On 11/27/2015 9:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Don Y wrote:
On 11/27/2015 4:31 PM, notbob wrote:
I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things
to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far.
I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60
secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those
flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a
60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at
WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great.
Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when
bounced off a white wall.
I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently...
Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll
spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what
spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks,
good enough fer reading. 
Depends on how you expect to use them.
Here, most "area lighting" is from recessed cans. So, very easy to find
an effective LED lamp that pushed all its light out *one* "end".
CFL's, by comparison, try to throw most of their light out the *sides*
so not-quite-so-good.
Temperature performance of CFL's also makes them less than ideal.
No so with LED's.
When dimmable BR30's and R20's become more affordable, we'll switch
to them and just keep a couple of CFL's for (bedside) "reading lamps"
(where the light needs to radiate in all directions) and (big) CFL
"floods" for the up-lights in the office.
Still looking for high intensity floods (LED, probably) for the recessed
cans in the garage (high ceiling means they have to throw a lot of light)
LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail
lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle.
One annoyance of getting a new car.
The string of LED's around tail lights looks chincy, particularly on
expensive cars.
Those that want to grow their pot with them should look at spectra of
light output. There is more UV but not sure how else they might affect
growth.