Philips Intros $60 Lightbulb that Lasts 20 Years

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Guide community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest

Guest
the existing 12.5W LED Philips makes is 800 lumens. Standard Incandescent bulb is 890 Lumens. So, it's close to a regular 60W, at 2700k
 

rosen380

Distinguished
Mar 17, 2011
162
0
18,630
"For 60 bucks you buy 60 incandescent light bulbs at a dollar each and probably will last you more than 100 years, conserving power is a good thing, but 60 bucks for one bulb is just rediculous."

Well, if we figure about 1000 hours on average per incandescent, then your 100 years was using the bulbs for about 1.64 hours per day. In that time you used 3592 KWh of electricity.

At 10 watts, the LED bulbs, will use just 599 watts; at $0.12 per KWh [figuring no inflation over 100 years], you would save $359.21 in electricity, so the break even is each bulb lasting for 16.7 years. Unless you buy them online from Phillips at $50, then it is 14 years. Unless you use the available rebates and get them for $25 each, then it is 7 years.

But energy costs are bound to increase. Lets figure 3% per year. Our initial layout is $60 for both options. I'm going to figure that improvements in technology will equally balance inflation in terms of LED bulb pricing. I think this is ultimately very conservative looking at even CFLs [despite decades of inflation they still cost less in 2012 dollars now than they did in 2000 dollars in 2000 or 1990 dollars in 1990].

Anyways, with inflation of the energy prices, 100 years of your 60w incandescents comes out to $2181, which means you'd break even, over the course of 100 years, even if these "20 year" bulbs burned out every three years on average.




But in 100 years, at 4 hours per day, you've used
 

rosen380

Distinguished
Mar 17, 2011
162
0
18,630
Just to add to the section without inflation- assuming you took no benefit of the online pricing or rebates and figuring the the bulbs won't last 20 years, but more like 5 [with pretty light use] and assuming that the tech doesn't drop in price at all, then over 100 years you go through 20 bulbs x $60 = $1200. Less $360 in electricity savings = $840. Divided by 100 years -- we're talking $8.40 more per year.

Yes. figuring just about every variable as a worst case, these things are likely to cost you an extra sixteen cents per week over incandescent. You know what, I think I'm goign to replace my outdoor lighting with them today.
 

shqtth

Distinguished
Sep 4, 2008
184
0
18,630
The make a 75 Watt equiv version.

I have the 60 Watt and 40 Watt (12.5W / 8W) they work great. Although the newest one at 10W is even better. Its crazy. I guess its worth $60 as its the high end model.

My 60/40 LED bulbs cost me $15$/13. And they work great.

 

shqtth

Distinguished
Sep 4, 2008
184
0
18,630
[citation][nom]TheZoolooMaster[/nom]Heh, that's why they've put a $60 price tag on it. I bet it didn't cost them anywhere near that much to make.[/citation]


LED bulbs are expensive to produce compared to CFL.
A lot of materials go into it, also a lot of innovation.
 

IQ11110002

Distinguished
Jul 28, 2009
26
0
18,580
People jumping to conclusions, It has only just been released for crying out loud.
Give it a few years like other tech, Some of you young people have it too good now me thinks!
Here is a prime example,
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&biw=1904&bih=953&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=uMtTMNqudF1ECM:&imgrefurl=http://work.failblog.org/2012/03/19/job-fails-mb-for-just-great-deal/&docid=5LVoCBa_na4GrM&imgurl=http://mthruf.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/job-fails-mb-for-just-great-deal.jpg&w=499&h=509&ei=KkOXT7OoLJHQrQfnz4jeAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=588&vpy=286&dur=4207&hovh=227&hovw=222&tx=108&ty=173&sig=109754064940063142117&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=135&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0,i:92

Even now with SSD's just a few years back you couldn't afford one, Home solar power systems 2 years ago were 50% more expensive but now affordable, The same will happen with these bulbs once the market is flooded with them and competitors come out with their own versions.
It will get brighter and cheaper over time, You impatient lot. ;)
Have a little faith people.
 

alextheblue

Distinguished
Apr 3, 2001
640
0
18,930
[citation][nom]ouroboros[/nom]I don't typically cross post in forums but here's an interesting piece on LED bulbs from a little while back. Much like CFLs, their main weakness is in the electronics. The LEDs themselves may last for 10 years, the electronics however... that's highly unlikelyhttp://www.eetimes.com/design/smar [...] conductors[/citation]
Yes. Low-quality junk produced in China with little quality control FTL. That's not to say that everything produced in China is junk, there are some companies that are pretty strict and have good QC. But bulbs? I haven't found one yet that had solid electronics that will last as long as the claimed life, even if other components were still in good condition when the bulb ceased. LEDs are no exception, although they are still leaps and bounds better than their CFL brethren. They're still just too dim - although the newer breed of compact "omni-directional" 60 watt equivalent bulbs are a big step in the right direction.
 

deksman

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
30
0
18,580
[citation][nom]Cazalan[/nom]Too expensive. I'd rather donate $60 to fusion research. Put an end to the energy crisis.[/citation]

Our energy issues are of our own making. We have more than enough as it is to supply the whole world and use other techniques to switch to sources that are not only cleaner but could also recycle the waste for renewed use/creation of new resources (such as radioactive waste into plutonium which can be used as an energy source or have other applications that can benefit us).

People are way too focused on the propaganda.
I'm hardly saying we should be preserving the very old/outdated methods that are currently very wasteful instead of transitioning to new ones, but the 'energy crisis' is artificially induced.

As for the amount of materials used to make LED's...
They may use more materials, but nothing that would justify such high costs in the first place.
I can maybe see the prototypes costing much, but the final product that goes up for mass production? Hardly.
 

dark_knight33

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2006
128
0
18,630
[citation][nom]john_4[/nom]Phillips won the contract to make these with the crony capitalist Obama regime because they were the only one in the bidding for it. I smell lying rats and they are in DC. DC needs an enema this November. Impeach the Kenyan.[/citation]

I think you must be a communist because you sound like a press agent for North Korea.

I always get a good laugh when I think about foil hat people like you hiding in their homes from the big bad Obama, because he's coming for your gun's and bibles. Go ahead, preach from your office chair. You're sure to influence votes with your impressive persuasive writing skills.

The funniest part is: No matter how seethingly, foaming at the mouth angry you get, Obama will still be re-elected. ;-)

The truth: Obama/Dems take your money and spend it on what they think is the "General good of the nation", Romney/GOP keep you from getting any money in the first place by protecting the interests of people that already have it. Neither are great IMO. Let "the private sector work it out", right? Oh wait, the private sector is what's funding both of those campaigns, and is the real reason the middle class is dying on the vine.

What exactly is better about a board room making decisions for you instead of congress? At least I get a vote every 2-6 years for congress. When was the last time Trump lost a job because he treated his employees like crap stuck to his heel?
 

teddymines

Distinguished
Sep 12, 2011
44
0
18,580
[citation][nom]shin0bi272[/nom]you just dont get it do you? All doing that would do would be to shift the costs from the bulb to the lamp maker. Then you have a 75 dollar lamp stand and a 9 dollar bulb. Then no one an afford to INSTALL lamps in their homes let alone buy the bulbs for them. On top of all of that almost none of you touched on the fact that the only reason that they can make a bulb thats 60 bucks and people will buy it is because the government is banning the incandescent bulbs. Because its their decision on what bulb you use not yours ... so much for the home of the free and the land of the brave. More like the home of the big 3 (government branches) and the land of the slaves.[/citation]
The point I was making about lamps and fixtures with transformers in them was an option for those who want LED lighting; there would still be the standard units for those like us who want to continue to use incandescent bulbs.

I also agree with your points. Like the electric car and low flow toilets, the government mandating and rebating something into popularity isn't a substitute for actual consumer demand.

I am hoarding incandescent bulbs as we speak.
 

dark_knight33

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2006
128
0
18,630
[citation][nom]teddymines[/nom]Like the electric car and low flow toilets, the government mandating and rebating something into popularity isn't a substitute for actual consumer demand.I am hoarding incandescent bulbs as we speak.[/citation]

Consumer demand isn't the 'end all be all' of the way forward. If consumer demand were the only consideration, we'd still be getting 18mpg in pass cars. So called "Gov't Mandating" has forced manufacturers to develop their products enough to get 36mpg regularly.

Low flow toilets: Tell the people of Georgia that have seen a record drought for the last 3 years that they can't use water for cooking or take a shower because their neighboors need an extra 1.5 gallons to force their crap down the toilet.

Short sighted people should be allowed to go extinct.
 

teddymines

Distinguished
Sep 12, 2011
44
0
18,580
[citation][nom]dark_knight33[/nom]Consumer demand isn't the 'end all be all' of the way forward. If consumer demand were the only consideration, we'd still be getting 18mpg in pass cars. So called "Gov't Mandating" has forced manufacturers to develop their products enough to get 36mpg regularly. Low flow toilets: Tell the people of Georgia that have seen a record drought for the last 3 years that they can't use water for cooking or take a shower because their neighboors need an extra 1.5 gallons to force their crap down the toilet.Short sighted people should be allowed to go extinct.[/citation]And when faced with 18 mpg cars, the consumers would demand better mileage once the price to fill them got to be too great. And with low-flow toilets, let this be regional. Living near the great lakes, I have unlimited access to water, so I should be able to use more of it, provided I can pay for it. Limitations you seem to agree with amount to nothing but rationing.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Many years ago I bought one of the first Philips '10 year' CFL bulbs. It failed within 3 years. I checked the manual and found that it was still only a 1 year warranty and the '10 years' was based on a limited number of hours a day use.

As others have said, until we know the actual number of hours these last for (as opposed to the number of hours they are predicted to last for) or Philips provide us with a cast iron, no-quibble 20 year replacement guarantee, I won't be trusting their 'guesses'.
 

nikorr

Distinguished
Moderator
Many years ago I bought one of the first Philips '10 year' CFL bulbs. It failed within 3 years. I checked the manual and found that it was still only a 1 year warranty and the '10 years' was based on a limited number of hours a day use.

As others have said, until we know the actual number of hours these last for (as opposed to the number of hours they are predicted to last for) or Philips provide us with a cast iron, no-quibble 20 year replacement guarantee, I won't be trusting their 'guesses'.
Exactly. People need to read the fine print on the warranty.
 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
778
0
18,930
[citation][nom]kristoffe[/nom]you know there is a tungsten light that is over 100 years old in some firehouse i think that kind of dispels the $60 price tag and the idea that cfl and tungsten lights shouldn't last too long and this is anything but a REAL bulb the others should emulate.http://www.centennialbulb.org/[/citation]

Yes, most famous little lightbulb there is. However, it is run at very low 'brightness'. Naturally, it will last much longer.
Kinda like the various 100,000 mile warranties on some cars. They are not available in Germany --> High speed Autobahn is hard on the engines :)



 
G

Guest

Guest
It is ugly though. Have you seen the California based Switch LED Light Bulb? Now that is truly a work of art.
 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
778
0
18,930
[citation][nom]CyberSquirrel[/nom]Many years ago I bought one of the first Philips '10 year' CFL bulbs. It failed within 3 years. I checked the manual and found that it was still only a 1 year warranty...[/citation]

They should do what the car companies do... 100,000 miles (or whatever) warranty is not an estimate but a guarantee backed up with free repairs if needed.
If Phillips thinks they last 20 years offer at least a 10 year no questions asked warranty (going 'dutch' on the warranty...). Then we trust those Dutch cheapskates :)




 

longbatian

Honorable
May 1, 2012
1
0
10,510
Etudions bien et faisons des progres chaque jour
g.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.