Newbie Has a Headlight Question

[kurek]

What brands and type of bulb have people had luck with? If you have made the switch, knowing what you know now, would you still do it or consider something different???

I use Wagner Night Defense halogens. They work with the nicely engineered factory reflectors to put a lot of light where I need it and not waste or scatter light where I don't, and they're aimed correctly so they don't blind oncoming traffic if we're on a level road.

For what it's worth I'm a long time recreational road tripper as well as a 48 states commercial driver it's safe to say I've driven at night a few times.. and I don't know what the actual **** peoples' problem is with clean and properly aimed halogen headlights. Blue glare B.S. sucks, that's how you get sore eyes on long drives and oncoming drivers flashing you (and wishing you would die).

On re-reading this I didn't say it in the most polite way I should have. I get blinded by somebody's awful glare at least once usually several times anywhere I go these days and it's making me crazy, like if this is going to be an arms race where nobody's worried about quality as long as they have quantity then I might as well be driving around with the high beams and aux lights on everywhere - you know, eventually what's the point in being the only considerate driver?

Anyway that said I am sorry I got vitriolic at you @John Boyd I could have said that better.

So here's the nicer version for what it's worth -
People will argue lighting about as much as they'll argue oil or tires, nothing I can add to that really.

Since I've done my share of all nighters across the US and Canada I've had plenty of time to think on what gives me information about the road ahead and what gives me headaches - I've burned out a fair number of bulbs too which let me try out what the market has to offer and driven company trucks that other guys have uh.. fixed up.. for better or worse.

To that end, I've landed on using reduced glare halogen bulbs in OE housings. Previously I used Philips Nightguide (these manufacturers are obsessed with the word night, have you noticed? It's like every mattress brand starts with "S") - but Nightguides are discontinued so I switched to Wagners, kinda like the Wagners better actually. They're yellowish near the center of the beam and have a sort of white-almost-purple halo at the edges, looks weird but it flashes off wildlife eyes while not making me snowblind like 5000k or "blue-white" bulbs/LED/HID does when I have to drive in bad weather all night.

What they don't do is look fashionable but I can't remember the last time that concept had a place at my table - all I want is to get where I'm going safe and my eyes not hurt when I get there.

Hope that's helpful and I apologize for being in the wrong kind of mood when I first replied.

 

[John Boyd]

I have never heard of those bulbs. Will look them up!