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Shop Lighting Recommendations

Invisabledog

Invisabledog

Well-Known Member
Local time
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Location
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Tired of the cheapo fluorescent shop lights I have. They don't like the cold and damp. After a few years they are slow to come on even in warm weather. Any recommendations on good lighting at a reasonable price?
 
I had a similar problem with the cheap bulbs. An electrician put me onto a set of higher end fluorescent fixtures & bulbs that are not affected by the cold. Commercial grade. Work great. Come on right away. Bulbs have lasted since 2002.
 
I feel your pain. Jus replaced the ballast in two of the one's in my garage. I just installed them just a few years ago.
 
Invisabledog said:
Tired of the cheapo fluorescent shop lights I have. They don't like the cold and damp. After a few years they are slow to come on even in warm weather. Any recommendations on good lighting at a reasonable price?
Click to expand...
it won't be the cheapest fix probably but you can do it yourself. i have big commercial freezers and coolers that use special ballasts in them for the cold temps. when i built my shop i used 3 rows of 8 foot fixtures with 3 in each row. i put the cold ballasts in them and have never replaced a bulb in 8 years approx. its just what i did. .02 cents
 
Better

65hemi said:
I had a similar problem with the cheap bulbs. An electrician put me onto a set of higher end fluorescent fixtures & bulbs that are not affected by the cold. Commercial grade. Work great. Come on right away. Bulbs have lasted since 2002.
Click to expand...

The HO fluorescent Bulbs & 8' fixtures are better for sure, they have a little rectangle shaped connector on the ends instead of pins, the ballasts are a bunch more money to replace than the cheaper pin type cheap fixtures 1's, I would try "Graingers", Vivid White spectrum or Blues are hotter than Cool white also better light...
 
Thanks guys. Any particular brands/model numbers you can recommend?
 
Brand

Invisabledog said:
Thanks guys. Any particular brands/model numbers you can recommend?
Click to expand...

Mine are GE & Sylvainia {spelling} I'm sure there are better & worse brands out there.... Purchased all fixtures & bulbs at Graingers Supply...
 
I installed new lights in my garage and they are great,in Canada they are called T 8 lighting .we got them at our local hardware store ,no more flickering on and off ,plus they last longer and use less power.Im sure your hardware will have them .they were probably made in the U.S.
 
I have a 8 foot and one 4 foot fluorescent light in my garage, its plenty enough lighting for most things as its so small, and a couple smaller ones around in case i need more but like said there always slow in starting once it gets cold out, one is new maybe ill make it a winter before it starts doing it. They make good bright light though.
 
Invisabledog said:
Tired of the cheapo fluorescent shop lights I have. They don't like the cold and damp. After a few years they are slow to come on even in warm weather. Any recommendations on good lighting at a reasonable price?
Click to expand...

Hey Invisibledog, is your shop/garage heated? If not then I would suggest taking a look at LED lighting, then you can do away with flourescent and the ballast issues that go with them. Not sure what your budget is, but not all LED lighting is expensive. Costco sells a wide variety of LED bulbs, for example.

I just built a new heated garage this year and have the T8 flourescents which work fine, but the old garage was not heated and I can relate to what you are saying.....turn on the lights and go have a coffee...come back 20 mins later...LOL
 
Garage lights

Well, Here goes! T-12's are very expensive and on the way out. My friend who has a bodyshop with 18' cielings pays $39.00 each for 8' T-12 HO bulbs from H&H. OUCH!
In the very near future you won't be able to buy the bulbs or ballasts. No use spending your money on those.
T-8 fixtures are the best bang for your money. If you have some old 8' T-12 fixtures you can "Retrofit" them to accept two or four 4' T-8 bulbs and change the ballast and save some Moola! The T-8 4' bulbs are about $3.00 each for a good quality bulb with a CRI rating of 82. Make sure the ballast is a "High Factor" ballast and you
use good bulbs and you'll get as much light as an old school HO bulb and you'll save about 42% on your juice bill! Look on-line for "Name Brand" ballasts as they do not sell the good ones anywhere local, and they are much cheaper. If you need to buy the whole fixture, use the same spec's i quoted and you'll be very happy. You'll be able to buy bulbs for the T-8's for years to come. T-5 lights are cutting edge, but still have some bugs to get worked out and are still expensive for what you get. Remember too that if your cieling is painted bright white, the light will reflect and make the whole garage a joy to work in. There!
 
My shop is heated, but only while I'm out there. Can't afford to keep heat running all the time. I've been checking out T8 fixtures and will probably go that route. I have 2 older 8 foot fixtures over my bench and lathe, that I would like to convert to the T8. What I really need is a new, bigger shop on high ground out of the flood plain. But for now I'll settle for new lights. Thanks for all the help I really appreciate it.
 
I heard that they will soon stop making the larger flourescent tube and everything will be the t-8. Dont know if there is any truth to that.
 
I think they already have..you can still buy the bulbs and ballasts for now....if anyone is buying the T12 fixtures...they're old stock. That's what my suppliers are telling me.
 
Yep, the t12 will soon be gone. I found some t8 fixtures that will work well for what I want.
 
I'm an electrician, and yes, the T-12's are on their way out. Common now are the T-8's. Coming in popularity are T-5's! Do you know what the "T" stands for? It represents "1/8 th of an inch. So a T-12 is 1-1/2" diameter, T-8 is 1" diameter, and T-5's are 5/8" diameter. Again, HO is great for cold-weather operation. But for even better performance, I would suggest a VHO fixture. For affordable fixtures I would try Ruud Lighting. With an HO or VHO ballast, and make sure to get a reflectorized, or mirrored reflector with it. That reflects the wasted "upward" light back down where you can use it. I am a big fan of LED lighting, but the problem with it for now is that the color-rendition is still a bit off. Lots of light, but not good for color matching, or painting, yet!
 
FWIW, I have "spec 35" bulbs in 34 watt. The light is more natural and looks like early morning or late afternoon sun. I have the same in T8 in my indoor hobby room. The bulbs are better quality as well, for only a little more $. To me the 3500 temp range looks even more like sunlight than those advertized as "daylight", and the spec 35 is one of the few special temps readily available in both t-12 and t-8, as well as in the "green end" energy miser bulbs.
 
Just to add my two cents... I got real tired of the dingy yellowish lighting from my old shop flourescents (t12). Went to Lowes (for something else) and spotted some T8's that said they were good in the cold. I bought five of 'em with the 'daylight' bulbs. They were less than $20 each without the bulbs. Maybe not the same quality as some of you guys bought but boy did they make a difference. Thanks for the tip on the T8's.
 
They offer a 8' light fixture that will take 4-4' lamps so if hauling 8' lamps problem 4' will fit in a car. The t-12 stop making lamps so once back stock gets low the price will jump t-8 is replacing t-12 but t-8 is going to be phase out . You can take a t-12 fixture and convert to t-8 same ends and most t-8 ballast if i recall are rated -10deg. start up . But if going to t-5 hole new fixtures dont know if offered 8' lamps almost all factories are taking down old hibays & lowbays switching to t-5 with 30'-40' ceilings and getting more lighting out but less fixtures. i have 8' t-12 h o and heat in garage going to switch to t-5.
 
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