[Gen.Blather]

“And just when I thought lightbulbs were going to be the next Bitcoin.”

I purchased several cases online at Lowes. The ban may be over but the price and availability will probably falter. That’s because the government is so capricious. We no longer have laws. We have a mass of competing agendas. Companies require stability to act rationally.

[P.O.E.]

I’ve heard (if it’s on the internet, it must be true) that the last batches were of inferior quality and won’t last as long.

[wbill]

I was thinking about buying enough lightbulbs to last another 5-6 years (hoping that technology gets better). Instead, I picked up a few LEDs to try them out. Figure that I'd better see how they work, since that's what the technology is going to be like for the foreseeable future.

I'm exceptionally happy with them (thus far, it's only been a few weeks). They come on instantly (bought the "instant on" kind, they really work) and I think that they're a little brighter than the old incandescents. What I really like, though, is that I'll not need to climb around on the big ladder several times a year to swap out bulbs....I replaced the hard-to-get-to bulbs, first.

Pricey though, but I did the math and they'll pay for themselves in two years. Since the manufacturer has a 10 year warranty, and they'll theoretically last for 20, I'm covered. I figure that I'll use up the incandescents that I have, and gradually switch over to LEDs.

In reading your posts, at $20 a pop I don't think that I'd want to put them in rental units. :-) BUT there are LEDs that are just a part of the fixture. When they run out...20 years later...you just replace the entire light fixture. Makes sense to me.