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Thread: Replacing Shop Lighting

  1. #1

    Replacing Shop Lighting

    The last 2 trips to HD left me empty handed in attempting to buy some replacement 8' fluorescent tubes for my shop. They were completely out of them both trips. I don't know if this is a supply chain issue or incentive to move towards LED replacements but this may be a good time to make the change. HD has 8' LED shop lights for around $100 each. Is there a better source for at least a dozen of them? What are you folks using for shop lighting?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
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    MT
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    The last 2 trips to HD left me empty handed in attempting to buy some replacement 8' fluorescent tubes for my shop. They were completely out of them both trips. I don't know if this is a supply chain issue or incentive to move towards LED replacements but this may be a good time to make the change. HD has 8' LED shop lights for around $100 each. Is there a better source for at least a dozen of them? What are you folks using for shop lighting?
    Do you have a Costco in your area? They don't always have in stock but I got 4' double-tube LEDs from them for around $20 apiece. Not sure if they still have those as I checked their website and seems they have gotten fancy with remotes and such. Might be different in the store as to what's available.

    Regardless, I think you can do better than $100 each...
    Regards,

    Kris

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    I've been installing LEDs that are compatible with standard T8 fixtures. Had to replace a balast last week and two other fixtures are getting shaky. I want to keep the fixtures and don't mind changing ballasts but it would be better to eliminate them but it seems like what's available is obsolete in a few months.

  4. #4
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    Jan 2013
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    sykesville, maryland
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    One suggestion is to switch to 4 foot fixtureless LEDs. They are about $7 each, mount directly to any surface with the little included brackets, and can be daisy chained up to 4 units. Simple and painless connectivity with no ballasts. Sometimes the fixtureless lights are referred to a refrigerator lights. The last ones I bought were in a 5 pack for $30.I use several of these around my property.

    I have also replaced just about all 4' fixture tubes with LED tubes, bypassing the ballasts in the process. Much more light and cheaper to operate. No more ballasts to fail. I think I paid right at $6 each for those on Amazon when purchasing a whole case of 16.
    Last edited by tom lucas; 01-21-2022 at 7:44 PM.

  5. #5
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    8 foot retrofit LED tubes are readily available. The ones I've seen require rewiring the fixture to eliminate the ballast (and starter if they are really old fixtures). The tubes seem to be under $20 so you can save money over replacing the entire fixture at the cost of some time to do the rewiring. You'll end up with more light and less power use, and should pretty much eliminate changing bulbs.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    All of my LED shop lighting is from Costco...a fraction of the cost of those units from HD. There are also economical LED long strips available in sets from Amazon...check out Mat Cremona's video of the lighting for when he moved into his new shop about a year ago.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
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    May 2008
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    MA
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    Yes, I bought a bundle off Amazon. Much cheaper than HD

    In general I have found HD and Lowes to no longer have lower prices than other sources. It is a convenience factor, can almost always find something cheaper elsewhere.

  8. #8
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    Jan 2011
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    Michigan
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    +1 to Tom’s fixtureless led’s. They work great and are very reasonable. I am installing these in my new basement shop (moving into our new house within the next few weeks). Both my brother in law (1,800 sf shop with 10 foot ceilings) and my son in law (basement shop) installed them and are very pleased.

  9. #9
    As my 20-year old 8 foot fluorescents grow dimmer and fail, I have been replacing them with two section 4 foot LED conversion kits that utilize the same lamp chassis but bypass the old ballast (which can be discarded). It's a huge upgrade in terms of the amount and quality of light in the shop.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    Fairbanks AK
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    I 'upgraded' one of fluorescent fixtures to LED and put another dedicated LED fixture near it the same day. I don't expect to ever do surgery on another fluorescent fixture. Costco and amazon are selling the dedicated new LED fixtures low enough that I just buy those and save the time. I think my failure rate on the Costco fixtures was something like 1:10 or 1:12, but Costco doesn't quibble on returns and the ones that worked out of the box are still running now I don't know how many months later. Many months.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    New Westminster BC
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    The only downside to replacing fluorescents with LEDs is the need to wear sunglasses in the shop, just kidding, changed my shop over to LEDs a couple years ago, much brighter and no waiting for them to start up on cold days. I bought six of the four foot LED strips from Amazon.ca for about $90Cnd.

  12. #12
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    That's actually not so inaccurate, Doug....I refer to my shop lighting as "lights of a thousand suns." I just did our kitchen finally this week...it was way too dark with the way the previous owners left it. A big LED panel light from Costco in the middle and (temporary) fitting of 4000K B30 lamps in the two existing ceiling cans mostly fixed it. Two more "cans" when I get around to it (all four will be 6" LED pucks) will complete the work.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
    On my short list is to replace all the T8's in my garage with LED strips. One of my local customers has these ones from Amazon (funny sounding name: Barrina???). I was shocked at how bright they were. And affordable. I think less than $200 for a box of 8-footers. 5000K is the ones I will probably go with.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  14. #14
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    Feb 2018
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    N CA
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    Led

    In ‘15 when we built the shop I installed the 4’ twin bulbs from Costco. 16 in switched banks of four. I bought them when they were $35 each. they have held up and been reliable. I’d do it again.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    On my short list is to replace all the T8's in my garage with LED strips. One of my local customers has these ones from Amazon (funny sounding name: Barrina???). I was shocked at how bright they were. And affordable. I think less than $200 for a box of 8-footers. 5000K is the ones I will probably go with.

    Erik
    I could be wrong, but I believe that's the brank that Matt Cremona used. Sounds familiar.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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