Need some advice on shop lights

[eldubb440]

I went with the 4' T5 54 watt high output fixtures in my addition (2 bulb, about 40 bucks in home depot).......... they kick major ***......... T5 54 watt bulbs in the store are like 10 bucks each, but I got a box of 25 bulbs on 1000bulbs.com for less than 3 dollars/bulb..... 2 years in and have yet to lose a bulb

I bought a second box of bulbs, and am replacing all my old T12 fixtures as the old bulbs burn out........ at the time, LED lighting was a bit pricey for my liking........ can't emphasize enough how impressed I am with the T5s......... make sure you get the 54 watt HO setup........ 4 foot T5s will out shine the old 8 foot T12s and T8s by a mile

if you go into home depot to the lighting display, you will see the T5s are by far the brightest lights on the wall........ that's pretty much how I decided

 

[Swampdog]

I just finished my shop. It is 20X30 with 10 foot walls. I used American Lighting $ foot LED's (120 LED's per light). They are very bright and they use less power than fluorescents. I got 6 each for $238.00 on Amazon. I am very happy with them. I also have white insulation on the walls and ceiling, which helps. They are supposed to last 50,00 hours. I know I won't last that long.

 

[493 Mike]

Yesterday I replaced/rewired my 16 Y.O. T-8 bulbs (7 2x4' fixtures) with LEDs. I have better/brighter light and went from 80 watts to 22 watts per fixture by using one LED per fixture. The rewiring was fast-the fixtures were "daisy chained" together and I cut the double same colored wires that are jumpered at one end and tied the "tombstones" to the hot and neutral wires. I purchased the LEDs on Amazon from the "Shine Glory Lighting" company. The units seem to be of good quality, UL listed, and I think about $55/case of 6. Only 32 more fixtures to convert!

 

[68gtxman]

Here is what I used. http://www.ebay.com/itm/28221427121...49&var=581227265141&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Easy to remove the ballasts in the fixtures and wire directly to 120v inside each fixture. $5.60 per bulb. Lights are very bright and immune to cold garages.

 

[493 Mike]

WOW! I guess I'll order the rest of the lamps I need from E-bay. Thanks!
Mike

 

[Fran Blacker]

Yesterday I replaced/rewired my 16 Y.O. T-8 bulbs (7 2x4' fixtures) with LEDs. I have better/brighter light and went from 80 watts to 22 watts per fixture by using one LED per fixture. The rewiring was fast-the fixtures were "daisy chained" together and I cut the double same colored wires that are jumpered at one end and tied the "tombstones" to the hot and neutral wires. I purchased the LEDs on Amazon from the "Shine Glory Lighting" company. The units seem to be of good quality, UL listed, and I think about $55/case of 6. Only 32 more fixtures to convert!

0I notice you said I rewired my fixtures. Are the LED bulbs direct replacements for a regular 4' fixture or do you have to change wiring in fixture? Should have read an earlier post. Yes you have change wiring inside fixture.

 

[68gtxman]

0I notice you said I rewired my fixtures. Are the LED bulbs direct replacements for a regular 4' fixture or do you have to change wiring in fixture? Should have read an earlier post. Yes you have change wiring inside fixture.

Yes, you need to rewire the fixtures as the LED bulbs need 120V and not the transformers to bump up the voltage that fluorescents needed. Simple to do for most fixtures, though the really cheap ones used a small transformer mounted at the end of the fixture and it was hard to pry off the end cap to get to them. But once done, the "tombstones" get wired directly to the power cord instead of the transformers.

 

[493 Mike]

Hi fellas,
I found a better price on E-bay:
10pcs 3ft 90cm T8 LED Fluorescent Replacement Tube 6500K Milky Cover AC110V Lamp
$4.29/bulb. Looks like the same as I bought earlier only these are 18 watt.
Mike

 

[ws27]

Those are only 3 footers, be careful.

Does anyone know what the lumens of these 4' ones are? It really boils down to watts/lumen.

 

[493 Mike]

Those are only 3 footers, be careful.

Does anyone know what the lumens of these 4" ones are? It really boils down to watts/lumen.

I believe that 3' number is a typo. The units at the bottom of the page all say 4' for the same $. Thanks for the warning.
Mike

 

[68gtxman]

I don't think it is a typo. 90 CM is 3 feet. The description below it said "other items you may like..." and that included 4' bulbs. I clicked on the 4' bulb and this is what came up:

The 4' bulb is a bit cheaper than the ones I found but is more expensive than the 3' bulb price. Don't assume a description is in error on eBay.

Whenever I buy anything on eBay, I alsways do a fresh search and then rank them by cheapest first. Don't forget to see if shipping is free too! Plus, ensure you are buying the correct voltage bulbs. Watch for 12v, 120v and 220v.

 

[493 Mike]

You are correct. I did not click on the lower offerings, just noted the pricing. Thanks!
Mike

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'd like to find some 8' replacement bulbs