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Dynabeams vs. ST170 vs. Mach HID opinions

1K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  freemind 
#1 ·
I am trying to decide what kind of signal-less lights to get. I figure i'm looking at ~$500 for the Dynabeams brand new, ~$400 for a used set of Machs, and ~$325 for brand new ST170s. What are the pros/cons of each? Which will be the easiest to install? Is HID really that great? Are they worth the extra cost/effort?

Thx in advance friends!
 
#2 ·
Dynabeams are cool because they swivel and have a projector housing. st170s are ok. Everyone thinks they look great but that is all opinion and are just basic halogen reflectors. Machs are HID and probably have the best lighting out of any of them by a long shot. All of them will require the same amount of work to add to your car.

I have a set of machs for sale check out my ad in the BST section. PM me if you have any questions about them
 
#4 ·
I own a set of ST170's and love the look of them. I also own a set of Mach and love the light output from them. Basically I use the ST170's in the summer when I never drive at night and use the Mach's in winter when I need to see.

A lot depends on how much night driving you do and what kind of look your going for. And yes, HID in the proper housings really is that great at night.
 
#6 ·
I've retrofitted my ST170's with projectors so I can't compare them anymore but my guess is they'd be roughly the same as stock SVT's.

Projectors control where the light goes much better than reflectors so you can use much brighter bulbs without blinding fellow drivers. That's why you need them when running HID's
 
#7 ·
Machs may be the least eye appealing by some people's standards. I like the look personally.

Dynabeams are just neat. Swiveling? Okay. That's really cool.

ST170s are the best looking IMO.

Like I said, I have the Machs. Light output with the right lights is unbeatable. I would recommend them. IMO: Function > Form. In most aspects. :)
 
#8 ·
There are two types of "Dynabeams", both made by Hella. True Dynabeams are Xenon/reflector type with the swiveling beams. They require considerably more effort to install than the others, because of the extra unit that controls the swivel. The other new Hella type, sometimes called "Dynabeams" has an HID/projector low beam with a Xenon/reflector high beam. The HID low beam stays on when switching to high beam. The Machs, available on '03 and '04 SVT, and standard with the EAP, has a motor driven cut off shield for the HID/projector beams, which moves out of the way when switching to high beams, and give the best light throw of the three. For Foci which did not come with HIDs from the factory, all three types require a VW type harness to be spliced into the standard Focus headlight harness. There are a number of "how tos" here, and on FJ. Just Search Dynabeams"
Good luck.
 
#11 ·
Depends on what country they are sourced from. English lights are RHD so they should be avoided, while German lights are LHD. Obviously it's easier to buy a set from eBay.uk than from a German site which is why RHD lights are more common in the States.
 
#13 ·
I brought the RHD or LHD for this very reason. The OP needs to know this before spending his money on ST170 buckets
 
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