Spare LEDs?

We have 3 hi-tech lights, a Nitecore EA41 (CREE XM-L2 U2 LED), 2 TerraLux LightStar 80's (no idea of their LED), and a Fenix E01 (Nichia white GS LED), and I was wondering if I need to keep spare LED's on hand for these like I have spare PR2 bulbs for my other flashlights.

Hey, I'm not up on this stuff but at least I changed to summer air in my tires and had my muffler bearings greased :twothumbs

kilogulf59 said:

We have 3 hi-tech lights, a Nitecore EA41 (CREE XM-L2 U2 LED), 2 TerraLux LightStar 80's (no idea of their LED), and a Fenix E01 (Nichia white GS LED), and I was wondering if I need to keep spare LED's on hand for these like I have spare PR2 bulbs for my other flashlights.

Hey, I'm not up on this stuff but at least I changed to summer air in my tires and had my muffler bearings greased :twothumbs

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Most LEDs are hard wired in lights you can't just swap them in/out without a soldering iron and hassle of trying to tear apart a light to ge at the LED in it. The only LEDs that are swappable are PR base LED dropin modules and these should last longer than the lights that they are put into. With most decent LED lights you could probably use them 8 hours a day for the next 20 years without a problem.

The TerraLux has a cheap Nichia copy meaning its supposed to emulate natural light. Yes modern LED's mainly Cree's you will never burn the LED out...ever...unless you find a way to leave the light on continuously for 20-50,000 hours

kilogulf59 said:

We have 3 hi-tech lights, a Nitecore EA41 (CREE XM-L2 U2 LED), 2 TerraLux LightStar 80's (no idea of their LED), and a Fenix E01 (Nichia white GS LED), and I was wondering if I need to keep spare LED's on hand for these like I have spare PR2 bulbs for my other flashlights.

Hey, I'm not up on this stuff but at least I changed to summer air in my tires and had my muffler bearings greased :twothumbs

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No as they tend to be not field replaceable but I do occasionally pack an extra LED drop-in for a SF host.

Some companies will sell you an extra LED assembly for a light you have.
But unless you do something like kill it like plugging it to a light socket, the assembly they came with should last a decade or so.

Short answer: No, you do not need to get spare LEDs.

Long answer: LEDs are designed to last something like 50,000 hours and even at the end of their lifespan they don't actually die. Instead max output is just reduced 30%.

Overdriving the LED (with the LEDs pulling more current than they are rated for) may reduce this lifespan. But even then, the lifespan of the LED is almost always much greater than the rest of the light. This is why in modern LED lights, the LED is hardwired in. You'll need a soldering iron to replace it.

LEDs are also very impact resistant. There's no filament to break like in old incandescent light bulbs. If you drop an LED light, things may break, but it likely won't be the LED.

You will be fine with your setup.

LEDs do die. I have seen hundreds with reduced brightness of more than 95% and lots that have completely died.

And yet another big thank you to all the highly knowledgeable and extremely helpful folks here...lovecpf

Now I will say I've replaced two luxeon LEDs in two lights with SSC P4 LEDs and an LED in a lantern with a better Cree XR-E LED. Only one of the LEDs was damaged and that was in a mini Mag LED light and it was not an easy fix if my labor wasn't free I would have tossed it in the trash and bought another one.

I have an xpg2 high cri, 3 Nicha 219b 4k's, and an Osram Oslon 96 cri 4k on hand. Not sure where they will go, but they will replace something eventually.

Better off keeping spare lights. Good lights with good LED's last for...a very long time.

Your grand-children might burn out an LED in a light you buy today, when they're old and grey.

Most manufacturers are pushing led's at or past their design limits. While they should still last a good long time, the barn burners are not going to last as long as their specs suggest.

Brasso said:

Most manufacturers are pushing led's at or past their design limits. While they should still last a good long time, the barn burners are not going to last as long as their specs suggest.

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We'll, never know! As we'll both (hopefully) be in a much better place than this crappy rock called "Earth," by then.

Cunha said:

Better off keeping spare lights. Good lights with good LED's last for...a very long time.

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This.

And by the time one of your LED lights burns out there will probably be much better and newer LEDs available. Better to buy a new light then than to solder an obsolete LED into your old light.

I don't keep these spare led's around because they are new, but because no one seems to want to make high cri 4k tint emitters anymore. Cool white 5K seem to be all the rage, which is fine, but I prefer 4k and want to have an option if I really like the UI of a light.

Well thanks again to all...and I do have spare lights :twothumbs

I have at least 5 flashlights and I can tell you that the men are telling the truth . It is best to buy a new flashlight . Technology goes forward. Lamps become more powerful and energy effeciency . So I think that it will be a good step( buy the new flashlight).