Got light?

While strolling through homelesscheapo, I came across something you guys might wanna check out. They sell a 3ft LED shop light that is dirt cheap. Just 14bucks. I picked one up and I gotta say, I'm kinda blown away. It pulls 38watts and throws tons of light. Perfect for those dark spots in the garage. No switch on it, but it comes with a plug installed. Too bad I already installed lights in the attic. I think my sandblast cabinet is getting one!

Anyways, here is the label. At this price, I can use it under the hood of the car and not care if it gets trashed.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithoni...-Shop-Light-SHLP-36IN-40K-80CRI-DNA/301158095

 

I have been avoiding the linear tube LED's, since you have to buy a proprietary bulb (I think), and sometimes I think the bulb may not even be replaceable?

I do like the new LED screw-in A-style lamps, especially the ones in the 3,000 K (bright white) color temperature range, since the light they produce looks exactly like an incandescent bulb.
The 3,500 K lamps also look just like an incandescent bulb.
The other LED color temperatures are either too red, or too blue/green for me.

I am thinking of just using a 2x4, and screwing maybe 6 porcelain lamp shells on it, and screwing in 60W equivalent bulbs.
Or use a compact screwshell mounted at a 45 degree angle for a more compact assembly.

The LED's put out a tremendous amount of light with a very small amount of heat, and are highly efficient.

 

and those Pat are expensive. When the light is 14bucks, ya throw it away when it quits. No replacing bulbs on this cheapy

 

I found these lights bigger brother! 6pack of 4footers for $39bucks! I'm in light pig heaven!
I'm going to rip out my crappy fluorescents right now!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...la-20&linkId=bdb52e59150c2d5a047315f6f502f574

 

They'll be brighter than the LED version at 110 Lumens per watt. Most electronic ballast fluorescents should be close to that output number, whereas it's hard (Here at least) to find LED lamps with the same output. I bought a whole stack of four foot 36W single T8 tube electronic ballast lamps with Philips electronics for my workshop and later I bought a bunch of triple T5 housings for $1 each and robbed the reflectors out of them. After pop riveting the reflectors to my lamps, I'm pretty happy with the result so far.

 

I've got weak ass T8's now. Once upon a time they were pretty bright, not so much anymore. Some quality reflectors would help. I'm surprised to see the little HD 3footer porks out more lumens. I measured mine with a light meter and it was bang on measured at about 4 feet.

 

Fluoro phosphors do degrade with time, they have a life measured in hours to their "Half Life" or half output which considered their end of life. New phosphors even have a "Honeymoon period" (actual technical term) where colours are so bright and vivid, that's why the TV stores used to rotate the display stock of CRT tv's. I know when I put a new set of tubes in, I feel like a vampire in direct sunlight for the first tens of hours of use until they settle down.

The rule of thumb for old school magnetic ballasts is 80 lumens per watt and up to 110 for high frequency electronic ballasts. The higher frequency makes them a bit more efficient and also made those battery camping fluoros a bit brighter for their low inputs.

 

Pics of your workshop with new lights in place?

14 is super cheap.

I installed T5 high output 4 foot bulbs in my shop but I could always use more light.

 

Not so. I have a lot of T8's in my shop and have been replacing them with 4 ft LED's I get for $7 each. Most of my T8 issues are ballast and the LED's I buy you have to rewire the fixture to remove the ballast. I love throwing ballasts away. The LED's I'm buying are 2,700 lumens and are doing great. LED fixtures were expensive so I'm converting all my T8 fixtures. At $14 per fixture they are not much more than replacing with fluorescent.

 

I replaced the fluorescent tubes in my shop about a year ago with some bypass LEDs. Mine are 8' tubes and I've been very happy with the upgrade. You can get ones that are drop-in replacements or the bypass, which don't use the ballast. I think the LEDs are a little more expensive than replacing the ballasts and tubes, but it's nice to have the lights actually turn on when it's well below freezing in the shop instead of flickering and *sometimes* lighting.

 

I'd be game to try that! Where you getting 2700lumen 4 footers?

The best I can find now are these. 3000lumens
https://www.eledlights.com/led-ligh...MI0ry-hL_83QIVCxtpCh07Bg7jEAkYAyABEgIdKvD_BwE

 

LEDMyPlace, sorry, 2,500 lumens, 18w. They have 22w 3,000 lumens for a dollar more.

https://www.ledmyplace.com/collections/led-tubes?variant=28486641293

I've ordered 25 bulbs to get free shipping from these guys twice. Every bulb has been flawless. I only use the bulbs with white ends (no ballast) because with my cheap shop light fixtures ballast failure is the normal failure mode.

 

Thanks for the link Andy, I saw the lumens number Mark was talking about yesterday at the homeles$hithole. Mine doesn't sell an led tube that porks out more light than the old school stuff.

I have 12 4ft bulbs now and it's getting dim out there. I also run 4 floods out there for some color. Those were halogens, but I've switched them to cool white LEDs. Same goes for the eves on the corners of the house. Dumped the meter spinning halogens for the leds. Now we NEVER turn them off. They run 24/7. I found those at HD and they aren't stupid white, but more of a yellow light. I can't stand to see a house glowing with bright white light looking like a walmart.

 

Andy, I got 14 of those 3000lumen bulbs on the way. Of course the wife wanted the laundry room changed too. Thanks pal.

 

Lololol. I like the tacked on request. Typical! Haha. And while you're redoing the lights the wall paper needs to be changed out and the trim swapped for a more updated look no doubt.

Take one for the team pal

 

Yeah.. Its been crown molding, handmade cabinets... and now travertine.




I'd rather be screwing with wax, but today its travertine in 1/16" grout lines. Time consuming as all hell. Hey Dave, GET THIS LOCKING SYSTEM for your tile job or you'll have lippage issues. Anything over 15" on one side is large format. It's worth the time and expense. I told her she has to pull as much time on HER knees as me!

 

Haha called it.

Well hopefully it doesn't take too long, or if it does hopefully she puts in as much knee time as you

Cabinets and floor are looking good!

 

Thanks man.. Waiting on crown and doors. kitchenreface.com is slooooww. I'll check later and see if my knee pads fit HER!