Shop Lights

treessavoy · 12-04-2014, 01:05 PM

What type of lighting are you guys using for your shop? I need something that offers bright light...too many dark areas and shadows.

Thanks,

JimR

Mike Pearson · 12-04-2014, 04:58 PM

Cheapest way to go will be florescent. The newer lamps that are smaller in diameter are much brighter and more efficient. Not sure how big your shop is. 8 ft 2 lamp shop type fixtures are available at the big box home improvement stores. That's what I have in my shop. I have more in the working bays than in the storage bays.

Ronnie Smith Jr · 12-05-2014, 10:39 PM

In my "typical" attached 2 car garage I have 4, 4 foot Sylvania T-5 fluorescent. Purchased them from HD when I renovated the garage last year. Gives me plenty of light. I painted the walls and ceiling bright white from Sherwin-Williams to help with "bouncing" more light around the garage.

FrankChastain · 12-06-2014, 07:25 AM

Know you are in the south, but it gets cold. Get an 2 tube 8' HO (High Out put) fluorescent fixture. It will not flicker when it gets cold and plenty of light. They are more expensive, but well worth it....

Can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot...

Painter · 12-07-2014, 03:36 PM

A lot depends on how high your ceiling and how much electricity you have. With high ceilings you can go with the quartz lites you see in warehouses and gyms. Some of them also have a wider area they light. They also will work on multiple voltage. The higher the voltage you hook the lights up to the lower your monthly cost. For the fluorescent light definitely get the T5 or T8. I like the 8 foot fixtures that take 4-4 foot bulbs. I have been told they are going to quit making 8 foot lamps. Skylights also help and provide the best kind of light- free.

Paul Hellenberg · 12-07-2014, 04:48 PM

I have had some really good luck with CFL from 1000 Bulbs in TX https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/6...nt-grow-bulbs/ I have 23W,85W and 105W they are the best lights I have ever used.

340Cuda · 12-07-2014, 06:44 PM

The company that sells "Big *** Fans" now has Big *** shop lights. They are LED.

I have not been able to find out much about them, especially how much they cost.

I have some LED lighting inside my house and I like it a lot. I would like to switch my shop florescent lights to LED as the ballasts fail.

Bill

voltdr · 12-07-2014, 06:51 PM

The lights that Painter is talking about are called H.I.D. (High Intensity Discharge) lighting. Metal Halide are the white lights. The big drawback for these types are the warm-up time and if you turn them off, it will take 15-20 min before they come back on. They have to cool down before they will light-up again. Stay with the T5 or T8 fluorescents. Also if you buy the polished reflectors you'll get 20%-30% more light on the floor area. They are worth the extra price.
Dan

The Hawk · 12-07-2014, 09:00 PM

If you decide with fluorescent,go with the T-5 or T-8 electronic ballast fixtures. The HO magnetic stuff won`t be available much longer.

HandOverFist · 12-08-2014, 07:14 AM

I agree with most here on fluorescent lighting...probably the cheapest and most reliable in the long term. At a minimum at least have the ceilings painted bright white...wooden walls really kill lighting.

Cold weather ballast's are stupid expensive...I generally leave my lighting on 24/7 in the winter months. If it's that cold in your shop to require cold weather ballasts you are not going to do much work out there. Once the shop is warmed up there really isn't a need for special ballast's, right?

12-04-2014, 01:05 PM	#1
treessavoy VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dunnellon,FL Posts: 1,103 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Shop Lights What type of lighting are you guys using for your shop? I need something that offers bright light...too many dark areas and shadows. Thanks, JimR __________________ Jim Rountree

12-04-2014, 04:58 PM	#2
Mike Pearson VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,367 Likes: 560 Liked 1,729 Times in 531 Posts	Re: Shop Lights Cheapest way to go will be florescent. The newer lamps that are smaller in diameter are much brighter and more efficient. Not sure how big your shop is. 8 ft 2 lamp shop type fixtures are available at the big box home improvement stores. That's what I have in my shop. I have more in the working bays than in the storage bays. __________________ Mike Pearson 2485 SS

12-05-2014, 10:39 PM	#3
Ronnie Smith Jr Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 220 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Shop Lights In my "typical" attached 2 car garage I have 4, 4 foot Sylvania T-5 fluorescent. Purchased them from HD when I renovated the garage last year. Gives me plenty of light. I painted the walls and ceiling bright white from Sherwin-Williams to help with "bouncing" more light around the garage. __________________ Ronnie Smith, Jr.

12-06-2014, 07:25 AM	#4
FrankChastain Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Trussville, Alabama-Originally from Vidalia,GA Posts: 642 Likes: 9 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Shop Lights Know you are in the south, but it gets cold. Get an 2 tube 8' HO (High Out put) fluorescent fixture. It will not flicker when it gets cold and plenty of light. They are more expensive, but well worth it.... Can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot... Last edited by FrankChastain; 12-06-2014 at 07:28 AM.

12-07-2014, 03:36 PM	#5
Painter Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 227 Likes: 4 Liked 162 Times in 45 Posts	Re: Shop Lights A lot depends on how high your ceiling and how much electricity you have. With high ceilings you can go with the quartz lites you see in warehouses and gyms. Some of them also have a wider area they light. They also will work on multiple voltage. The higher the voltage you hook the lights up to the lower your monthly cost. For the fluorescent light definitely get the T5 or T8. I like the 8 foot fixtures that take 4-4 foot bulbs. I have been told they are going to quit making 8 foot lamps. Skylights also help and provide the best kind of light- free.

12-07-2014, 04:48 PM	#6
Paul Hellenberg Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: 41035 Posts: 243 Likes: 3 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Shop Lights I have had some really good luck with CFL from 1000 Bulbs in TX https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/6...nt-grow-bulbs/ I have 23W,85W and 105W they are the best lights I have ever used. __________________ Paul Hellenberg 3881 SS and STK paul@hellenberg.us

12-07-2014, 06:44 PM	#7
340Cuda VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Posts: 1,620 Likes: 3,546 Liked 717 Times in 309 Posts	Re: Shop Lights The company that sells "Big * Fans" now has Big * shop lights. They are LED. I have not been able to find out much about them, especially how much they cost. I have some LED lighting inside my house and I like it a lot. I would like to switch my shop florescent lights to LED as the ballasts fail. Bill

12-07-2014, 06:51 PM	#8
voltdr Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 704 Likes: 77 Liked 92 Times in 49 Posts	Re: Shop Lights The lights that Painter is talking about are called H.I.D. (High Intensity Discharge) lighting. Metal Halide are the white lights. The big drawback for these types are the warm-up time and if you turn them off, it will take 15-20 min before they come back on. They have to cool down before they will light-up again. Stay with the T5 or T8 fluorescents. Also if you buy the polished reflectors you'll get 20%-30% more light on the floor area. They are worth the extra price. Dan

12-07-2014, 09:00 PM	#9
The Hawk VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Littleton,Colorado Posts: 1,192 Likes: 0 Liked 250 Times in 107 Posts	Re: Shop Lights If you decide with fluorescent,go with the T-5 or T-8 electronic ballast fixtures. The HO magnetic stuff won`t be available much longer. __________________ Lane Weber It`s Not What You Drive That Wins....It`s How You Drive It

12-08-2014, 07:14 AM	#10
HandOverFist VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL Posts: 1,655 Likes: 8 Liked 33 Times in 16 Posts	Re: Shop Lights I agree with most here on fluorescent lighting...probably the cheapest and most reliable in the long term. At a minimum at least have the ceilings painted bright white...wooden walls really kill lighting. Cold weather ballast's are stupid expensive...I generally leave my lighting on 24/7 in the winter months. If it's that cold in your shop to require cold weather ballasts you are not going to do much work out there. Once the shop is warmed up there really isn't a need for special ballast's, right? __________________ Rich Taylor I/SA - 321