LED Christmas Lights

[velvetfoot]

We ordered several strands. Way expensive but have snob appeal I guess.

 

[MrGriz]

I've had my eye on those for a while. The LED's are the way to go, but they're just too pricy for me; I'm cheap.

I built a new deck off the back of our kitchen this fall and want to put the LED rope light all around under the top cap on the railing. I routed a groove and drilled out all the posts to install it, but I'm just too cheap to pay what they want for the LED stuff. I think in spring I'll buy the regular low voltage rope light and be done with it.

 

[Turner-n-Burner]

They had the LED christmas lights at Costco last year - haven't looked this year. I got a bunch when they were clearing them out. forget what I paid...

I like them - very bright, big reflectors, and NO heat. I don't worry about the tree going up in flames because a bulb overheats... Downside is that they don't melt themselves out of the snow very quickly if you use them outside

 

[suematteva]

We got them this spring..they will go on the tree inside..am looking forward to it!

 

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Sears had them on a Black Friday sale $7.99 a box, picked up enough to do all of our outdoor decorating with them this year. Won't say how many strands, but my husband is a Chevy Chase National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation wanna be. Home Depot had them on sale for cheaper, but it wasn't a brand that I recognized.

Sure, they aren't cheap, but they are very nice looking. I love the look, plus no heat, supposedly last 25,000 hours and electrical savings to boot! Our electricity went up 23% this year in CT - they may pay for themselves in electrical savings this year along. Now way the electric company is gonna put a damper on my Christmas spirit!

 

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

I never looked into those. Seems like they have lots of them overseas, but I didn't run across many U.S. sites in a google search. Did find these though http://www.ledluminosity.com/products.asp?cat=11 .

 

[Willhound]

do they make these leds in the icicle style for the outside overhangs??

Don't know about the US, but we can get these in Canada.

 

[wingnut]

You may want to think twice on the LED rope lighting. Leds project more light out of the end of the bulb so when you run the rope the ends are facing different directions. On rope lighting it makes it look like part of the rope is brighter then other parts. I don't think they looks as nice. We have run a few miles of it at our zoo this year and the jury is still out on how we like it. It does save on electricity though.

(broken link removed to http://www.toledozoo.org/events/events_lights.htm)

 

[Corey]

Interesting, guess i have not seen those at the after-christmas sale...about the only place I pick up decorations. I am curious how the LED's compare to the standard incandescent at 1/2 or 1/3 power. I have found that unlike most lighting applications, christmas lights are not totally about lumens per watt. I actually put my meager light display on a dimmer because I think it makes a nicer looking display when the lights have a warm, cozy glow as opposed to the harsh light output of the full voltage output. Plus it saves on energy and increases life expectancy of the bulbs.

Corey

 

[wingnut]

We have over a million lights in the Lights Before Christmas display. We have wrapped quit a few trees with LEDs and they use about half the electricity. Most are very bright kinda cold looking vs the standard lights that have a warmer look. They differential do have there place through.

 

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Those were white ones though, I have no comment on the rope or white LED lights. I will say that the colored LED lights in the different shapes are very nice. They have a soft, warm color to them; and no, they aren't brighter at one end than the other as mentioned here. I like them so much better lit up at night than the regular Christmas lights. If they go on sale again, I plan on buying more and changing out the bulbs on our tree. If not, it will happen next year.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Sam's Club - 180 lights for $17, I got 5 boxes (900 lights) and its beautiful:



Dean

 

[velvetfoot]

Dean, that's for led's?
I didn't do much comparison shopping.
The place I used a string of 70 was $17, so that's better than half price.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Dean, that's for led's?
I didn't do much comparison shopping.
The place I used a string of 70 was $17, so that's better than half price.

Yes, 180 LEDs for $17.95. Bulbs are rated at 25,000 hours I could not find them on their web site though, if thats where you're looking.

BTW the light does not only come out forwards, each bulb has a little clear cone that spreads the light out, but they are really small (same size as regular xmas lights) so they look good. Bit bright sometimes with 900 of them!

 

[kd460]

We got ours at Costco. $14.00 for 67 foot long c-9 bulbs strand. They are the greatest thing in the world. Uses only 8 watts per strand, nice deep intense but subtle color, no heat, rugged, and according to package, 200,000 hour bulb life. I am sold on them. KD

 

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Dean, your tree is beautiful We have a fake for the main tree since it is in the room with our insert and it's just easier since it gets so dry in there. Our tree has 1200 colored lights on it - hence my desire to change to LEDs. I will check out Costco, I do not have a Sam's Club near me.