Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
 Bright, saves power, hopefully will last May 28, 2009
A. Dent (Minas Anor, GD)
42 out of 42 found this review helpful
The 40W fluorescents (150-200W equivalent) are hard to find in most brick and mortar stores (they like to sell the smaller 40W and the 100W equivalents) so I was double-happy when I saw this one at Amazon. First, because Amazon carries it and second because it's available under super-savers' shipping.
Talking about the item itself:
- you WILL experience some delay when you turn it on but it's hardly noticeable, like maybe 1/10 of a second
- once it's on, unlike the 'cheaper' fluorescents that need to warm up, it shines at or close to full brightness immediately
- it's a bulky, significantly wider and longer than the 150W incandescent equivalents and it may not fit all fixtures where a regular 150W bulb used to fit
- does not work well with a dimmer - it's either on or off [I tried it with one and it did come on at full brightness but something is telling me that you may shorten its life when used this way]
- the light is bright, so bright, I would not stare at it directly - I did once and I saw 'ghosts' for the next 15-30 minutes
- the color of light is closer to 'solar' than what our 'incandescents' deliver, less yellow, more blue
- unlike neon lights, there's no flicker
- it consumes less power when compared to an incandescent
The above were my subjective comments. Here are the specs, as the manufacturer lists them:
- Light output: 2800 lumens
- Energy used: 42W
- Life: 8000 hrs.
- Color temperature: 6500K
- Electric charge: 610mA
The major issue I have with the fluorescents is their lifespan. Maybe I am unlucky but, after replacing nearly all my light bulbs in the house - a few dozen - they seem to burn out more often. My first couple 40W I bought a few years ago (a different brand), in fact, died after about one year, I hope this is not the case again because we are paying top dollar for these environmentally nice devices.
So far, I see no reason not to award this bulb 5 stars but, if it dies on me before 2-3 years, I promise to come back and update my review. For the record, the maker promises a 7-year lifespan and $152 (???) savings per bulb.
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July, 2010 update:
On their 14th month, they (I bought a 2-pack) are as bright and shiny as on 'day one' and they've been on for many hours because I telecommute most of the time and my office is in the basement. I haven't done the math but it's likely that they've paid for themselves already.
I bought 2 more in December, 2009 and no burnouts yet.
Great for clones/seedlings January 21, 2010
Fyregal (Oregon, USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I use these lights for a cabinet grow box for my seedlings and clones. They have enough lumens to promote vegetative growth, and are in the correct color spectrum. They produce very little heat, given their wattage, which makes them great for small grow areas. You won't need a ton of ventilation to keep the heat down; just a little 4" inline fan is all I use.
It's like daylight up in my crib! January 16, 2010
C. Ross (Phoenix Arizona)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This light is intensely bright. I got onto the Fluoroscent bulbs when I switched over and I saw how much it reduced my electric bill. I also liked the fact that I could spoil myself with the high powered light bulb without the high powered bulb prices. I put a few 100 watt bulbs in the house but I didn't even know they went to 200 until I saw this one. To be honest it's almost to much. It really and truly makes it feel like it's the middle of the day when I turn this thing on at night. I am excited to read with it. It's a very pure slightly blueish light. The bulb is much larger than a normal bulb so be aware.
The only light I could compare it to is the elven light in Lord of the Rings. You know the one Frodo holds up to fend off the spider? It's exactly like that. Seriously. It's elven bright.
Hard to find product, great price November 10, 2009
V. P. Dura (Rogersville, AL USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Finding a CFL greater than 100W-equivalent is pretty difficult. Finding one that is 200W-equivalent and 6500K is almost impossible. These lights are perfect for photography where you need true-color rendition. The price is right too.
Bright as daylight! January 27, 2010
BuckG71 (CT, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Just got these today, so can't comment on longevity issues. They are instant-on without a flicker, but they take a couple of minutes to get up to full output. But once they are on, they are ON!!! I'm using them in my basement, and if you view the light from the top of the stairs you would swear it was natural sunlight. These are very bright and are perfect for my particular application - would probably be great for a garage or workshop too. Probably not suitable for use in a lamp (unless it's huge and you want sunlight-type light rather than soft white), definitely not suitable for use in an overhead light fixture. Overall I'm very pleased with the product, including its price. Also - mine arrived promptly (2 days with Prime shipping) and in perfect condition.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
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