I think the main way to determine are the $25 ones worth a flip is how long they have lasted vs the other ones.

All of the other regulators lasted about a year maybe 2 tops. 90% died from the cables getting mangled with 1/2 of them having broken or mangled pulleys too. The others ones had cable issues too but it was like they wound into the motor spot wrong.


None of the $25 regulars have completely died. The only thing they have done so far is to break the plastic piece that holds the cable to the regulator. More of a chipping off than anything. Just enough to allow the cable to get out of the holder. Glued them back. The gluing fix isn't that old. Maybe a year so I cant say how long they will last glued but I cant see them messing up in that spot again with all of that jbweld on it.

So far they do decent but I wouldn't of cared if they died at the same rate. $25 is much cheaper than the others ones so all they had to do was last as long of the other ones. But amazingly they have out lived the other ones so far.

__________________
Just BMW's - All cars and trucks was two pages long
1994 318is
1997 528i
2000 323i
2001 X5 3.0 auto
2005 X5 3.0 auto
2011 535xi auto
2013 X5 xdrive35 Turbo
More are at my website

Aftermarket E53 Radio Install