Cheap as chips D2R bulbs

[Cotswold Pete]

Had a dipped beam HID bulb blow after 7 years (not too shabby a life then).

So was preparing to spend £70 (or so) on two new bulbs.  Still uming and aahing about 4300k or 6000K or maybe 5000K

However came across this site https://xenons4u.co.uk/hid-d2r-xenon-bulbs.html with cheap as chips for a pair, well almost cheaper than chips

Anyone ever had any experience of Lumor, almost seems worth trying even if they only lasted one year.

 

 

[Malc]

only slightly more expensive than my standard bulbs from Halfords at £8 a pair  ....  long life too no doubt !

Malc

[Mikaelse]

I am No expert on HID bulbs but when mine needed replacing in my 1998 LS400 I found info indicating that buying a brand that is reputable is a very good idea in this case. Less risk for dodgy light performance but even more important is that If you put in a bulb with properties not within tollerances it may torment the expensive driver electronics and burn it out. Risk unknown ? . I bought OSRAM bulbs that should last 2000 hours hence about 100.000 km.  Also with a price at lowest priced online shop of 32 £ each it feels good that each bulb has security tape and a individual security QR-code which you can verify its authenticity at manufacturer online. Pirated bulbs sold as genuine seem to be a real problem. 

 

 

[LenT]

51 minutes ago, Mikaelse said:

I am No expert on HID bulbs but when mine needed replacing in my 1998 LS400 I found info indicating that buying a brand that is reputable is a very good idea in this case. Less risk for dodgy light performance but even more important is that If you put in a bulb with properties not within tollerances it may torment the expensive driver electronics and burn it out. Risk unknown ? . I bought OSRAM bulbs that should last 2000 hours hence about 100.000 km.  Also with a price at lowest priced online shop of 32 £ each it feels good that each bulb has security tape and a individual security QR-code which you can verify its authenticity at manufacturer online. Pirated bulbs sold as genuine seem to be a real problem. 

 

 

Auto bulbs are apparently among the most counterfeited products on the market.  That’s why OSRAM - and I believe Philips - have security packaging that confirms their origin.  I don’t know if the Lumro brand mentioned here offers the same security feature but - like Philips - the genuine article is manufactured in Germany.

As it happens, Lumro and Philips headlamp auto bulbs have been the subject of a couple of low technology comparison reviews that I came across.  By that I mean they’ve mainly been confined to comparison of estimated longevity rather than assessing the accuracy of the claimed lumen output, the technical control of the light distribution, the quality of the materials involved and the standard of manufacture.

Nevertheless, it seems that the universal law of you-get-what-you-pay-for still applies.

On that basis alone, the cheaper bulb would appear to offer about 30% less useful life.  Of course this may be acceptable - if all the other parameters are also acceptable, which may be debatable.  But one feature of a shorter bulb life is more frequent replacement.  Some modern auto bulbs are absurdly difficult to replace.  The manual for my IS250 provides instructions for every bulb except the main/dip - which is referred to as a dealer job!

Personally, when it comes to such items as auto bulbs, I am happy to pay the price for a market leading brand - who after all also tend to be the technological innovators- rather than trying to save a few pounds when equipping a car for which I have paid many thousands.  

But as I say - that’s a personal view!

[Linas.P]

As well, regardless if they counterfeited or non-brand, the question is longevity. Mine where going pink and one started to flicker when car was 10 years old... inside I found original bulbs from factory! Then I have replaced them with Osram bulbs and paid like £56 I think... is if Osrams would have lasted at least 5 years (and I hope they last longer) that is not much money. Question is - who know is these bulbs won't fail after 1 year?

[LenT]

40 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

As well, regardless if they counterfeited or non-brand, the question is longevity. Mine where going pink and one started to flicker when car was 10 years old... inside I found original bulbs from factory! Then I have replaced them with Osram bulbs and paid like £56 I think... is if Osrams would have lasted at least 5 years (and I hope they last longer) that is not much money. Question is - who know is these bulbs won't fail after 1 year?

I’m sure that major manufacturers such as OSRAM will be running regular batch tests to establish the Mean Time to Failure rate (MTTF).  Of course this doesn’t necessarily guarantee an individual bulb but it does establish a consistent performance level overall.  Small companies may be cutting costs by not investing in such production controls; counterfeiters wouldn’t bother anyway!

Of course another argument for a cheaper, but still effective, bulb could be that the vehicle gets so little use at night that the longer life expectancy is irrelevant.  It may be that the main/dip bulbs only ever have to pass the MOT.

In which case buying the cheapest bulb that will pass that test probably makes sense!

[Mikaelse]

IF it was a regular lightbulb. yes take the cheap one with good light and descent life.  It is not. That matters to me.
Replacing a broken Ballast box that ignites the HID lamp is not something I want to risk with dodgy bulbs. 
A new OEM DENSO ballast was a massive 600+£ each 10 years ago. DENSO does not seem to make them anymore?. 
You can buy aftermarket universal ones of different makes. It seems they start at ballpark 60£ +labor these days.