GU10 LED Lamps Question

[EoinConway]

We've heard and read from customers varying reports on GU10 LED Lamps which seem to be getting more and more popular every week. We are planning on taking in a container and running a special offer on them shortly. The challenge is to get something that does what it says, has quality to back it up, and is competitive on price (I priced a quantity of 7W Dimmable GU10 LEDS earlier in the week and they were £36.00 each???)

From what i can gather 1W's distribute very little light and we've also heard negative feedback on a few brands in terms of reliability.

We would be very interested and grateful to hear/read your opinions on what Electricians think, i.e. most popular wattage, what you'd expect to pay for an LED lamp and if you've come across any good (or bad) brands

Thanks in advance

 

[Amp David]

Sounds interesting. Not used them that much so not really in a position to comment on different makes etc. Will be interesting though to see what others say and what brands they will advise on.

Will be looking forward though to the possibility of maybe lower priced LEDs, fingers crossed

 

[pushrod]

from what i have heard 3w bulbs also disappoint in terms of light output so 5w or 7w would seem to be the ones to go for. However, i suspect that just like the low energy ones most people will wait for some significant price drops before getting on board.

 

[stuylangford]

I use led gu10`s on most of my jobs !To be somewhere near a 50w halogen lamp they need to be at least 4w.The type I prefer is Kosnic 4w available in cool or warm white.Gives better light output than osram and philips 4w lamps and is miles cheaper too.
I pay around £9 + vat.Hope this helps

 

[marksparky]

i honestly not on board yet with leds or cfls if im honest! for eg say u had 20 downlighters in ur house u could get 20 halogen bulbs for £20 easily, if u wer to go the led route that would be £180 on bulbs alone! thats a huge difference! u imo u couldnt save that..... recess lights will have went out fashion long before ud save £160 on ur electric bill! and i havent seen a viable alternative for the quality of light the halogen produces instantly! But maybe im just a stick in the mud who needs to change his ways lol!

 

[telectrix]

agree with mark. until the price comes down ( looka t dvd players, were £200 when they came out, now £20) to an acceptable level where customers can see that they will make a saving before they pop their clogs, i can't see them as a viasble alternative to the good old GU10.bearing in mind that the heat given off saves on your heating bill!!

 

[ian]

I have fitted a few different types, but have just bought 75 Kosnic 4w cool white for a client, installed 10 yeaserday and they look great, the price would nornally be between £11 - £13 depending on where they are bought form, howevre as I got them for £8.50.

Ian

 

[nickblake]

the biggest problem with leds they are very directional , a led lamp in my eyes would need to be at least 4 watt but in covex arrays so that the light spread would be greater

 

[Amp David]

Local wholesaler has some for 7.50, don't know who makes em. Not a know brand and probably cheap tat

 

[Sparky Ninja]

I needed some for a pub job. The halogens in the WC's were litterally setting the newly installed doors on fire, so we needed something a little less hot. I contacted my supplier (Electric Center) on the blower who supplied me with 10 x Osram 4W LED GU10 at £17 EX VAT each.

 

[EoinConway]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. It seems to still be a bit of a mindfield out there and maybe best to hold off on the deal for the time being until the prices get a bit more realistic as mark & telectrix pointed out. We wouldn't want to take a risk on an unbranded product either.

Thanks again

 

[Bright Sparks]

Guys be wary what you install. The latest building regs part 'L' for domestic require 45 lumens per watt and for the lamp to be at least 5W. I have seen Par16 LED lamps 8.5w (GU10 base) supplied by Aurora from a company called LEDzworld these are similar to the Philips 7w, they also have a 6.5w gu10 due out in Novemeber, un-sure of the cost as they have not been released yet.

I have seen some 4w offerings from Aurora in their standard ranges which seem to be on par with the Kosnic stuff that I have seen.

In general the technology is moving on to the lamps, so all the cost is up front and the savings are gained over time/use.

Also be aware that the EU will be sending halogen lamps the same way as GLS over the next few years!

Enjoy

 

[LightPlanet]

Choice of LED product does depend on your application. Taking the 4w Kosnic as an example, claimed lumens output is 180. A 50w halogen has an output of 500 lumens or so. Beam angle on a a Kosnic appears to be 38deg. Beam angle on halogen is nominally 60deg, But with lots of light scatter. So characteristics of these two products are very different. To replace 50w halogen requires an led of 7 watts and an output of over 350 lumens and a beam angle of 70 degrees or more.
Running 7w leds in the GU10 format requires some pretty special thermal design to ensure longevity, so be very careful about what you buy. One thing is certain - lots of people make impressive claims about low cost LEDs, but you do get what you pay for. Check the specs, look at the thermal design and don't be fobbed off with "it looks as bright as a 50w".

 

[ringer]

I have fitted a few different types, but have just bought 75 Kosnic 4w cool white for a client, installed 10 yeaserday and they look great, the price would nornally be between £11 - £13 depending on where they are bought form, howevre as I got them for £8.50.

Ian

Ian, I would be very interested to hear what your customer's thoughts are on these now that they have had them a while. I have a customer with seven downlighters in their kitchen looking to possibly replace them with LEDs. I initially told them LEDs are not up to scratch yet, but have since heard some good things about these Kosnics. Customer is keen to reduce heat and save on energy usage, but is very adamant that light levels be as good or better than current 12v 50W dichroic. At £10 each they would be very interested as long as they perform well.