Hella 500FF Driving and Fog Lights

[Conrad_Turbo]

Where is the best place to order these online? Amazon looks to be the cheapest but they won't ship to Canada, and the shops I have contacted locally want nearly double what I could get it for online.

 

[alexrex20]

what prices are you seeing? Wal-Mart sells the 500 and 500FF for $55/ea and $65/ea, respectively. i've had both and don't think they're worth even that. spend a little more and get something better.

just my $.02

 

[Rover De Land]

id go with the 700FF but I have had them both. I think there great. stock bulbs suck but some silverstars make them 1000x better.

 

[wjeeper]

For the price I think they are pretty decent. I have run a few sets of them over the years. Got one set at Checker (dont think they are up north?) and one at Wal-mart. They aren't nearly as nice or bright as my buddies IPF lights but he is still whining a year after a rock took a lens out............

stock bulbs suck but some silverstars make them 1000x better.

X2 on this! The stock bulbs aren't all that great. My buddy skipped the silverstar bulbs and converted his to HID for like $40-50 for the pair, IMHO it makes a tough to beat combo!

 

[Glorybigs]

Was just shopping for the cheapest shipped Hella 4000 FF and found them here...

BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com http://www.buyautotruckaccessories.com/

 

[Hilldweller]

id go with the 700FF but I have had them both. I think there great. stock bulbs suck but some silverstars make them 1000x better.

Make them "look" better but you don't see better.
Silverstars are just filtered to reduce some reds, oranges, yellows from the full spectrum of light. Then they bump up the power a bit to compensate and reduce filament life.
The bluer light is harder for your eyes to focus with, appears whiter, and thus you're fooled into thinking it's brighter.
It's not your fault; it's a gimmick, a scam of sorts. PIAA is the biggest perpetrator and the costliest.

Just get good bulbs. Or, better yet, skip the low-end Hella products and get good lights like Cibies or something.
The FF versions aren't terrible but there are better ways to spend your money.

Candlepower Store has some of the better bulbs.
http://store.candlepower.com/h1bulbs1.html
http://store.candlepower.com/h3bulbs.html

 

[txflyyaker]

They are a little more then the Hella's but I like the KC 6" slimlights. The kit comes with harness and hd relay and stone covers. I'm using the long range pattern and the driving light pattern both in the 55 watt version. Very happy with both.

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

what prices are you seeing? Wal-Mart sells the 500 and 500FF for $55/ea and $65/ea, respectively. i've had both and don't think they're worth even that. spend a little more and get something better.

just my $.02

Walmart here doesn't sell Hella lights (in Saskatchewan, Canada anyways)...and the only place here sells them for $100 for one set... I don't need the best of the best though, I like the Hella design due to it's low cost and slim profile.

I don't plan on running HID's as the reflector design is not made for a HID bulb, I'd rather have controlled light than a lot of out of control light. Especially on Hella 500FF fogs.

 

[2500ak]

Hella 500's don't have a good beam pattern. Hella 550's (rectangular) actually have a much better beam pattern.

With 130w bulbs the 500 don't do as well as the 550's with 55w bulbs.

The 500's are too shallow to have a good parabolic reflector imo.

 

[Hilldweller]

Hella 500's don't have a good beam pattern. Hella 550's (rectangular) actually have a much better beam pattern.

With 130w bulbs the 500 don't do as well as the 550's with 55w bulbs.

The 500's are too shallow to have a good parabolic reflector imo.

What he said.

The 500s are just a hot spot and nothing laterally.

 

[Conrad_Turbo]

What about the 500FF? It has a completely different reflector, it uses the reflector to direct and control the direction of the light as opposed to the lens like the 500 series.

 

[Hilldweller]

The FF works better.