[DB]

I have at least 200 compact fluorescent in my house.

I've been using them for 2 years now. Some of them are on 16 hours a day. I've replaced maybe 8 now. Not bad.

They are in recessed can lights and the vast majority are 14 watt bulbs replacing 60 watt incandescents. Electricity is expensive where I live and the bulbs pay for themselves many times over in energy costs.

You get what you pay for. Buy cheap CFLs and get poor quality both in reliability and light.

The ones I use come on really fast. Because of that they can be used in hallways, etc. They have no detectable flicker and would be safe for lighting moving machinery.

[wolf78]

You get what you pay for. Buy cheap CFLs and get poor quality both in reliability and light.

Simple as that. Quality CFL last several times longer than incandescents, the have full brightness right from the start and the light quality is (while not great) quite OK.

If you use "two for a buck" CFLs, that's often not the case.

[arjay]

How do you legally dispose of them when they die?

Are they really a danger when they break?

That is my big complaint when considering them.