Gary Blair Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 As indicated above there is a great "risk/reward" element in dealing with China. I personally think the risk is too great. Even those that have dealt with these manufacturers for years and in person have been burned. Just ask Paul S. at CDI about the 2008 shipment he received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champion Sound Entertainment Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 xXx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Well, here is my standpoint.I'm not going to install 'big box store' LEDs on any commercial project. Why? They fail more often the LEDs from (for example) CDI. The reliability of the LEDs from CDI (and other vendors here) far exceeds anything you'll find in the big box stores.This past season I found myself in Arizona helping on a project. When they had LEDs flickering, want to guess where I got them from? Yep. CDI. Wasn't about to tell them they should get them anywhere else. Last I checked that part of Arizona isn't all that harsh of weather, and yet the LEDs still failed.People are offering you their advise based on their past experience with LEDs. I doubt anyone here is getting a commission from the vendors for recommending their product. (At least I know I don't.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 And know we know why I despise the ability to edit a post.Here is what was posted, for the record.Champion Sound Entertainment wrote: Im actually looking into it myself - I was quoted for 500-2000 strands of lights between $2-5 with shipping about $100 per box of 250 lights. So from my standpoint im probably going to buy much more than I need and then put the rest in the front of my store and buy a banner saying we sell LEDs. I figure if i dont sell them at least i will have gotten alot of LEDs really cheap. Ive always wanted to go full LED but at the moment i have about 80k incans and to switch that over to LED at full retail price just isnt nearly worth the price to me.Alot of people have been quick to say you get what you pay for etc. etc. - the fact remains is ALL these lights come from china. You just have to look around to get the right lights - also im from san diego so the worst the weather gets here is about 40-50 degrees at night and we get almost no rainfall - but when i lived in colorado for a few years we had the cheapo LED out on the front of our store and it would snow hail rain and then be sunny the next day then dump a foot of snow the next. Our cheap LEDs did just fine. I bought about 20 strands 5 years ago and they still all work to this day...So even though I appreciate people's advice, im always a bit skeptical from what their standpoint may be - id like to think everyone is speaking from their heart and of true experience, but if i believed everything everyone ever said i would be a foolish fool. But when I hear that people buy the "big box" leds from walmart or what not and that the majority of them fail...i just cant help to think there are other motives at play - or you have some seriously harsh weather...My previous message was in reply to that post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I have to agree that it is a risk reward thing.. I tend to believe if you connect with the right supplier the risk will go down. I am not doing commercial projects with Christmas lights so I have no issue with going to China to get lights.. if it is worth it.. But like someone said.. CDI got burned bad one year.. I would hate that to happen to me..I too have quote requests in with Alibaba and perhaps the 40 thieves.. ha ha.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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