Shop Lights

[Dirty Harry]

I'm getting tired of the hassle of fluorescent shop lights in my garage. I like good light on the car when I'm working on it or cleaning it. What good products are out there that offer good light, reasonable price, and low energy use?

[trularin]

recent LED lights maybe the way to go.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by Dirty Harry

I'm getting tired of the hassle of fluorescent shop lights in my garage. I like good light on the car when I'm working on it or cleaning it. What good products are out there that offer good light, reasonable price, and low energy use?

What do you mean by "the hassle of fluorescent shop lights"? Fluorescent tubes need to be replaced too often, flicker, light too flat, etc.?

Short of a concise "what's the problem we're trying to solve" statement, it's difficult to come up with a recommendation.

Edit: Subject to a clearer statement of the problem, I'd start with something like these, which seem to kick out lots of light with low energy consumption and a long life: http://www.costco.com/4%E2%80%99-LED...00223617.html#

[Bernica]

I have fourteen 8' fluorescent hanging from the ceiling in my little garage. It lights up the garage like Dodger Stadium!

However, I am told that due to new EPA rules the replacement bulbs may be soon hard to get.

One thing I learned is using the right color and temperature range of the lights, especially if you are trying to do waxing and finishing. When I installed them I talked to a friend that runs a body shop and he told me what they use for the best representation. It's been so long I will have to check. But I do know that the "soft white" lights were wrong.

Good luck!

[itstock]

Originally Posted by Bernica

I have fourteen 8' fluorescent hanging from the ceiling in my little garage. It lights up the garage like Dodger Stadium!

However, I am told that due to new EPA rules the replacement bulbs may be soon hard to get.

One thing I learned is using the right color and temperature range of the lights, especially if you are trying to do waxing and finishing. When I installed them I talked to a friend that runs a body shop and he told me what they use for the best representation. It's been so long I will have to check. But I do know that the "soft white" lights were wrong.

Good luck!

Body shop guys prefer anywhere from 5000-6000k, sometimes 6500. 4100-5000 is, IMO, the best for a home garage. In a home garage, the 6000k can actually be harsh on the eyes (picture being out in the sun with glare) in my experience.

You will be able to get T8's for a long time, and the T12's are still available but getting harder and more expensive to find.

I should add that I am actually an electrical contractor that does lighting and lighting design.

[itstock]

The Costco lights are crap and I repeatedly see feit brand led failures. They are incredibly inconsistent in kelvin and output, have poor cri, and unless you get them on sale really aren't that great of a price. The Cree ls8 and ls4 offer high cri, great lumens per watt performance, and have extremely competitive dollars per lumen output.

You really need to pick your budget and lighting goals and go from there.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by itstock

The Costco lights are crap and I repeatedly see feit brand led failures. They are incredibly inconsistent in kelvin and output, have poor cri, and unless you get them on sale really aren't that great of a price. The Cree ls8 and ls4 offer high cri, great lumens per watt performance, and have extremely competitive dollars per lumen output.

You really need to pick your budget and lighting goals and go from there.

I can't comment on the quality of the Costco lamps, but this review seems to show decent CRI, though the colour temperature is a bit warm - especially if you're suggesting 4100-5000K for home garages / shops:
Review: Costco

Cree's T8 tubes to retrofit fluorescent fixtures:
Review: Hands-on with the Cree linear LED T8 fluorescent-replacement lamp | Designing with LEDs

[kevins2]

For clarification, soft white is in the range of 2700k - 3000k, the higher numbers approach white light.

[Bernica]

Well, no wonder my garage looks like a stadium and I'm going blind!
6,500K!..

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Philips-37282-1-F96T12-Single-Phosphors/dp/B00XN1Z5S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444767620&sr=8-1&keywords=f96t12%2Fdx"]Amazon.com: Philips 37282-1 - F96T12/DX/ALTO - 8 ft. - T12 - Single Pin - 6500K - 800 Series Phosphors - Case of 15: Office Products@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mBewB1LEL.@@AMEPARAM@@41mBewB1LEL[/ame]

[Dangerous Doug]

I have recessed LED flood lighting in my 20' x 30' shop. The cool white lights are very bright white. I have 6 lights in the field (6" cans), and 4 smaller (4" cans) recessed LED flood lights over my 16' workbench.

This works very well for me, but you might need more lighting for detail work.

I have this an a dimmer as well, two banks: one for the field, one switch for the bench.

DD

[Dirty Harry]

(Original poster) To be more clear, my 2-tube fluorescent fixtures are getting old. They flicker, buzz, hum, seem to go out more often, and sometimes won't come on in 40 degree temperatures. Plus, I feel obligated to take the burned out tubes several miles to the Tox-Away place, due to the mercury they contain. It's time for an upgrade, and I thought I'd inquire here to see who had good lights, worth the money, with less aggravation. Thanks for your input thus far.

[razerwire]

I have 3 rows of 8 foot fluorescent down length of garage on 3 switches so I can turn on only center row on most of time and not have to replace outside rows of lights very often. I like 8 foot fixtures because tubes are 1 pin in the center and easier to change. I have 14' ceilings so that's important to me. Local wholesale electrical supply can advise which tubes are best for your application. If you get wrong it's hard on your eyes. I use Sylvania F96T12DX daylight deluxe 75W single pin 6500K instant start fwiw.

[Dwight]

Dirty Harry

I've been an electrician for 40 years. Retired now
Installed all kinds of lights thru the years.

In 2015 I saw a new light in the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. and asked about them. They are called T-5 fluorescent. They were hanging them 21' 6" off the floor. A few months later I saw them turned on. Could not believe some much light out of a two tube fixture at that height.

The next year I installed 12 of them in Coach Mike's new shop. Then I install 20 in a new body shop for a friend.
Next my brother had me to install ten in a new building at his business. A few months later I swap out all 8' fluorescent in one of his shops with the six tube T-5. Lit the place up like daylight! The guys in the other building complains so much that he had me to replace all of 8' T-12 and high bay sodium light with six tube T-5 in their building.
In the last couple of months I've replaced my High Output 8' T-12 with four tube T-5's in my shop.

Twice the light and they use less power!

I'm sold on the T-5.

I'm paying $80 for the four tube and $127 for the six tube with the lamps.

Dwight

[cscott672]

OP,
I am NOT an electrician, but have had similar success with the T5 HO bulbs and fixtures. I put three 4ft/4bulb high-bay fixtures in one garage mounted 13ft up that was 900sqft. For the new shop I used the 8ft 4bulb units mounted every 15ft at 12ft ht. Plenty of light. I think I replaced basically 2 fixtures for 1 and got more light/coverage than previous T8s. S

[mdross1]

Obviously here is another area with a lot of opinion. Agree fluorescent shop light can be a pain when the tubes or starters get old especially in cold weather. We have many double 4 footers all around with LED single bulbs for winter. The 4' LED's are starting to show up once happy with the price will replace all the flourescents. When needing more task lighting have a floor pole lamp with LED spotlight.

[Dwight]

Yes LEDs are great
I install them under the cabinet in kitchens as a side job.

A friend of mine did a lot of research and bought a 4' LED light for $400 (weighted 23 lbs) and shipped by truck.
He installed it in his new shop and after I looking at the light it put out I told him I thought the T-5 was better.
Later he drop by my shop and looked at the one T-5 I had installed. He had me to buy one so he could install it and compare it to the LED in his shop.
After the TEST he decided to buy T-5.

In a few years I think all lights will be LED but for now the best buy for a shop is the T-5. IMHO

Dwight