LED... Build or Buy?

[_Adrian_]

Originally Posted by DSlater

I would say there are some things you can cheap out on if you go DIY but I wouldn't cheap out on the actual LED's. The output per watt really varies.

I have both DIY and one of the dimmable Chinese 120w off ebay. Went and bought the best LED's I could find for the DIY and the light output and quality does not compare. Visually I would say I get twice the light output per watt from the DIY than the ebay fixture, better colour as well.
I cheaped out on fans and power supplies... have had trouble with both...

I checked the both the "eBay" brand VS Cree and other units on the market.
If the datasheets are "accurate", they are in fact on par with the Cree XM-L units. However... The Cree units have a 3A draw VS the eBay brand at 900mA, which means that these units are more efficient than the Cree units.

But then again... It is eBay. Some are good finds and some are just assembly house rejects. I will get a couple of these units and confirm first...