Price
Halogen lights do have a lower price tag, but their downfall is the bulb – once the bulb blows you are forced to stop working and replace it, impacting on revenue and productivity.
Although the initial cost is of LED is higher, it offers reduced energy use, which decreases running costs. Expenditure for LED work lights is repaid, on average, within 24 months. However, don’t be tempted to buy the cheapest LED you can find, low cost LEDs are often built with sub-standard parts and you may find yourself having to replace this light more often than you’d like.
Efficiency
LED draws less power than Halogen reducing the strain on your machine battery. This ensures more power is available for other applications such as GPS, onboard computers, or more lighting to the area around your machine, all of which, in most cases, can be achieved without increasing the capacity of your alternator. Fuel saving is also a benefit – with lower energy draw, fuel consumption is reduced and so are costs.
Reduced maintenance
Working in environments that are hard on machines, you rely on your equipment being built to withstand a punishing regime. With no filament or moving parts, LEDs have a life term to match that of your machine, meaning maintenance is reduced along with machine downtime due to lighting repairs.
Design flexibility
Since the design capabilities are more flexible, LED lighting can be placed in compact and restrictive areas for better illumination.
Durability
LEDs use solid-state construction, so there are no breakable bulbs, fragile filaments or sensitive electrodes. This means LEDs are the ideal choice for vehicle applications where rough terrain would cause traditional work lights to fail.
Light dispersement
LEDs are available with a variety of lens patterns to project the light to where it is needed, ensuring the right amount of usable light is delivered to the work area.
Reduced eye fatigue
LEDs typically emit a light with 5700°K color temperature. This is near the color spectrum of the midday sun, and so allows the human eye to function better.
Lumens
The theoretical lumen value is the maximum performance you could get out of the LED light projection if nothing else impacted it, such as optics, reflectors or heat.
The effective lumen value is taken once the light has reached its operating temperature. This is the most reliable and honest rating and is taken once the light has been operating for two hours.
Remember to check the effective lumen values, if these are not listed in the supplier’s information; be aware that the work light may not give the output stated.
And finally…
LEDs can produce a light output greater than a halogen light but in the same footprint. This means you could have a brighter light, reach and spread without having to create new mountings or wiring.
March 11, 2016
