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Beware of Chinese copies

off road rider

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Kent Wa
While taking a tour of the puyallup snowshow this last weekend, I was blown away with the amount of Cheap Chinese made lights that vendors are attempting to sell. Many flat out ripoffs of US patented products.

The saying you get what you pay for is never more true than in LED lighting.
Bogus lumen ratings in cheap cases with no optics or thermal management were everywhere.

Take a look at the reflectors in the lights you may be interested in purchasing. If they are small and a ton of leds that points to a very poor light.
Lumen ratings are not a good way to tell what a light will do.
ask about electronic Thermal management.
Polycarbonate lenses, and lastly where is the product made.
Who is going to warranty that product when it fails, How long have they been in business?
Don't get tricked out of your hard earned money on a cheap Chinese counterfeits.
 

stocksucks!!

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I agree with your statement. But after buyin 3 ridgid 20inch light bars in the past 2 years and 1 vision x. All got moisture in them no broken lens but water in them. I now have 2 Chinese light bars and they are very well built and are water tight. As far as light output the same brightness if not better. I was all for buying the big brand name light bars at first but not now. I have a question for you have you used these. Chinese ones?? I AMA firm believer in dint knock on it until you try it. Also as a side note when I pay near 600.00 Canadian for a 20 inch rigid. That gets water in them. Why not try a 180.00 knock off that's shipped to my door. As a bonus it's lasted 11 months and no water in them and still bright as the sun. Just one guys opinion with actual real world use. Ie touchless car washes 3-4 times a week. I own a car wash/lube shop. And about 24-30 thousand miles per year.
 

off road rider

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I agree with your statement. But after buyin 3 ridgid 20inch light bars in the past 2 years and 1 vision x. All got moisture in them no broken lens but water in them. I now have 2 Chinese light bars and they are very well built and are water tight. As far as light output the same brightness if not better. I was all for buying the big brand name light bars at first but not now. I have a question for you have you used these. Chinese ones?? I AMA firm believer in dint knock on it until you try it. Also as a side note when I pay near 600.00 Canadian for a 20 inch rigid. That gets water in them. Why not try a 180.00 knock off that's shipped to my door. As a bonus it's lasted 11 months and no water in them and still bright as the sun. Just one guys opinion with actual real world use. Ie touchless car washes 3-4 times a week. I own a car wash/lube shop. And about 24-30 thousand miles per year.


Yes I have tested many, All with failures and all vey poor quality, in both light output and reliability.
I Cant disagree with you more.
Lighting is all we do, Racing is a very large part of that. We know the market and everything that is available.
Your not looking at apples to apples, all LEDs are not the same, thinking so is not accurate.

One if your using a 20 inch light bar then you don't realize that there are far better and much smaller lights. The big light bars are a joke.
There has been many changes in LEDs over the years, the Chinese are very far behind on technology, The lights they copied are now several years old. they ripped off the aesthetic design pretty good, but the emitters, optics and overall quality are crap.
There is not a single Chinese made light that has electronic Thermal management, The key to making an LED last.
The current Chinese light influx reminds me of all the minicycles that popped up a few years ago in every auto parts store and corner, Junk that is now long gone.
who will support your Chinese light in the future, Chances are it is a throwaway, as the companies selling junk will be long gone.
Ridged has also been behind the curve for a while, better stuff is available.
No Chinese LED will compete with what we currently have available.

If you want to support the Chinese that are stealing Western designs and
infringing on patents, along with having an inferior products, I guess that's your business.
Compare modern Quality LEDs rather than old version lights to what the Chinese are making today.
 
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stocksucks!!

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I respect your opinion.. But it's the same old thing if you work for Gm. Or ford then guess who makes the best truck..so I will not get into this debate with a retailer. I just want other ppl to make their own conclusions and hey to try a light that costs 1 5th of the USA ones why not..and on that note if it last 2 years great. We buy a new one and still have more money 2 buy more. To the price of the rigid/vision x ect. As far as light output it might be a measurable difference on a work bench.but not to the average consumer. Just my 2 cents
 

off road rider

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I respect your opinion.. But it's the same old thing if you work for Gm. Or ford then guess who makes the best truck..so I will not get into this debate with a retailer. I just want other ppl to make their own conclusions and hey to try a light that costs 1 5th of the USA ones why not..and on that note if it last 2 years great. We buy a new one and still have more money 2 buy more. To the price of the rigid/vision x ect. As far as light output it might be a measurable difference on a work bench.but not to the average consumer. Just my 2 cents

Something sounds fishy here.
Are you selling Chinese lights?
Sure sounds like it.
This is not my opinion its fact, plain and simple.
We are not talking about fords and Chevys, we are talking about Corvettes and Yugo's
Fact is there are patent rights that are being violated and companies are going after resale's and importers. If you don't care about that, I really feel sorry.
The argument that cheaper is better is laughable. If you had a moisture issue with one of the companies you mentioned and didn't send it back for warranty, that's your fault. Somehow I cant believe you would throw away a expensive lifetime warrantied light twice.
A light that you rely on to get you off the mountain, is not somewhere you want to pinch pennies.
If you buy your tools at harbor freight, then a cheep, junk light might work for you, for a while anyways. If you demand quality and performance, there are huge differences.
Its clear you have not really looked at what is available in the market and only done a small sampling of outdated products.
Your not comparing Apples to Apples.
what was good 3 years ago is now well out of pace.
 
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stocksucks!!

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no i don't sell lights just end user and yes i keep getting the expensive ones replaced. as far as this pi$$ing contest i am done. it was just an honest non dealer opinion so sorry that your very narrow minded and of course what you sell is the only one to go with.. other guys might disagree with you 2 but hey were the only 2 discussing this..
so thank you retailer for making me not try your expensive lights were you are most likely getting some sort of chinese parts for them.. think about it you got wire,connectors,packaging ect. thanks for schooling me.
 

off road rider

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no i don't sell lights just end user and yes i keep getting the expensive ones replaced. as far as this pi$$ing contest i am done. it was just an honest non dealer opinion so sorry that your very narrow minded and of course what you sell is the only one to go with.. other guys might disagree with you 2 but hey were the only 2 discussing this..
so thank you retailer for making me not try your expensive lights were you are most likely getting some sort of chinese parts for them.. think about it you got wire,connectors,packaging ect. thanks for schooling me.


Your the only one here doing any pissing, I am meanly standing up to your misguided and inaccurate information.Your certainly not a Cyclops customer, our customers demand quality and support. They get both, along with a fair price. Your putting me on the defensive, which is complete BS. Ill set it straight here.
There are no Chinese parts in Any Lights We sell.
Again you should know what your talking about prior to posting.
There is also a huge difference in products that are designed, but manufactured in china and products that are designed and manufactured in China. Since you know everything you should be aware of that.
Ours has neither. No Chinese parts wires or components, However most All Batteries anywhere do come from China, but ours are designed right here in Western Wa.

There is a market for the inferior Chinese pducts, you are proof of that. We will not stoop to selling junk to make a $
This thread was not really designed to bash all Chinese lights, but to make users aware that there is significant differences and some are exact copies in appearance, but no equal in performance or quality.

So,Lets see...you came onto a vendor thread basically saying don't purchase Cyclops Products that are Quality, lifetime warrantied and we support the sledding and dirt bike/4X4 community, as well as your right to ride. Instead buy from China, or Ebay resale's where there is no real warranty, service and Im sure they give tons of support to your land rights and concerns.
That in itself is a Low and a classless move.
Its clear to me, as I"m sure most others reading this that there is very little knowledge of what your talking about. Apples to Apples anyways.
Most of my job is to educate people on what's available, what works best and some products to stay away from.
I regularly talk someone out of a more expensive product and make less or even nothing on recommending the correct product for what they want to do. Sometimes that is a competitors product, That by the way we also sell competing products threw other outlets. Again you don't have a clue.
There is no light that will work best everywhere.
And sometimes we see issues with our products, If we do we take care of it and the customer is not screwed.
Ive been doing high performance lighting for 12 years and have helped a ton of riders, and racers all over the world. Most listen and get the right setup,some know everything, and can not be helped, much like yourself.

Cyclops sells Tesla Automobiles and other OEMs all their LED lighting, Polaris also uses the same LED lights, Along with Mining equipment all over the world, you know, the guys who make their living in the dark and depend on quality lights. pretty sure they know what's up and would go another direction if we didn't know what we where talking about.

Here is some reading for you. I know good reviews on Chinese lights are out there as well, just does the person doing the review really know what else is available?
6 out of 10 LED lighting companies in China are going out of business. Inferior products are only part of their problem.

http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/2010/12/the-problem-of-led-bulbs-from-china-via-ebay.html

http://www.ebay.com/gds/LED-Bulbs-Know-Before-You-Bid-/10000000001672927/g.html


Do not Buy, August 2, 2013
By Parker Botts "Parker" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: 20" LED -22" OFF ROAD LED LIGHT BAR FLOOD/SPOT COMBO BEAM- 3W LED-120W-7500 LUMEN
This light bar is very poorly designed they do NOT come with a wiring harness worst buy of my life Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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This review is from: 20" LED -22" OFF ROAD LED LIGHT BAR FLOOD/SPOT COMBO BEAM- 3W LED-120W-7500 LUMEN
First off I choose this light as a low cost alternative to a comparable Rigid Ind. light. This light seemed to fit the bill as I was looking for a Flood/Spot combo that didn't break the bank. Let's just say you get what you pay for. The overall quality of the Chinese knock-offs seems fair, but where they are lacking is in the optics. Seems to me that this light is a straight flood. There is no differentiating where the spot is from the flood pattern.

I have this light mounted to a bar that I fabricated to sit in front of the bumper on my 04 Tacoma. I have taken it out to the desert and can say that out in an open flat area it is not very helpful. This particular bar needs stuff for the light to bounce or reflect off of. I have also taken it out into the dunes in Glamis . I was moderately happy with the performance. In the dunes it lit up everything due to the wide light pattern but once in a flat open area a couple of spots would compliment this bar well.

I know have plans to buy a couple of 6" led spot lights to go along with this bar. I thought using the highbeams would pick up the coverage however the difference in light color is very distracting. It's better to run without the headlights on.
My suggestion would be if you're in the market for one of the cheaper lights go with an all spot @ 30deg it's still wider that a rigid flood (20 deg) but I feel that I would've been happier had I gone that route. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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Comment Comment


Chinese knock-off (of MagicShine) - Great light... for 2 weeks


Pulled from MTBR

I got sucked in by Amazon - really. If you go to Amazon.com, type in "magic shine" in the search field, the top/first result is that infamous Chinese knock-off...

... for $25. I read some reviews, it seemed like it was worth a shot.

The package came, and I was blown away - it looked really good! Nice CNC head unit, all cables seem good quality, etc. I charged it up, used it the next morning (I road ride 3 days/week) and it was awesome! Very bright - maybe even close to the 1,200 lumens it claims. I ran it on high for 90 minutes and it did great.

But, the second week - probably the 6th or 7th use - the light cut out on the road. I wiggled the cable and it was fine. Did that one more on that ride. The next ride, it kept cutting out... then went out for good.



12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Defective product - Who is paying to return it to China?, November 23, 2012
By Shopper100 - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
Based upon other reviews, I decided to take a chance and purchase this product - shipped directly from China. I ordered the light on October 25th and received it on November 21st - the item was received earlier than I had expected.

The light comes with no instructions but you can figure out how/what to do if you have fundamental knowledge about bicycle accessories. My light worked only briefly - just a matter of minutes before it overheated and shut down permanently.

The upside is that while my light only lasted a few minutes, I did get to see how bright it is and its a very powerful lamp. The battery is low in quality - I would suggest (as others have) keeping an eye on it while it is charging. The battery recharges in under 2 hours.

This light does not come with a permanent bracket to attach the lamp to your bicycle. This light uses a thick grommet (rubber band)--while it is snug in place this is not something that will probably last long over time. A concern I have is that if the band breaks while riding, your light is going drop right off. I do believe that using one way pull through plastic ties will be safer and more secure for the long haul.

I contacted the shipper and they did respond quickly - well within Amazon's criteria for responding to customer complaints etc. In the latest correspondence I was told to return the light for a replacement. However I was not offered a return shipping label (yet) and I have little interest in packing this light back and shipping it to China. It defeats the financial deal on the light, does it not?

So buyer beware - it works great you are in luck --if you get stuck with a lemon as I have - its a headache....


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars lasts for about 75 minutes, October 16, 2012
By TrappistMonk - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I would appreciate any feedback from others to advise me if I had a bad copy and should order another one. For how long does your light work at full brightness after a full charge?

I ordered this light to go on some evening mountain bike rides, my rides vary between 1,5 and 2 hours.

Given the attractive price, reasonable quality and excellent brightness of this light, colleagues of mine were interested in ordering the same light, but asked me to run a test to see how long it would last after a full charge at full brightness.

The result is that it lasts for about 75 minutes before it dies. Far below the advertised 3 hours and enough to get you stuck on the trail in pitch black.

As said, the quality of the light seems good, the charger or battery do not run hot. The lamp runs warm, but you can still touch it.

I am sending mine back, was I unlucky and should I give it another try??? Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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Comment Comments (11)

1.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous variations in the product line- aka Cheap Chinese Junk, February 13, 2013
By G. Kent - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
Be cautious in ordering more than one of these with the hopes of using extras for spare batterys or lights. There are nearly 30 different businesses selling these with the sale being fullfilled by Amazon all under the same Amazon listing. As a result, there will be unexpected variations for the exact same item. I have bought 3 of these and each one is different. The first used a 4.2 volt battery even though the listing shows 8.4 VDC. Second light uses the 8.4 VDC battery and charger as advertised and it is the one I am using. The third one, from the same Amazon listing, uses 8.4 VDC but the connectors are different sizes. Can't use the battery as a spare for the second one. But, the connectors from the 4.2 fit the one I plan to use, so a bit of surgery and I have my spare 8.4 VDC battery and charger. I guess you get what you pay for.


1.0 out of 5 stars Defective product, July 29, 2013
By Bruce Brodnax "L.A. Biker" (Lost Angeles, somewhere out in the smog) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I bought this & it failed by the 4th time I used it. So, roughly $7 a night. Not cost effective! I contacted the seller, Buypretty, and they replied quickly via email, but said they no longer have the item in stock & didn't expect to get more, so no offer to replace the defective unit. It was clear from my exam of the unit that the battery pack [which is the greater part of the cost of this unit] was still functioning, and the seller offered to refund me 1/2 the purchase price, since the pack was still usable [for what, I don't know: it's not like you can buy the light heads separately!] but never did credit my account. One of the hazards of dealing w/ overseas sellers I guess.

Anyway, if you can get one of these from an on-shore vendor who will guarantee the product if it fails, then I strongly recommend it: the few times I used the light it really lit up the trail nicely! Just don't purchase one from the same vendor I did. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Worked for 2 re-charges then died, April 6, 2013
By infromix - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This light worked great for a short time, but after about 3-4 recharges, it will not longer recharge and is now useless. I used it a total of less than 15 times. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Battery does not charge, March 25, 2013
By barlowrs - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This light was great for the first 10 minutes, but after the initial battery drain, the battery would not charge, rendering the light useless. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't hold a charge, February 25, 2013
By raspies - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I really, really wanted this to work, but there must be some kind of hang-up making a rechargable battery. It did work - the first 5 or 6 times I used it - but it managed to crap out just after the 30 day return policy. Waste of Money. Avoid!
 
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off road rider

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Kent Wa
don't want to win my friend. I do need to stand up for whats right.
Im sorry and wish you the best.
 
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