Main > Everything Else

Why is LED lighting still so expensive?

(1/6) > >>

ahofle:
I figured by now with their popularity and mass production, LED light bulbs would have taken over the market from incandescent and CFL bulbs, but they are still about 5-10 times as expensive.  Additionally, they either don't put out enough lumens, or use the same wattage as a CFL equivalent (for 5 times the price).  For example,
here is a crappy '40 watt equivalent' LED bulb that doesn't have uniform light direction, is not dimmable, and uses 7 watts (roughly the same as a '40 watt equivalent' CFL) for $25:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882999265
And that's a sale price from $36!

I was looking at replacing some recessed lighting with LED drop ins and those are usually between $100 and $200 each!!!   :dizzy:
I also constantly see reviews of LED bulbs with people complaining that they have strange greenish tints or they aren't bright enough, or the beam is too narrow, etc. 
Does anyone actually buy $25 40 watt light bulbs?  How many decades would it take to recover the extra cost of the bulb with the electricity savings I wonder.
 :angry:

dextercf:
They last longer.

Samstag:
I'm really happy with the 40W LED bulbs I've been using.  They're bright, white, and under $10.  The beam is a bit narrow so you have to put some extra thought into positioning.

Looks like the ones I've been using are discontinued, and the replacement is actually 33% brighter.

drventure:
Anyone used them for any length of time?

I've heard stories of bulbs where a number of the internal individual LEDs blow relatively soon, so the bulbs dim considerably.

I've gone through a number of different CFL bulbs. They sure don't seem to have the lifespan that everyone says they do.

SavannahLion:
At the risk of shoving this into PnR

I've bought CFL's here and there and I find it's just a marketing ploy largely put forward by the environmentalists or by people parroting their crap. They are not now, nor will they ever be the panacea for lighting. The whole thing is a pile of crap and the environmentalists know it

One of the problems with CFL's is how they're typically mounted. All of the circuitry is stored in the base. Your typical light fixture mounts socket side up. So all that heat is trapped right where the circuit least wants it. Hell, read the packaging. Those ratings are when the CFL is mounted socket side down. So people get suckered into buying a slightly more expensive bulb that last only as long as or less than a standard bulb. Then they're typically discarded, mercury dust and all, into the trash (despite a law in my state requiring they're to be recycled. Even the Home Depot I worked at just throws away the ones customers bring back. It's a crock.).

I have standard FL and CFL put in places where they mount at least sideways or down or in some work spaces. The garage, shed, basement, attic, etc. I absolutely refuse to put CFL's in the bathroom (steam), around the vanity, in the house or anywhere near any of my wife's paintings. I have one FL ring light in the entryway only because it's my wife's artwork and the ring is the only thing that fits.

Don't forget, if you have original artwork hanging on your wall, toss the CFL's, they emit UV.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version