Need some SMD LED recommendations for lighting up area.

[Jackster]

Need to light up my CNC workspace. Looking for recommendations on some low cost, bright daylight SMD LEDs.
(The small ones that are no more than 6x6mm, ~0.5w)

There are so many of them from all sorts of brands.
I know Cree are really good but $$$, OSRAM are okay though I am sure Mike will say otherwise :p


So yea, what are you guys using?

Thanks
Jack,

[floobydust]

I suggest getting some 5050 LED SMD strip lighting off eBay, waterproof if you have coolant spray to worry about. They are 5x5mm parts.

Buying Cree LED's from Digikey or Mouser is expensive, and then you have to reinvent the light bulb getting a PCB made with heatsinking etc. The XP-LED's are best with Mcore (aluminum) PCB, but tricky to solder with hot air.

The chinese 3W bead LED's on eBay are just as bright and you can buy them pre-mounted on aluminum PCB's so you just need to add a PSU and heatsink.
It maybe easier to just buy an LED bulb from the hardware store.