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Matt Meiser
08-20-2012, 9:36 PM
Any recommendations? The current front runner is at Lowes. They have 2 different systems available. One interconnects with cords and plugs into outlets. The other you supply the wire, which I'd still wire a cord on to plug into existing switched outlets above the cabinets after snaking the wire inside or between cabinets as needed. Anything else I should look at?

Jamie Buxton
08-20-2012, 10:13 PM
LEDs now come in two different colors. The original white color looks like fluorescent's cool white. There's now a warm white LED. It is better than the cool white.

Matt Meiser
08-20-2012, 10:59 PM
These are "soft white"--3000K. According to Wikipedia (so you KNOW its right :rolleyes:) that's in the middle of the incandescent range.

Jamie Buxton
08-20-2012, 11:40 PM
These are "soft white"--3000K. According to Wikipedia (so you KNOW its right :rolleyes:) that's in the middle of the incandescent range.

There's lots of attempts to describe fluorescents and now LEDs with equivalent color temperature and Color Rendering Index and stuff. I think some of it is science, and some of it is marketing. You can read about it until it drives you crazy, but a less-confusing approach is to go look at the lamps. Your eye is what matters. To my eye, the first-generation white LEDs were darn near blue, the second-generation warm-white LEDs are better, and halogens are still the best color. As always YMMV.

Moses Yoder
08-21-2012, 2:01 PM
I am not familiar with the Lowes lights, but are they puck lights or strip lights? Strip lights give a better overall lighting but are generally more expensive. You can spend a lot of money on lighting. If you want to, take a look at the Hafele site. This page on LOOX lighting has various style of puck lights which is their less expensive lighting. http://www.hafele.com/us/news-and-events/showroom-events/led-lighting-system-loox.asp I would guess for a small kitchen outfitted with these you would end up having about $500 or so in materials.

Matt Meiser
08-21-2012, 2:50 PM
They are strips with the newer style LEDs where you actually see the die instead of a little plastic bubble with the die embedded inside.

Dennis Peacock
08-21-2012, 5:49 PM
Hey Matt.....I'm looking at doing this to my kitchen cabinet lighting.....

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-LED-Under-Counter-Lighting-that-ROCKS/

Moses Yoder
08-22-2012, 8:22 AM
They are strips with the newer style LEDs where you actually see the die instead of a little plastic bubble with the die embedded inside.

That is probably a pretty good light for the money. Unless you are super picky and want to become an electrician and build your own as in the example above, or if you want to spend exponentially more to get a better quality light, the Lowes light will probably be sufficient.

Matt Meiser
08-22-2012, 8:41 AM
Dennis, that is cool but I do not need another project at them moment! :D

Jerome Stanek
08-22-2012, 12:47 PM
I use a lot of these and the company I work for uses them for under lighting cabinets

eBay item 110431109277

Bruce Page
08-22-2012, 1:46 PM
Matt, we did not like any of the Borg or Amazon offerings when we remodeled. We ended up purchasing from a local lighting business. After looking at several different manufactures displays we chose the Cascade Light bar from Diode Led. They stay relatively cool to the touch and offered the best color & brightness of any we looked at. We love that they are also fully dimmable. Our electrician also said that they had an excellent reputation for reliability.
They were more money than the Borg/Amazon offerings but I look at these things as a “cry once” purchase. LOML loves them.

http://www.diodeled.com/products-view.php?id=37 (http://www.diodeled.com/products-view.php?id=37)

Jefferey Scott
08-23-2012, 8:42 AM
Matt,

I'm planning on using these for my kitchen remodel: http://inspiredled.com/

They get good reviews on Amazon and they are reasonably priced. Give em a look.