Actually, fill it. Then turn them on and see if more bubbles come out. Then turn them off and let them cool As it cools the air in side will contract and try to suck in air (or water if submerged).
Harbor freight is everywhere! If their product goes down you can just pull up to a store and exchange them. I did a weekend trip to Leavenworth with my wife and passed 7 stores depending on what way you take. You never have to wait or send out products to get replacements with all the locations.
That's a great point. I hate doing warranty claims. If I was racing, building a high end rig or just had a ton of expendable income I'd spring for the higher end light brands but other than that I don't see a reason. Harbor freight and really a lot of other budget companies have been super impressive in recent years. Good to see some competition either way.
100% agree with this. Father in law recently called me asking about winches and him swapping it around, using it on multiple pieces of equipment. Told him in the end, the Badlands winch you can just turn around and basically return it when it breaks and get a new one with no questions asked, and at a better cost. I think every brand has a place and time, just like Nate showed with BajaDesign vs harbor freight.
@@p4th0s_ Matts Off Road Recovery uses Badlands winches. That’s what sold me on them. If they were junk he wouldn’t be running them, even if they sponsor him. When it’s freezing outside or 100+ degrees out and a customers car is hanging off a cliff…….your equipment has to work.
I like the honest perspective of your review. Practical, from your experiences, personal usage, and advice. Happy that you basically answered most shoppers questions and didn't just crap all over the cheaper competition.
I recently did some testing like this myself and and ended up opting for the Nacho brand because they are a small, innovative startup company and the way they modulate the function of the lights is really impressive the price was between the HF & BD and they are made in the USA. Big W from my standpoint
But their stuff isnt innovative, its usually just a cheaper version of the same thing. The truth is closer to the chinese factory got their hands on the competitions product and took it apart to imitate it. Thats what they do, thats pretty much all they do. Ive had companies actually ask me to buy and export parts to them so that they can make something similar instead of figuring it out themselves.
I always run cheap Chinese leds from Amazon for one simple reason.. the cost. In offroad use these things don’t have an easy life, whether it’s rain, snow, mud, rocks, branches, beer cans.. who knows what they’re going to run into. And if it goes foggy, stops working, or gets broken I’ll be so much less heart broken if i didn’t spend almost $700 CAD on a single bd pro6 amber. (Im assuming the prices I see on their site are USD) Also I’ve had great luck with the Amazon specials too, 5+ years and still work fine.
I do the same thing. As soon as I get the Chinese lights, I take the lens covers off and carefully add black RTV all the way around. I do the same to where the power cable goes thru the housing. I have a $100 thirty inch light bar that's been on my front bumper for 5 years and all I've ever had to do to it was buff out the lens haze one time just a couple days ago.
We had the exact same issue on our Sprinter build. Brand new LP6 fogged up after the first rain and we didn’t even drive it in the rain. BD a stepped up and replaced it immediately. 😊
Timely video, I just picked up a set of the Roadshocks yesterday. I've been looking at the Lp6 for a while, but as much as I like the look and performance, spending $1k on 2 lights just isn't worth it for me. Looking forward to seeing a shop update!
In Australia we get very fine dust (guessing elsewhere gets it too), ANY light that has a clip on cover will get dust between the cover and the lens and limit light strength output. I wish lighting companies would put dust seals on their covers. Yes there are work arounds, in the day we used to use Cibie Super Oscars and put silicone around the perimeter and install a sheet of clear acrylic to them (used in 4wding and rally driving), lights have come a long way since then but all the clip on covers still seem to be an after thought.
Would be cool if they made something like the BD XL Linkables - the 4 LED roadshock light looks like the same form factor and could maybe be linked up in the same way using the existing holes, but you'd have to come up with your own bracket solution to link them together. If there was some kind of off the shelf or easy DIY solution for the brackets so you could build light bars out of them, that would be really cool. It doesn't look like a very complex part.
Curious if the snap on lens of the Roadshock was causing some distortion in the lens beam output. Light is now traveling through two lens instead of one like the lp6. Would’ve been cool to see a comparison of the roadshock without the cover to see if it changes the output at all.
Anybody else watching the background of the video for shop progress that has not yet been revealed? I would expect nothing less, but it looks like Nate is going all out.
I'm super intrigued by the giant toolbox at 0:08. Icon? US General? Did Nate go full "money don't matter" mode and pick up Matco or SnapOn? From the looks of it, I'm thinking he did a full build of Icon.
I also live in Washington (Port Orchard). I was encouraged to do some modifications to my 4th gen 4runner after watching your Toyota Tacoma build. Right now I am in the middle of a regear of 4.88 and ARB air lockers. I did get Nitro rear axles and RCV front axles. I keep breaking axles when I offroad with my OPUS trailer. I also upgrading my brakes with POWERSTOPS brake system. I did upgrade my springs to a heavier spring in the rear now due to the dreaded 4runner sag when towing. Plus the addition of air bags. I am only running 33's right now. Currently I am putting the parts on and everything is here. Looking to try it out memorial day weekend. Maybe Tahuya area, but not sure. I have had a few hiccups with the build. Like the Nitro axles grooves are not big enough for the bearing retaining clips after I had the new ones pressed on by Rears and Gears. So I have to find a clip that would work. I also put bigger bump stops in as my tires rub the top of the wheel well under full articulation. Now I just have to adjust them to just enough to keep the tires from rubbing while not reducing my flex too much. Thanks for the content and hopefully run into you on the trail someday. We are towing the OPUS on the whole Idaho BDR this July and my picture is from Burnt Know lookout.
I like these HF offerings. I’m wanting to test them out on my beater so I can figure out the wiring complexity. I like to have my aux lights run off factory switches with relays. Looks like they come with back light, flood, and spot options. I would probably want them set up so back light is on with markers, spot with high beam, and flood with low beam, and all disabled with one switch. I usually have a flood light set up to come on only when in reverse with high beams on (very handy), also with a manual bypass / enable for at camp.
Can we talk about BD’s crappy backlighting? I put some amber LP4 pros on as ditch lights on my LC and the back light is basically a Christmas light. But I also bought a rigid adapt lightbar just because it has RGB backlighting. The backlighting battle has been ignored for too long.
I have the hobo freight edge 6s on the A pillar. I had to tape the side lights off with gorilla tape since I was getting friendly fired. Its a real problem.
Great comparison. For someone who has just dumped money into a build these lights fit the bill for me. I try to support American made as much as possible but it’s really tuff how expensive everything has gotten. Being that I’m crawling there’s no reason to spend twice the money.
Harbor Freight is the peoples tool company and their products have been getting better and better. I run Baja on my trucks now, but in the future, it'll be HF saving me tons of money while still selling a high end product.
I think eventually they will have to lower there prices most people think hf is cheep crap I have been a fan since they came to Cincinnati I have there second gen. Rotary hammer it's been abused quit a bit since 09 10 somewhere and it works great still use it. They used to sell I been wet saws I think is what there called best wet saw I have ever owned was better than my $1,200 saw I had bought in around 03 I always used a rigid diamond blade unfortunately I lost it I still have one of there cheep plastic 4" saws with a $50 rigid blade makes all the difference using those blades I have cut a lot of 24" porcelain tile with it love the store and thank you for the video always good to no how a product is before u buy them and a honest review is hard to find!!!!! Love your videos can't wait to see more about the buggy!!!!!!!!!!!
I put amber fogs on my winter daily XJ last year, ended up going with Rigid and so far they’ve taken a lot of rocks salt and snow with no issues. Idk if they’re any brighter than the cheaper competition but you do really feel the solid build quality. Harbor freight seems to be catching up though they’re putting out some really solid stuff lately.
I run KC lights on the front and on the cowl as ditch lights. I used the amber covers on the ditch lights and the cover would also light up around the edge and shine back into the windshield. Very annoying and I have not used the covers since. I want to blackout the edges, but not sure how without it chipping off from taking the covers on and off
There are two differing customer groups when it comes to lighting as is the case with tools, weapons, engines, tires, and even toasters. The average weekend dude that has a minimal budget will opt for the China Freight brand while the dude with a thicker wallet will spring for the higher end items. Does the HF light offering have a place? Absolutely. The HF hand tools are a testament to the same and let's not ignore their US General tool storage line as that has really made a big splash in that market segment. Shop's coming along VERY nicely. Cheers!
Yeah I’ve also found a great deal of value in the fact that HF stores are literally EVERYWHERE in the US. We’ve learned in years of overland/RV/family road trip travel that if I break something from HF, I don’t have to worry about going without my light/winch/whatever for the trip until I can do a warranty claim. I can stop at a HF in tiny town North Dakota and just exchange it and be on my way.
The new shop looks great! I would like to suggest checking out some " Primacoustic " sound deadening panels to cut down on the indoor audio reflections.
Just like anything, all depends on placement on the vehicle and what you want out of the lights. For me, a nice set of pod lights from AuxBeam work just fine for my night time trail needs.
Sylvania came out with a line of light bars too I'd love to see a video on those. Might be in the same category of cheap but surprisingly quality lights
Great Review Nate, definitely a game changer with HF getting more into offroad, from the winches, to the offroad jacks now to lights, pretty sweet for us offroaders.
I'm glad you posted this video when you did. I was debating about some bumper lights, and I'm already heading to Harbor Freight tomorrow. I'm likely going to be spending more than I had intended, but I'll be saving in the long run. Maybe when companies like BD brings their prices down to account for this crap economy, I will give them a shot, but buying a brand name, just for the name in this economy, just isn't smart! Thank you Nate!
What a great video!! I’ve always wondered about the difference between a super high end light and a lower end light… definitely some food for thought! That’s said, I’m sooooooo looking forward to this full shop review and how you set this up and all the work to come!! Keep up the incredible work!! 👍
I didn’t buy this style of off road lights but I did buy an led light bar from Harbor Freight about 4 or 5 years ago. It still performs flawlessly on my Jeep. The quality and performance is fantastic. I think it is great for these budget products that are being well engineered to reign in the name brand companies who are charging an arm and a leg for their products. I understand the cost of engineering and design, but come on, $1k or higher for a pair of lights? $4k for a roof top tent? Naturenest is showing that a well engineered tent doesn’t have to make the average Joe take out a loan for a tent. Harbor Freight is doing the same thing. The name brands set their prices because they were the only ones in the blossoming off road market, especially overlanding, where prices are sky is the limit. Thanks, Nate for another great video, and the shop is looking awesome!
I just bought the smaller spot lights harbor freight and put on my 4runner they are very good no problems yet. Also you have put in some dang work on that shop awesome job dude bada$$💯🤙
Have been running the HF roadshocks for a few months now, really happy with them. The only other difference than lumens I can tell, however, is that the baja seems to have a more "even" beam spread. The HF lights have a bit more of a "splotchy" beam pattern, but nothing you'd notice without having them side by side like in the video.
I mounted my harbor freight lights on the A piller, and you are right. The side shooters do blow back into your eyes. But, I made a shield to block it on the inside of both lights. It's kind of like a blinder for horses. Otherwise, I love them.
I just added 6 road shocks to the top of my ranger... the build quality on these light impressed me and was great to see they did well on this test thanks for doing it! just couldn't justify the cost of the BD I was also looking at esp when I dont use the off road lights a lot.
I have considered getting the roadshocks for this tube bumper Im building, and this actually kinda helps i have never seen them next to a set of bajas and i kinda like they arent as bright as the bajas cause you can make out a better picture.
I've been running led replacements in my halogen housings and yea they are way way brighter which helps on the backroads at night and I've noticed even though they are way brighter and whiter then the old bulbs but yeah you lose definition and detail. Been thinking of putting a light bar on the roof for more upper angles and maybe more definition. Looking for something as close to 45-50in wide and I was looking for amber but now I'm curious if I could get just white and maybe an amber cover. Never thought about a cover lens before this vid. Cool idea.
I get a lot of road reflection from the high beam BD lights. I think it’s partly due to aiming I need to fix but it’s probably not that entirely. I usually use the low beams.
I have the road shocks on the front of my 80, at night I have a ton more visibility at the left and right. Very bright at night. No experience with the Baja ones but really, these HF are very bright and HF are everywhere to swap out if any issues arise. No wait time.
Puget Sound area here............ I buy cheap amazon lights. There is way to many crack heads around stealing light bars for me to care about spending more than say $50 for a light. I have been running them for a bout 4 years now. I drilled weep holes in to them to drain, and they really do not fog that bad. Are they getting a bit "worn out" sure. But say under $100 for a 20" light bar + (2) 4" cube pod lights that are both spot & side flood I can get new ones every 3-4 years, and still be cheaper than Harbor Freight. Love this video. There is a farm guy whom does product reviews with solid "Science" like tests. Nate if you went that rout with these" reviews" I bet you would kill it. Cheers!
Guys. We are stomping around in the woods. Not running KOH. If you are running KOH, you can afford a bulletproof light. I’ve run NiLights from Amazon on my vehicles for night driving. They are cheap and I live in Washington. I need all the money I can save to pay for gas. I pulled them apart, lubed the o-rings, and made sure all of the bolts and fasteners went back on snug because I read the reviews and that the failures they were whining about. If I do have an issue, I buy a new one. If one goes out when I’m driving, that’s what I have headlights for. I’m not piloting the space shuttle.
In general I agree. However, outside of the woods I’ve had a couple instances where I was glad I had brighter lights. Specifically on a couple highways in the winter in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. It felt like the brighter lights helped get an extra half second of reaction time if Mr moose decided to jump out of the woods. Over years I never actually ran into that situation but it at least felt like fancy lights could have kept me from a wreck. YMMV
@@Off-gridCherokee Take a look into LASFIT as well, been running them for years and there quality to price to performance is very good. Also had the same problem with all NIlights stuff. My buddys tacoma is just covered in there stuff and i just shake my head. Remember beam pattern matters!
Huh? There's tons of people at KOH with immediate medical help. That's the exact place I frankly don't really care what lights I have. Meanwhile when I am solo in the middle of absolutely nowhere I care way more about what lights are on my truck. I think you've actually got your priorities really mixed up. And that's not saying those cheap Amazon lights won't work, particularly since you've put in your own QA basically, but yeah... huge mega event where I can literally sneeze and a new light falls into my lap is not where I care if one dies, frankly.
I have a set harbor freight 6-in lights on my hood of my Toyota. I love them! Super bright. The only thing is the side markers are on both sides of the light. It does light up the inside of my truck. Not sure how to take care of that. Was thinking maybe a black sticker. Other than that they are very nice quality for the price and super bright I like them?
I'm interested to see what the HF one is like without the lens, with the amount of light that its deflecting to the side and back on itself, there must be a noticeable difference in forward output and beam pattern?
Never had any luck with let's in any freezing conditions that's rain snow or fog they just pack up and wash out the light. Halogens run hot and mostly keep the ice melted off. Hope this might help your decisions.
Baja Designs are made in America. They are priced fair for the quality and service they supply. Kinda sucks HF can just mimic and undercut and suddenly they are "comparable" because they look similar. When I splurged on my BD lights I was so impressed with them that I never regretted choosing them. Two years after I bought a set of their SAE fogs and they gave me an updated version for free because they improved that much. I shop at HF all the time for tools and what not but I just can't compare BD lights to HF or Snap-on ratchets to Icon or, etc etc. IDK Just my 2 cents.
I use mostly cheap LEDs (Lasfit, Auxbeam and Amazon specials) on my rig. The most expensive lights I have is a set of diode dynamics which is considered mid tier. That’s probably the most I’d spend on offroad lights. Also, I don’t like having my lights stolen.
i have 3 set of pods and 1 small light bar facing front, all rigid industries. i also have a set of bd s2 sport combo flush mount for reverse lights. i have to say the bd lights seems nice and bright but the beam pattern is not as precise as the rigid lights. i do not regret having the bd lights. very nice video.
I can't say much about the long-term durability of either brand, but because of the differences in the beam patterns between the two lights it might be good to use them together, but not to compare them to one another because they perform very differently. The Harbor Freight lights offer a far wider spread with slightly less distance, whereas the Baja Designs offer a well concentrated, more narrow beam that extends farther. In my case, I've got them on the nose of my Super Duty and the hood prevents the side shooters from splashing light back into the cab, but they do help me see deer approaching from any angle between 8 and 4 o'clock roughly 50-100 yards away through the trees and brush at night....
I would be super curious to see an electrical noise comparison. Was on a big trip last weekend with a bunch of people and some noticed that the amber lights they were using for dust lights were actually causing a lot of interference with their radios. Some were actually high end lights! Some cheap lights didn’t cause any issues.
You should take the Hobo freight light cover and paint the sides of one and compare the 2, one with fully transparent and one with the sides of the cover painted back. I think that would eliminate that side glare! FREAKING AWESOME VIDEO!
The light test was surprising to me too. I would like for you to check the lens or try to use a "white" light comparison if you could. I am willing to beat the lens had more to do with the difference, or maybe the Baja is to bright for a "color" but amazing juist white?
I know you have a lot going with the new location and current build, and I don't know if anyone else would be interested in you to build a Jeep Patriot up... but it would cool if you built it. Thanks for all the great videos. Hope to see more on the new shop.
I'm going to have to go with team Harbor Freight on this one 🤓. Looks like you're putting a lot of thought and planning into how you're using wall space in your new shop! I recently moved and my new property has a barn/shop. I'm having the hardest time in figuring out how to arrange it so I have space for working on vehicles and occasionally woodworking or fixing home stuff. All that to say, I'm looking forward to any videos you do that go over how you're setting up your shop, and why.
Id love to see more into this comparison, more brands of similar products, we have Stedi here is Australia as one of the key brands for high quality automotive lighting
5:14 No, no spectrum. When you have too much illumination you lose shadow, shadow creates depth and depth creates definition. And the shop looks great, its got to feel good 👍
I think candela and usable beam/spread shape at usable distance is useful to measure if you have access to a light meter. I’ve tested weapon mounted lights like this and lumens is definitely not a great measure of a lights quality/usability.
Great video! Hows the finish going to hold up on the harbor unit? my kc pro 6 was rusting and peeling after a few months and my bajas still look new. In the flathead(Montana) we have similar weather but man for the cost difference the harbor looks like a win to me
You realize the Baja designs lights are easily serviceable with different lenses etc right? Not sure if a pinched gasket was your issue with your fogged lens but I hope you checked!
You hit the nail on the head, application! If you’re racing in the desert you either use Baja designs or you’re sponsored by someone else. For slow speed keep stuff any brand auxiliary lighting is fine. Quality only matters when you’re hauling ass in the desert.
This is True for 90% of the 4x4 population. I'm not racing and getting my income from Four wheeling. Meaning, the Value is the most important part of the purchase. I love the idea that I can spend 1/3-1/2 the price and get a product that is 80% as good as the Premium item. I've used the EarthQuake brand tools in my shop over the past 7 years and I'm a Big Fan. It's not an IR or Milwaukee but it's almost as good and is a lot more affordable. I also like the Ryobi brand of power tools.
Speaking of competition and the new Bronco, would be great to get your impressions of the new Ineos! I know you’ve got a ton going on but perhaps something to think about
Thanks! I stole it from something I found on google images while looking for storage ideas 😁. I've been spending alot of time, research and consideration when laying out every aspect of this shop! I can't wait to share!
When it comes to lighting there are two things I'm willing to pay extra for- durability and, depending on application, a clean long distance beam. For most off road vehicles long distance isn't a requirement, and from my experience with lights, expensive doesn't necessarily mean durable. For my long distance motorcycles I tend to run two pair of aux lights- long distance pencil beams and shorter range flood lights. I spend the extra for the long range lights, but so far I haven't found a brand that holds up particularly well. I've had several fail. On the other hand I buy cheap flood lights- one set is from Amazon, and another bike has some from tractor Supply. So far the Tractor Supply lights have outlived two expensive long range lights. For my Jeep I only have whatever I can get cheap. There are a couple pair I got used for free at work (Amazon brands) and a couple LED bars I got from Amazon. None have failed yet after several years. It's great low cost alternatives have gotten so good. It's really sad that for the very high premium prices big name lights cost, that they aren't more durable. I expect more from lights that easily cost more than $500 for a pair (up to a couple grand).
I've found that to much light, especially on foliage with dew(condensation, rain droplets) you will get too much reflection, to where it makes it worth having multiple levels of light brightness and color spectrum to help compensate the reflections.
I had a set of Rigid fog lights for about 7 years. They had about 250,000 miles on them and worked perfectly. The issue was the lenses were so pitted from rocks/sand it diffused the light. I contacted Rigid and asked if the lenses could be replaced and they told me to send my lights in, and next thing I knew, they shipped me out a new set. I am sure Baja would do the same thing.
You should try running them until they're hot then submerging them. Thermal expansion might allow some ingress.
Actually, fill it. Then turn them on and see if more bubbles come out. Then turn them off and let them cool As it cools the air in side will contract and try to suck in air (or water if submerged).
I test light like this for work and water ingress usually happens more as it’s cooling down not heating up
@@KyleKaplanOfficial I test axles for a living and that's how we test them. Heat them to 135c and dunk them in 0c water
Harbor freight is everywhere! If their product goes down you can just pull up to a store and exchange them. I did a weekend trip to Leavenworth with my wife and passed 7 stores depending on what way you take. You never have to wait or send out products to get replacements with all the locations.
That's a great point. I hate doing warranty claims. If I was racing, building a high end rig or just had a ton of expendable income I'd spring for the higher end light brands but other than that I don't see a reason. Harbor freight and really a lot of other budget companies have been super impressive in recent years. Good to see some competition either way.
100% agree with this. Father in law recently called me asking about winches and him swapping it around, using it on multiple pieces of equipment. Told him in the end, the Badlands winch you can just turn around and basically return it when it breaks and get a new one with no questions asked, and at a better cost. I think every brand has a place and time, just like Nate showed with BajaDesign vs harbor freight.
@@p4th0s_ Matts Off Road Recovery uses Badlands winches. That’s what sold me on them. If they were junk he wouldn’t be running them, even if they sponsor him. When it’s freezing outside or 100+ degrees out and a customers car is hanging off a cliff…….your equipment has to work.
@goforbroke2 and in the end, if it breaks on him, he brings it to harbor freight and it's replaced, no questions asked.
@@goforbroke2 He also abuses the hell out of them at times, Same with Paul at Fabrats.
HF is killing it lately!
I wish they had a yellow lense instead of a cover.
Definitely would be nice, but I love having to option of having both colors!
might be possible, depending on heat signature where you could do a transparent yellow PPF if you planned on keeping it on there.
The best lights have 3000k LEDs themselves
Yellow is a compliance thing with some jurisdictions.. but White is better in testing.. But I admit that White light tires my eye out much faster .
@@WalterPidgeonsForge all other manufacturers of off-road lights have yellow lenses.
I like the honest perspective of your review. Practical, from your experiences, personal usage, and advice.
Happy that you basically answered most shoppers questions and didn't just crap all over the cheaper competition.
I recently did some testing like this myself and and ended up opting for the Nacho brand because they are a small, innovative startup company and the way they modulate the function of the lights is really impressive the price was between the HF & BD and they are made in the USA. Big W from my standpoint
I was told by a harbor freight manager who works closely with the owner they hired a former rigid lighting engineer.
Would not be surprised. Seems like Harbor Freight hires former disgruntled members of competitors, not hating in fact loving it.
They did the same with their winches. Hired an old Warn engineer
@@CanadaDoesntExist That makes sense as well. From what i've seen their winches are really nice for the money and even hit above their weight class.
Rigid shed all their best people. The top tier people left and started Nacho
But their stuff isnt innovative, its usually just a cheaper version of the same thing. The truth is closer to the chinese factory got their hands on the competitions product and took it apart to imitate it. Thats what they do, thats pretty much all they do. Ive had companies actually ask me to buy and export parts to them so that they can make something similar instead of figuring it out themselves.
I always run cheap Chinese leds from Amazon for one simple reason.. the cost.
In offroad use these things don’t have an easy life, whether it’s rain, snow, mud, rocks, branches, beer cans.. who knows what they’re going to run into. And if it goes foggy, stops working, or gets broken I’ll be so much less heart broken if i didn’t spend almost $700 CAD on a single bd pro6 amber. (Im assuming the prices I see on their site are USD)
Also I’ve had great luck with the Amazon specials too, 5+ years and still work fine.
yup , same!
I do the same thing. As soon as I get the Chinese lights, I take the lens covers off and carefully add black RTV all the way around. I do the same to where the power cable goes thru the housing. I have a $100 thirty inch light bar that's been on my front bumper for 5 years and all I've ever had to do to it was buff out the lens haze one time just a couple days ago.
We had the exact same issue on our Sprinter build. Brand new LP6 fogged up after the first rain and we didn’t even drive it in the rain. BD a stepped up and replaced it immediately. 😊
This is exactly what I wanted to see. Wanting to pick up several of these, obviously didn’t want to spend $2k on BD lights
Look at Nacho. I had no idea who they were. Emailed them some questions and ended up going with them after testing them myself
Timely video, I just picked up a set of the Roadshocks yesterday. I've been looking at the Lp6 for a while, but as much as I like the look and performance, spending $1k on 2 lights just isn't worth it for me.
Looking forward to seeing a shop update!
I've never seen a Baja Designs product that isn't insanely exorbitantly priced. I would never buy a product from them.
In Australia we get very fine dust (guessing elsewhere gets it too), ANY light that has a clip on cover will get dust between the cover and the lens and limit light strength output. I wish lighting companies would put dust seals on their covers. Yes there are work arounds, in the day we used to use Cibie Super Oscars and put silicone around the perimeter and install a sheet of clear acrylic to them (used in 4wding and rally driving), lights have come a long way since then but all the clip on covers still seem to be an after thought.
Would be cool if they made something like the BD XL Linkables - the 4 LED roadshock light looks like the same form factor and could maybe be linked up in the same way using the existing holes, but you'd have to come up with your own bracket solution to link them together. If there was some kind of off the shelf or easy DIY solution for the brackets so you could build light bars out of them, that would be really cool. It doesn't look like a very complex part.
I can’t wait for the shop update video!! Love the light testing! Would love to see these installed on a build of yours,
The final shop video update should be in just a couple weeks! I'm almost there 😎
Curious if the snap on lens of the Roadshock was causing some distortion in the lens beam output. Light is now traveling through two lens instead of one like the lp6.
Would’ve been cool to see a comparison of the roadshock without the cover to see if it changes the output at all.
Anybody else watching the background of the video for shop progress that has not yet been revealed? I would expect nothing less, but it looks like Nate is going all out.
I'm super intrigued by the giant toolbox at 0:08. Icon? US General? Did Nate go full "money don't matter" mode and pick up Matco or SnapOn? From the looks of it, I'm thinking he did a full build of Icon.
I like the Road Shock. If the lens light bleed is the caveat, I would get some Krylon Fusion flat black mask off and paint the lens cover.👍
It's definitely a solvable problem 👍
@@DirtLifestyle so what was the draw boss?
As soon as I saw these I knew they’d end up on your channel in some matter of time. Thanks for the comparison!
I also live in Washington (Port Orchard). I was encouraged to do some modifications to my 4th gen 4runner after watching your Toyota Tacoma build. Right now I am in the middle of a regear of 4.88 and ARB air lockers. I did get Nitro rear axles and RCV front axles. I keep breaking axles when I offroad with my OPUS trailer. I also upgrading my brakes with POWERSTOPS brake system. I did upgrade my springs to a heavier spring in the rear now due to the dreaded 4runner sag when towing. Plus the addition of air bags. I am only running 33's right now. Currently I am putting the parts on and everything is here. Looking to try it out memorial day weekend. Maybe Tahuya area, but not sure. I have had a few hiccups with the build. Like the Nitro axles grooves are not big enough for the bearing retaining clips after I had the new ones pressed on by Rears and Gears. So I have to find a clip that would work. I also put bigger bump stops in as my tires rub the top of the wheel well under full articulation. Now I just have to adjust them to just enough to keep the tires from rubbing while not reducing my flex too much. Thanks for the content and hopefully run into you on the trail someday. We are towing the OPUS on the whole Idaho BDR this July and my picture is from Burnt Know lookout.
I like these HF offerings. I’m wanting to test them out on my beater so I can figure out the wiring complexity. I like to have my aux lights run off factory switches with relays. Looks like they come with back light, flood, and spot options. I would probably want them set up so back light is on with markers, spot with high beam, and flood with low beam, and all disabled with one switch. I usually have a flood light set up to come on only when in reverse with high beams on (very handy), also with a manual bypass / enable for at camp.
Can we talk about BD’s crappy backlighting? I put some amber LP4 pros on as ditch lights on my LC and the back light is basically a Christmas light. But I also bought a rigid adapt lightbar just because it has RGB backlighting. The backlighting battle has been ignored for too long.
I LOVE back-lit lights! It looks sooooo good, and they work great at keeping track of everyone in a dusty environment
I have the hobo freight edge 6s on the A pillar. I had to tape the side lights off with gorilla tape since I was getting friendly fired. Its a real problem.
Interesting! Thanks for confirming my suspicion. Definitely something work considering when mounting these...
Nice comparison. Being a primary daylight stomper (curfew at the nursing home), I would go with the HF. Thanks for posting.
Great comparison. For someone who has just dumped money into a build these lights fit the bill for me. I try to support American made as much as possible but it’s really tuff how expensive everything has gotten. Being that I’m crawling there’s no reason to spend twice the money.
Harbor Freight is the peoples tool company and their products have been getting better and better. I run Baja on my trucks now, but in the future, it'll be HF saving me tons of money while still selling a high end product.
I think eventually they will have to lower there prices most people think hf is cheep crap I have been a fan since they came to Cincinnati I have there second gen. Rotary hammer it's been abused quit a bit since 09 10 somewhere and it works great still use it. They used to sell I been wet saws I think is what there called best wet saw I have ever owned was better than my $1,200 saw I had bought in around 03 I always used a rigid diamond blade unfortunately I lost it I still have one of there cheep plastic 4" saws with a $50 rigid blade makes all the difference using those blades I have cut a lot of 24" porcelain tile with it love the store and thank you for the video always good to no how a product is before u buy them and a honest review is hard to find!!!!! Love your videos can't wait to see more about the buggy!!!!!!!!!!!
I put amber fogs on my winter daily XJ last year, ended up going with Rigid and so far they’ve taken a lot of rocks salt and snow with no issues. Idk if they’re any brighter than the cheaper competition but you do really feel the solid build quality. Harbor freight seems to be catching up though they’re putting out some really solid stuff lately.
I run KC lights on the front and on the cowl as ditch lights. I used the amber covers on the ditch lights and the cover would also light up around the edge and shine back into the windshield. Very annoying and I have not used the covers since. I want to blackout the edges, but not sure how without it chipping off from taking the covers on and off
There are two differing customer groups when it comes to lighting as is the case with tools, weapons, engines, tires, and even toasters. The average weekend dude that has a minimal budget will opt for the China Freight brand while the dude with a thicker wallet will spring for the higher end items. Does the HF light offering have a place? Absolutely. The HF hand tools are a testament to the same and let's not ignore their US General tool storage line as that has really made a big splash in that market segment. Shop's coming along VERY nicely. Cheers!
Yeah I’ve also found a great deal of value in the fact that HF stores are literally EVERYWHERE in the US. We’ve learned in years of overland/RV/family road trip travel that if I break something from HF, I don’t have to worry about going without my light/winch/whatever for the trip until I can do a warranty claim. I can stop at a HF in tiny town North Dakota and just exchange it and be on my way.
The new shop looks great!
I would like to suggest checking out some " Primacoustic " sound deadening panels to cut down on the indoor audio reflections.
Really enjoyed this comparison, pros vs cons. For me, I choose HF for the value. Excellent shop progress. Also, nice cameo while in Utah.
Just like anything, all depends on placement on the vehicle and what you want out of the lights.
For me, a nice set of pod lights from AuxBeam work just fine for my night time trail needs.
Shop is looking awesome, can't wait to see the walk through video.
Sylvania came out with a line of light bars too I'd love to see a video on those. Might be in the same category of cheap but surprisingly quality lights
I've wondered how good those are too? They are relatively cheap as well.
Great Review Nate, definitely a game changer with HF getting more into offroad, from the winches, to the offroad jacks now to lights, pretty sweet for us offroaders.
I'm glad you posted this video when you did. I was debating about some bumper lights, and I'm already heading to Harbor Freight tomorrow. I'm likely going to be spending more than I had intended, but I'll be saving in the long run. Maybe when companies like BD brings their prices down to account for this crap economy, I will give them a shot, but buying a brand name, just for the name in this economy, just isn't smart! Thank you Nate!
What a great video!! I’ve always wondered about the difference between a super high end light and a lower end light… definitely some food for thought!
That’s said, I’m sooooooo looking forward to this full shop review and how you set this up and all the work to come!!
Keep up the incredible work!! 👍
Thank you for the positive comment 🙏. I can't wait to share the shop in its final form!
Definitely looking to pick some of these up here soon for my truck
I didn’t buy this style of off road lights but I did buy an led light bar from Harbor Freight about 4 or 5 years ago. It still performs flawlessly on my Jeep. The quality and performance is fantastic. I think it is great for these budget products that are being well engineered to reign in the name brand companies who are charging an arm and a leg for their products. I understand the cost of engineering and design, but come on, $1k or higher for a pair of lights? $4k for a roof top tent? Naturenest is showing that a well engineered tent doesn’t have to make the average Joe take out a loan for a tent. Harbor Freight is doing the same thing. The name brands set their prices because they were the only ones in the blossoming off road market, especially overlanding, where prices are sky is the limit.
Thanks, Nate for another great video, and the shop is looking awesome!
Curious if the HF light strength falls off once they get hot
I just bought the smaller spot lights harbor freight and put on my 4runner they are very good no problems yet. Also you have put in some dang work on that shop awesome job dude bada$$💯🤙
What bracket are you using to mount them light on 4Runner?
Have been running the HF roadshocks for a few months now, really happy with them. The only other difference than lumens I can tell, however, is that the baja seems to have a more "even" beam spread. The HF lights have a bit more of a "splotchy" beam pattern, but nothing you'd notice without having them side by side like in the video.
I've gone with morimoto 2 bangers and 4 bangers. I've been impressed and pleased with there performance and they offer a life time warranty.
I mounted my harbor freight lights on the A piller, and you are right. The side shooters do blow back into your eyes. But, I made a shield to block it on the inside of both lights. It's kind of like a blinder for horses. Otherwise, I love them.
I just added 6 road shocks to the top of my ranger... the build quality on these light impressed me and was great to see they did well on this test thanks for doing it! just couldn't justify the cost of the BD I was also looking at esp when I dont use the off road lights a lot.
I love the performance you get out of them for the money. I’ve been eyeing them lately and really want to get a set of the Roadshocks now.
I have considered getting the roadshocks for this tube bumper Im building, and this actually kinda helps i have never seen them next to a set of bajas and i kinda like they arent as bright as the bajas cause you can make out a better picture.
Great Nate did another HB review. Now this item will sell out! I still haven't been able to get my hands on the welding table!!
Lol dang! I hope you can find the welding table soon! They are very handy in the shop
Killer comparison - I'm looking to add a bit of light to my 70 Beelte, super helpful when considering HF parts. Appreciate the video
At some point I’m planning to flush mount a couple harbor freight lights in my bumpers on my tracker. It’s nice to see a good review.
I've been running led replacements in my halogen housings and yea they are way way brighter which helps on the backroads at night and I've noticed even though they are way brighter and whiter then the old bulbs but yeah you lose definition and detail. Been thinking of putting a light bar on the roof for more upper angles and maybe more definition. Looking for something as close to 45-50in wide and I was looking for amber but now I'm curious if I could get just white and maybe an amber cover. Never thought about a cover lens before this vid. Cool idea.
Could you include Rigid & KC?
Or possibly heated Snow plow lights, with Hi-Lo-Turn?
Maybe one day! We will see how successful this video is first before I commit to buying all those lights lol
I get a lot of road reflection from the high beam BD lights. I think it’s partly due to aiming I need to fix but it’s probably not that entirely. I usually use the low beams.
I have the road shocks on the front of my 80, at night I have a ton more visibility at the left and right. Very bright at night. No experience with the Baja ones but really, these HF are very bright and HF are everywhere to swap out if any issues arise. No wait time.
Love this kind of video. I think the questions remaining are: what's the expected service life? and what does the quality control like?
Puget Sound area here............
I buy cheap amazon lights. There is way to many crack heads around stealing light bars for me to care about spending more than say $50 for a light. I have been running them for a bout 4 years now. I drilled weep holes in to them to drain, and they really do not fog that bad. Are they getting a bit "worn out" sure. But say under $100 for a 20" light bar + (2) 4" cube pod lights that are both spot & side flood I can get new ones every 3-4 years, and still be cheaper than Harbor Freight.
Love this video. There is a farm guy whom does product reviews with solid "Science" like tests. Nate if you went that rout with these" reviews" I bet you would kill it.
Cheers!
Thanks Nate I've been wondering about the harbor freight lights and wanting someone to do a comparison.
That shop is an amazing space! I love putting products thru their paces, nice job! 💪🍻
Guys. We are stomping around in the woods. Not running KOH. If you are running KOH, you can afford a bulletproof light. I’ve run NiLights from Amazon on my vehicles for night driving. They are cheap and I live in Washington. I need all the money I can save to pay for gas. I pulled them apart, lubed the o-rings, and made sure all of the bolts and fasteners went back on snug because I read the reviews and that the failures they were whining about. If I do have an issue, I buy a new one. If one goes out when I’m driving, that’s what I have headlights for. I’m not piloting the space shuttle.
In general I agree. However, outside of the woods I’ve had a couple instances where I was glad I had brighter lights. Specifically on a couple highways in the winter in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. It felt like the brighter lights helped get an extra half second of reaction time if Mr moose decided to jump out of the woods. Over years I never actually ran into that situation but it at least felt like fancy lights could have kept me from a wreck. YMMV
My nilight leds have failed and failed. They inhale all water in my experience and I live in a desert. Definitely going to try these hf lights.
@@Off-gridCherokee Take a look into LASFIT as well, been running them for years and there quality to price to performance is very good. Also had the same problem with all NIlights stuff. My buddys tacoma is just covered in there stuff and i just shake my head. Remember beam pattern matters!
Huh? There's tons of people at KOH with immediate medical help. That's the exact place I frankly don't really care what lights I have. Meanwhile when I am solo in the middle of absolutely nowhere I care way more about what lights are on my truck. I think you've actually got your priorities really mixed up. And that's not saying those cheap Amazon lights won't work, particularly since you've put in your own QA basically, but yeah... huge mega event where I can literally sneeze and a new light falls into my lap is not where I care if one dies, frankly.
I have a set harbor freight 6-in lights on my hood of my Toyota. I love them! Super bright. The only thing is the side markers are on both sides of the light. It does light up the inside of my truck. Not sure how to take care of that. Was thinking maybe a black sticker. Other than that they are very nice quality for the price and super bright I like them?
For the light bleed on the amber covers you can just vinyl, or tape the sections you want blacked out.
I'm interested to see what the HF one is like without the lens, with the amount of light that its deflecting to the side and back on itself, there must be a noticeable difference in forward output and beam pattern?
Never had any luck with let's in any freezing conditions that's rain snow or fog they just pack up and wash out the light. Halogens run hot and mostly keep the ice melted off. Hope this might help your decisions.
Awesome Video, Looked up the HF lights, they are way more affordable. Also looking forward to your Shop Video.
Thank you for keeping us up to date.
Baja Designs are made in America. They are priced fair for the quality and service they supply. Kinda sucks HF can just mimic and undercut and suddenly they are "comparable" because they look similar. When I splurged on my BD lights I was so impressed with them that I never regretted choosing them. Two years after I bought a set of their SAE fogs and they gave me an updated version for free because they improved that much. I shop at HF all the time for tools and what not but I just can't compare BD lights to HF or Snap-on ratchets to Icon or, etc etc. IDK Just my 2 cents.
I use mostly cheap LEDs (Lasfit, Auxbeam and Amazon specials) on my rig. The most expensive lights I have is a set of diode dynamics which is considered mid tier. That’s probably the most I’d spend on offroad lights. Also, I don’t like having my lights stolen.
I'm curious how the longevity is. I have two squadron BD for about 5-6 years and they are doing amazing!
i have 3 set of pods and 1 small light bar facing front, all rigid industries. i also have a set of bd s2 sport combo flush mount for reverse lights. i have to say the bd lights seems nice and bright but the beam pattern is not as precise as the rigid lights. i do not regret having the bd lights. very nice video.
I can't say much about the long-term durability of either brand, but because of the differences in the beam patterns between the two lights it might be good to use them together, but not to compare them to one another because they perform very differently.
The Harbor Freight lights offer a far wider spread with slightly less distance, whereas the Baja Designs offer a well concentrated, more narrow beam that extends farther.
In my case, I've got them on the nose of my Super Duty and the hood prevents the side shooters from splashing light back into the cab, but they do help me see deer approaching from any angle between 8 and 4 o'clock roughly 50-100 yards away through the trees and brush at night....
I would be super curious to see an electrical noise comparison. Was on a big trip last weekend with a bunch of people and some noticed that the amber lights they were using for dust lights were actually causing a lot of interference with their radios. Some were actually high end lights! Some cheap lights didn’t cause any issues.
Not a completely equal comparison between the yellow lights on the BD and the yellow cover on the HF.
You should take the Hobo freight light cover and paint the sides of one and compare the 2, one with fully transparent and one with the sides of the cover painted back. I think that would eliminate that side glare! FREAKING AWESOME VIDEO!
The light test was surprising to me too. I would like for you to check the lens or try to use a "white" light comparison if you could. I am willing to beat the lens had more to do with the difference, or maybe the Baja is to bright for a "color" but amazing juist white?
I know you have a lot going with the new location and current build, and I don't know if anyone else would be interested in you to build a Jeep Patriot up... but it would cool if you built it. Thanks for all the great videos. Hope to see more on the new shop.
I'm going to have to go with team Harbor Freight on this one 🤓. Looks like you're putting a lot of thought and planning into how you're using wall space in your new shop! I recently moved and my new property has a barn/shop. I'm having the hardest time in figuring out how to arrange it so I have space for working on vehicles and occasionally woodworking or fixing home stuff. All that to say, I'm looking forward to any videos you do that go over how you're setting up your shop, and why.
Id love to see more into this comparison, more brands of similar products, we have Stedi here is Australia as one of the key brands for high quality automotive lighting
Got a pair of HF. They are pretty great. I can’t see needing more light than these put out.
Thank you I’ve been on the fence as I live in south east wa and can’t make up my mind
5:14
No, no spectrum. When you have too much illumination you lose shadow, shadow creates depth and depth creates definition. And the shop looks great, its got to feel good 👍
I think candela and usable beam/spread shape at usable distance is useful to measure if you have access to a light meter. I’ve tested weapon mounted lights like this and lumens is definitely not a great measure of a lights quality/usability.
Shop is looking great man. Can’t wait to see the builds that come out of it.
Great video! Hows the finish going to hold up on the harbor unit? my kc pro 6 was rusting and peeling after a few months and my bajas still look new. In the flathead(Montana) we have similar weather but man for the cost difference the harbor looks like a win to me
You realize the Baja designs lights are easily serviceable with different lenses etc right? Not sure if a pinched gasket was your issue with your fogged lens but I hope you checked!
I say harbor freight for me, because if I break one I can just stop and grab another one or toss a spare in. Nate the new shop is looking dope.
You hit the nail on the head, application! If you’re racing in the desert you either use Baja designs or you’re sponsored by someone else. For slow speed keep stuff any brand auxiliary lighting is fine. Quality only matters when you’re hauling ass in the desert.
This is True for 90% of the 4x4 population. I'm not racing and getting my income from Four wheeling. Meaning, the Value is the most important part of the purchase. I love the idea that I can spend 1/3-1/2 the price and get a product that is 80% as good as the Premium item. I've used the EarthQuake brand tools in my shop over the past 7 years and I'm a Big Fan. It's not an IR or Milwaukee but it's almost as good and is a lot more affordable. I also like the Ryobi brand of power tools.
Thanx for the info, Ill probably visit the harbor freight and update some of my lights before i drive my rig from washington to texas.
Well timed video. I was eyeballing those Roadshock lights. Thanks man!
Glad I could help!
Speaking of competition and the new Bronco, would be great to get your impressions of the new Ineos! I know you’ve got a ton going on but perhaps something to think about
Great video! very informative. I really enjoyed the sneak peak of the shop at the end! Can't wait for that video
I put the 4 LED Roadshock lights on my Ranger for fog lights. So far, I'm happy with them and the cost was not unreasonable.
Any difference with how much the light interfere with an FM stereo of communication setup?
The new shop looks amazing! Coming along. I went with the Baja Design lights 2 sets yellow (bumper) and clear (ditch) both wide-angle Squadron Sport. After many, many hours of research. Definitely money well spent when you want clear light. With that being said, I believe your test, like another one I watched, shows dark spots. Which I personally find distracting. For me, I would rather pay more to see more. The LP9 is on my wish list. I will say last open house we went to in PA at Main Line Overland. I saw 2 rigs with LP9. Both had rusted brackets. I was shocked! I don't know if it's due to road salt or the road brine. I would almost think a stainless steel bracket would be a better way to go. My point at that price range that was disappointment. It's not a deal breaker, so I still plan to purchase a set. 😂😊
🛻+⛺️=🙂!
Mark (& Teresa)
Hampstead Maryland
• Purpose Built Adventure Rig © •
Ford Ranger FX4 - GFC Camper V2 # 1919
• Kia Soulverlander • Nissan Xterra Off-Road •
Love the spray paint storage wall using p v c simple but very Good idea.
Thanks! I stole it from something I found on google images while looking for storage ideas 😁. I've been spending alot of time, research and consideration when laying out every aspect of this shop! I can't wait to share!
When it comes to lighting there are two things I'm willing to pay extra for- durability and, depending on application, a clean long distance beam. For most off road vehicles long distance isn't a requirement, and from my experience with lights, expensive doesn't necessarily mean durable.
For my long distance motorcycles I tend to run two pair of aux lights- long distance pencil beams and shorter range flood lights. I spend the extra for the long range lights, but so far I haven't found a brand that holds up particularly well. I've had several fail. On the other hand I buy cheap flood lights- one set is from Amazon, and another bike has some from tractor Supply. So far the Tractor Supply lights have outlived two expensive long range lights.
For my Jeep I only have whatever I can get cheap. There are a couple pair I got used for free at work (Amazon brands) and a couple LED bars I got from Amazon. None have failed yet after several years. It's great low cost alternatives have gotten so good.
It's really sad that for the very high premium prices big name lights cost, that they aren't more durable. I expect more from lights that easily cost more than $500 for a pair (up to a couple grand).
I put the 4 LED road shock on my enduro and I can’t praise these lights enough, for the price you really can’t beat them.
Nice to see more options on the market for lights 👍 A question 🖐️ what happened to the onx build off? Haven't seen anything from anyone so far.
Shop's coming along nicely!
Thank you!
Are these lights RF noisey??? Rugged Radio is close enough to 2Meter that it would be good info for me. Amazon $20 specials are horrible for RF noise.
Lumens vs Candella, it's a thing.
I've found that to much light, especially on foliage with dew(condensation, rain droplets) you will get too much reflection, to where it makes it worth having multiple levels of light brightness and color spectrum to help compensate the reflections.
I had a set of Rigid fog lights for about 7 years. They had about 250,000 miles on them and worked perfectly. The issue was the lenses were so pitted from rocks/sand it diffused the light. I contacted Rigid and asked if the lenses could be replaced and they told me to send my lights in, and next thing I knew, they shipped me out a new set. I am sure Baja would do the same thing.