Customer Reviews

Feit Electric ESL40TN/D 42-Watt Compact Fluorescent High-Wattage Bulb, Daylight

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The 40W fluorescents (150-200W equivalent) are hard to find in most brick and mortar stores (they like to sell the smaller 40W and the 100W equivalents) so I was double-happy when I saw this one at Amazon. First, because Amazon carries it and second because it's available under super-savers' shipping.

Talking about the item itself:

- you WILL experience some delay when you turn it on but it's hardly noticeable, like maybe 1/10 of a second
- once it's on, unlike the 'cheaper' fluorescents that need to warm up, it shines at or close to full brightness immediately
- it's a bulky, significantly wider and longer than the 150W incandescent equivalents and it may not fit all fixtures where a regular 150W bulb used to fit
- does not work well with a dimmer - it's either on or off [I tried it with one and it did come on at full brightness but something is telling me that you may shorten its life when used this way]
- the light is bright, so bright, I would not stare at it directly - I did once and I saw 'ghosts' for the next 15-30 minutes
- the color of light is closer to 'solar' than what our 'incandescents' deliver, less yellow, more blue
- unlike neon lights, there's no flicker
- it consumes less power when compared to an incandescent

The above were my subjective comments. Here are the specs, as the manufacturer lists them:

- Light output: 2800 lumens
- Energy used: 42W
- Life: 8000 hrs.
- Color temperature: 6500K
- Electric charge: 610mA

The major issue I have with the fluorescents is their lifespan. Maybe I am unlucky but, after replacing nearly all my light bulbs in the house - a few dozen - they seem to burn out more often. My first couple 40W I bought a few years ago (a different brand), in fact, died after about one year, I hope this is not the case again because we are paying top dollar for these environmentally nice devices.

So far, I see no reason not to award this bulb 5 stars but, if it dies on me before 2-3 years, I promise to come back and update my review. For the record, the maker promises a 7-year lifespan and $152 (???) savings per bulb.

______________________________________________________________

November, 2011 update:

On their 30th month, they (I bought a 2-pack) are as bright and shiny as on 'day one' and they've been on for many hours because I telecommute most of the time and my office is in the basement. I haven't done the math but it's likely that they've paid for themselves already.

I bought 2 more in December, 2009 and no burnouts yet.

I use these lights for a cabinet grow box for my seedlings and clones. They have enough lumens to promote vegetative growth, and are in the correct color spectrum. They produce very little heat, given their wattage, which makes them great for small grow areas. You won't need a ton of ventilation to keep the heat down; just a little 4" inline fan is all I use.

This light is intensely bright. I got onto the Fluoroscent bulbs when I switched over and I saw how much it reduced my electric bill. I also liked the fact that I could spoil myself with the high powered light bulb without the high powered bulb prices. I put a few 100 watt bulbs in the house but I didn't even know they went to 200 until I saw this one. To be honest it's almost to much. It really and truly makes it feel like it's the middle of the day when I turn this thing on at night. I am excited to read with it. It's a very pure slightly blueish light. The bulb is much larger than a normal bulb so be aware.

The only light I could compare it to is the elven light in Lord of the Rings. You know the one Frodo holds up to fend off the spider? It's exactly like that. Seriously. It's elven bright.

Finding a CFL greater than 100W-equivalent is pretty difficult. Finding one that is 200W-equivalent and 6500K is almost impossible. These lights are perfect for photography where you need true-color rendition. The price is right too.

I ordered these and some Alzo 45 watt CFL 5500K. The Feit bulbs came first so I used them first. They were very bright, in fact, too bright for me. I was hoping for a more pure white light so I was disappointed with the bluish light. The following day the Alzo bulbs came in. I changed the Feit bulbs out with the Alzo bulbs and they were just what I was looking for in a CFL. They turned on quickly (as did these Feit bulbs) but also were a pure white light like I've never seen in a CFL before. I've moved these Feit bulbs in the other room for kitchen duty. They are now in the fixture above my sink and they do a fine job there.

Been using three of these for around 16 hours a day for 6 months now with no troubles. They are turned on and not turned off during that period though- I have no idea how they perform when constantly turned on and off, which is not how CFLs should be run anyway btw.

These bulbs are large physically, heavy, bright, very blue/white/daylight-ish, and they represent an excellent value.

I probably should wait awhile before reviewing this bulb as I have only had them in use for a few days and their forte is supposed to be their long life. However, there are a couple of cautions that I felt should be mentioned right away. Of the four bulbs I ordered, one would not operate. Amazon was very good about promptly replacing it, but these bulbs are expensive and should work as advertised. In addition the replacement process was a bit of a pain. (We live a long way from a Post Office.) They are advertised as Daylight, but they produce a whiter light with less blue content than our linear Daylight fluorescent bulbs, making objects appear a bit washed out. However they are bright. By combining them with Cool White CFBs in a 5 bulb ceiling fan fixture, we have a blend with sufficient brightness and acceptable color for a pleasant light in our living room.

I will attempt to update this review after they have been in use for a time.

Just got these today, so can't comment on longevity issues. They are instant-on without a flicker, but they take a couple of minutes to get up to full output. But once they are on, they are ON!!! I'm using them in my basement, and if you view the light from the top of the stairs you would swear it was natural sunlight. These are very bright and are perfect for my particular application - would probably be great for a garage or workshop too. Probably not suitable for use in a lamp (unless it's huge and you want sunlight-type light rather than soft white), definitely not suitable for use in an overhead light fixture. Overall I'm very pleased with the product, including its price. Also - mine arrived promptly (2 days with Prime shipping) and in perfect condition.

I had this bulb for about a month and a half now. It works great for me but I haven't had it long enough to say it lasts long.

Things you have to realize when buying this bulb:
Its a fairly high wattage bulb for a CFL so its best in a floor standing lamp. I wouldn't put this in a light fixture.

When it comes to all CFL, if it says Daylight, its will have more of a white light rather than yellow. I wanted this and it has a bright light more comparable to a flourescent light.

Well, this is not a petite little bulb, and I would suggest anyone that wants one to check the dimensions before you buy -- won't fit in any enclosures where there is a tight space for the bulb to fit into. That said, for my application (lighting a kitchen from a ceiling fixture), it works perfectly. The light output is very, very bright, and very, very blue -- it really does nearly perfectly emulate bright sunlight. It lights up our kitchen very well -- one bulb can light up several hundred square feet.

Overall, great product, great price, and great light output, but it's a little large in size. Not necessarily a downside, but be aware.