LED versus regular flashlight bulb...more strudy?

[path1]

Is an LED bulb more sturdy than regular flashlight bulb? I now longer life and less elec but what about when I drop flashlight? Does LED as fragile as regular bulbs?

[F1bNorm]

Try an LED Coast Inspection beam flashlight. It casts an even light from edge to edge without a glaring hot spot. See: https://coastportland.com/technology/#/flashlightopticstech/269

It's a new to me technology and has become my favorite light when looking for that dropped part or looking in the storage bin. I prefer it over my Pelican light which puts out a blinding, long range beam. They're not expensive and usually on display (you can try them) at the popular hardware stores.

Norm

[Larry-D]

As a fire investigator I use both. LEDs work great for longevity and lower battery use compared to an incandescent. However for me I can't see shadows as well with LEDs so sometimes I have to get out the old regular flashlight.

Totally operator preference.

[Jerrybo66]

I was always of the opinion that alkaline batteries were to be used in electronics and standard batteries in flashlights. My camping lantern instructions say to use alkaline batteries. Are LEDs considered more in the electronics line? I don't use them often enough to notice any difference..... :?

[Harvey51]

LED flashlights get at least 5 times as much light from the batteries. They are inherently twice as bright because all the light goes forward. Reflectors can save a portion of the backward light from a filament but not a high percentage. Loss in the glass lens is probably only 10% and the lens can focus to a narrow beam close to the diffraction limit for the tiny size of the LED, which is spectacular.

The flashlights I linked earlier can handle drops on the floor most of the time but occasionally they die. Possibly as frequently as incandescents.

[wa8yxm]

PHysically a LED can take quite a beating, SHort of smashing it with a hammer not much can damage it

Electrically it's a bit more delicate Too much current.. (Well a regular light bulb is like this too) and it's toast.. THe difference is the Regular light can takm "Too much current" (up to a point) longer than the LED.

FInally. Beside this computer is a flashlight 1200 Lumen, about the same as a 100 Watt Incandescent lamp... it draws about 1 amp at 3 volts.. That is 3 watts.

If every person Store Factory and Warehouse in the uS, If Every street lightm was converted to LED.. Imagine the number of power plants we could close down,

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

path1 wrote:
Is an LED bulb more sturdy than regular flashlight bulb? I now longer life and less elec but what about when I drop flashlight? Does LED as fragile as regular bulbs?

🙂 Hi, from my experience you might not like it. An incandescent bulb shines all around and makes use of the flashlight's reflector. An LED bulb shines forward only. LED flashlights make use of a lens made to work with the bulb. I use LED bulbs in cheap flashlights where I just need some light and to save on the batteries.

[Harvey51]

I can't resist offering a hot tip for the Christmas stocking. This $2 LED flashlight is amazing
Ebay.ca
(Canadian eBay site; use eBay .com in the US)

The 6000 lumin rating is likely an exaggeration but it is pretty bright for one AA battery. It can also use the Chinese 14500 rechargeable battery same size as AA but with double the voltage. I bought some of those and they seem to double the brightness but not multiply it by four as you might expect from power formulas for resistive loads.

It focuses like a searchlight - when we stayed on the 16th floor of a hotel I used one to illuminate our van in the parking lot across the street. Alas now it can't be delivered to me in northern Alberta in time for Christmas. But I did order 20 of them a month ago. And shipping is likely quicker to the USA.

[path1]

OP here...
OK thanks folks...Bulb on amazon is not cheap. Wanted to make sure LED replacement was worth the money.

[rexlion]

LEDs are the only kind I want for my flashlights any more. Overall they last much longer and are far less likely to burn out.

[Lwiddis]

I prefer the light from incandescent super bulbs...yes, I have both...regardless of the breakability issue.

[Matt_Colie]

Let's be specific OK?

In a flashlight situation, an LED sensitivity is just not an issue. That is unless you manage to load it with very wrong cells. And as those wrong cells would be WAY more expensive, I don't see this as much of a risk.

Damage from a single drop is not much of an issue for either if they are cold. But, put the heat on an incandescent and drop it and we had a new ball game that the old light bulb just lost....
That is, unless it was actually an new (not very available these days) Quartz-Iodine bulb. They have much more substantial envelopes (made of fused quartz) and better internal support to operate a higher temperatures.

Now vibration is yet another thing. An LED may suffer if it carried all over **** and gone on the floor of an MB2 or CJ3 Jeep. But, the only reason the others might not is that the vibration might cause the connections to be buffed clean. This is like that flashlight that you have to turn on and shake.

That is my take on it from years of carrying a flash light that I might have to depend on at any given moment.

Matt

[GordonThree]

It is a toss up. If you're prone to dropping things or banging them around, neither technology is indestructible. The LED flashlight has electronics that can be damaged by heat / thermal stress, impact and vibration. The hot wire bulb has a hot wire that can be damaged by impact and vibration but not much else.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

There are 50 solder points on an led bulb. That may have an effect due to vibration. I have one that flashes one led of about 30 on and off. It is highly annoying. I wish it would burn out--but no such luck!

[Ski_Pro_3]

LED is much sturdier than incandescent bulbs. They are solid state, no filament, which is the delicate part. However, they are sensitive to voltage. Too much and they fry. Good units are equiped with a voltage regulator to prevent voltage issues though.