Feit LED Tubes at Costco

[skon1212]

So I have been reading up on the Feit LED Tube lights at Costco that you can use to replace your current flourescent tube lights. Well I just had 2 of them start flickering so time to replace the old flourescents. Some have said in the reviews that if you are replacing t-12 lights the LED's use more energy due to the ballast. I beleive my current tubes are T-12 even though it doesnt say on the light itself.
Anyway, people have said if you use ballast bypass tube led's you get the energy savings. Can i just bypass the ballast by rewiring the fixture as I have seen on Youtube or do you need a specific LED tube light in order to use on a ballast bypass light fixture?
These are the LED tubes I am talking about.
https://www.costco.com/Feit-4-FT-LED-Replacement-Tubes,-4-pack.product.100235288.html

 

[elsberry]

You need a specific type of tube to be able to rewire the light to bypass the ballast. I haven’t used these specific bulbs but have a set of bulbs that work with an existing ballast that were awful. Not bright at all and I took them out immediately. Put in bypass tubes and life is good.

 

[99LeCouch]

Those say to use with a ballast. Either find the sort that bypass the ballast or put the $40 toward the Feit integrated LED shop lights. I have had 3 of the Feit lights for a few years now with no issues.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I put in the FEIT tubes that use the ballast and had no problems with them, though given the choice I'd much rather go with the bypass tubes as one of my ballasts had gone bad and now needed replacement just to make the bulbs work that don't actually need a ballast at all, just another failure point. In my new garage I replaced four incandescent fixtures with 36W lights from Omni-Ray out of WI and they're definitely brighter than the FEIT tubes I had.

 

[skon1212]

I have a Feit Costco shop light that you plug in and I like it but I want one I can control with my garage light switch(Direct Wire). I guess I was wrong to assume that I could just pull the ballast out of the current fixture and still use those tubes. Kind of bummed I cant.

 

[cybrdyke]

So I have been reading up on the Feit LED Tube lights at Costco that you can use to replace your current flourescent tube lights. Well I just had 2 of them start flickering so time to replace the old flourescents. Some have said in the reviews that if you are replacing t-12 lights the LED's use more energy due to the ballast. I beleive my current tubes are T-12 even though it doesnt say on the light itself.
Anyway, people have said if you use ballast bypass tube led's you get the energy savings. Can i just bypass the ballast by rewiring the fixture as I have seen on Youtube or do you need a specific LED tube light in order to use on a ballast bypass light fixture?
These are the LED tubes I am talking about.
https://www.costco.com/Feit-4-FT-LED-Replacement-Tubes,-4-pack.product.100235288.html

Dont buy these tubes.
Feit makes and sells garbage. To specifically answer your question, LED tubes that run on the existing ballasts are normally designed to run on T8 electronic ballasts. If you have T12 ballasts, then these wont work anyway. Look at the reviews and you'll see that most of the bad reviews were from people who had T12 fixtures.
These tubes will not work without the ballast, so you cant use them that way either.
If you want to use LED tubes, get a "double-end powered" ballast bypass tube from a reputable brand like GE, Philips, LedVance, Maxlite, Satco, Keystone, etc...
Skip the garbage on ebay.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I'm not a Feit fan, either. Seen too many of them go bad waaay too soon.
I just got three of these:

https://www.bjs.com/product/name/3000000000001384248

I've installed two in the boiler room. They're REALLY bright. The only thing I don't like is the clear lenses. I'd prefer frosted, but for the price they are fantastic.

Tommy

 

[fourjeepin]

If you want to use LED tubes, get a "double-end powered" ballast bypass tube from a reputable brand like GE, Philips, LedVance, Maxlite, Satco, Keystone, etc...

Why do you recommend doubled ended? I have some of each and am curious about the difference.

 

[cybrdyke]

Why do you recommend doubled ended? I have some of each and am curious about the difference.

Easier to re-wire the fixture, safer if someone accidentally installs a fluorescent back into the socket, works with more kinds of sockets, industry is trending toward this style, so more options are available.
CD

 

[Showkey]

The drop in LED bulb issue is as variable as the weather.

2015 I did a FEIT LED drop in swap of T8 and few T12 fixtures:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302649&highlight=Feit+drop+bulbs

Those bulbs are still in service today with no issues, excellent performance and the pantry/mud room is switched on and off 20-40 times per day. In 2015 the LED bulbs were almost twice the price they are now. So the economics have changed.

On the purchase name brands. I purchased a carton of Sylvania LED drop in bulbs at Menards. The bulbs would not function in Menards T8 High performance shop lights. The FEIT bulbs worked fine and the LOWES bulbs had a close out sale on LED Utilitech drop in last year for less than $1.00 per bulb. Those Lowe’s bulbs also functioned in the T8 shop light but did not function in a T12 fixture. There were several write ups on the Utilitech bulbs.

Drop in Feit LED vs Sylvania T8 LED
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302649&highlight=Feit+drop+bulbs

LED fixture and bulbs..........A good practice is keep the receipt and purchase from a seller where they can easily be returned.
The LED regular incandescent bulb replacement bulbs are now so cheap ( often less than a $1.00) the return and replacement is not worth the effort.

Slightly different but related topic:
There are at least 20-40 threads on The Costco shop light FEIT fixtures often sold for about $20.00.

 

[Bretny]

Im on year 2 of the $39 for 6 4ft amazon leds. Screw the brackets up and plug them in. No rewireing, no balist or even old housings.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Im on year 2 of the $39 for 6 4ft amazon leds. Screw the brackets up and plug them in. No rewireing, no balist or even old housings.

Do you have a link?

I'm on week one for four 48" fixture/ bulbs from Omni-Ray lighting for $87, they work save for one end that's dead so I can't link them together. The warranty folks have promised to ship another one out so I'm pleased with their service so far.

 

[leebo]

The ballast are what wastes the energy. If you don't get rid of the ballast your not doing much good. Anything that creates heat is wasting energy.

 

[Showkey]

The ballast are what wastes the energy. If you don't get rid of the ballast your not doing much good. Anything that creates heat is wasting energy.

NOT TRUE..........Ballast in or out makes very little difference.

Measured light output and power consumption on the FEIT drop in bulbs:
44% less power used and 30 % more LUX output ..........

 

[Platonic Solid]

NOT TRUE..........Ballast in or out makes very little difference.

Ballast and ballast factor makes a difference. See the GreenTek spec sheet (link) - (they have a typo on their spec sheet - low ballast factor should = 0.78, not 1.10)

Doing the calculation:
140 L/W without ballast
125 L/W with ballast

Not huge, but it's something.

 

[pepi]

I have a Feit Costco shop light that you plug in and I like it but I want one I can control with my garage light switch(Direct Wire). I guess I was wrong to assume that I could just pull the ballast out of the current fixture and still use those tubes. Kind of bummed I cant.

These will work like you say you want..... The tubes are 7 bucks.

Changed out 30, eliminated 15 ballast over a year ago, nice and bright today, no replacements.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/shop-lights-garage-led-lighting/

As to energy saving WhoTF cares. No one can or has yet to post a before and after electric bill. To back up that claim, of any worth while savings.

 

[Platonic Solid]

...As to energy saving WhoTF cares. No one can or has yet to post a before and after electric bill. To back up that claim, of any worth while savings.

I've seen posts with stated savings. It's a simple calculation. Depends where you live and how many fixtures we're talking about. Might not feel it much with the low rates in GA, but for me in CT it matters.

I wouldn't buy Feit though.

 

[Bretny]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBT3BVM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They go on sale from time to time. There linkable end to end or tou can run them off there own cords. I like that i can run 4 or 5 along the ceiling and light up 1/4 of the garage and not light two spots really well. I have very few dark corners in my garage. They arnt UL approved if i remember right.

 

[threeputt]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HBT3BVM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They go on sale from time to time. There linkable end to end or tou can run them off there own cords. I like that i can run 4 or 5 along the ceiling and light up 1/4 of the garage and not light two spots really well. I have very few dark corners in my garage. They arnt UL approved if i remember right.

I updated 7 fixtures to these 8 footers. Worked like a dream. I ordered four to begin with and I had one defective tube. They sent me a box of 12 what they told me they could not sell as they were returns . Free shipping included. Only got one bad one of those. They are in my shop and I did them myself . The UL thing is not a problem for me. I am the only one that uses this old shop. Nice and bright. Would buy again from them.

 

[cybrdyke]

I updated 7 fixtures to these 8 footers. Worked like a dream. I ordered four to begin with and I had one defective tube. They sent me a box of 12 what they told me they could not sell as they were returns . Free shipping included. Only got one bad one of those. They are in my shop and I did them myself . The UL thing is not a problem for me. I am the only one that uses this old shop. Nice and bright. Would buy again from them.

That's what makes them a homeowners product vs a commercial lighting product. In the lighting world, 12% failure rate is completely unacceptable at any price, no matter how friendly the service is.
I'm glad they took care of you, though.
CD

 

[Showkey]

That's what makes them a homeowners product vs a commercial lighting product. In the lighting world, 12% failure rate is completely unacceptable at any price, no matter how friendly the service is.
I'm glad they took care of you, though.
CD

Agree......in the auto industry we would have full investigation on .5% failure or warranty claim activity on any one part or system. Warning bells and watch list at .25%.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Update from my post on 1/29/19. I still haven't received a replacement light from the one that arrived faulty and only today received a very condescending email from the owner. In addition I've had another failure, one of the unacceptably thin gauge clips that hold the fixtures has broken so I had to take it down to keep it from falling. I'm now at a 50% failure rate and have zero resolution so far. I would recommend not doing business with Omni-Ray lighting, if you have a failure they will not stand behind their product in a timely manner!