Finally! A decent LED bulb for $10 (review)

JohnR66

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I was visiting a local Lowes store and spotted these Utilitech LED bulbs for $9.98. Specs are: 7.5 watts, 430 lumens, 3000K, 25,000hr life, dimmable. They are 57.3 lumens per watt which is about the same as CFLs. Many LED bulbs have disappointing efficiency, but this is good for warm white. Of course, this is the calculated value useing the numbers on the box. I can't measure this.

bulb2.jpg


Okay, so here's what I think about it. Well, I wasn't expecting much since it costs less then some of those feeble shower head PAR type bulbs that are made up of a bunch 5mm indicator style LEDs, but whoa, this thing puts out! Here is a pic of 40w equivelent type A style bulbs. L to R: 9w CFL, 29w 430 lumen halogen (2012 energy regulation complaint incandescent), ordinary 40w bulb, LED bulb. Camera white balance set to incandescent. They are similar in light output. The CFL has a stronger yellow tinge while the LED has a light yellow-green tinge. I don't see this visually, but a CRI test will show how good it is with colors. It looks pretty "incandescent" to me.

Also note that this A style LED bulb does not send very much light downward. See how dark it is around its base?
bulb3.jpg


Here is a shot from above and where the LED bulb really shines:naughty:. With the shutter set very fast on the camera, I made the bulbs look dim so the sensor does not saturate. look how bright the LED bulb is compared to the others. The halogen looks so dim because we are looking down the end of the internal filament tube. The LED bulb performs more like a diffused PAR style lamp. This may be useful in some circumstances, but may not be great for table lamps.
bulb4.jpg


The bulb has a fluted heatsink around the sides between the globe and base. it gets warm during use, but not too hot. I would estimate that the LEDs are receiving sufficient heatsinking.

The failure:shakehead. I had the bulb running for many hours the first day and did this test the next day. During the test, the LED bulb made faint zip sound and died. It wasn't even on a couple minutes. The bulb has a two year warranty. It says to return it to the store where purchased for a replacement (which I did). This may be a fluke, but sours my feelings for the bulb somewhat. Time will tell. I shall hang on to that receipt!

In conclusion, I would recommend this bulb, but for now, I have reservations on the reliability. Please contribute to this thread if you try this bulb out.:thumbsup:
 
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Harold_B

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No kidding? The price is back to $9.98? They had origally priced the bulb that way, sold a bunch and then changed it back to $19.98 (which is what I paid). In my opinion at $10 it's a so-so bulb depending on application, for $20 skip it. If you look at the lower image you can see the multiple point sources from the LEDs and that typically creates multiple shadows unless the bulb is used in a shade or at a considerable distance. Again, application will matter. There's 18 Seoul Semiconductor LEDs on a MCPCB in series. The one I have disassembled did not have all that great of heat sinking. There is no thermal compound of any kind between the MCPCB and the heat sink. That's why the heat sink is cool to the touch. It's not doing much heat sinking. The die cast heat sink shows some voids on the machined surfaces inside the part. I'm sure they are minimal and well within NADCA standards but air pockets won't help remove the heat. The PS is potted prior to being installed in the plastic holder which would indicate to me that the potting is there to prevent buzzing, not to move heat.

The products look well engineered and then decontended in manufacturing for cost control. The PAR38 is great looking product with many of the same production related issues that compromise the quality. That's my two cents anyway.
 

JohnR66

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Thanks, Harold, for the input on this bulb. I'd be interested in seeing the tear down if you can post the images. With the two samples I have, the heatsink does get rather warm (just a bit too hot to touch if you grasp with any pressure). Hopefully the LEDs are cool enough that the bulb can last its rated lifetime.

If the light output doesn't diminish too rapidly and the reliability is good, I'd be happy with this one for $10.
 

yuandrew

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A person I know from church and I just got 22 of these today (10 of them are for his friend, he's keeping 12)

I did a brief comparison with a Home Depot EcoSmart A-19 40watt equivalent when we got back to his home and the Lowes Utilitech-Pro (Made by Feit Electric) looks a little warmer or "pinker" when viewed directly even though both were marked 3000K. Didn't really notice any difference in brightness between the two when you look at objects that are being lit or shone upon.

BTW, try not to confuse these newer Utilitech-Pro with a similar looking previous model that is still being sold. The older model is only 340 lumens, not dimmable, and comes in a square package. This newer one is 450 lumens, is dimmable, and comes in a round package. We almost bought the old ones.
 

Harold_B

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Sounds like I need to get back to Lowe's and grab another couple bulbs if they are priced at $10 locally anyway. I haven't had any success in the past trying to post photos so I'll have to figure something else out. If you can get the lower price where you are located I would agree that they are worth a try in a few locations. I certainly like them more than the comparable CFLs. It will be interesting to hear how the larger sample purchased by yuandrew and his friend perform over time (please keep us posted!).
 

dlopez2

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No kidding? The price is back to $9.98? They had origally priced the bulb that way, sold a bunch and then changed it back to $19.98 (which is what I paid). In my opinion at $10 it's a so-so bulb depending on application, for $20 skip it. If you look at the lower image you can see the multiple point sources from the LEDs and that typically creates multiple shadows unless the bulb is used in a shade or at a considerable distance. Again, application will matter. There's 18 Seoul Semiconductor LEDs on a MCPCB in series. The one I have disassembled did not have all that great of heat sinking. There is no thermal compound of any kind between the MCPCB and the heat sink. That's why the heat sink is cool to the touch. It's not doing much heat sinking. The die cast heat sink shows some voids on the machined surfaces inside the part. I'm sure they are minimal and well within NADCA standards but air pockets won't help remove the heat. The PS is potted prior to being installed in the plastic holder which would indicate to me that the potting is there to prevent buzzing, not to move heat.

The products look well engineered and then decontended in manufacturing for cost control. The PAR38 is great looking product with many of the same production related issues that compromise the quality. That's my two cents anyway.
Harold, i too would be real interested in this teardown. The main question is how to carefully remove the bulb from the heat sink. thank you [email protected]
 

idleprocess

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More than 3000 hours on one in a mostly-enclosed flush-mount fixture with the dreaded "base-up" orientation - no complaints about it yet.
 

ncbill

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These look exactly the same as the LG bulbs I bought recently at Costco for $20 (2-pack)

Not good for a table lamp - even with a shade not enough light down below.

Installed 6 base up in a bathroom fixture - nice and bright (40W equivalent) so far.

I made sure to keep the receipts (same 2 year warranty)
 

yuandrew

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Well, during my last visit to Home Depot, I found out they currently have the EcoSmart/Lighting Science Group 40 watt equivalent A-19 for $9.97

The Lowes Utilitech/Feit Electric 40 watt equivalent mentioned at the beginning of this thread is currently $12.98 (they went back up to full price about two months after the "Earth Day" sale then dropped back down)


The Utilitech I got back in April still works. It does still have the "pinkish" warmer tint though compared to the EcoSmarts in the same fixture which are a bright white color that more closely resembles an incandescent bulb. I don't really pay attention to them while in the dining room but if you look up at the ceiling fan, you will notice one bulb is a different color from the other. I'll probably pick up another EcoSmart this weekend to match (and compare brightness with) the one I got earlier.
 

JohnR66

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After returning from Lowes, I can confirm the price on the Utilitec. I've been using the bulb that I got in April in a ceiling fixture and it has been problem free. The first bulb that died must have had a defect. The other two bulbs that I don't use as much are also fine. I'd say these are reliable.

I noticed that this bulb now comes in a 5000K colortemp, but that version is not on sale. I'd like to see 3500 & 4100 Kelvin CTs as are the CFLs.
 
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inthedark1981

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I have a question that I have been researching thru work and home and haven't been able to find any answers to. I work for Lowe's as a returns cashier and a customer posed a questions to me the other day and I have been trying to find an answer ever since. She was returning a Utilitech 3 way CFL light bulb Lowe's item number 280592 Utilitech model number LBP50/150T and the bulb comes with 2 plastic accessory/clip things. There are no directions in the packaging and no mention of what they are for on the anywhere on the paper insert that is in the plastic package. Any information that anyone can give me would be wonderful!! This is something that no one in the store knows about, not even the people that work in the electrical department!!
 

yuandrew

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inthedark,

I think those could be "Harp Extenders" to spread the wire hoop that holds the lamp shade apart slightly to accommodate the larger base on some CFLs. I've seen them packaged with some 3-way CFLs before as those have larger ballasts sections.
 
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inthedark1981

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Thank you so much! I had actually come across a customer the other day and she had said the same thing. I was so excited to have my little "mystery" solved. I had been looking at them with the same sort of idea in my head but had them upside down and that's why I couldn't get them to fit and the whole idea was just wrong in my head. But Now atleast I can better serve my customers when they come up to me now and say hey what are these two little things for? And now I finally know the answer!! Very much appreciated!!!!
 

Jay611j

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I just picked up two of these bulbs at Costco for $7.47 each. The packaging looks a little different, but they are by Feit Electric, warm white 7.5w and 450 lumens dimmable. I bought them for my living room lamp to replace the 40w incans but these LED bulbs are too bright. I compared them to some other incandescent bulbs I have and they are about equal to a 60-75w bulb. I ended up using them in my motion sensor security light on my covered patio and I am really impressed by these bulbs!
 
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bshanahan14rulz

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I still wonder why they use that style of bulb. Why is the dome only visible to points above it? It is not hard to reshape the dome to also light up under it... Like, instead of c>, what about (}>? Ok, ascii isn't the best way to convey my idea, but philips has the right idea, they even used remote phosphors! Think this: http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Images/LED%20Lamps/LEDi%20230-12K58RP830-B22d%20Philips%20open%20side.jpg except simpler, i.e. white LEDs and diffusing cover instead of the phosphor impregnated covers.
 

BM_lol

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I just picked up two of these bulbs at Costco for $7.47 each. The packaging looks a little different, but they are by Feit Electric, warm white 7.5w and 450 lumens dimmable. I bought them for my living room lamp to replace the 40w incans but these LED bulbs are too bright. I compared them to some other incandescent bulbs I have and they are about equal to a 60-75w bulb. I ended up using them in my motion sensor security light on my covered patio and I am really impressed by these bulbs!

The Ultitech 450lm LED light bulb for $7.5 @ Costco?
 

PhotonWrangler

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I bought one of these (the ones in the round package). I've only used it briefly so far. I shined my blu-ray laser into the dome and was able to see the outline of the LEDs around the perimeter of the lamp's heatsink plate. They appear to be similar to the ~9mm LEDs that I've seen inside of this Ecosmart lamp, which I also have.

Regarding lifetime, it occurred to me that I've never noticed any directions about using the lamp in a base-up or base-down orientation. I wonder if a base-up position will shorten it's life as the heat rises back into the bulb.
 
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Jay611j

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The Ultitech 450lm LED light bulb for $7.5 @ Costco?

No they are by Feit Electric, the shape of the bulb and specs are the same though. I have had two of them running in my covered patio every night now for about a week and they are still going without any issues.
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my#1hobby

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No they are by Feit Electric, the shape of the bulb and specs are the same though. I have had two of them running in my covered patio every night now for about a week and they are still going without any issues.
1322210321896.jpg
1322210703901.jpg

Just picked up those same bulbs at Costco, what a deal. They are definitely brighter than a 40W incandescent. I have been using the 40W equivalent bulbs with all the tiny LEDs in it that I got at Walmart and these new ones I got at Costco are no comparison, identical tint as the incans too.
 
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