Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The 40W fluorescents (150-200W equivalent) are hard to find in most brick and mortar stores (they like to sell the smaller 40W and the 100W equivalents) so I was double-happy when I saw this one at Amazon. First, because Amazon carries it and second because it's available under super-savers' shipping. Talking about the item itself: - you WILL experience some delay when you turn it on but it's hardly noticeable, like maybe 1/10 of a second - once it's on, unlike the 'cheaper' fluorescents that need to warm up, it shines at or close to full brightness immediately - it's a bulky, significantly wider and longer than the 150W incandescent equivalents and it may not fit all fixtures where a regular 150W bulb used to fit - does not work well with a dimmer - it's either on or off [I tried it with one and it did come on at full brightness but something is telling me that you may shorten its life when used this way] - the light is bright, so bright, I would not stare at it directly - I did once and I saw 'ghosts' for the next 15-30 minutes - the color of light is closer to 'solar' than what our 'incandescents' deliver, less yellow, more blue - unlike neon lights, there's no flicker - it consumes less power when compared to an incandescent The above were my subjective comments. Here are the specs, as the manufacturer lists them: - Light output: 2800 lumens - Energy used: 42W - Life: 8000 hrs. - Color temperature: 6500K - Electric charge: 610mA The major issue I have with the fluorescents is their lifespan. Maybe I am unlucky but, after replacing nearly all my light bulbs in the house - a few dozen - they seem to burn out more often. My first couple 40W I bought a few years ago (a different brand), in fact, died after about one year, I hope this is not the case again because we are paying top dollar for these environmentally nice devices. So far, I see no reason not to award this bulb 5 stars but, if it dies on me before 2-3 years, I promise to come back and update my review. For the record, the maker promises a 7-year lifespan and $152 (???) savings per bulb. ______________________________________________________________ December 2013 update: On their 55th month, they (I bought a 2-pack) are as bright and shiny as on 'day one' and they've been on for many hours because I telecommute most of the time and my office is in the basement. I haven't done the math but I'm quite confident that they've paid for themselves already, probably several times over. I bought 2 more in December, 2009 and no burnouts yet.