E27 or T5/8 LEDs

[Tombsy]

I know this forum is geared towards cobs and strips and that's why I am here, but what is the biggest downfall to the screw in LED bulbs or the T5/T8 replacement bulbs?

My first light was a 21 bulb fixture for a 2x4 area and I got about 1g per watt on my first ever grow. I guess lumens per watt was low but I thought lumens don't matter?

Is it just efficiency?

I live in the land of cheap power and building a fixture for under $100 seemed like a great idea at the time.

Cheers.

[Jolly Green Giant]

my guess would be like any led.... how was it made and what was used to make it... was it made with the cheapest diodes they could find? did they cut corners and skimp on things to save money?? or was it the opposite of that with the best parts and quality control possible??? half of the time they don't tell you unless it's a company that cares....

for example.. the epistar slug based diodes.. they can be a ok-good diode if you give them awesome thermal protection.(photon fantom build his first light with them and is still vegging with it.. yet to have a burn out) 99% of your "Chinese and rebranded junk" does not. they get the cheapest heat sink available and or use a drop of thermal stuff on said heat sink.

I'm sure there is great screw in leds bulbs... and I'm sure there are the cheapest things to produce for the masses out there.. it's knowing the difference. the ones that do use the better parts normally cost more... but some will say it's something and it's not but still charge you for the good stuff. just like anything ask what's in it.. if they don't tell you run

the old school T5/8 I would mainly think it's the efficiency. more heat... more light loss because it's bouncing around to get aimed down..etc etc . but ive been seeing more of the led t5/8 replacements around.. just like everything it's what's in it and how good of quality of making it.

I'm waiting to see someone stick something like the lm561c in a bulb that runs on your normal t5/8 light!!!!! that is going to be awesome!!!!! and open up a lot more people to better options!!

don't mind me going long winded lol.. I do story mode a lot when I'm medicated

[LEDG]

Efficiency is definitely lower on the screw-in type bulbs and like JGG says, I'm guessing the diodes within most aren't exactly high end, because they don't really need to be for their intended purpose.

Another drawback is how many of these bulbs .you need to use to equal the amount of light you'd get from a single high-powered COB. It's a lot more wiring, a bunch of those screw-in receptacles, and more effort to equal what you get from just a single COB.

[bvolt]

I'm sure the Cree screw-in bulbs must perform okay - if that were your only option. Or a Philips?