Light bulb price rant...

[Bailey28]

Took out the instrument panel on my 84 Elco to replace a burnt out bulb. The entire panel takes 9 bulbs total. I removed the old LED bulbs the previous owner installed as they don't work with the dimmer anyway. I had to remove the whole panel due to one of the sockets popping out of the back side of the panel when I pulled the bulb out and attempted to install a new one. There is no way to get it back in place with the panel installed.

I go to Wal Mart to find a two pack of Sylvania 168LL bulbs. $9.88. What in Jesus' name.... have they gone insane? Similar finds everywhere else, $7-10 for the two pack... no way man..

I found them on Amazan for $4.25 shipped free but **** these things used to be so cheap.

OK moving on, rant over.

 

[97prizm]

I didn't realize that they went up that nuch. Isn't there a similar bulb with a similar base cheaper or am I thinking of a different bulb?

 

[skyactiv]

The same bulbs in Walmart stores are $4.78. But who knows, maybe WM charges more buy in store instead of buying online and picking up at the store. https://www.walmart.com/ip/SYLVANIA...9?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1103&from=/search

 

[bdcardinal]

Yup, bulbs went up a bunch. Get people yelling at me about it all the time. Unless I need it right away, Bezosland has Sylvania for cheap.

 

[Bailey28]

Where I am the price is $9.88 on the shelf behind locked glass cases now. SkyActive buy them up and resell them. Tons of suggested bulbs too, 161, 194, etc. however they have slightly different wattages. I checked ebay and most every Sylvania 168 was at least as expensive.

 

[zfasts03]

rockauto.com and 1000bulbs.com may be a better option, especially if you stock up on a bunch and pay shipping once.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

You can get a 10-pack for that price online.

In-store, Napa has them for 99c each

 

[f355spider]

I get the majority of my automotive bulbs online. I always buy extras to keep on hand. I noticed the price increases several years ago. I just try to stick with name brands, Philips, Osram, Hella or Sylvania

 

[Carmudgeon]

I throw bulbs in as filler items on parts orders, and keep a small stash of the most common types.

A long life Osram/Sylvania P21W (7506) is ~$2 each from a parts house. $2.75 from Wallyworld, $3 from Bezosland, and $4.25 at the local parts chain store.

Parts houses, and places like NAPA that source them individually from bulk packs are cheapest, but the source will vary. Branded retail blister multi-packs the costliest.

 

[johnmyster]

memotronics.com

 

[normal username]

Wow that's straight up price gouging. It's $4.78 for a pair of those here. Or maybe I should buy a pair and keep it stashed while they're still cheap....

 

[Owen Lucas]

HAHA! You guys were making fun of me when I bought all of the incandescent light bulbs at Home Depot for pennies on the dollar before the ban. I have enough bulbs to last me for the next 20 years. WHOS LAUGHING NOW?

 

[JoeDirt41]

Go to Advance Auto and ask for the Carquest brand. They come in packs of 10 but can be sold individually. Most stores keep them behind the counter and reserve them for shops but walk in customers can buy them. They are very affordable.

 

[eljefino]

I get LED 194's ten for a buck. Obviously incandescent ones are nicer for instruments but they're still a "shop supply" I get online in ten packs from rockauto or ebay. Aliexpress may be a contender too.

 

[f355spider]

HAHA! You guys were making fun of me when I bought all of the incandescent light bulbs at Home Depot for pennies on the dollar before the ban. I have enough bulbs to last me for the next 20 years. WHOS LAUGHING NOW?

Not really. At the time, it may have made sense, because LED and CFLs were terrible, with poor color rendering index and very cool, bluish tones. I put a few halogens away at the time, as at least they have a high CRI, but only minimal energy savings. Now, the technology has matured. CFLs are out, and LEDs are in, and LEDs are dropping quickly in price and have very high CRI ratings for nice natural lighting. And bonus, great life and low power usage.

 

[dogememe]

Go to O’Reilly and ask for a box of 10, like $10 retail last time I checked. Some stores stock the most common numbers in that format. Worst case you have to order the box of 10 for the next morning.

 

[Rmay635703]

Took out the instrument panel on my 84 Elco to replace a burnt out bulb. The entire panel takes 9 bulbs total. I removed the old LED bulbs the previous owner installed as they don't work with the dimmer anyway. I had to remove the whole panel due to one of the sockets popping out of the back side of the panel when I pulled the bulb out and attempted to install a new one. There is no way to get it back in place with the panel installed.

I go to Wal Mart to find a two pack of Sylvania 168LL bulbs. $9.88. What in Jesus' name.... have they gone insane? Similar finds everywhere else, $7-10 for the two pack... no way man..

I found them on Amazan for $4.25 shipped free but **** these things used to be so cheap.

OK moving on, rant over.

I just bought a bunch from AAP for 50 cents a pack

 

[Bailey28]

Got the project done, all dash lights work fine. They have this flimsy printed circuit board where the light socket twists and locks into.

The bulbs I used were $2.99 for a two pack Phillips 168 5w bulbs at RKing. I went to Napa and they sold me five 17177n bulbs for $2.69 each for the corner lights.

Wattage rating on these small bulbs seem fairly consistent at about 4-5 watts. However the brightness varies. The Philips 168 bulb is rated at 38 lumens where the Napa 17177n is rated at 50 lumens. The 194 type bulbs are 38 lumens as well.

The 12 lumens makes a noticeable difference. I used the Napa bulbs in the marker lights on the outside of the car. The Philips 168 bulbs light up the dash but they could be a little brighter.

GM also has a W5W bulb that is rated at 50 lumens.

I think some of these bulbs are rated at 12v and others at 13 or 14 volts. In other words it seems they are all over the map.
Rmay, do you know if the ones you bought at AAP are the 50 lumen rated?

 

[Rmay635703]

Got the project done, all dash lights work fine. They have this flimsy printed circuit board where the light socket twists and locks into.

The bulbs I used were $2.99 for a two pack Phillips 168 5w bulbs at RKing. I went to Napa and they sold me five 17177n bulbs for $2.69 each for the corner lights.

Wattage rating on these small bulbs seem fairly consistent at about 4-5 watts. However the brightness varies. The Philips 168 bulb is rated at 38 lumens where the Napa 17177n is rated at 50 lumens. The 194 type bulbs are 38 lumens as well.

The 12 lumens makes a noticeable difference. I used the Napa bulbs in the marker lights on the outside of the car. The Philips 168 bulbs light up the dash but they could be a little brighter.

GM also has a W5W bulb that is rated at 50 lumens.

I think some of these bulbs are rated at 12v and others at 13 or 14 volts. In other words it seems they are all over the map.
Rmay, do you know if the ones you bought at AAP are the 50 lumen rated?

They don’t list lumens some are 5 watt others are 12 watt
I also bought a pair of zevo 10k blue led 168’s that are 1 watt.

Haven’t tested but considering my running lights are very dim 168’s on the Honda insight I figured I would test to see if any actually are visible in daylight.