LED Shop Lighting

[Curt Harms]

I replaced a bunch of my fluorescent lights with LEDs from Costco or Lowes. I like them a lot. Good light and quiet. The 4000K color temp is just about right for me. Any higher and the light starts getting too blue-ish, any lower and it starts getting too yellow-ish.

Wayne

I find the same, 4K seems like 'pure white'. I replaced T12 fluorescent tubes with T8 LEDs. I reused the T12 fixtures after removing the ballasts. It's probably my imagination but the LEDs seem brighter even though the lumen rating is the same or less.

[Jim Becker]

I chose to convert my T-12 fixtures to direct wire/ballast bypass. I think that if you are buying a new fixture with an LED bulb that they do NOT include a ballast. So I eliminated the power-wasting ballast.

You make a good point, Brice. I only ended up "converting" just a few T12 fixtures, so it was just easier to plunk in the "plug and play" LED replacement "tubes" for those and the rest of the shop got actual LED fixtures. But if one was going to retain a lot (relative term to the individual situation), conversion to direct wire and use of the less expensive direct-wire compatible LED "tubes" is a good, economical choice.

[Thomas Crawford]

I find the same, 4K seems like 'pure white'. I replaced T12 fluorescent tubes with T8 LEDs. I reused the T12 fixtures after removing the ballasts. It's probably my imagination but the LEDs seem brighter even though the lumen rating is the same or less.

The LED's focus light in a narrower beam, so more direct but less diffused light. Mine were spec'ed at 120 degree angle.

[Peter Christensen]

I am surprised that after 14 posts, no one commented on the issue of (1) compatibility with the existing fixture (electronic start, old ballast, new ballast, etc.) or (2) the ballast bypassed (direct wire) approach. Perhaps many of the posters were thinking of replacing their bulbs AND fixtures at the same time.

Some LED bulbs are compatible with some magnetic ballasts (and not some other ones). Some LEDs are only compatible with electronic start fixtures and not ballasts. But if you leave the ballasts in place, they draw power and dissipate heat. If they fail, the LEDs stop running. They really don't provide anything positive.

I chose to convert my T-12 fixtures to direct wire/ballast bypass. I think that if you are buying a new fixture with an LED bulb that they do NOT include a ballast. So I eliminated the power-wasting ballast. They work fine. They put out a bit more light than the T-12 32 watt bulbs used to do. I think that the LED bulbs draw 17 or 18 watts.

The original poster asked about our favoured LED fixture so that implied new. In my case I was starting from scratch so it was more cost effective to buy compete units. No decent used ones around and I couldn't find new fixture without ballasts.

[Curt Harms]

The original poster asked about our favoured LED fixture so that implied new. In my case I was starting from scratch so it was more cost effective to buy compete units. No decent used ones around and I couldn't find new fixture without ballasts.

I think the move away from ballasts is going to be a slow process. The majority of LED tubes are designed for use with a ballast because people buy them as direct replacements for fluorescent tubes. Today there's little demand for LED tubes that are direct wire. I wonder if we'll see new production LED-only fixtures with no ballasts. I wonder what the difference in production cost is for LED tubes that require a ballast and the hybrids, those that work with or without a ballast.

[Jim Becker]

Curt, a lot of the "LED by design" fixtures currently available don't seem to use replaceable "tubes", at least on the consumer side. (not sure about "pro" sources) Relative to your cost question, the ballast compatible LED "tubes" cost more than the direct wire version that folks are retrofitting with, so I'm guessing they are more expensive to produce because of extra circuitry, etc.

[Greg R Bradley]

The suppliers will fill a demand for product and are very willing to create the demand if they can. Facts aren't necessary. The typical consumer thinks LED is far more energy efficient than fluorescents and lasts forever. In fact it is easy to buy LED fixtures in your typical BORG that are well below typical fluorescent efficiency and life.

The direct install LED tubes designed to replace fluorescents are directed at the consumer as you end up with a system that has more parts to fail and is less efficient than direct wire tubes. Now you have the extra circuitry to use the high frequency AC to power low voltage DC LEDs and you still need the ballast.

If the ballast works, LEDs are not really an advantage over good fluorescent tubes unless you can gain efficiency from the narrow light pattern. If you have strip lights with no reflectors AND they are mounted high enough that that the narrow light pattern works well AND your ceiling is far enough above the lights that uplight is wasted THEN the LEDs will be an advantage.

It really should be a ballast failure on T8s that would make you want to convert a fixture to LEDs. Easier to justify converting T12s as most will have old magnetic ballasts and be inefficient and T12 bulbs have a much shorter life than T8s.

For low ceilings, we really need the wider dispersion LED bulb conversions that seem to always be coming. Making them T12 diameter and two rows of LEDs at 90-120 degrees would let me replace my T12 lamps mounted to 7.5' ceiling. Carson Lighting has had them in their catalog for 3 years, you just can't get them yet.

Lots of LED ready 4' fixtures out there. I'm paying $13 for two bulb 4' fixture, which is just a generic T8 without a ballast and non-shunted tombstones.

"LED by design" fixtures don't have replaceable LED anything except at the very high end. So your typical LED "shop light" is going to have to be thrown away at about the same number of hours that good long life T8 bulbs last. The key here is GOOD T8 tubes and those are tough to find for consumers. LEDs will tend to have an advantage in uses that have lots of on/off use. That's why I use an LED hooked to the light switch in my garage and fluorescents in the shop area of the garage. In business, LED in shop areas that have occupancy sensors that turn the unit on only when someone walks in that section. Upstairs of warehouse that is accessed only 10-20 minutes at a time turns on that row when someone walks in that row. It was a challenge because some of the areas were tough to move the lighting up from 8' to 9.5' and the LED were glaring at 8' even frosted. Not bad when you walk up to one that is sideways to you like on a workbench.

[Paul Lawrence]

I bought these off of Amazon and am pleased with them. Actually, I'm amazed at how much light they emit. Haven't measured it, but they are bright.

I think I'm going to have to reevaluate the calculations based on the 100 foot-candles at 36 inches spec in the forum posts on lighting.

[Dan Hulbert]

I went the no ballast, use the existing fixture route and bought these:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have 10' ceilings in my shop and these work great.

Yes, I had to re-wire the fixture, but it was about the same effort (if not less) as taking down the old and putting up a new fixture.

[Curt Harms]

The LED's focus light in a narrower beam, so more direct but less diffused light. Mine were spec'ed at 120 degree angle.

That could well be it. I don't need to light the ceiling more than it is so a 120^o pointed straight down is just fine. I don't notice shadows or other ill effects.

[Mark Carlson]

I recently bought a dozen of these 4000k 4100 lumens led lights. Shop is nice and bright now. I found 5000k to be to harsh. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have 6 screw-in type light fixtures in the ceiling of my shop. I went to LEDs and those 6 fixtures provide a good amount of light in a 14x20 or so shop. I had CFLs before and they were good but it took a few minutes for them to warm up after I came in, and the LEDs are brighter and come on full strength as soon as I flip the switch. I don't care much for fluorescent fixtures, or anything like that that hangs down from the ceiling.
Zach

[Brandon Thill]

I've liked mine: https://www.homedepot.com/p/EnviroLi...DP50/301825517. 11400 lumen and a smallish footprint.

[Jerry Lowetz]

I have 5 4' LED shop lights in my shop.
3 Hyperikon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1
Note: I got them because they were on sale for under 40

,
I'd skip at current $60 apiece

2 Sunco

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

They're both quite similar, but I prefer the 5000K Sunco light by a bit. Luckily it's what's over my main handwork area.

Both are fairly sturdy, at least to being dropped 10' onto concrete several times by a clumsy person carrying too much up a ladder. I wired outlets in the rafters, hooked them into a motion sensor to come on when I enter. I rarely want the lights off when I'm in the garage and it's dark.

I'd guess most 4' led tubes are darn similar, you're just betting on quality control, so watch over them closely for the first 30 days when you can return easily!

That said, I do plan on adding 2 more lights with a 96CRI or so over an area just to have a "nitpick" area.

I bought, kept and wore a pimpin' purple porkpie hat to work a couple of months ago. In my house, with all LED's, the blue was muted enough it looks identical to the black hat. A good CRI is often very helpful.

[David Helm]

My entire shop is lighted with Feit LED fixtures or Feit replacement "tubes" from Costco. It's like being on the surface of the sun now...

Mine too. Completed buying them two years ago. I have seventeen of those four footers. It was nice when they started selling the ones that could be linked together. Have had zero failures; have a lot of light and did it for an average of $19.95 apiece. And the other bonus is NO buzzing.