Be sure that you install your lighting at the front of the cabinet, not the back. At the front, it illuminates the counter. At the back it illuminates the backsplash and causes shadows. Mine are xenon pucks. (If you get LED, make sure they aren't "blue," but a warm color. The first ones that came out were too blue. I can't help with brands, though) I suppose the pucks do give off uneven light, but it isn't something I notice. I probably would more if that's the only lights I had on. But I love light and I have them all on. The undercabinet lights have a beautiful color and everything looks so sparkley, even a drainer of dishes! My cabinets had a false bottom put in and the pucks are in that, although they still do come below the bottom by not quite 1/2 inch. There's more stuff that had to go into that hidden space besides just the pucks - wiring, an electrical box, etc. I still have a light right, but it is very shallow. I can't see the pucks when I am standing, but from sitting at the kitchen table, I can, although like beekeeperswife, I don't mind that. Sorry about your BIL and his comments and lack of compliments. And about DH not standing up for you or standing with you.

Hi sprtphntc (if that is your real name ;-) ). I haven't been back to Gardenweb in awhile. I saw your post on the Seagull and thought I would chime in. I installed a similar product in my kitchen and posted some info on the link below. I thought the Trac 12 was better built than the Seagull and the mini track construction is better than the wire piercing method. But it is your choice, Juno might be more expensive. Some comments on your post.. - 600 watt transformer sounds like an outdoor landscape lighting transformer. Not meant for this application. It could exceed the maximum rating of the system, be sure to check. This could be a hazard if you are pushing too much current through too small a conductor. - 10W bulbs 4" apart will be very bright. Too bright. We put 10W bulbs about 8-10" apart and rarely crank them up to max. - Make sure your dimmer type matches your transformer type. Magnetic transformers need dimmers designed for them, these are usually NOT the dimmers you find in the big box stores. - Yes the transformer does hum slightly. You really need to try to hear it. I don't notice it. Torroidal (sp?) transformers may be quieter, but are usually more expensive. They are also a bit more efficient. - We LOVE our low voltage UCL. We also put them on top of the cabinets and it throws a nice light onto the ceiling. - Hard to install??? Depends. How handy are you? Do you have access inside the walls to run wire? - The biggest thing people overlook with low voltage is thinking it is no big deal and 'safe.' But what you may not realize is that the transformer steps UP the current by a factor of 10. So the quality of wire you use must be appropriate for the application, especailly if you are running it inside walls. Do your reseach and be safe. Here is a link that might be useful: Juno Trac 12

I just went back to check the display in our local store that carries both Kichler and Seagull. They have a display setup with undercabinet lights over a dark granite countertop. It shows lights mounted near the front vs near the back for comparison. They also compare strip/linear lights vs a white enclosed box similar to what I have seen for many fluorescent and xenon lights. Even with the lights off, the white box reflected too much in the granite, and it was blinding when the lights were on. In addition to mounting the strip along the front edge to the cabinet, they added a small L-shaped channel of aluminum to cover the lights--all light is directed toward the backsplash. You could not see any reflection at all. I believe this would be a simple addition to any brand of linear/strip lighting. Because Jon reminded me that some people have had complaints about Kichler linear system, we eliminated that brand. Pegasus sounds good and I will use that website for information, but we probably will go with Seagull because it is readily available locally and the store seems very familiar with the product. Jon, thanks for the reminder about the gauge of the wire. I don't think about such things, but I will be sure the electrician pays attention to matching his wire to our system.

Have you looked for a compact fluorescent (non-unitary) lumnaire that will mount under the cabinet? Quad tube might be bulky, but someone might make twin-tube lamp luminaires. Otherwise, you might be stuck with some configuration of warm-color light emitting decoration. 8-watt tube T5 luminaires are available that are just under 12". but the variety might not include anything pretty and I don't know about lamp quality.