Okay guys I got the final answer on this for everybody with their older Frontgate pre-lit incandescent bulb Christmas trees. I just got off the phone with the Frontgate product specialist team. I was on the phone with them for about 45 minutes and we went through all the digital product archives, old hardcopy files and talked to a veteran parts specialist that has been there forever (and who coincidentally has one of these older Frontgate pre-lit trees so she went through this exact same issue to replace her bulbs) and I now have exactly what you guys need spec-wise to replace your older Frontgate pre-lit Christmas tree incandescent bulbs. (mine in particular is the 2009 9' slim fraser tree but this is applicable to all the older Frontgate pre-lit trees as they used the same incandescent bulbs on all their trees until they moved to the newer LED ones). The bulbs that you need are the 612 Vermont 2.5V Clear Mini Christmas Replacement Bulbs for Christmas Trees and Incandescent String Lights, Pinched Base, 100 Count from AMAZON mentioned above BUT you need to buy the 2.5v / .42 Watt / 170 mA version as those are the exact ones that Frontgate used in all those trees not the .25 Watt / 100 mA or .50 Watt / 200mA versions as previously mentioned above. The .42 Watt / 170 mA version will match your Frontgate lights exactly brightness-wise, color-wise and power-wise so you can optimize aesthetics and durability. The link is below - hope this helps solve everything once and for all and all the best to everyone! :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07YXDVCCB?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

Betty’s Christmas House has closed :(( I just tried to order more 93912 bulbs for our Frontgate tree. I have replaced about 180 bulbs with what we ordered from Betty’s and I wanted to have more just in case. I might try the Amazon bulbs that cdsiii so kindly posted a link for. The only issue is I have arthritis in my hands and it will be very hard to thread the bulb into each socket. Does anyone else have a source for the bulbs already in the socket that would fit the older Frontgate trees?

After much research, I think I might have found something! The bulbs on the Frontgate trees are "pinched" at the base, which is why no others will fit into the bulb holder (I'm sure there is a name for this, but I don't know it). I found the bulbs on a couple of websites, and I have shared a link below for Amazon. There are several wattage options, but I believe that 42 watt are what we are all looking for. I hope this helps someone!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YXDVCCB?pf_rd_r=XCE22M402ZZK6Q9RJVJA&pf_rd_p=a712d25e-094e-4a8b-b495-0be41c4dbcc9&th=1

UPDATE: The "pinched base" bulbs I ordered from Amazon (link above) worked great! Make sure you choose the 42 watt. I ordered 100 and used all but three! I will be ordering another box to keep on hand in case any go out over the next month.

We were plagued with the same problem. Our older Frontgate tree, which we love, started to have all the bulbs die due to its age.

The bulbs you need for a Frontgate tree are 2.5V / 0.42 Watt / 170mA "Pinched base" bulbs.

I ordered 50 of each color direct from 612Vermont.com. They fit and work perfectly. I noted that right now 612Vermont is out of most colors but you can still find them on Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/612-Vermont-Christmas-Replacement-Incandescent/dp/B07ZQQ763F/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=2.5V+pinched+base+bulb&qid=1607100302&sr=8-7 

Yes, totally second this answer!! It's ridiculous that it is so hard to find this information. There are several watt/mA options...as someone who has bought the wrong ones (the 200 mA version) I can tell you that the answer from Brian-burns- rochester is totally on target.

Thank you all for the info. I saw that Bettys Attic closed at the end of last year and knew that it was just a matter of time before this thread was revived. Thanks for locating these.

Guys reposted here from above....as I explain below THIS is the definitive answer on which incandescent lightbulbs you need to replace those on the Frontgate trees and the link to find them on Amazon. Happy holidays to everyone! :)

Okay guys I got the final answer on this for everybody with their older Frontgate pre-lit incandescent bulb Christmas trees. I just got off the phone with the Frontgate product specialist team. I was on the phone with them for about 45 minutes and we went through all the digital product archives, old hardcopy files and talked to a veteran parts specialist that has been there forever (and who coincidentally has one of these older Frontgate pre-lit trees so she went through this exact same issue to replace her bulbs) and I now have exactly what you guys need spec-wise to replace your older Frontgate pre-lit Christmas tree incandescent bulbs. (mine in particular is the 2009 9' slim fraser tree but this is applicable to all the older Frontgate pre-lit trees as they used the same incandescent bulbs on all their trees until they moved to the newer LED ones). The bulbs that you need are the 612 Vermont 2.5V Clear Mini Christmas Replacement Bulbs for Christmas Trees and Incandescent String Lights, Pinched Base, 100 Count from AMAZON mentioned above BUT you need to buy the 2.5v / .42 Watt / 170 mA version as those are the exact ones that Frontgate used in all those trees not the .25 Watt / 100 mA or .50 Watt / 200mA versions as previously mentioned above. The .42 Watt / 170 mA version will match your Frontgate lights exactly brightness-wise, color-wise and power-wise so you can optimize aesthetics and durability. The link is below - hope this helps solve everything once and for all and all the best to everyone! :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07YXDVCCB?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

I appreciate the information. I contacted Frontgate and the product specialist I dealt with was no help at all. She simply said to order 2.5V bulbs from Amazon. Based on cdsiii's post above I ordered a box of 2.5v / .42 Watt / 170 mA (Vermont 612). I replaced 30+ bulbs on my tree and wreath. Every single new bulb worked perfectly! I will probably order another box from Amazon as spares for the future. This post was very helpful!

The one point that keeps being missed is that the 2.5v / .42 watt / 170mA bulbs are the correct electric characteristics for our Frontgate trees. They also have to be “Pinched Base”. The links to the Vermont 612 bulbs on Amazon are correct but any pinched base bulb that is also 2.5v / .42 watt / 170 mA bulb will work.

Slotted or pinched base bulbs are available on Amazon and Ebay, several manufacturers and sellers. And yes, you Must match the volts and amps of the bulbs, or more and more bulbs will burn out. Having this problem with a tree from Sterling, and other light sets also need them

Does anyone have any idea where to find a compatible BASE? I figured out the bulbs on my own (wish I had found this thread sooner though :D)

But I‘ve lost a few bases that went flying - sure, they’re probably in the tree, but the tree is presently decorated so trying to get some spares.

Anyone found something that works?

From whoever made the light set, or the tree. Otherwise, you just have to put the new bulbs into the ones you have.

yes. I understand how this generally works.

the issue is Frontgate doesn’t sell replacements anymore - and the base isn’t a standard one that you can find

these appear to be an older version of the ”perm o snap” base from Bethlehem Lighting (they made the lights on the Frontgate trees I am pretty sure)

But I can’t “put the new bulbs into the ones I have” because I am MISSING a few - so right now one whole strand can’t be used because I’m short 3 bases.

okay I'm reading all the suggestions and just received my order of replacement bulbs from Amazon. I put one in and it did not light up. Is there a special way to put the bulb in? I just took the old bulb out and stuck the replacement bulb in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

There is no special way to put the bulb in it‘s base apart from making sure the wires are not twisted. They have to be straight into the base and then bent over exactly like the originals. There is lots to trouble shoot but first check the wires.

@angiefurbee are you replacing a single dead bulb in a working string or a dead bulb in a string that doesn’t light up at all?

Get the Light Keeper Pro gun at Home Depot. It will reconnect the circuit in your section of lights that are out and all will come on but the burnt out bulbs. We had several hundred lights out in different sections and all are lit now! Thought it was a gimmick but worked great and for several others I have recommended it to. Kept us and others from buying a new tree!!

There are about 100 out! It first started with one section , then another and another. I took out several bulbs after reading the other posts. Very tedious and gave up! I started pulling the strings of lights and planned on just getting new strings of lights.

I second the Lightkeeper Pro!! Its a seasonal item at Home Depot but can be ordered online. I picked up one at a Tuesday Morning being very skeptical but the price was right. Oh my I am so glad I did. This little device is nothing short of a miracle. it‘s saved tears and hours of frustration - not to mention cost of replacing a nice garland!! I’ve given them to friends and they love them! Watch the videos on the lightkeeper pro website. Really it works.

Can I have your old strings If you DO pull them out?

if you’re going to try to fix them, I just went through this and have some tips.

First though, let’s talk about why whole strings fail and how to avoid it in the future (my tree has 3 out, waiting to get fixed).

The whole string goes out when the shunt on a dead bulb fails. The shunt fails usually when the bulb gets too much voltage. The bulb gets too much voltage when too many bulbs on the string fail.

Each bulb is rated for 2.5 V, each string is 50 bulbs or 125 V - since we typically have 110-120 V power in the US each bulb only gets about 2.2-2.4V which is fine, they light up and last longer.

When one bulb goes out it isn’t a big deal, the rest of the bulbs will start getting 2.24 V, under the rating. The bulbs life span will be shortened a bit as voltage goes up and older bulbs are more likely to die from the voltage. When 6 bulbs are out you’re now at 2.5V exactly, still mostly ok.

But once you start losing bulbs 7 and up you’re headed towards catastrophic failure. What happens is a bulb dies setting off a cascade of higher voltage - it can easily burn out most of the bulbs in a string.

So, for the future, keep spares on hand and replace dead bulbs as soon as you find them. I learned all of this the hard way and spent hours replacing bulbs - over 300 so far.

Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you will need to replace a lot of bulbs on the string to get it to light up.

There are two strategies that helped me.

Quick and Lazy

Look at the bulbs. If they look blackened/silver (see the pic at the start of this thread) replace them with a new bulb. Keep going until the strand lights up and then replace any other bulbs that don’t light up.

Slow and Thorough

You may not have a choice to go this route if the lazy option doesn’t work.

Find the plug for the string and disconnect it from the rest of the strings. Plug in an extension cord to the wall and plug the one dead string into it - unplug everything else.

You’re going to need a non contact AC voltage tester - if you’ve got the light keeper pro, it has one built in - you can get one at any home center. Whichever you choose, start by testing the extension cord and making sure it beeps. Trust me, you want to be certain your tester is working. Once you confirm it is working run it down the strong starting from the plug. Where it stops beeping is a bad bulb, replace the bulb and the bulb should beep. If it does, go to the next one.

Tracing the string is challenging, it is wound up in the branches and starts in the center. Each string on my tree starts and ends on a branch. There might be one level where they run middle to middle of a branch. The best thing is to just follow the wire with your fingers.

With luck you’ll find and fix enough bulbs to get it back on so you can find the rest more easily.

Wow that was thorough. Thank you both! Ugh... tree is still up half lit! I’ll keep you all posted!

So.... the husband is suggesting to take all the lights off and replacing all with led, then plugging into the remote... thoughts?

It should work assuming the LEDs are setup as standard AC powered strings. They'll likely have more bulbs per string (and be longer) and the spacing may be different. Its about as much time to fix the tree as it is to restring it (nicely).

LED bulbs can still fail, but the advantage is that they fail by shorting out, leaving the power free to run through the dead LED. Getting replacement bulbs will likely be difficult if not impossible - so buy an extra set or two to use as spares.

LEDs are highly variable when they are made with regard to color - the LEDs were probably binned for the set - meaning that all the LEDs in one string should be close in color - but two different strings might not - so before stringing the whole tree, get your LEDs in a dark room and make sure that all the strings look about the same. You may nee to use 1 string as your master reference string and compare all the others to that one - depending on how many LEDs you go for it could be too bright to light them all at once ;)

And seriously, if you're getting rid of your old Frontgate lights I would love to have them if they're the same style bulb holder as mine - I need spares :)

@jasongoldsmith we ended up taking all the lights off the tree as too many were out. We waited too long to begin replacing and it was too daunting. I saved two boxes. Let me know if you still want them

@Jason Goldsmith I have a box full of the old lights from our Frontgate tree. I ended up taking all off. Let me know if you want them. Otherwise, I'll throw them away!

Another question regarding lights…but I cannot find my remote control anywhere! And it looks like Frontgate no longer sells replacement remotes. Any recommendations? Can I use a non-Frontgate remote control?

Any remote wireless system will work. I found one shaped like a Christmas tree that I use every year just for my tree.

Also for all of you that have sections of lights that are out on your tree, get the Light Keeper Pro. it is a tool that enables you to reconnect the circuit in the sections of lights that don’t work and they all come on except the ones that are burnt out. I thought it was a gimmick but saved my tree. Every year there would be another section of lights out. Last year there were @ 400 lights out on my 1800 light frontgate tree. Now every light on my tree works! It saved me again this year. I have seen them at some of the big box stores and also on line. it is worth the money!

And with the light keeper pro you just take any one bulb out of the unlit section and place the socket of the light into the gun and click 2 or 3 times and all lights come on except ones burnt out. There are usually 4 or 5 you have to replace in each section but it is quick and easy!

Thanks for this helpful thread. Any help on finding replacement bulbs for Frontgate prelit hanging wreaths. There seems to be a little notch at top where bulb goes into socket. Can’t find replacement bulbs anywhere. Thank you.

lvcromarty check https://612vermont.com/replacement-bulbs/mini-replacement-bulbs/, Just make sure you have the proper bulb shape / voltage / amperage ( wattage ). or the bulb with either work normal;y , glow dim , or burn out . maybe contact 612Vermont if you are not sure , They may be able to help you avoid getting the wrong one

I am very thankful for this thread! Thank you to all who have posted!! Like Jason Goldsmith, I too, am need of compatible BASE(S). Has anyone found anything that works?

@Angie Furbee … do you have the bases for the lights you took off your tree?

Hey, i didn't hear back from the other fellow i was communicatong with, so I threw them all away. im so sorry!

Thank you for letting me know!

Thank you everyone for this string. you were all a huge help. please take care, stay safe, and have a very blessed and Merry Christmas.

Yes - great to see this post still alive and helping for 6 years running. Merry Christmas and happy lighting to all! (The OP)

Hi all, if anyone pulled their strings off we'd love them. Like others above we have lost a base (the little green part) and can't seem to find it anywhere. We have had success with the 612 Vermont lights. e-maill address is kelcnole@aol.com if anyone happens to have them, we'd be happy to pay to ship.

Hello @kelcnole - I started this topic back in 2015 and great to see it’s still useful!

Just today while we were putting up our old Frontgate tree - the very one we wound up removing all lights from several years ago per my previous posts above - today I found one more light caught up deep in a tree branch and laughed with the family that we forgot one after all these years…

And was about to throw it away but not before I saw your post in an email just now.

We only have 1 - but maybe that’s all you need? See pics below.

I’ll email you separately.

Merry Christmas!

If anyone has an area of lights out on your tree get the LIGHT KEEPER PRO from Home Depot or order on Amazon. We had about 600 lights out on our tree in different sections and this reconnected the circuit to every section. All we had to do was replace the burnt out bulbs. No need to oull your lights off. THIS WORKS!

I see I’m not the only person looking for bases for the bulbs. Has anyone had any luck finding them or have a search recommendation? Thanks in advance!

I found someone selling a Frontgate garland from the same era and it used the same sockets. So I was able to scavenge a few from there. Worth keeping an eye out for.

This year my tree had all of its lights working for the first time in several years.

i did replace around 300 bulbs this year and around 400 last year as the older bulbs died out.

Replacing the bulbs (though time-consuming) is the easy part. Not finding bases is so frustrating! May I ask where you found the garland?

I found mine on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace - I don't remember which.

Thank you!

I spend hours each year replacing these bulbs. But I'm down to my last BASE. arrgh; lost one yesterday when startled by a mild shock while pulling it. Would anyone be willing to sell me a few bases to help me keep this tree going for several more years please? I just enabled my profile to receive messages, wasn't able to message folks above who had success in this department. Would be most grateful

If you are handy, you can always splice a new socket from cheap string from Walmart and use that base . Just make sure identical bulb ( mine was 2.5V , 0.425W/ 170mA a standard size for a string that has 50 lights in series ) . make sure the tags match on the plug . That’s what i did to my mom’s tree

Honestly my best advice is, if you like the quality of the tree itself, just remove the lights and be done with it. I’m the OP above, removed the lights years ago, and since been using the same 8-10 strings of standard incandescent lights for all these years. Of course need to replace the burnt out bulbs but with the help of a light keeper pro and standard extra bulbs, life is a breeze. Not worth the aggravation of prelit. I don’t mind putting the lights on anyway - takes about 15 mins and all is well.

Also - when I bought the standard 100 bulb strings, I just bought several extra sets (they are relatively cheap at our local stores). I took the time to pop out the bases/bulbs in the extra sets and keep them in a ziplock bag. I know have about 400 extra bulbs for about $10 (maybe $15 nowadays). Lasts for years and no aggravation.

Happy New Year!

And PS, sorry I don’t have any Frontgate bases anymore. If you couldn’t tell from my previous post, they are long gone :)

just ordered 10 bases/bulbs off ebay. search "frontgate bulbs" (if you see this soon of course)

gotten bulbs 100 at a time on ebay search for proper voltage and wattage. key search term for physical fit is mini "pinched base"