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3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by crashnburn80, Jan 25, 2019.

  1. Oct 28, 2020 at 7:53 AM
    #3541
    Smashing

    Smashing Well-Known Member

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    So, after all this, is the GE 130 worth nearly double the price of the h9 you linked in the 1st page?
     
  2. Oct 28, 2020 at 8:57 AM
    #3542
    daveeasa

    daveeasa FBC Harness Solutions Vendor

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    Are you sure you're doing apples to apples?

    $12 for Philips H9's (each)
    $31 for Tungsram H11 +130's (pair)

    H9's are cheaper but not massively/significantly if you're doing a per-bulb or per-pair comparison.

    Also, I did 4 H9 bulb mods Monday night with a new blade. That was a key but it still wasn't easy nor perfect (I'm a little OCD). I think the perfect adaptor might be a snap in solid plastic piece with solid metal rather than a pigtail with wires. Seems like there would be a market for something like that. I trimmed the metal tab too, that part was easier since it's exposed. Excited to use them in the minivan on our drive Thursday night.
     
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  3. Oct 28, 2020 at 9:10 AM
    #3543
    VeteranTacoma

    VeteranTacoma Active Member

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    This one was not reviewed that I could tell but I am going to give it a try.

    AUXITO H11 LED Headlight Bulbs 80W 16,000LM/Pair, Mini Sized Ultra, High Bright with Cooling Fan, LMP Chip
     
  4. Oct 28, 2020 at 10:05 AM
    #3544
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    The Philips H9 is the higher performing option, it is the route I would go with and will provide more light throughout the pattern, but does require modification of the bulb. The GE +130s are great performers that are plug and play, they will have a more focused hot spot.

    That is not a legitimate headlight bulb product and full of the usual red flags. The emitters are way too large, focus will be poor. All the specs are ridiculously overinflated to the point of being laughable that someone would believe them. It is obviously not a 360 degree beam as advertised, more false misleading advertising. They talk about the board being super thin, which is the right direction but it is the distance between emitter faces that actually matters which they don't address. You're going to end up with poor focus and lots of foreground light, which will initially appear great from the driver seat, but actual performance will be poor. The fact that their 'brightest and best' LEDs can be had for $40 should also be another significant red flag that you are being upsold cheap China garbage. Any decently built product should cost around twice that on the low end. I wouldn't recommend wasting your money.
     
  5. Oct 28, 2020 at 10:43 AM
    #3545
    Smashing

    Smashing Well-Known Member

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    Totally apples to apples when you factor shipping and availability.

    Perfect thanks for your time. Modifying the bulb is no big deal. I've done it before. Maybe one day I'll buy or build an adapter.
     
  6. Oct 28, 2020 at 11:03 AM
    #3546
    daveeasa

    daveeasa FBC Harness Solutions Vendor

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    Not trying to pick a fight, but perhaps you aren't factoring the powerbulbs discount or you consider that unfair to consider? They have a banner for 20% off through the month of October, right on their home page. It seems very much like their regular prices are MSRP - 20%.

    I'd give you nearly 1.5x for sure but nearly double feels a bit like hyperbole to me unless the powerbulbs discount becomes something which is difficult to get? Shipping seemed fast too (for me).

    The +130 is a whiter light due to the blue coating, more LED-like than the yellower H9. I believe it is also 55w vs 65w for the H9 which might translate into pennies in gas which could add up? Really hard to do the math on that one.

    I've run them side by side in L and R sides and the only thing I notice is the color of the light, I can't tell any difference in terms of real world performance. With all that said, I'm a fan of H9's too, definitely not trying to sound anti-H9.

    Below are my orders for bulbs from June 2020.

    Tungsram +130 order (one pair == 2 bulbs) comes to 16.98/bulb
    upload_2020-10-28_10-45-51.jpg
    Philips H9 order (two pair == 4 bulbs) comes to $12.01/bulb
    upload_2020-10-28_10-48-54.jpg
     
  7. Oct 28, 2020 at 12:52 PM
    #3547
    GarlicFarts

    GarlicFarts Bang Ding Ow

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    The pigtails use standard materials. An H11 female, an H9 male, and wires. The solid piece you’re talking about would be fantastic but it’s not OTS so would be quite expensive (relatively speaking). And the demand for an H11 to H9 is pretty small, remembering the real world vs this thread/Tacomaworld in general.
     
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  8. Oct 28, 2020 at 12:54 PM
    #3548
    Singer

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    I went with the H9 Bulbs. Like crash said, its a fuller beam pattern than the +130. The other difference between the bulb is life expectancy where the +130 is shorter life span than the H9 bulb.
     
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  9. Oct 29, 2020 at 7:17 AM
    #3549
    Bubbles

    Bubbles Liquor and Whores

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    Granted I don't own a third gen but my GX470 uses H11's with projectors. I have a set of Hikari ultra's and just got in some Philips H9's and modified one. Have one in each housing and will go out tonight to compare side by side. I'm in the wilderness alot so bright, safe light is important. @crashnburn80 what would you recommend for my fogs, stock its a H3-55W which is abysmally bad.
     
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  10. Oct 30, 2020 at 10:22 PM
    #3550
    Desert War Eagle

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    So if one just drove home his new (and first) Tacoma home this eveningonly to realize the light output of the low beam is pretty poor compared to, say, the VW GTI he traded in, a simple bulb replacement using Tungsram Megalight Ultra +130 H11 would do the trick? Or is the modification of the Philips H9 pretty simple, and there are instructions here?
     
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  11. Oct 30, 2020 at 10:32 PM
    #3551
    smikec

    smikec Well-Known Member

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    That was exactly the way I felt when I took home my "new" used Tacoma.
    I was wondering if the headlights were even on.
    Bought GE/Tungsram and havent looked back.
    Depends on whether $10 difference for H9's and the simple modifying "hassle"makes sense to you.
    The marginal whiter colour of the GE's and even not having to bother with modifications was the decider to for me
     
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  12. Oct 30, 2020 at 10:41 PM
    #3552
    Desert War Eagle

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    Thanks @smikec. Pretty easy to replace the bulbs? I haven't looked into that yet (guess I should just look in the owner's manual!), but will go with the Tungsram.

    Except I don't see them available anywhere. Out of stock on Amazon, Powerbulbs, and Carbulbsdirect. Hmm.
     
  13. Oct 30, 2020 at 10:44 PM
    #3553
    smikec

    smikec Well-Known Member

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    super easy. accessible with just the hood open.
    I used nitrile gloves installing as to not get finger "grease" on the glass, but if you handle from the base probably not necessary.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2020
  14. Oct 30, 2020 at 10:47 PM
    #3554
    smikec

    smikec Well-Known Member

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  15. Oct 30, 2020 at 11:02 PM
    #3555
    Desert War Eagle

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  16. Oct 31, 2020 at 7:29 AM
    #3556
    replica9000

    replica9000 Das ist no bueno

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    My GM cars must have had some really bad light output, because I was amazed how bright my 2008 Tacoma headlamps were the first time a drove it at night.
     
  17. Oct 31, 2020 at 7:49 AM
    #3557
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    The large reflector 2nd Gen lights are significantly better than the 3rd Gen projector lights in terms of performance.
     
  18. Oct 31, 2020 at 7:51 AM
    #3558
    HeyWannaTaco

    HeyWannaTaco Well-Known Member

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    I recently upgraded to the Tungsram +130 H11. I got mine from ebay as well, shipped from Great Britain since it seems North America was out of stock. What a huge improvement over the stock bulb! From order date to delivery in Canada was less than two weeks.
     
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  19. Nov 1, 2020 at 2:57 PM
    #3559
    Desert War Eagle

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    Glad to hear that--I just ordered mine from eBay via Great Britain, as well.
     
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  20. Nov 1, 2020 at 3:02 PM
    #3560
    GarlicFarts

    GarlicFarts Bang Ding Ow

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    the Tacoma is nice. I can get to all the lights and the fog lights through the hood. I always just grab by the base and don’t wear gloves. Tacoma is wicked easy.

    The lights were fine for me but I dropped my HIDs in within about a week just because I liked the white light and my Mazda was H11 so it was a carryover. But I was going from a car to a truck and there are typically street lights everywhere so, maybe they weren’t good :notsure: I liked the stock fogs though. Replaced then still, but at least they did good.
     

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