Buzzken vs Rawtek quality/installation

From talking to a few installers while looking into a downpipe/midpipe kit for a 2010 Jetta, most installers seem to prefer the Rawtek, saying they have 'heard' of issues with the Buzzken pipes before, such as incorrect bends, wrong fits, etc. None of the installers actually had a bad experience themselves. I'm interested in a good mix of quality, ease of install and price. Price is very important to me, but only if the quality and ease of install are not compromised too much.
1. Are those who purchased Buzzken happy with their products?
2. Is Rawtek worth the extra $$ ? If so, why?
3. Has anyone actually had a problem with Buzzken's pipes and if so, what were those problems?

I've installed both and honestly (between those two brands) prefer the Buzzken. I've installed many, many of them and the fit is always perfect in every way. While the heavier Rawtek may appeal to some, the Buzzken is well built and not lacking in any way.

I have installed the Rawtek parts too and don't like the 3-hole flanged connection on the Rawtek nor their design where it attaches to the subframe mount. There is no good reason for even having that 3-hole flange joint and I see no reason for the contrived design change at the cross member mount either. VW's design was not broken, no reason to "fix" it IMHO.

Just my 2 cents.

i prefer 304 stainless

I've had the Buzzken on mine for 20,000 miles now, with zero issues. Fitment was perfect, it was shipped in a timely manner, and Ken is great to deal with. Don't know why anyone would spend more on the Rawtek stuff honestly...

Thanks for the great responses. I ordered my Buzzken DP and MP yesterday afternoon. Ken was even at Andrew's shop when the order came in! He emailed me to answer a few technical questions, and I appreciate his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise.

Surveyor98 said:

Thanks for the great responses. I ordered my Buzzken DP and MP yesterday afternoon. Ken was even at Andrew's shop when the order came in! He emailed me to answer a few technical questions, and I appreciate his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise.

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Congrats, are you doing the install yourself?
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Perry01 said:

Congrats, are you doing the install yourself?
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Perry, I'm having Brian at Digi Sport in Denton do the install and tune.

I opted for the buzzken as well for a few reasons. Price was the #1 factor. It being a one piece was a plus for me too. It has been sitting in my garage for a while now though. I am going to go to a friends house in DFW area and use his big garage to install it myself then and have the tune's for the ECU and DSG done at the same shop in Denton.

I was a little worried about heat from the non shielded pipe so I wrapped the downpipe down to the flex pipe with some header wrap. No clue if that was needed or not. I kept staring at it in my garage and I needed to do SOMETHING to it.

torrimac said:

I was a little worried about heat from the non shielded pipe so I wrapped the downpipe down to the flex pipe with some header wrap. No clue if that was needed or not. I kept staring at it in my garage and I needed to do SOMETHING to it.

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Thinking the same thing about wrapping the DP. I will ask Brian about it when he does the install. Good idea!

Wrap is really not needed. The pipe is far away from and surface and doesn't hit the brutal extended temps of the dpf.

But it probably looks sexy.

BuzzKen exhaust is very high quality, and you won't find a better person to work with.

yep ken is the man....my buddies buzzken exhaust sounds great

I have the Buzzken DP and fit was spot on. The only issue I had was one of the EGT sensor bung threads were messed up, luckily I had a tap and was able to chase them enough to get the sensor in, though it may not come back out.

I too didn't see the need for the joint on the Rawtek.

I will also cast my vote for BuzzKen. He's great to deal with, got my pipe to me quickly, it was just what I was promised, the price was great, great quality on welds and bends, it fit up just great, no issues.

Another satisfied Buzzken customer. I deleted my DPF and both EGR's then installed his down/mid pipe with resonator today on my back. It took over 5 hours but I didn't have to drop the subframe. I also installed a race pipe too. Good quality exhaust.

Exhaust/EGR guide?

Hey guys,
I also just ordered a turbo back kit (single resonator) from Ken for my 2011 mk6 jetta tdi and I planned on doing the installation myself. Does anyone know of any guides/pictures to guide you along with the installation? I didn't think it was going to be to complicated but I just don't want to forget any key parts/little things that are needed during the installation.
Also, are their any special tools needed for the installation?
Thanks,
Parker
US--------> Pennsylvania

ParkerTDI said:

Hey guys,
I also just ordered a turbo back kit (single resonator) from Ken for my 2011 mk6 jetta tdi and I planned on doing the installation myself. Does anyone know of any guides/pictures to guide you along with the installation? I didn't think it was going to be to complicated but I just don't want to forget any key parts/little things that are needed during the installation.
Also, are their any special tools needed for the installation?
Thanks,
Parker
US--------> Pennsylvania

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I actually made a write-up for it but haven't published it yet on here. How soon do you need it? I hope to publish it this week but can email you a pdf if you need it right away.

ParkerTDI said:

Hey guys,
I also just ordered a turbo back kit (single resonator) from Ken for my 2011 mk6 jetta tdi and I planned on doing the installation myself. Does anyone know of any guides/pictures to guide you along with the installation? I didn't think it was going to be to complicated but I just don't want to forget any key parts/little things that are needed during the installation.
Also, are their any special tools needed for the installation?
Thanks,
Parker
US--------> Pennsylvania

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If you got to Raw Teks website they have instructions in a PDF format for free. The process can be fairly simple with some assistance but my biggest issue was removing the DPF. My experience is with larger diesel engines so I really struggled with room to remove the DPF I had to drop the subframe, some people are able to remove it without doing so. I also had some issues removing O2 sensors that were really seized on and the car only had 60k on the tac. After the old system was out putting the new buzzken pipe with resonator on was a breeze, and couldn't be happier with the product. Best of luck on the initial removal.

Update - mk4 buzzken downpipes - no problems. mk6 downpipe - rattles like crazy. Removed the resonator and had to have a muffler shop attempt to fix it. Hangers aren't in the right spot. Quality control is non-existent. Even though I previously remarked that rawtek phone support was darn near impossible to get ahold of, that and email support exists. buzzken does not have an actual website, customer service phone number, or email address; everything is handled through fixmyvw.com. I requested to speak with him and with my tuner. He refused any warranty coverage on a warranty claim, without requesting photos. I sent photos at a later date and he still refused, saying that I modified it somehow (which I didn't). All prior to getting the resonator taken off.

The first 13-14K miles, it was okay, though it did rattle quite a bit under the car. In the future, I will spend the extra money and buy directly from rawtek (have a Mk7 and an ALH Mk4 that still need downpipes).

BuzzKen said:

Wrap is really not needed. The pipe is far away from and surface and doesn't hit the brutal extended temps of the dpf.
But it probably looks sexy.

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Ken what kind of welder are you using. Looks like mig wire feed welds. Never welded with stainless wire always used Tig. Just curious . Installing another one this weekend.

Another update, 6 years after my last. Buzzken claims to use stainless steel. Never seen so many rusty areas on stainless steel. The workmanship quality is absolute s**t. Definitely wouldn't buy his products again for a mk4, and his customer service skills are non-existent.

Savageman69 said:

i prefer 304 stainless

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I'd have to agree. I've had 14g 409 SS exhaust rust out on a different vehicle, the 304 is more resistant to rust. On a vehicle with the potential to go 300k miles, I'd opt for longevity.

I purchased the rawtek eco kit to go along with malone stage 2 and can say I was impressed with the quality of the parts that rawtek provided. They look like they will last a lifetime.

I just did the Rawtek eco kit with a 0.5 tune a few days ago. It’s nice not to have the CEL on all the time .
I have a 2012 4 door Golf TDI with the DSG. I was pleasantly surprised by the increased responsiveness with the new kit. Eventually, I’d like to do the DSG tune and maybe bump up to a stage 2, but for now, I’m enjoying the car being able to breathe more easily and perform the way it was intended to.