Feit LED Shop Lights on Sale at Costco

[Chris Schoenthal]

Chris, do you live in an area that requires approved equipment?

Rod, we here in Texas like to think that we don't need approval for anything.
(except from the wife and that usually is required when she catches me).

[Jon Snider]

Online sale is now posted at Costco, at least for the 2 pack which I looked at, which are $20 off.

[Monte Milanuk]

Anyone here ran these linked three in a row?

The new (to me) shop has two rows of 8 ft T12 fixtures with the big noisy magnetic ballasts. The current fixtures are connected end to end (in each row) thru EMT, and then plugged into a ceiling mounted outlet. So in theory I could pull those down and replace each bank of four 8 ft T12s (2 fixtures with 2 bulbs each) with three of these LED fixtures linked by the 5 ft cord... just wondering if the light is going to be better, with the much smaller bulbs, or if I need more fixtures?

[Dave Burson]

I am just meeting with contractor to build my shop extension. So lighting is one of many on my list. Wondering about the light spectrum on this. It says 4000k. I read elsewhere that tends to be slightly "cool" light, whatever that is?, and that 5000k is better suited for shops. Can someone shed some light on that (pun intended
TIA

[Jim Becker]

Anyone here ran these linked three in a row?

Yes, I have one string at four units and one at three units which made it much easier to deploy them in the pattern I wanted them to be. I believe the limit is 5 per chain, but check the specifications directly to be sure.

[Monte Milanuk]

Five in a row would work nicely. Thought I read in the description on the website that they only supported linking three, though...

[Greg R Bradley]

Anyone here ran these linked three in a row?

The new (to me) shop has two rows of 8 ft T12 fixtures with the big noisy magnetic ballasts. The current fixtures are connected end to end (in each row) thru EMT, and then plugged into a ceiling mounted outlet. So in theory I could pull those down and replace each bank of four 8 ft T12s (2 fixtures with 2 bulbs each) with three of these LED fixtures linked by the 5 ft cord... just wondering if the light is going to be better, with the much smaller bulbs, or if I need more fixtures?

What kind of T12? Are they 75w pin style?

Good quality 8' 2 tube T12 with good ballasts and bulbs will put out a lot more light than the 4' Feits. If does appear that you are considering replacing two T12 with 4 Feits. If they are mounted on a directly to a white ceiling the light distribution will be excellent. Sounds like all of that may be suspect since you referenced buzzing ballasts. Also T12 bulbs have a short life so most people are working under lamps that are long ago worn out.

Since those lights are already there and hooked up the easiest LED conversion is LED bulbs. Thats an easy conversion but may be too much light with too narrow dispersion angle depending on mounting height.

Start with exactly what light such as bare bulb strip, etc. How high are they mounted? How high is ceiling above?

[Sam Murdoch]

I am just meeting with contractor to build my shop extension. So lighting is one of many on my list. Wondering about the light spectrum on this. It says 4000k. I read elsewhere that tends to be slightly "cool" light, whatever that is?, and that 5000k is better suited for shops. Can someone shed some light on that (pun intended
TIA

I'd like to hear too if some of you are OK with 4000k or prefer 5,000k, or in the middle? Is the 5,000k to bright white?

Thanks.

Sam

[Greg R Bradley]

I'd like to hear too if some of you are OK with 4000k or prefer 5,000k, or in the middle? Is the 5,000k to bright white?

Thanks.

Sam

I much prefer 4000K as it works well in houses, office, and shop and allows one temp for just about everything. 5000K is still fine in a shop but a bit harsh to my taste.

Some people think 5000K is too blue, others only complain about too blue at 6500K.

[Darcy Warner]

Go to Ebay, search high bay led lights. I have now bought 70 of them from one seller. The 50, 70 and 100w screw right into a keyless fixture, the 150w need a cord.

9 bucks for 50w, 14 for 100w, 26 for 150w. All have built in shades, that look like an old factory light. 6000k color.

I actually like the 6k, doesn't seem blue at all to me.

[Monte Milanuk]

Well, these are a pin style I've never encountered before. They aren't a straight-up (bare) bi-pin like commonly found on 4 ft T8s, and they don't have one large pin like other F96T12s I've encountered before. More of a rectangular black plastic plug - probably a shrouded bi-pin?

20190407_212215.jpg
20190407_212226.jpg

In my previous shop, I replaced a number of 2 & 4 bulb 8 ft T12 fixtures (75w with the single pin) with a like number of 8 ft fixtures using 4 ft T8s, and had *easily* 50% more light. 8 ft unfinished ceilings (not even sheet rock), no reflectors.

The current shop has ~9-1/2 ceilings, with finished sheet rock, painted satin white. The existing fixtures are bare strips, two bulbs each. Spacer blocks to hold them off the ceiling for cooling. EMT conduit between the fixtures, and a cord going to a ceiling outlet. There are two such rows supplying the primary light for the ~24x32 ft shop, positioned about 8 ft in from the sides and 8 ft btwn them. Length wise they are spaced about 6-7 ft from the walls and 4-6 ft btwn the fixtures.

There is an additional row of three 4 ft 2 bulb T8 hanging shop lights over a long counter top that runs down one wall. Those *will* be getting replaced by 4 bulb Led fixtures, sooner rather than later.

The existing 8 ft lamps don't provide what I consider to be very bright light, whether due to not enough fixtures / bulbs, or the design of said fixtures. I'm not considering replacing four 8 ft two bulb fixtures with four 4 ft LED (2 in each row), but rather six (three per row), if not more. Each row is supplied by a separate outlet; I'll have to check what outlets are fed from which circuit to see if I have enough room to simply plug additional rows of linked lamps into the existing outlets. Nothing is ever that easy in my life, though.

I am interested in the same question about the light "temperature" that's been raised. If that means I need to go with something specific to task at hand, rather than what's on sale... I'm okay with that.

[Peter Christensen]

My fixtures are 6000K. That's pretty close to noonday sunlight. I like it. Someone else might not. My fixtures are all in one not conversion bulbs but that shouldn't make a difference to the light you get. I have 64,000 lumens in about 640 square feet.

[Sam Murdoch]

My fixtures are 6000K. That's pretty close to noonday sunlight. I like it. Someone else might not. My fixtures are all in one not conversion bulbs but that shouldn't make a difference to the light you get. I have 64,000 lumens in about 640 square feet.

Peter how natural are wood colors/stain etc. in that intensity of lumens & kelvin ?

[Greg R Bradley]

Well, these are a pin style I've never encountered before. They aren't a straight-up (bare) bi-pin like commonly found on 4 ft T8s, and they don't have one large pin like other F96T12s I've encountered before. More of a rectangular black plastic plug - probably a shrouded bi-pin?

20190407_212215.jpg
20190407_212226.jpg

In my previous shop, I replaced a number of 2 & 4 bulb 8 ft T12 fixtures (75w with the single pin) with a like number of 8 ft fixtures using 4 ft T8s, and had *easily* 50% more light. 8 ft unfinished ceilings (not even sheet rock), no reflectors.

The current shop has ~9-1/2 ceilings, with finished sheet rock, painted satin white. The existing fixtures are bare strips, two bulbs each. Spacer blocks to hold them off the ceiling for cooling. EMT conduit between the fixtures, and a cord going to a ceiling outlet. There are two such rows supplying the primary light for the ~24x32 ft shop, positioned about 8 ft in from the sides and 8 ft btwn them. Length wise they are spaced about 6-7 ft from the walls and 4-6 ft btwn the fixtures.

There is an additional row of three 4 ft 2 bulb T8 hanging shop lights over a long counter top that runs down one wall. Those *will* be getting replaced by 4 bulb Led fixtures, sooner rather than later.

The existing 8 ft lamps don't provide what I consider to be very bright light, whether due to not enough fixtures / bulbs, or the design of said fixtures. I'm not considering replacing four 8 ft two bulb fixtures with four 4 ft LED (2 in each row), but rather six (three per row), if not more. Each row is supplied by a separate outlet; I'll have to check what outlets are fed from which circuit to see if I have enough room to simply plug additional rows of linked lamps into the existing outlets. Nothing is ever that easy in my life, though.

I am interested in the same question about the light "temperature" that's been raised. If that means I need to go with something specific to task at hand, rather than what's on sale... I'm okay with that.

Those are T12 HO lamps. The base is called R17D. Those are energy saver 95w bulbs as the standard HO is 110w. The mystery is why they aren't very bright. Correctly working ballasts and new T12 HO lamps are VERY bright, 6000+ lumens per bulb. It is possible they are crazy old bulbs but if the ballasts are buzzing, perhaps there are other problems. The same end is used for VHO bulbs, which are 11,000+ lumens. Perhaps they have saver HO bulbs in VHO fixtures. Something is off here as we use single 2 bulb 8' HO fixture with reflectors over workbenches for critical work at 120 foot candles. They get down to 90fc when the bulbs are "done" but they keep working LONG after that.
You could swap out the tombstones for single pin and use 8' LED. This works well as you can rotate the bulbs out to cover a wider angle and help make up for some of the LED issue with too narrow output. I wouldn't use these any lower than the 9' you have as they can be too glaring.

[Peter Christensen]

Peter how natural are wood colors/stain etc. in that intensity of lumens & kelvin ?

It's just after 1:00pm here and I took a few boards outside in the direct sun. Went back in the shop and the colours look to be very close except that it is at least 4 times brighter outside according to my phone app. The higher Kelvin light the LED's throw to me, are a white light that is more full spectrum than my recollection of full spectrum fluorescents. If you have doubts get enough bulbs to light up a corner of the shop and check out the light. If you like it get more for the remaining shop. If you don't spread them out evenly throughout the shop with lower Kelvin lights in the rest of the fixtures to dilute them.