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LED bulbs

RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
edited 2015-06-07 15:07 in General Discussion
In my most recent order from Newegg I added one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16803105029

It puts out some nice light, very even and the color is fine. Note that its only 35 watt equivalent and non-dimmable though.

I got it on sale for $6.95 now today I see it's $3.95 (and 99 cents shipping), not quite an erco deal, but still a good price. I think I'll order a few more. Maybe I'll buy one of their 55 watt equivalent while I'm at it and see if I can make those go on sale too.

All my LED bulbs continue to work. I've been very happy with them. The little Phillips bulb in the fixture where incandescent bulbs would burn out every few months has easily paid for itself many times over. I just finished revamping my closet workbench/lab and added a couple of the Cree daylight bulbs in there. I used daylight in there because it blends with the fluorescent lamp I have over the bench. Everywhere else I've gone with warm white.
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Comments

  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-09-18 14:28
    A few months back Ace Hardware had LED bulbs that replaced 60W Dimmable bulbs on sale. I think they are 7.5W. The regular price was $29.99 for 3. Sale price was $9.99 for 3. So, I bought 7 packs of them and replaced all of my fluorescent ones that I had installed throughout my house a few years ago. These things say they will last for 22 years. The way I see it, even if they only last a quarter of that I still come out ahead. So, I would say keep your eyes open for these to go on sale in the coming months. I like them better than the fluorescent ones as they are instantly bright. They almost seem brighter than a 60W bulb to me.
  • bill190bill190 Posts: 769
    edited 2014-09-19 09:33
    Many of the LED bulbs sold in the stores come with a 3 year or 5 year warranty...

    And some of those bulbs are sold under the store brand (like Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc.)...

    And those stores only have a 90 day return policy!

    So ask how exactly you can return them if they break in say 1 year! (Say:It says on the package distributed by your store, so they should be returned here!)
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-09-19 12:31
    I understand what you're saying, warranty coverage is certainly something to take into consideration, but it should be noted that technically there is a difference between a warranty and a "Return Policy". For example, people will buy a TV to watch the Superbowl, then return it a few days after for a full refund, essentially renting the TV for free. This is not the same as if the TV had actually broken or been defective.

    For the record, the Rosewill bulb from Newegg has only a 2 year warranty (based on 4 hrs per day usage)and the Cree bulbs have a 10 year warranty (based on 6 hrs per day). The packaging of the Rosewill bulb does not say how they will cover the item, just gives a web address and a "support" e-mail. The Cree packaging basically says send the bulb back with "proof of purchase", receipt and your name and address and they will refund or replace at their option. I guess you have to cover the return shipping yourself. The "proof of purchase" is the UPC bar code from the package. I wonder what happens if you threw it away. I kept mine just in case.
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2014-09-19 21:24
    I strongly suggest to buy at least one of these:

    http://www.amazon.com/Cree-9-5-Watt-White-2700K-Light/dp/B00BYG7O8A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411186518&sr=8-2&keywords=cree+led+bulb

    or this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Cree-9-Watt-Daylight-Dimmable-1-Pack/dp/B00BXFP0SS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411186518&sr=8-3&keywords=cree+led+bulb

    And compare them to your current led bulbs, you will see the huge difference, along with 10 year warranty...

    If you really want led light that is super pleasing, then go for this. It is damn expensive, but believe me, it really has amazing light.

    http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/LMH020-0850-40G9-00001TW/LMH020-0850-40G9-00001TW-ND/3748278

    you will need matching driver for it:

    http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/LMD125-0018-C440-1010000/LMD125-0018-C440-1010000-ND/3131792

    generic drivers WON'T WORK, or you need linear power supply.

    AND you'll need matching heatsink:

    http://www.nuventix.com/downlight-led-heatsink-48/
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-09-19 22:27
    For what I paid for the ones I got I am VERY satisfied. @$3.33 per bulb for dimmers that are 60W equivalent I think I got a good deal. Even if they only last a couple of years they are worth it. It states 22 years with an average use of 3 hours per day. I will just have to wait and see if was worth it or not.
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2014-09-19 22:47
    The QUALITY of light is another factor, which might seem unclear, until you see it with your eye.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-09-19 23:02
    I already have five of the Cree bulbs and plan on getting more. For places like closets, hallways, and porch lights though, there's no reason not to use a cheap 3 or 4 dollar bulb.

    I actually have the Rosewill cheapy in the lamp where I am right now. It's about 16 inches away and as far as I'm concerned the quality of light is more than acceptable.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-09-20 06:03
    I noticed this thread, where you asked what relavance it has to parallax, etc.

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/157471-Another-American-company-soon-to-be-no-more....?p=1294007&viewfull=1#post1294007

    Can I ask the same here? Do you plan to control LED bulbs with prop or stamp?

    I found these flat plastic Phillips LED "bulbs" that have pretty good light at Home Depot. They are also dimmable, they were $8. But so far all the LED bulbsare either too green or not enough amber.
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-09-20 06:17
    Can I ask the same here?

    Why do you ask?

    I posted a link to a good buy on an item that is electronic in nature and relatively modern technology. Quite similar to probably many hundreds of other posts here.

    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    prof_braino wrote: »
    I noticed this thread, where you asked what relavance it has to parallax, etc.

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/157471-Another-American-company-soon-to-be-no-more....?p=1294007&viewfull=1#post1294007

    Can I ask the same here? Do you plan to control LED bulbs with prop or stamp?

    I found these flat plastic Phillips LED "bulbs" that have pretty good light at Home Depot. They are also dimmable, they were $8. But so far all the LED bulbsare either too green or not enough amber.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2014-09-20 08:56
    If threads like these were off topic, then some members would have never hit VIP status.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-09-20 09:10
    RDL2004 wrote: »
    Why do you ask?

    Because it seems you apply a different standard to yourself than to select others.

    And yes, erco posts are valuable.

    And yes, I'm also interested interested in LED light.

    And yes, I find myself shining a spotlight on officiousness ever since I learned the meaning of the word. (Its a cool word, when you think about it. The kind word one wishes one didn't have to employ)

    And yes, some things should just be ignored. Probably shouldn't have brought it up.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-09-20 19:04
    I have two houses plus a shop using the cree bulbs.

    Google has partnered with Cree and FIRST to make these bulbs available at low cost to FIRST teams so that they can use them for fundraising.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    edited 2014-09-20 19:56
    prof_braino wrote: »
    I noticed this thread, where you asked what relavance it has to parallax, etc.

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/157471-Another-American-company-soon-to-be-no-more....?p=1294007&viewfull=1#post1294007

    Can I ask the same here? Do you plan to control LED bulbs with prop or stamp?

    I found these flat plastic Phillips LED "bulbs" that have pretty good light at Home Depot. They are also dimmable, they were $8. But so far all the LED bulbsare either too green or not enough amber.

    I think that any post that encourages conservation of energy or other resources has a place in the general forum, and low prices for led bulbs certainly qualifies for that.

    I would encourage everyone to switch to led lighting where possible, and would suggest marking the light with the install date to track how long they last. The majority of the cfl's I have replaced have on average lasted as long as promised, and the led bulbs are all still working, although they have not been in use long enough to see if they live up to their promises.
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2014-09-20 22:00
    I've upgraded my whole household to led lights (except bulb in fridge and microwave oven). According to calculations, I expect that savings will be noticeable after ~2 years. All bulbs are cheap Cree ones as posted above, except several areas, where color quality is critical (torcher next to reading chair, etc.) there I've installed Cree TrueWhite modules.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-09-21 06:49
    CuriousOne wrote: »
    I've upgraded my whole household to led lights (except bulb in fridge and microwave oven). According to calculations, I expect that savings will be noticeable after ~2 years. All bulbs are cheap Cree ones as posted above, except several areas, where color quality is
    critical (torcher next to reading chair, etc.) there I've installed Cree TrueWhite modules.

    Color Quality- I purchases orange theatre lighting gels, and put a bit over the LED. The patio flood light is the cold blue that attracts every bug for 100 yards. With the orange gel, almost no bugs. Apperantly (via wikipedia) all bugs see blue light, fewer see yellow light, and very few see red or infrared. But red is also difficult for humans, so I stepped back from red and up from yellow.

    I had extra so I also did the same to the warm white exterior light in other locations. Very few bugs.

    Can anybody verify these results?
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-09-21 08:25
    Color temperature is certainly something to consider when chosing lighting. I personally prefer the warmer colors in general, though I did use daylight in my lab area. Color perception seems better better with the bluer light, making it easier to read resistor color codes for instance, and it blends better with the bright fluorescent task light which I already had.

    Color temperature is often an issue with public outdoor lighting. Apparently many communities object to night time light which is perceived as being "too blue". There is also research that indicates that blue colored light suppresses the human biological clock causing sleep distubances, which may be a good reason to avoid it in home use.

    The US Department of Energy has available the "Model Specification for LED Roadway Luminaires, (docx link) published in July 2014. In it they recommend a correlated color temperature of 4100K, which is considerably different from the 6000-6500K bulbs often sold as daylight. A Philips publication (pdf link) states that "In many countries warmer variants are used for urban and pedestrian walkways, while the cooler temperatures are used for roads and expressways, depending on local preference".
  • pmrobertpmrobert Posts: 669
    edited 2014-09-21 09:03
    prof_braino wrote: »
    Color Quality- I purchases orange theatre lighting gels, and put a bit over the LED. The patio flood light is the cold blue that attracts every bug for 100 yards. With the orange gel, almost no bugs. Apperantly (via wikipedia) all bugs see blue light, fewer see yellow light, and very few see red or infrared. But red is also difficult for humans, so I stepped back from red and up from yellow.

    I had extra so I also did the same to the warm white exterior light in other locations. Very few bugs.

    Can anybody verify these results?
    I have a couple of self illuminating IR surveillance cameras (http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/view/network-cameras/dcs-5020l-pan-tilt-day-night-network-camera) and the sort of flying moths, etc., local to me in South FL USA definitely swarm in front of the camera all night long. There is no other artificial lighting, just the IR LEDs arranged in a ring around the camera lens.
  • twm47099twm47099 Posts: 867
    edited 2014-09-21 11:54
    Last week I put a CREE 100w (equivalent) soft white LED bulb in my garage overhead light . Yesterday, it stopped working (6 days service approx 2 hours/day. Monday we'll see how good the guarantee is.

    Tom
  • twm47099twm47099 Posts: 867
    edited 2014-09-22 10:01
    twm47099 wrote: »
    Last week I put a CREE 100w (equivalent) soft white LED bulb in my garage overhead light . Yesterday, it stopped working (6 days service approx 2 hours/day. Monday we'll see how good the guarantee is.

    Tom

    OK, I called CREE. They said that since it was in the 90 day Home Depot return period, I should have returned it to HD. I told the representative that I did try, but HD said that since it was used and had worked a few days that I had to deal with CREE. The rep made a comment about how do you find a bulb defective w/o using it; we both laughed and she said they will be sending a replacement. She also said that the package will have instructions for sending back the defective bulb (so don't throw it out). I was hoping they would say that since maybe they will do an autopsy to find out why it failed and what to upgrade in version 2.

    Tom
    .
  • PliersPliers Posts: 280
    edited 2014-09-22 11:06
    I’m going to try an induction bulb from http://finallybulbs.com/ ...when they become available.
    Sounds promising. http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/new-acandescent-lighting-technology-just-efficient-led-also-considerably-cheaper/


    From FinallyBulbs Web site..
    We watched as the big lighting manufacturers (and the US government) tried to convince you that the harsh and glaring light generated by LED and CFL technologies is worth getting used to. Until we couldn’t take it anymore. You know that compromising light quality compromises the very essence of your daily life. So we engineered the solution. Introducing Finally™, the only energy-efficient light bulb which shines just like the incandescent you grew up with.
  • wasswass Posts: 151
    edited 2014-09-22 14:59
    Pliers wrote: »
    I’m going to try an induction bulb from http://finallybulbs.com/ ...when they become available.

    That looks interesting, but they have mercury in them and are only 55 lumens/watt, no better than current CREE bulbs that Home Depot sells for under $10. Newer LED bulbs are over 100 lumens/watt and will eventually be cheap. I have many LED bulbs in my house, mostly BR40 size from various manufacturers, and I can't see any different between them and an equivalent incandescent. Other than the price (BR40 bulbs are only $13 now at Costco) I'm quite happy with them.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2015-06-07 14:03
    Home Depot has the new Philips 10,000 hour LED bulbs - package of TWO 60w bulbs for $4.97. NOTE: They are NOT DIMMABLE

    Good reviews - I bought 3 pkgs (6 bulbs)

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-2700K-A19-LED-Light-Bulb-2-Pack-455576/205815532

    http://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/046677455507/led-bulb
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2015-06-07 14:31
    Ron Czapala wrote: »
    Home Depot has the new Philips 10,000 hour LED bulbs - package of TWO 60w bulbs for $4.97. NOTE: They are NOT DIMMABLE

    Prices sure are dropping. I got a notice from FIRST last week that they are no longer going to sell the Cree bulbs to FIRST teams. The retail prices have dropped so much that their prices, while still less expensive, are not competitive enough with the big box stores.
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2015-06-07 14:44
    W9GFO wrote: »
    Prices sure are dropping. I got a notice from FIRST last week that they are no longer going to sell the Cree bulbs to FIRST teams. The retail prices have dropped so much that their prices, while still less expensive, are not competitive enough with the big box stores.

    These new Philips bulbs are rated at 10,000 hours versus 20,000 for more expensive bulbs but at $2.49 a pop you get for the price of the CREE original bulbs (if dimming isn't important to you).
  • Hal AlbachHal Albach Posts: 747
    edited 2015-06-07 15:07
    I am rapidly converting my entire house to Cree or Phillips LED lamps primarily because in my mind it is the future of lighting. My kitchen has 6 "pot" lights (illumination, not inhalation!) that originally came with 65 Watt incandescent floodlights each. They certainly provided adequate, if inefficient, illumination. Put a dimmer on the circuit to kindof reduce the heat output but the other people in the household with far better hearing than me complained endlessly about a high pitched whining noise. Removed the dimmer and replaced the incandescents with 65 Watt equivalent cfl spotlights but had a terrible time keeping them all lit. Seems one or two would just not light up all the time. Replacing them did not help. Then I learned that cfl bulbs do not like hanging upside down, they way they have to in a pot fixture. I also really disliked the cfl's because they were slow to come up to full brilliance. Several years ago while browsing Home Depot they had 65 Watt equivalent LED spotlights on sale for just under $20 each, noting that they actually only used a little over 9 Watts, which was almost half of the twitchy cfl's. I never looked back. Over 700% energy reduction from incandescents, almost no heat, more light, instant full on, and no noise keeping the ladies, and me, happy.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-SlimStyle-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-E-452978/204730356

    These things rock, at $2 for 7 watt / 60 watt incandescent equivalent, you can't beat 'em with a stick. (or your wife will complain about the broken lamp).
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    I was just in Home Depot this morning buying some new shelving for my relocated lab bench. They still have these in stock and on sale (?) for $1.97, both daylight and warm white, so I bought a bunch.

    prof_braino wrote: »
    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-SlimStyle-60W-Equivalent-Soft-White-A19-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-E-452978/204730356

  • Hal AlbachHal Albach Posts: 747
    edited 2015-11-24 21:10
    Must be a regional price, here in West Florida they are $5.97, checked the link at 1615 EST. Could it be an unadvertised special?
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    Apparently it is regional. That's kind of surprising for some reason. I can buy them online for that price, but if I tell them I want to pick up in-store and specify Naples, FL the price changes to $5.97
  • koehlerkoehler Posts: 598

    I've stuck with the Cree as I've usually been able to find them on sale at HD far below the cost of Phillips. Last year I got a 6-pack for $29 IIRC.

    Not sure how good the newer ones are, though I've read conflicting reviews.

    http://www.gizmag.com/new-cree-led-bulb/34462/

    Here's a neat NewEgg special if you've got any kids: http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/A654_130789212698849264MiEehzCVVc.jpg
    A654_130789212698849264MiEehzCVVc.jpg
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