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Cheap CFL;s
By Monzadude, Section Light Posted on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 10:23:18 PM MST
CFL's for $1

I hope it's OK to post this. I found CFL's for 1 dollar each at Dollarama. I don't work for them or anything. I just thought it was a good price. I don't know who makes them. They just have the Dollarama name on them. They're 11 watts = 60 watts. I bought some to try and they seem to work alright. Maybe not quite as bright as some of the brand name ones I have but still pretty good. I realized that I still hadn't changed the bulb in my daughters room so I replaced the 100 watt bulb with one of these.( come to think of it, maybe that's why it didn't seem as bright) The very next day she turned her light on in the morning and forgot it was on. Good timing on her part. I hope this helps some of you. CFL's are great. CFL's for $1 is even better. :-)
Bill

Cheap CFL;s | 25 comments (25 topical)

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by pyrocasto on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 04:40:38 PM MST

I saw some for $2-3 at a flea market, but they didnt have the hours on them so I didnt try. I'm afraid to buy some that might go out in a few hours.

BTW, is dollarrom a local store or is it online?

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by Big All on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 05:22:26 PM MST

I've also bought some 11W CFL's from a local dollar store, work great but the color is a little too blue.

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by Monzadude on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 05:48:33 PM MST

It's just a dollar store chain. Maybe only in Canada I'm not sure.

These start a little yellow but after 20-30 seconds it's nice and white. It's barely noticable. It says it's rated for 6000 hrs.

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by doceanboy on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 06:01:27 PM MST

What name brand?
The reason I ask is Walmart recalled some this year "Globe" I had to return 5 sets....

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by DanG on Thu Apr 21, 2005 at 06:20:32 PM MST

I just had a wall-mart $5 13w CFL die in 3 weeks - I try to avoid Lights Of America brand but I needed the bulb right away and then it wasn't worth a special trip to return it so wal-mart won again - it may get remembered next trip.

I've spent bunches of hundred dollars at this store for workshop lighting.

CFLs 2700; 3500; 4100; 5100; 6500 Kelvin from 4 to 105 watts.
$30USD minimum order - $9.50 flat shipping most orders
Cheapest items are case or 10 piece lots.

CFL's warrantied 12 to 15 months from invoice (letsee Dollarama do that)

16w warm-white reflector for $3.49, or $95 for case of 48.
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=9355

105w broad spectrum 5000 Kelvin 7000 lumen for $25
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=9185

That 105w medium base CFL has 7000 lumen output!

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by ghurd on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 06:58:53 AM MST

I have not got any that "are in use" for a year or more,
But I always prefered the LOA brand.
Maybe they went down hill?

Picked up some 'Commercial Electric' brand at Home Depot.
Mini spiral. Rated 13w (60w application, AND 13w=52w), 750 lumens,
6000 hours, 5 year guaranteed (at 4 hours per day).
Have one in a light that is rarely used, seems fine.

Four pack, $4.50.
Bought 5 packs.
Thats 100 years at 4 hours a day.

G-
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by nothing to lose on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 09:56:46 AM MST

I may try out your links, still a bit more expensive than $1 though.

Pretty sure Dollarama has stores somewhere around me. We have alot of $1 type shopes in various areas I go to.

If there is alot of interest in these I could see if I can get them cheaper wholesale also. I never started the store but I had found lots of places and things to buy when I had though of opening my own Everythng $1 type store.

Depending where they come from I may be able to do volume type deals for anyone needing alot of them. Not enough saving though to be worth 1 or 2 and cost too much after adding any shipping also. But if there is an entrest in volumes once you see if they are good then let me know.

If I find them in a $1 shop here I will try them myself of course.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by DanG on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 05:19:03 PM MST

Letsee - forgot to mention where I live it's illegal to discard fluroescents in standard refuse bins, keep mercury out of groundwater and all that. If you can find a $1-per-tube recycler they tack on a $3.57 flat fee for handling them, or want $2.50 each for disposal. So just I'm just not nailing a good warranty deal, cost me $17 just to drop off bulbs last project I had going. Same price 8w or 80w per piece. Oh yeah, also no 7% sales tax on internet purchase either...

In the early days even Sony had their own line of CFL's - there are still 3 from 1986 burning back east on an old neighbors porch when they get out there in the summertime. CFL's would go for $35 and weigh a pound each. This is the time I got wary of LOA (CommercialElectric?) when they started selling knock-offs that were pretty lame.

[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#25)
by whatsnext on Wed Jun 08, 2005 at 12:05:51 PM MST

I've got a LOA 13watt twister that been on 24-7 as a porch light for three and a half years and still looking good. I like the cooler color.
John.........

[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by DERFMOOSE on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 07:34:35 AM MST

I boughtsome of these from Buck or Two for $2.00 cdn
they lasted about six months in the one use it is on 24/7
They worked out the same as puting incadesent in so any
energy i saved it was worth the 2 bucks

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by ghurd on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 08:19:37 AM MST

Some other cheap ones I had got HOT.
They did OK in open lamps.
But they cooked themselves in an inverted shade fixture
without much circulation.
G-
Ghurd.info

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by nothing to lose on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 10:11:26 AM MST

Are we talking just tubes, or a complete small fixture? Or screw in type?

"I realized that I still hadn't changed the bulb in my daughters room so I replaced the 100 watt bulb with one of these."

I can get tubes lots of places for about $1, Screw types are alot higher maybe $3, and small fixtures I think I found for around $5, so I could expect any of the 3 at a dollar shop.

Heck I love $1 shops, I have bought $10 packs of paper for only $1 or 100 packs for $90, 1000 packs even less per pack. These retailed for $10 in normal stores!
I have a wholesale account with one I buy so much from them at times :)

Just because it's only $1 don't always mean it is cheap stuff!
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by pyrocasto on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 12:02:30 PM MST

"Just because it's only $1 don't always mean it is cheap stuff!"
But sometimes it does, so you have to be careful. Just like the staples brand paper is noticable crappier than HP brand.(I still buy the staples brand though ;-) ).

[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by nothing to lose on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 01:44:46 PM MST

You have a point there, I meant though the $1 shops sometimes do have good stuff.
Depends alot on the store maybe too.

I got Crayola sparkle paper and sticker paper $1 a pack each (less actaully wholesale)
and lots of greating card and photo paper packs also, name brand stuff. Checking the retail it was about $10 around normal stores and online for the same thing when I could find it.

I think some of what they sell is good closeouts or over stocks often, then they have the everyday stuff that is cheap junk too of course.

Sometimes I just can't see how they can do it on some items. I bought some dolls once, took all they had, several cases. Went to an outdoor flea market (I had other stuff I needed to sell) and had one sitting out with no price on it. When people asked what I wanted for it, I asked what they wanted to pay, I thought it was fair to just take what they offered. Normally $10 :)
They would look at the ones in the cases and pick one out.
Then when I was ready to leave after the weekend another vendor asked if I would sell them to him, so I did, $5 each he took all.
Weeks later I was there walking around, and he had a couple out with $15 price tags, he asked if I had more he could buy.

How/why they were $1 and at an Everything $1 type store I'll never know.
That was probably the best deal I ever found there, but I often find similar good deals, just not that good.

That's kinda a hobby of mine, but I have not had time for it for a long time now.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#22)
by Peppyy on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 07:50:14 PM MST

We have 3 dollar stores in the "City". 2 are the same and one is another chain. I find that if you use some common sence and have an idea of what the stuff costs in a real store you can find some good stuff. On ocassion you might even find something you can't live without.

One had the 2 pin halogen 50w lamps in a 2 pack. I got 2 12-packs of vermont american robertson bits. Some REALLY nice industrial jigsaw blades in 2-packs. Wish I had bought more of those.

I would definatly buy a couple cfl lamps if they had them. The thing that always gets me is if I don't buy all of those one time type items that I want the first time I see them, they will be gone next time.
Pep
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#23)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 10:48:24 PM MST

"The thing that always gets me is if I don't buy all of those one time type items that I want the first time I see them, they will be gone next time."

Yes me too!
The good stores are about 150 miles from me or a little further. SO I go to the city for important things and find some good stuff at the dollar stores while there. Now often I am not sure of the quality of the item, so I only get 2 or 3, then I find they are great, go back next week to grab a ton, and they are gone!

Hey just thought, Dollarama! Look in the grocery stores too, some are getting into dollar item sections in the stores, I need to check the local food store I shop at, they carry the stuff. Mostly the junk, but sometimes a item, maybe they have the stuff I was looking for here in town?? I think a few carded itmes were marked Dollarama too.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by pyrocasto on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 02:13:13 PM MST

I just got back from mine, and realized it quite sucks. I'll find a good one sometime.

I also cant find a motor/motor rewind shop within a few hours from here...

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by Drives on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 07:55:24 PM MST

http://www.easa.com

Click find a member, they may have a motor rewind shop in your local area.
---------Dean-----------
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by pyrocasto on Fri Apr 22, 2005 at 09:56:03 PM MST

someone just told me about a shop near me and it was on that list. Thanks, since now I have the address and phone #. :)

[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by ghurd on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 07:30:10 AM MST

Motor rewind shop here wanted $250 to rewind a 4 pound 1/30HP.

Not a full blown rewind, just putting in 4 or 6 coils!!!

All of a sudden I think I can do it.
G-

Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by pyrocasto on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 03:59:27 PM MST

I guess I'll try the dump for microwaves and such for wire and mags. Just got a couple cheapo CFLs today, and they are extremely blue compared to my other ones. They remind me of a white LED.

[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#20)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 05:10:41 PM MST

Getting to be too many $1 shop chains!

I was at the nearest one today, ya all junk nothing very good!

Was looking for the lights and a meter from a different post to make a counter from. Nothing there at this one.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#19)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 05:06:32 PM MST

How much does that motor cost new?? Is it some specail oddball type or something??

$250, yep I think I could too, even if it took me a few tries and some wasted wire.

I have trouble seeing wires inside motors. I thought of an old guy I new long ago though. He did many things really well that were very hard to see and do for people with perfect eyes. He was totaly blind!
He could not paint a car, but he could straighten a body better than some guys with good vision.

Maybe I should close my eyes and work by feel like he did, trying to see something I cannot see well anyway is probably a distraction.
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#21)
by ghurd on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 06:17:39 PM MST

A very average motor. 110VAC, 1/30th hp, 1750rpm, nice bearings,
comes with a big $4 cap.
About a billion turns of 30ga.

Brand spanking new, $3.50!
G-
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]

Re: Cheap CFL;s (3.00 / 0) (#24)
by nothing to lose on Sat Apr 23, 2005 at 10:54:21 PM MST

"Brand spanking new, $3.50!"

$250 for a rewind :)

Well you know what they say, rebuilt is better than used or new because the problems have been found and can be corrected for. :)
.
nothing to lose

Spelin and tpying are my strong points, not electronics.
[ Parent ]

Cheap CFL;s | 25 comments (25 topical)

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