LED bulb comparison

[Greg Ketell]

We've talked about LED lighting for our lathes in the past and this is a follow-up to that discussion so I hope it can stay here, at least for a while.

I bought three of the LED shop lights that Rockler, Woodcraft, and Peachtree. After I bought them there was a good discussion about them and the consensus was that they were too weak and too blue to be good shop lights. Well, I have a soldering iron so I thought I could probably fix it. And I did.

This first set of pictures is the two lights mounted next to each other on my lathe and pointed at the garage door eight feet away.

No lights
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167630&stc=1&d=1290141713

Stock light:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167631&stc=1&d=1290141713

New Light:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167633&stc=1&d=1290141725

Both lights:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167632&stc=1&d=1290141725

You can see that where they overlap the new light completely drowns out the stock light with brighter, yellower light.



This next set is with the lights mounted next to each other on the ways of my lathe and pointed at a maple "oops" bowl mounted 2 feet away.

No lights:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167636&stc=1&d=1290142002

Stock light pointed at the inner edge on the right side of the bowl:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167637&stc=1&d=1290142002

The new light pointed at the inside edge of the bowl on the left side:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167639&stc=1&d=1290142012

And both lights. Notice how the light spread of the new setup is wider and covers more of the bowl even though it is aimed at the "same" location from the same distance.
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167638&stc=1&d=1290142012

The LEDs I used were the part-number RL5-WW15030 from SuperBrightLEDs.com. You will need 7 LEDs per light. $0.99 each.

It would be interesting to get a couple of the Ikea lights and do a comparison with them too.

GK

[Greg Ketell]

This last set is the new LED light compared to a 20w CFL both mounted on the ways 2 feet away from the bowl.

First is no lights (really dark so I can leave the camera alone between shots)
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167640&stc=1&d=1290143423

Then just the LED:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167642&stc=1&d=1290143433

Then just the CFL:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167641&stc=1&d=1290143423

Then both:
http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=167643&stc=1&d=1290143433

The LED is brighter but much much narrower.

[John Keeton]

Neat comparison, Greg!! I have a light mounted behind my ways on my lathe bench, and it works fairly well. But, I would prefer if it were taller and could cast the light more from above. I like shadows when I turn, so I like the light raking across the piece.

I have contemplated one of the LED lights, and I appreciate you taking the time to post this.