report about the LED bulbs.

I wish they were brighter and I wouldn't recommend the LED bulbs I bought to anyone else. The light has a UV component to it that makes some things fluoresce a little. The light isn't formed into a beam and is dispersed very wide. Relying on the LED bulbs at night my eyes go into monochromatic "night vision" mode. The bulbs aren't bright enough to activate my eye's color cones.

On the "bright" side (ha!) the LED bulbs draw so little current that the Max II's amp meter barely budges when they're turned on and the widely dispersed white light is very visible. I use the headlights more so other vehicles on the (dirt) road can see me than for nighttime driving. At night I'm always on the dirt road or on my trial network so I don't need to see far ahead.

I'm keeping the LED bulbs installed because for me the benefits outweigh the costs, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone else.