# Shop Lights- LED?



## ClintW

Just moved into a new place. Garage has no lights and basement isn't very well lit. Was planning to set up a hand tool work area in the basement and bigger dustier tools work area in the garage. Was thinking to go LED for lights. Does anyone else out there use LED strips or tubes? Soft white or bright white? Recommendations appreciated.
What's the lumen comparison to standard lights?

@gman2431 I remember you had mentioned something about this at some point.

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## gman2431

ClintW said:


> Just moved into a new place. Garage has no lights and basement isn't very well lit. Was planning to set up a hand tool work area in the basement and bigger dustier tools work area in the garage. Was thinking to go LED for lights. Does anyone else out there use LED strips or tubes? Soft white or bright white? Recommendations appreciated.
> What's the lumen comparison to standard lights?
> 
> @gman2431 I remember you had mentioned something about this at some point.



Yes sir i deal with lots of LED lighting at work. If you are looking for the exact kelvin/lux i use i will have to double check i cant rmemebr off the top of my head since we have every spectrum and even color changing lights. i personally use the strips but they are encased in an aluminum housing and sealed with a gel coat. The stick on ribbon lighting is OK but will fall off over time. Also they are a bright white but controllers can be bought to adjust that even. basically you can do almost anything with them now a days. lol


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## gman2431

and as far as the tube lights go im not a fan for switching out a garage to them. you will need different driver, tombstones, then buy the tubes to make them work. so in the end you basically strip down to just the metal shroud and have to buy all new, seems a waste in my eyes for how little they will run in someones shop. we only do that in retail situations where the lights are never turned off to save power


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## Wildthings

I changed my 4' overhead lights out to LED tubes in my shop. I want bright lighting and went with the 5oook. I still don't think it is brighter than my fluorescents. As far as changing them out it was pretty easy. I bought the single end tubes and you have to cut the incoming power wires from the ballast and wire them into the tombstones at one end only. Making sure the tombstones are non shunted. If they are shunted then replacing them with non shunted ones (89 cents) takes seconds. After rewiring just put in the new LED tubes. They have built in drivers. They are supposed to last for 50,000 hours

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## Don Ratcliff

I put one of these over the lathe. I just took the ballast out of the old t12 fixture and wired it straight power to the led. It was easy and i didn't need to buy any special parts.


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## kweinert

When we moved I added these https://www.costco.com/Feit-Electri...ith-Pull-Chain,-2-pack.product.100284402.html as all I had was the normal single light bulb.

They've been really good. In a two car garage I now have 8 overhead lights. For me it's sufficient general lighting and doesn't cause a glare or seem too bright. I still have specific task lighting over the lather but other than that these are the only lights out there. Keep in mind I have about a 10 foot ceiling as that could make a difference as well.

I'm very satisfied with them.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Wildthings

Here's what I used

LIGHTS

TOMBSTONES


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## ClintW

Wow! Great responses guys! Will take a careful look through all the responses later.

To add. The garage has no lights....no idea what the previous tenants did or landlord. LED seemed a choice for when I move out I can take them down and easily take with me. Basement only has a few single sockets now, so a few bar lights would be great to spread the light out. I can definitely do some wiring, so anything that involves adding or thing in I can handle.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nature Man

I recently converted from fluorescent to LED. I could not be happier. They were the bright white variety. Highly recommend! Chuck


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## ClintW

gman2431 said:


> Yes sir i deal with lots of LED lighting at work. If you are looking for the exact kelvin/lux i use i will have to double check i cant rmemebr off the top of my head since we have every spectrum and even color changing lights. i personally use the strips but they are encased in an aluminum housing and sealed with a gel coat. The stick on ribbon lighting is OK but will fall off over time. Also they are a bright white but controllers can be bought to adjust that even. basically you can do almost anything with them now a days. lol



I have seen the strip lights. That was my base plan. To get several 25ft rolls. Mount em to some sheet material. And then wire em up to a power supply with switches for banks of lights. What are these strips mounted in aluminum you mention? I have only seen the flexible roll strip ones.

As far as brightness I was curious if the bright white gets to be too much on he eyes after working for awhile, or if the softer yellowish ones would be better. 

I am looking to light up a 10*15 ft area and a 8*8 area.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950

kweinert said:


> When we moved I added these https://www.costco.com/Feit-Electric-4’-Linkable-LED-Shop-Light-with-Pull-Chain,-2-pack.product.100284402.html as all I had was the normal single light bulb.
> 
> They've been really good. In a two car garage I now have 8 overhead lights. For me it's sufficient general lighting and doesn't cause a glare or seem too bright. I still have specific task lighting over the lather but other than that these are the only lights out there. Keep in mind I have about a 10 foot ceiling as that could make a difference as well.
> 
> I'm very satisfied with them.



done the same- pretty skeptical about the 45 yrs but probably will not matter to me

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike Hill

Sams had a special on 4' LED fixtures a month or so ago. Someday, I'll install the ones I bought and can report.


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## gman2431

ClintW said:


> I have seen the strip lights. That was my base plan. To get several 25ft rolls. Mount em to some sheet material. And then wire em up to a power supply with switches for banks of lights. What are these strips mounted in aluminum you mention? I have only seen the flexible roll strip ones.
> 
> As far as brightness I was curious if the bright white gets to be too much on he eyes after working for awhile, or if the softer yellowish ones would be better.
> 
> I am looking to light up a 10*15 ft area and a 8*8 area.



i made some overheads like you mention with the ribbon light like you mention before but i just used white melamine board to make the shroud and reflect light down. if you go that route drill some holes every so often to use a bread/zip tie in case the adhesive wants to fail. and also paint them white to reflect the light. 

i will try and look up something like i mentioned in the housing or snap a pic of my setup for bench lights. i sent @RedwoodWorkshop some to use on his bench but havent heard if he got them up or not since he jsut had a baby.

i stand in the bright white with no problems on the eyes

Reactions: Like 1


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## gman2431

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...k-anodized-aluminum-led-profile-housing/2039/

Like these but instead of a plastic diffuser cover there are filled with a silicone substance. these could actually be nice if you wanted to tone down or up the intensity by just switching the diffuser cover to a clear or visa verse

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## SENC

Mike1950 said:


> done the same- pretty skeptical about the 45 yrs but probably will not matter to me


As many century changes as you've seen you don't think you'll see another? 

You really do like to open yourself up for these, don't you?

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 2


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## Mike1950

SENC said:


> As many century changes as you've seen you don't think you'll see another?
> 
> You really do like to open yourself up for these, don't you?



:) so do you

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD

I converted my fluorescent shop lights to LED tubes a while back. Just followed the instructions that came with the LED tubes. I ordered them off of Amazon, but I don't remember which ones they were.

They seem brighter than the old fluorescent lights, and it was really easy.


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## Karl_99

There are some new LED tubes that are a direct replacement for T-8 fluorescent tubes. Two special things about them is that the require no fixture/ ballast alterations and they have plastic tubes (no glass). I really like the idea of no glass in the shop.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## rocky1

ClintW said:


> As far as brightness I was curious if the bright white gets to be too much on he eyes after working for awhile, or if the softer yellowish ones would be better.



Dimmer for them is plenty reasonable, can be wired in after the fact relatively easy, comes with remote control, and dependent upon which strips you get, can offer several colors for mood lighting. 

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...d-dimmer-wireless-rf-remote-8-amps/3145/6309/


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## Wildthings

rocky1 said:


> Dimmer for them is plenty reasonable, can be wired in after the fact relatively easy, comes with remote control, and dependent upon which strips you get, can offer several colors for mood lighting.
> 
> https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...d-dimmer-wireless-rf-remote-8-amps/3145/6309/



If you are using the 4ft tubes like I did then the dimmer is not an option. Choose wisely!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## gman2431

rocky1 said:


> Dimmer for them is plenty reasonable, can be wired in after the fact relatively easy, comes with remote control, and dependent upon which strips you get, can offer several colors for mood lighting.
> 
> https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...d-dimmer-wireless-rf-remote-8-amps/3145/6309/



You will need to buy 3 wire strip light also to be able to dim them the normal 2 wire won't.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## ClintW

I was thinking to build a C-channel shroud with white painted sheet metal, and cut some strips off standard diffuser for fluorescent lights to bow into the channel. Have maybe two strips of LEDS in each shroud. Will have to make it back home to use my brothers large sheet metal brake.


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## rocky1

gman2431 said:


> You will need to buy 3 wire strip light also to be able to dim them the normal 2 wire won't.



I'm pretty sure the dimmer I linked is 2 wire Cody, specs show a 2 wire conductor, 2 terminals each end of the dimmer, and accessories on that particular dimmer show 2 wire wire. Where you seeing 3 wire is necessary???


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## gman2431

rocky1 said:


> I'm pretty sure the dimmer I linked is 2 wire Cody, specs show a 2 wire conductor, 2 terminals each end of the dimmer, and accessories on that particular dimmer show 2 wire wire. Where you seeing 3 wire is necessary???



Ahh it's a single color. Got confused there for a sec.


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## rocky1

10 4... That's what I was thinking, multi-color requires 3 wire to drive the color side. Simple white LED is 2 wire.


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## DKMD

Can't figure out why I would ever want to dim my shop lights...

Reactions: Agree 3


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## gman2431

DKMD said:


> Can't figure out why I would ever want to dim my shop lights...



Gotta set the mood sometimes doc!

Reactions: Funny 3


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## rocky1

DKMD said:


> Can't figure out why I would ever want to dim my shop lights...



Makes it easier to nap while hiding from the honey-do list!

Reactions: Funny 1 | Informative 1


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## CWS

DKMD said:


> Can't figure out why I would ever want to dim my shop lights...


As you get older those things are harder to understand.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## RedwoodWorkshop

gman2431 said:


> i made some overheads like you mention with the ribbon light like you mention before but i just used white melamine board to make the shroud and reflect light down. if you go that route drill some holes every so often to use a bread/zip tie in case the adhesive wants to fail. and also paint them white to reflect the light.
> 
> i will try and look up something like i mentioned in the housing or snap a pic of my setup for bench lights. i sent @RedwoodWorkshop some to use on his bench but havent heard if he got them up or not since he jsut had a baby.
> 
> i stand in the bright white with no problems on the eyes



I did get then set up bat haven't had ant time to really work downstairs. They work great!

Reactions: Like 1


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## RedwoodWorkshop

Here they are !

Reactions: Like 2


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## gman2431

Cool man! Glad they worked out for ya.


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