Workshop Advice Redux…Shop Lights?

[Bigschuss]

Hey guys…I asked opinions about air vs. electric in a previous post. I am sinking some money into my workshop thus summer. I was wondering this time if you all could recommend a quality shop light. I currently have cheap, Home Depot specials that I bought 7 years ago. Bought about 10 and I am now down to 2.

I'd like to add some quality lights this time…4 footers. Any suggestions for a 4' garage/shop light that will operate at low temps. Not too concerned about noise…got the radio on most of the time anyway.

Thanks in advance.

Blair

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Well, I will probably be the odd man out. I have 12 lights wired in 3 strings (3 separate switches) covering different parts of the shop, and bought the cheap Lowes hanging lights with pull chains so I can turn off ones not being used. In 7 years I have had 2 fail, with the 2nd one being last week. considering they were about $15 plus the bulbs, I have been pretty happy. They have the electronic ballasts, and do work in the cold. When it is below 20 degrees they only come on about 2/3 brightness, but reach full brightness in about a minute.

[Eugene]

I'm like John. Had the same Lowe's cold temp 4 foot florescent cold temperature lights in son's garage/shop for close to 10 years without a failure. Also use the same fixtures in the shop on the acreage for 2 years without a failure.

The banks of light in the acreage shop lights and son's shop/garage are wired on separate switched circuits. Each light is plugged into a receptacle. In the event of a ballast failure, cheaper to and easy to replace the entire fixture.

[Rodney51Cub]

I also have Lowes / Home Depot / Menards 4 ft shop light fixtures. 11 fixtures in all. 10 on four different switches and one on its own. I use T 12 40W bulbs. When it is cooler out, below 25 degrees, it takes a while to get warmed up but I just fire up the wood stove and wait for the shop to warm up some. I have had to replace 3 fixtures and 10 bulbs in 18 years.

Rodney

[Bill Hudson]

Blair,

I wanted lots of light in my 24 X 30 Cubhouse. Eight foot T-8 fixtures in three rows of two, plus one over my workbench. If I am in the Cubhouse all the lights are on (no windows). Is it overkill? Probably, however no one working in my shop has complained about not enough light. Granted, I use supplemental light when working under the hood or something else that blocks light from above. The Cubhouse is heated/insulated so cold operation has not been an issue.

Bill

[outdoors4evr]

Since I live in the great frozen north, I find it is important to have both incandescant and flourescent lighting.
The 4' tubes don't ever seem to get to full brightness in the winter so I have a few incandescants that dangle about during the winter.
The 4' tubes are plugged into switch controlled outlets and the incandescants get plugged in as well for winter.

Some day incandescent bulbs will get difficult to obtain. I may need another solution.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_203213-1373-FL- ... facetInfo=

[Barnyard]

Blair, How high are the lights? You may need some of these http://www.homedepot.com/b/Lighting-Cei ... 5yc1vZc9h5

[BIGHOSS]

I have about a dozen "shop lights" hanging in my shop and barn. They use a 4 ft. T12 bulb. Around here, the T12's are getting harder and harder to find. Also, they are going up in price all of the time. I have returned several to Lowe's for refund when they were bad out of the box. Sure gets frustrating at times.

[Rudi]

Blair:

If you are going to get fluorescent lights make sure that they have the electronic ballast otherwise you won't get them to turn on properly or full brightness. I have been through a few of these - learned the hard way via the wallet that the electronic ballasts are an imperative especially here on the eastern seaboard.

I have gone almost exclusively to LED's for my spot lighting but I still have a few incandescent fixtures as well.

[Bigschuss]

Blair, How high are the lights? You may need some of these http://www.homedepot.com/b/Lighting-Cei ... 5yc1vZc9h5

Thanks for all of the advice gentlemen. I appreciate it.

Barnyard, my ceiling is 10' high. I just went through my garage and pulled out all of my old cheap lights. I am now literally in the dark.

[Rudi]

Wow Bill .. them is expensive

Blair, my ceilings in the shop are also 10 foot. Needed that to be able to build commercial casework such as bank walls etc....

I have been using the new T-8 bulbs in fixtures with electronic ballasts both in the cabinet shop and in the pole barn. Even in -30F temps outdoors that is .. those fixtures come on instantly unlike the older ballast fixtures. And at approx $30.00 Cdn per fixture they proved to be quite affordable. I have 8 fixtures in the pole barn and I have or will have about 10 in the cabinet shop and another 8 in the finishing room. These are replacing my 8 foot fixtures which really are a PITB

Let us know what you decide to do to shed some light in your shop