Household LED bulbs that don't suck?

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Title says it all. I bet in the last 5 years I have bought a dozen different brands and styles of bulbs. they all seem to suck in some way. Either the color is off (too orangy or too blue) or they just don't last. Or develop a flicker. "10 year lifetime" my ass.
Just looking for regular old "60w equiv" (in some cases 40 or 100, but whatever) white light bulbs.

Anybody found something good?
 
Light bulb shopping makes me feel like a geezer.

I always leave the store ranting about how expensive they are and how fast they burn out and how back in my day we used to have incandescent bulbs that were cheap and lasted many times longer than these damned things.
 
I buy the ge bulbs from lowes by the dozen for at least the last 6 years, they are higher on the kelvin scale than I like but work well for rentals and haven't had any issues. Color changing bulbs are pretty cheap now as well if you want something different
 
braxton357 said:
Color changing bulbs are pretty cheap now as well if you want something different
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Interesting point. Wish I knew if they'd last. For the cost I'd hope so but who the hell knows.
Buying 5 to put in a dining room chandelier seems crazy.
 
I just wait until Duke offers free ones for just the cost of shipping. Most of the time, they are just fine and so far, the older ones have lasted 5 years.

I just got a case of mixed LEDs, including spots, standard 60w equivalents and candelabra style for about $13.
 
cranbiz said:
I just wait until Duke offers free ones for just the cost of shipping. Most of the time, they are just fine and so far, the older ones have lasted 5 years.

I just got a case of mixed LEDs, including spots, standard 60w equivalents and candelabra style for about $13.
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Those absolutely will not work in our house. We got a free box a couple years ago and have tried to use them. The just barely glow. Cant even see them if its day time. I even replaced a fixture thinking that was it. Nope. Put an old incandescent in there and it works perfect.
 
JSJJ388 said:
Those absolutely will not work in our house. We got a free box a couple years ago and have tried to use them. The just barely glow. Cant even see them if its day time. I even replaced a fixture thinking that was it. Nope. Put an old incandescent in there and it works perfect.
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Must be some weird voodoo going on at your house. I’ve had 3 led bulbs in total fail. And all of them you knew it was going to happen as they would flicker, slow to turn off. Etc
 
Futbalfantic said:
Must be some weird voodoo going on at your house. I’ve had 3 led bulbs in total fail. And all of them you knew it was going to happen as they would flicker, slow to turn off. Etc
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Idk. Cant get them to work in any of the fixtures. House was build in 1945 and still has the old solid wire with two separated wires. Figure its just a quirk of an old house.
 
JSJJ388 said:
Those absolutely will not work in our house. We got a free box a couple years ago and have tried to use them. The just barely glow. Cant even see them if its day time. I even replaced a fixture thinking that was it. Nope. Put an old incandescent in there and it works perfect.
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You must have some wonky voltage. You ever checked your incoming power with a meter?
 
shawn said:
Nope
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truth. they suck because nobody builds a "XR Honda version of anything anymore.......Oh look superior everything.........now engineer in some replacement we need to make profits son!
 
braxton357 said:
I buy the ge bulbs from lowes by the dozen for at least the last 6 years, they are higher on the kelvin scale than I like but work well for rentals and haven't had any issues. Color changing bulbs are pretty cheap now as well if you want something different
Click to expand...
I buy the bulk ones on amazon.
I only buy daylight color - ie super white.
Its amazing what a difference it makes on a walk through. People swear your house is cleaner...
 
Freebies from Duke here. No issues. Replace one or two ever couple of years, but I replace them with more freebies.
 
Ron said:
I buy the bulk ones on amazon.
I only buy daylight color - ie super white.
Its amazing what a difference it makes on a walk through. People swear your house is cleaner...
Click to expand...

I can see that for sure. I choose different temps (colors) for different rooms. In the kitchen it is super white, but living and bedrooms are warmer tones. As mentioned above, Duke sent me a case of them a few years ago, and I just use them as needed. I typically buy integrated fixtures also, to get a lower ceiling profile. They will not work in 3 way lamps though, need the dimmable bulbs for that. Also, a photocell will not work, if they are not dimmable.
 
Ron said:
I only buy daylight color - ie super white.
Its amazing what a difference it makes on a walk through. People swear your house is cleaner...
Click to expand...
Funny, around here whenever I replace a burned out bulb, it's suddenly, OMG this place is filthy. Maybe I should take it back out.
 
I have bought the ones costco sells. A couple of years no problem. We use the lighter colored ones. I guess those are like 3k color?
 
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