Low cost 4 foot LED bulbs - $4 each

[Brice Rogers]

I thought that it would be a nice idea to pass along a good find that I ran across.

Lowes is closing out its Utilitech 0778115 four foot LED bulbs. These are "plug and play" if you have a T8 ballast. But they are a hybrid so they also are designed to work with the ballast being bypassed. They are on close-out sale price of $3.99 a bulb. I emptied out my local Lowes store. They are the equivalent of 32 watt bulbs but only draw 18 watts. When I replaced the first group in my kitchen the room was noticeably brighter. Lots brighter. Perhaps it is because the fluorescents were old and perhaps putting out less light. But I am really pleased.

I am converting over all of the fixtures in my shop. I prefer to not bother having an un-needed ballast drawing power. Plus my fluorescent ballasts were for T12 and weren't compatible.

Be aware that they also sell these bulbs in 2 pack and 4 packs. But they are electrically different and are only made for "plug and play". That is, you need a T8 ballast. So make sure that you get the bulbs that are individually packed with the part number I posted above.

If your local store doesn't have them on the shelf, consider ordering them on-line and just pick them up locally. I'm not endorsing this product or promoting Lowes, but am just passing along what I think is a good deal. At least it was for me.

[Lane Hardy]

Great thanks for posting your find it was a bright idea!
i love led lamps in my shop!

[Jan Smith]

Thank you, I could not find them online but I found a two pack for $7.49. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-2...lbs/1000083433

[Ole Anderson]

I have spent the last several weeks on a scaffold pulling ballasts and rewiring 4 foot four bulb troffers at my church. Some ballasts are really hot when removed, some actually dripping black gooey stuff. Going from 120 watts to 50 watts per fixture. Never have to worry about a ballast going bad again. So far I have replaced 176 bulbs. I do 8 fixtures per day, my neck can't take much more than that. Using these, about $7.00 per bulb delivered. https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/192824/PLT-10848.html So far, 100% work out of the box. Interested to see how the Utilitech's work out for you. But we may not know for ten years...

We hope to get a $2.25 per bulb rebate from DTE. Consumers, the other supplier in the area, offers $5.00 per bulb.

[Jan Smith]

I have spent the last several weeks on a scaffold pulling ballasts and rewiring 4 foot four bulb troffers at my church. Some ballasts are really hot when removed, some actually dripping black gooey stuff. Going from 120 watts to 50 watts per fixture. Never have to worry about a ballast going bad again. So far I have replaced 176 bulbs. I do 8 fixtures per day, my neck can't take much more than that. Using these, about $7.00 per bulb delivered. https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/192824/PLT-10848.html So far, 100% work out of the box. Interested to see how the Utilitech's work out for you. But we may not know for ten years... We hope to get a $2.25 per bulb rebate from DTE. Consumers, the other supplier in the area, offers $5.00 per bulb.

Good luck on getting the rebate and it sounds like it is better to get the bulbs which need rewiring instead of the ones which can be installed with the ballest in place.

[Brice Rogers]

Thank you, I could not find them online but I found a two pack for $7.49. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-2...lbs/1000083433

I had to search inventory on-line at a variety of stores to get all of the bulbs that I wanted (about 40)..

As I mentioned above, though, the 2-pack ONLY works with T8 ballasts. It does not allow direct wire.

[Ben Rivel]

$49.99 for a 10 pack of Phillips T8 LED 4FT drop in replacements at Home Depot (LINK). $42.47 if you buy three boxes of 10.

[Brice Rogers]

$49.99 for a 10 pack of Phillips T8 LED 4FT drop in replacements at Home Depot (LINK). $42.47 if you buy three boxes of 10.

That is a very good deal. But it is a "plug and Play" - - meaning that it needs to have a T8 ballast. I was trying to get away from ballasts because they take energy, sometimes buzz and can fail. Also, I found it confusing to learn that some P&P T8 LEDs are compatible with only some magnetic ballasts, some were compatible with only electronic ballasts, etc. Another good reason - - for me at least - - to avoid a P&P LED.

[Curt Harms]

That is a very good deal. But it is a "plug and Play" - - meaning that it needs to have a T8 ballast. I was trying to get away from ballasts because they take energy, sometimes buzz and can fail. Also, I found it confusing to learn that some P&P T8 LEDs are compatible with only some magnetic ballasts, some were compatible with only electronic ballasts, etc. Another good reason - - for me at least - - to avoid a P&P LED.

There are LED tube lamps that are hybrids - will work with or without a ballast. I bought a couple of those from Lowes but don't recall the model # or sku. They even included a sticker that basically says "Don't put a fluorescent tube in this fixture. Ballast is removed!"

[Brice Rogers]

There are LED tube lamps that are hybrids - will work with or without a ballast. I bought a couple of those from Lowes but don't recall the model # or sku. They even included a sticker that basically says "Don't put a fluorescent tube in this fixture. Ballast is removed!"

Curt, that is the model number that I mentioned at the beginning of this thread. Yes, the single boxed Utilitech 0778115 four foot LED bulbs are hybrids. Because my ballasts were for T12 (for 1.5" bulbs) rather than T8, they were incompatible. So, I removed the ballast and direct wired. The Utilitech 0778115 is being phased out and when they are gone, they are gone.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Brice, I have had a problem with some of my fluorescent T8 bulbs (or, more likely, the fixtures) not lighting properly. I found these bulbs do the trick and light where the fluorescents don't, so I went back and bought 10 two-bulb packs at $7.49 per pack. I have no idea if this is a good price but I trust you know. Thanks for the heads up.

[tom lucas]

4 bucks is a deal!