LiDL under-cabinet LED lights

[John Stumbles]

I just picked up one of LiDL's current offer LED under-cabinet lights for £10: got the 7W output one, and it's brilliantly bright and very light (weight). Haven't found a use for it yet but it may find its way onto the van as a work light, as an alternative to the rather bulky 2D tasklight (with some hooks, magnets and/or velcro straps attached to hold it onto things).

Recommended.

(Also got an LED GLS replacement from Clas Olson recently, also a tenner, also 7W, branded "V-LIGHT", also excellent: was going to try it in the PIR-switched outside light but no good because it flickers, but excellent replacing a 20W CF in our landing light. Now all I need are some decent, reasonably priced GU10 replacements - any recommendations?)

[Dave Liquorice]

Is that a "corn cob" type with a fairly even all round light emmsion?

[Andrew Gabriel]

I picked up a couple of good LED lamps from Clas Olson many months back. Must pop in and see what they have now.

As for GU10 replacements - depends what you're expecting. If your fittings can take over-long GU10's (floating lampholder), then you have more options for higher light output, as those LED lamps have to be bigger than real GU10s in order to dissipate enough heat whilst staying within temperature range. Also bare in mind that the LED ones tend to have more accurate beam cut-off, and in many badly designed GU10 installations, you are actually relying on the light spill outside of the main beam for general lighting, which will be missing in the LED versions.

In some cases, replacing the GU10 holder with a dedicate LED light will be better, as the GU10 format lamp (bulb) is particularly bad as a format for retrofit LEDs.

[John Stumbles]

No, sort of ice-cream cone

[Dave Liquorice]

So has a light distribution mainly in the opposite direction to the base?

We have a few bulkhead exterior lights, they need a GLS type bulb that sends light out mainly sideways rather than the end. CFL's are OK, with a big ish as they don't like the cold.

[sm_jamieson]

I got 5 of those to put under kitchen cabinets in runs of 3 and 2. I didn't realise the brighter version was not linkable like the lower powered versi on. But it turns out they fit into the corners better, and I only needed at mos t 2 in a cabinet run after all, so I'll have to use an extra little junctio n box which is a pain. However, the extra cable will run behind the corner brackets, which reduces the pain. The 7W has surface mounted LED "elements" whereas the 5W is some type of non-replaceable "tube" of LEDs. Simon.

[John Stumbles]

Any suggestions? I've currently got a 4 * GU10 bar-type (2 swivel arms, 2 holders on each) fitting in the kitchen. CFs are OK in there but take ages to come up to brightness. Don't really want to put in recessed fittings (at least not now - may have to do some work on the ceiling later which might change that) but I don't think there's much beside GU10 or MR16s(? 12v similar size lamps) in surface mount fittings.

(Well, not except standard straight fluoro, but SWMBO ... :-()

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

GU10 to whatever-you-like converters.

I bought B22 to E27 and E27 extenders from this seller.

Here's the one for you...

One of the few who posts items here without trying to stitch me up, although ebay tried it, because it regarded each and every socket as an additional package. Soon sorted though, and the adapters are perfectly ok quality.

[John Stumbles]

The GU10 to MR16 looks fun.

Reminds me of what someone I knew used to make: he took a standard 13A plugtop, soldered a very stout wire between the L & N pins (bypassing the fuseholder), stuck a label on it saying "Little Gem Fuse Tester" and left it around & watched to see who was inquisitive enough to try it out :-)

[John Stumbles]

That's what I wanted this one for. The hemispherical part of the bulb is a diffuse opal and the spread of light sideways seems ok-ish for an outside light though you won't get any at obtuse angles.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

I'll bet that catches a few out. MR16 isn't voltage-specific, but almost unknown in domestic settings at anything above 12V.

[charlotteclinton54]

How long will the bulbs last ! As I didn't realise before fitting 5 of these that you cant replace the bulbs.

[Andy Burns]

Vanishingly unlikely to be the actual LEDs that fail; so being non-replaceable isn't a problem. John will be along soon to tell us how they've fared after 5 years ...