Was looking into better headlight options for an 18 Cat ZR with the stock halogen bulbs. Is adding the Cat LED housing that they use on the limiteds the best bet or can you get similar improvement from LED bulbs into the existing housing? Seems like there are a lot of different opinions out there so I thought I'd check here. I've talked to a few vendors but obviously they are partial to what they are selling. One told me HIDs are the way to go but another said the 2 stroke stator won't power them. I know LEDs will be bright but not sure how far down the trail the beam will go.
Better headlights for 18 Cat ZR
- Thread starter Hoosier
- Start date
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Tracker
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I put the LED cat housing and bulbs the stock ones in my 2016 2 stroke the electrical system can't handle it if it's older than 2016 and I can't use low-beam but that doesn't matter to me it lights up the forest and Beyond it's un-freakin'-believable I'm never going to regular headlights again... the LEDs see farther and you can run at least 80 at night... I absolutely love it.... I went with the stock Arctic Cat LEDs because I was going to install the Scooby-Doo light bar from the Iron Dog race and then I learn cat developed some bulbs for the race that are durable this is how freaking bright they are I couldn't believe it
snobuilder
Well-known member
Probly gonna keep my Poo Led's. They work pretty good.
Ha I was just going to post a picture of my 850 and be like "This is the best way to get a better headlight!!"
Oh, so you are one of those guys? It doesn't matter to you, but it matters to all of the oncoming traffic that you blind by not dimming your lights.
Yeah it's kind of ridiculous that only Poo has LED's standard these days. It must cost an extra $20 for the manufacturer to add them compared to halogens.
snobuilder
Well-known member
well put.
WorkHardPlayHrd
Active member
So is this why people don't dim their lights at night. Not because they just don't care, but because they've taken it one step further and don't even have low beams to start with!
No, it's mostly just inconsiderate ignorance!
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Tracker
Guest
Haha yeah it is ignorance on you guys's part because there's two types of LED beams 1 you need the low and the high beams and that's set blinds the oncoming then there's another set which goes into the stock headlight fixture and it only runs on high and is positioned in such a way like the modern 2020 cars with those LED lights it does not blind the oncoming you have to spend like three to four hundred dollars not the stuff you're cheap asses would buy look into it and you should learn something to the original op..... go ask for the cat LED bulbs that fit into your housing you'll see what I mean..... if you guys weren't stuck so far behind you might learn some of this stuff
So did you buy the LED housing they put on the limited or put bulbs in the halogen housing you have? The housing from the limited runs about $330 or so from Country Cat vs getting bulb kits is more like $150. Just figuring out the best option. I'll have the sled for awhile likely so not trying to cheap out.
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Tracker
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I'm sorry I should have clarified and been a little nicer and gentler on that response I didn't have my coffee yet fellas and to answer your question there's low LEDs and hi LEDs meaning 3000k 8000k + 14000 k + 11000 k I would have to check to see which one's mine are I believe they're 14k but there is no low and high beam they're always on low beam or regular beam like car... you can't flick it up too high because that's all there is is regular.... it's like a new car it goes way out there but there's a line on the bulb but it doesn't go above so many feet and if you aim it right it's perfect one of my pictures shows that where it's looking out into the woods not the one with the truck and above that it's darkness of the oncoming guy doesn't get any headlight it's like these new cars there's the standard bulb which I think is 6000 and 8 k and that one you can have high and low beam but with LEDs it's not needed in my opinion just ask for the best bulb that there is no high and low I could get the exact number and model and K if you want but I had the dealer put mine in so that I got a warranty on the electrical and the bulb and all that to
It was a special bulb put into my standard cat housing.... it's quite possible that it's not a cat bulb but I thought it was that's the understanding we had when I first undertook adding LEDs to my sled now you got me wondering and I will have to make absolutely sure
When I get home I will turn the pictures right when they're sideways it's because of the cell phone
It was a special bulb put into my standard cat housing.... it's quite possible that it's not a cat bulb but I thought it was that's the understanding we had when I first undertook adding LEDs to my sled now you got me wondering and I will have to make absolutely sure
When I get home I will turn the pictures right when they're sideways it's because of the cell phone
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Tracker
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I'm still checking but I believe it's the limited housing because that was what I had on on my sled already and we had to check my electrical system if it could handle it ...the 14000k bulb.... also quite possible that with the 14k bulb which is the highest one that's why it's on all the time and there's is no high and low probably something with the electrical system.... and I wasn't getting on you I was coming down on those other ignoranimuses...lol
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It all started when I wanted these things from the Iron Dog race put on my sled.... my system was one of the first ones or so I thought so now might be better since yours is an 18
https://www.irondog.org/promotions/
I was about to put the light bar on when my cat dealer suggested this other option was more expensive but fit into my existing housing but was just as good as that Vision X I think it was.... I told them that I wanted my headlights to be as good as that vision X 4.5 Cannon specs at the end of that Iron Dog promotion
https://www.irondog.org/promotions/
I was about to put the light bar on when my cat dealer suggested this other option was more expensive but fit into my existing housing but was just as good as that Vision X I think it was.... I told them that I wanted my headlights to be as good as that vision X 4.5 Cannon specs at the end of that Iron Dog promotion
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Similar specs to this
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Beam Angle: 360º
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Powerful Cree XHP50 LEDs combine for 6000 Lumens output, producing brilliant illumination that far exceeds halogen and lesser LED bulbs, for increased visibility farther into the distance and over a wider viewing area.
counterparts, Lumen LED bulbs offer outstanding lighting performance, a much longer lifespan, and substantial energy savings with almost no heat. 5-year manufacturer warranty. Decoders are included with purchase, they may not be necessary for installation on your vehicle.
Lumen
Specifications:
Light Intensity: 6000lm per two bulbs
Color Temperature: 6500K
Power: 72 Watts, 36W per bulb
LEDs: Cree XHP50
Voltage: DC12V-24V
Current: 3.0A±0.2A
Beam Angle: 360º
Polarized: No
Warranty: 5-year
Features:
Exceptionally Bright Light
Exceptionally Bright Light
Powerful Cree XHP50 LEDs combine for 6000 Lumens output, producing brilliant illumination that far exceeds halogen and lesser LED bulbs, for increased visibility farther into the distance and over a wider viewing area.
T
Tracker
Guest
I just looked up even stronger ones now
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The newly released Alpha kit is the brightest LED kit on the market. The Alpha kit puts out a whopping 9600lm from it's 24 ZES Gen2 Diodes driven at 90 Watts! These kits are unreal, our Premium kit has been the most popular kit since it's release last year. The newly released Alpha kit is our brightest creation and now wears the crown for distance and output supremacy. HID kits are officially obsolete.
Our LED Headlight Kit gives headlamps a Modern White (6000K), the light output is truly amazing compared to factory. This will be the best upgrade you have added to your power sport vehicle.
We are unmatched in the industry!
Our LED Headlight Kit gives your headlamps a Cool White (6000K), a clean look with 7600 (Standard) or 9600 (Alpha) Lumen high beam and 4800 low beam output and low 1.4 Amp current draw. 360 Degree side-firing LEDs use your entire headlight reflector, maximizing output. With an aluminum and copper core technology this kit maintains cooler operating temperatures and provide an extra long life. The waterproof drivers are CANBUS ready and operate under a wide input voltage range for a stable output. Easy to install kit comes with a 1-5 year no questions asked - hassle free warranty!
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favoritos
Well-known member
I have done Hi/Low beam LED lights in the chassis. It was in the 2017 and later updated housing. I tried 6500k with about 4,000 lumen output at high beam. The light throw was pretty decent with a fair spread. The light was a little too bright with heavy snow. Higher K does reflect more. I swapped over to a lower color light (3800k) with better luck.
I also have a machine with the new OE Cat LED stock. I don't know the exact light color of the stock LED. It appear to be right in between the two I tried. The light spread is pretty good on the stock LED. The throw distance is similar to stock Halogen.
Either swap will take some modifications. The retrofit LED bulbs should have cooling fans. The fan diameter does require cutting of the rubber grommet around the base of the bulb. They also need rectifiers to work with AC power on your machine. Look for H4 bulbs that have Hi/Low beam and they should plug right into the standard harness.
The stock LED retrofit will require some modification of the hood mount fit. There are hood mounting tabs under the stock halogen. It is doable.
There are quite a few aftermarket bulbs that have higher lumen output than those I used at the time. I'm sure they will throw further. Just verify fit and cooling ability. The stock bulbs use 55 watts if I remember correctly, so you should have plenty of stator capacity.
I love the output on HID. They work incredible in the field. I have not used them on snowmobiles. They take even more work to install. Seems like my machines take too much abuse to justify adding more loose parts.
I also have a machine with the new OE Cat LED stock. I don't know the exact light color of the stock LED. It appear to be right in between the two I tried. The light spread is pretty good on the stock LED. The throw distance is similar to stock Halogen.
Either swap will take some modifications. The retrofit LED bulbs should have cooling fans. The fan diameter does require cutting of the rubber grommet around the base of the bulb. They also need rectifiers to work with AC power on your machine. Look for H4 bulbs that have Hi/Low beam and they should plug right into the standard harness.
The stock LED retrofit will require some modification of the hood mount fit. There are hood mounting tabs under the stock halogen. It is doable.
There are quite a few aftermarket bulbs that have higher lumen output than those I used at the time. I'm sure they will throw further. Just verify fit and cooling ability. The stock bulbs use 55 watts if I remember correctly, so you should have plenty of stator capacity.
I love the output on HID. They work incredible in the field. I have not used them on snowmobiles. They take even more work to install. Seems like my machines take too much abuse to justify adding more loose parts.
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Tracker
Guest
Great info their Favoritos.... my lights were also really bright and reflective in the snow at first and what I did to alleviate that reflectivity and still be able to use the really high K beams is I put the sled on even ground And as far as the LED there's a cutoff point where light ends and dark begins... I raised that cut off point to about 5 feet high so way out there when the beam is just about not able to see between the light and the dark I make that lower ..... about 5 feet off the ground ....it eliminated all that reflectivity and lit the rest of the forest up and and does not blind anyone on coming and I was at my maximum reach
snobuilder
Well-known member
LMAO....didn't read all the complicated explaining from the cat guys on here today.....just suffice to say great LED headlights aren't that difficult to get on a sled these days if you ride the right brand.....LOL
Cat has a kit that is plug and play - just trying to figure out if it’s better to do that or go after market. At the price I was at for the sled poo wouldn’t have had leds either