new shop- lighting - Was recommended to use 2x2 troffers

[Dave Burson]

Building the new shop (will post a pictorial of it all as I get a few extra minutes), but designing the lighting needs now, and need to get it decided and ordered pretty soon.Will have 10' ceilings and was hoping to install numerous lights to achieve a professional looking and very well lit shop.Hoping to surface mount them or?, through out 40' x 24' section of shop, to ensure no shadows.
Was recommended to use 2 x 2 LED troffers/flat panel LEDs. I'm not really interested in using florescent, and I say that only because I've done that and I always regretted it eventually, always not liking something about them, either replacing the bulbs, or usually the ballast issues that always ended up either humming, intermittently blinking, or just not coming on. If there's truly another option that will work without having any of these issues, I'm surely all ears. Just not trying to go on the cheap after spending already too much for a good looking and extremely functional shop.

Can anyone provide input that has gone this route, what they liked, what they didn't like, how many many needed for this size shop... and where might be best source for quality but not bank breaking Troffers/Flat panels, or other quality but affordable options??


TIA, appreciate the input!!!

[ray grundhoefer]

Try a place called e-conolite.com. We have installed many of their wallpak fixtures and have'nt had any problems with them. I would go with 2x4 LED high or low bay fixtures if it were my shop wa

[Jim Becker]

There are quite a few threads here on LED lighting...many choices. Mine are all 4' fixtures from Costco and it's like being on the beach.

[Jack Frederick]

I, too, used the 4' twin bulb LED's from Costco in '15. For my 30x30x10 I laid them 4 to a group in switched quadrants. Instant lighting unlike the slow warm-up of fluorescences. I put them on the auto off switches which are required by code here. After half hour they shut themselves down. I didn't want them but have found them to work quite well. Very pleased with them and the lighting is excellent. This is how we trimmed them out.

[John Lifer]

2x2 troffers? Why? I've got one that I bought from one of the big boxes. And ONLY because it was in location that had 2x2 panels. (between wall and stairway) It lights up really well, but not for a shop.
I use 2x4 in rest of basement where I added more light than the crap 2x4 fluorescents that were there when house constructed. (I'm in basement)
The LEDs (also from big box) puts out more light that the 4 tube fls.. At about half the electricity.