# Whelen Crap



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

last week i bought a 20" mini justice bar with the magnetic mount, 4 90# magnets.................... driving down the road today and the thing flies off and smashes into a thousand little pieces. dealer put it on. Whelen says and i quote "Well sir, the magnet lights are not supposed to be used while the vehicle is in motion"............ i told them r u kidding me u have 360lbs of magnet force..... They say "sorry you should have read the manual"...................... Sorry i cant take it off when im driving your dealer HARDWIRED it...

Cant believe this bull...

o and when you order it they forget to tell you that, you only get the 4 corner lights. if you want the 4 middle lights its 159 per module...


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

That sucks...I've had the old halogen rotators from like TSC move, but never fall off.

We run all ShoMe class 1 mag mount bars, and they've never even moved, much less flown off the trucks.

Was the top of the cab clean before it went on? We have rubber "feet" over the magnents to help protect the truck cabs, and they practiclly stick to the cab. No sliding at all.

If they're not supposed to be used while it's in motion, why the hell do they put magnents on them? If you're sitting still you should be able to just set it on the roof and not worry!


----------



## JeffNY (Dec 19, 2005)

I have 8 LIN4's, 6 out of 8 have moisture in them, and they weren't interested in replacing them.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

surface was clean, rubber suction caps where on. at 45 mpg the light legitimately flew off the truck and ripped the wire out of the housing.


----------



## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Broncslefty7;1874106 said:


> surface was clean, rubber suction caps where on. at 45 mpg the light legitimately flew off the truck and ripped the wire out of the housing.


Broncs, sorry to hear about that happening. I just can't believe the thing flew off at 45mph, something had to be wrong with the suction cups-magnets-or where you mounted it. I've got a Whelen low profile strobe on my truck, magnetic mount, I couldn't move that thing with my Stihl Magnum backpack blower. Are you sure you didn't hit a tree branch or low wire or something?? Or maybe something moved it and you didn't notice for a while and then it wasn't secured as well and then flew off?
Again, not trying to piss you off, but something doesn't add up here.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

2+2= huh here....something is not adding up


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

ur rite something isnt adding up. an employee was driving the truck when it came off. i told him to go find it, its only a ten minute drive to where he went and back. its been 2 hours, havnt heard from him...... all the pawn shops says nothing has come in yet. Police report is filed.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Broncslefty7;1874224 said:


> ur rite something isnt adding up. an employee was driving the truck when it came off. i told him to go find it, its only a ten minute drive to where he went and back. its been 2 hours, havnt heard from him...... all the pawn shops says nothing has come in yet. Police report is filed.


I'm not going to come out and question your employee's honesty, but can you confirm that he was only going 45 and nothing hit it?

I'm not buying that it flew off running 45. Ours have been on trucks for many thousands of miles at 75-80 and haven't moved.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

ive driven the truck 90 the past few days on the highway and it has been fine. he was pulling a mini excavator to the dealer easy on and easy off the highway there's no low hanging branches. if there was they would have also hit the excavator.


----------



## hellion (Aug 8, 2011)

I've got the exact same light that was ran all last season back and forth on interstate. Never moved. However; I was careful not to have any part of the 4 magnet feet on any ribs or grooves. That was an expensive loss. Hope you can find the cause.


----------



## Bossman 92 (Sep 27, 2006)

Broncslefty7;1874246 said:


> ive driven the truck 90 the past few days on the highway and it has been fine. he was pulling a mini excavator to the dealer easy on and easy off the highway there's no low hanging branches. if there was they would have also hit the excavator.


Good luck figuring this out and keep us posted.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

quote from whelen "we do not recommend you attach that permantly to your truck, the roof is too thin and will fall apart after a year or two." they dont recommend permanent install or magnets if the vehicle will be moving.... this is so aggravating


----------



## Buswell Forest (Jan 11, 2013)

Whelen won't be getting any of my money anytime soon..


----------



## Diesel Dan (Sep 8, 2012)

I got a mini light bar with dual rotators off of ebay for $65 that I've done 90 with on the roof and gone threw an automatic car wash (with blower drying) with never moved. I put it on my backhoe and put a $60 ebay low profile LED bar on my truck that blew off in the car wash, dangling by the cord, but still works. Hasn't moved an inch driving.


----------



## GLS (Nov 22, 2001)

JeffNY;1874083 said:


> I have 8 LIN4's, 6 out of 8 have moisture in them, and they weren't interested in replacing them.


We have 8 lin4 and 8 linz6. Most all of them have moisture, some were sent back under warranty.

Once they get moisture, the LEDs will start failing. Some of ours half work, some are dim, some don't flash (stay lit). I had one last year that was so bad it was blowing the fuse, had to unhook the dang thing.

I would not recommend these to anyone.

To the original post, sucks about the lightbar. I am mounting a mini-justice I used to have permanent mounted on a truck onto my skidloader. I ordered a set of 120# magnets, hopefully it stays put.

Can't believe yours didn't come with the con3 modules, must not be standard anymore. They also don't tell you that the corner leds in the mini justice have 6 diodes, my full size towman justice bars have 9 diodes in each corner.


----------



## Sooner (Feb 1, 2008)

I just ordered 6 Whelen Magnet mount lights for our rigs. Now I'm nervous...


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

Im kind of confused here. Your saying your employee said it came off and now is nowhere to be found or did you actually see it in a million pieces. We run Whelen Responders with the suction cup/magnet mounts and they don't move once on the trucks. Ive driven speeds of well over 75-85 with them on (no plow on) and they don't budge. Sorry man!


----------



## Polarismalibu (Sep 20, 2012)

That's a shame. I have a responder and it's never even moved at all. I have gone threw the wash with it and down the highway it's never moved


----------



## Polarismalibu (Sep 20, 2012)

Sooner;1874864 said:


> I just ordered 6 Whelen Magnet mount lights for our rigs. Now I'm nervous...


I wouldn't worry. I think it's a freak thing that happened. Damn shame that it did


----------



## M & MD Lawn (Aug 29, 2010)

I have a Mini Century I bought last year mid season and I have the suction/mag combo mount. That thing does not move and I have driven 90 in high winds down the highway and its still there. It stays on year round and I go to the carwash atlas once a week, if not twice. 

I would never buy the magnet mount tho, those four little magnets looks like its going to fly off the truck


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

idk, we will see im probly just going to have to buy another bar. maybe an axixtech.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Broncslefty7;1874348 said:


> quote from whelen "we do not recommend you attach that permantly to your truck, the roof is too thin and will fall apart after a year or two." they dont recommend permanent install or magnets if the vehicle will be moving.... this is so aggravating


If you read the fine print, all mini light bar manufacturers say that they don't suggest leaving them on the vehicle while it's in motion...at least all the ones I've seen say that.


----------



## Broncslefty7 (Jul 14, 2014)

yeah i read that after it came off.


----------



## groundbreakers (Jan 16, 2004)

hmmm justice bars are all plasic minus the the base my mini patriot strobe bar weighs more then the justice and mine still stuck on the truck i say hire new employees


----------



## My bowtie (Jan 15, 2008)

Your first post has it busted into a thousand little pieces, but a couple post later you said employee was driving and said its gone... did you actually see the pieces? I think it grew legs


----------



## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

I had a dual rotator come off and bust through my rear window years ago.


----------



## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

My bowtie;1884695 said:


> Your first post has it busted into a thousand little pieces, but a couple post later you said employee was driving and said its gone... did you actually see the pieces? I think it grew legs


That's what I'm thinking.

...


----------



## FSLC (Nov 5, 2012)

I personally have a Whelen responder and 4 Whelen 500 series 5mm light heads and there is absolutely no problem with them....Whelen is one of the best manufactures on the market. Although they don't recommend Driving with a magnet mount light I have done it many many times with no issues. I'd say it was a problem with the way it was put on the roof.


----------



## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

Your title is very misleading. ALL lighting manufacturers have magnet mount warnings. But think about it, theres no guarantee those "attachable" magnets are to stay. Im surprised and I'm not surprised because Iv heard this story many times. And iv heard even more stories of no problems. I have done it in the past and never personally had a problem from using small code 3 halogen beacons all the way up to the heavy whelen mini edge bars. Now I just use perm mount for a cleaner look.


----------



## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

mini LED magnetic bar, always works for us.


----------



## razr777 (Jan 22, 2012)

WOW that sucks i got a mini century 23" bar with magnets and i rip over 100 down the main highway sometimes for 30 mins straight pedal to the floor never lost it yet and it is on year round. I would say it was installed wrong maybe on one of the ribs if you have them on the roof or something.


----------



## hellion (Aug 8, 2011)

razr777;1903587 said:


> WOW that sucks i got a mini century 23" bar with magnets and i rip over 100 down the main highway sometimes for 30 mins straight pedal to the floor never lost it yet and it is on year round. I would say it was installed wrong maybe on one of the ribs if you have them on the roof or something.


What he said!


----------



## pohouse (Jan 26, 2009)

Have you considered that it could have been stolen?


----------



## F250/XLS (Nov 23, 2014)

John_DeereGreen;1874240 said:


> I'm not going to come out and question your employee's honesty, but can you confirm that he was only going 45 and nothing hit it?
> 
> I'm not buying that it flew off running 45. Ours have been on trucks for many thousands of miles at 75-80 and haven't moved.


Actually John,,,, if you read carefully ,,,,it never flew off his employee STOLE IT.


----------

