Brightest ceiling shop lights

[Larry42]

In my woodworking shop we have 4' T8 fluorescents but have replaced some with LEDs. Did a test install to see which we liked better 3400K or 500K. The vote went for the 5000K. Lighting is arranged in end to end and 10' apart on the rows, hung at 15'. Good lighting. Cleaning the lamps once in awhile helps a lot.

 

[Bob Korves]

AGCB97,
How do you install them? I have exposed beams that used to have fluorescent lights pointing up toward the cathedral ceiling. The beams are about 8-9' from the floor. I'm wondering if I should use the milky ones pointed to the floor, or point them toward the ceiling for indirect light. If I point them toward the ceiling, maybe the vee models would be better?

Also, how do you wire them? I have some junction boxes on the beams. I can either hard wire or install outlets.

If you aim the lights at a ceiling that is bright white and clean, with no boards in the way after the light being reflected back, it might work out well. If instead you aim them at a dingy or just raw lumber ceiling, and have rafters and other stuff the light will need to come back down through, then you will lose a huge portion of the light to it being absorbed rather than reflected back to the work space. Losses between the source and the work could easily be reduced well more than 50%. -Bob

 

[ACHiPo]

Bob,
You may recall the cathedral ceiling in my shop is rough-sawn cedar, so definitely not reflective like a nice, white, smooth surface. I'll lose a lot of light bouncing off the ceiling (in addition to being rough, the peak is about 15 feet further reducing lumens or candelas (never could keep 'em straight))

It just seems that 1) there are an awful lot of LEDs on those strips, and I'd have two per beam--not sure how many lumens or candelas, but I'd think it'd be pretty bright even bounced off a high-ish rough brown ceiling, and 2) I like the idea of indirect light--makes it a bit less shadowy and glarey (if that's a word).

I do know that the 4 LED shop lights I added a couple years ago REALLY brightened things up. I haven't gotten around to wiring boxes to the switch so I need to plug them in. Not convenient, but not awful either.

Evan

 

[Bob Korves]

Bob,
You may recall the cathedral ceiling in my shop is rough-sawn cedar, so definitely not reflective like a nice, white, smooth surface. I'll lose a lot of light bouncing off the ceiling (in addition to being rough, the peak is about 15 feet further reducing lumens or candelas (never could keep 'em straight))

It just seems that 1) there are an awful lot of LEDs on those strips, and I'd have two per beam--not sure how many lumens or candelas, but I'd think it'd be pretty bright even bounced off a high-ish rough brown ceiling, and 2) I like the idea of indirect light--makes it a bit less shadowy and glarey (if that's a word).

I do know that the 4 LED shop lights I added a couple years ago REALLY brightened things up. I haven't gotten around to wiring boxes to the switch so I need to plug them in. Not convenient, but not awful either.

Evan

Well, Evan, if you point them up and it doesn't work out well, you can always turn them over and point them down... -- or buy more lights...

 

[ACHiPo]

Well, Evan, if you point them up and it doesn't work out well, you can always turn them over and point them down... -- or buy more lights...

Well Bob there is that!

 

[MikeInOr]

Walmart had a sale on 4000 lumen LED shop lights. I picked up 2. They are tremendously bright and light up all corners of my dim basement workshop. My only complaints are the cord is only 4' long and there is no diffuser over the LEDs so they are painful to look at.

The dotted LED string was installed previously and doesn't really add much.

The new lights are over the lathe (top right) and mill (top left).

View attachment 310440

I have been running the Wal-Mart replacement LED tubes for about 6 months now.... They are great! Time will tell how long they last and how much they will dim over time... but so far they are great.

I just picked some of the led shop lights from costco but I havent had a chance to hang them yet.

 

[AGCB97]

AGCB97,
How do you install them? I have exposed beams that used to have fluorescent lights pointing up toward the cathedral ceiling. The beams are about 8-9' from the floor. I'm wondering if I should use the milky ones pointed to the floor, or point them toward the ceiling for indirect light. If I point them toward the ceiling, maybe the vee models would be better?

Also, how do you wire them? I have some junction boxes on the beams. I can either hard wire or install outlets.

I hung them with twine. The ceiling is 11'4". The bracket also has a hole for a screw (included with kit). I also used a dab of shoe goo for insurance. There is a 6" pigtail that plugs into LED. There is no glass in these, only aluminum and plastic plus the many LEDs


I tried to take pictures of the brightness of the floor compared to ceiling but the camera made them both the same. The ceiling is much dimmer than the floor.

Here is a pic of the LED and what it replaced. The old fixtures were from a filling station and used 6 VHO bulbs at 120 watts each.
That's 720 watts for the fixture. The single 8' LED (same thing only different) that replaced it is less than 50 watts and brighter.

You can see the difference in brightness above and below.

I have 9) 8' LED tubes for my 24 x 30 shop and it is nice and bright.


Thanks
Aaron

 

[ACHiPo]

I hung them with twine. The ceiling is 11'4". The bracket also has a hole for a screw (included with kit). I also used a dab of shoe goo for insurance. There is a 6" pigtail that plugs into LED. There is no glass in these, only aluminum and plastic plus the many LEDs
View attachment 310692

I tried to take pictures of the brightness of the floor compared to ceiling but the camera made them both the same. The ceiling is much dimmer than the floor.

Here is a pic of the LED and what it replaced. The old fixtures were from a filling station and used 6 VHO bulbs at 120 watts each.
That's 720 watts for the fixture. The single 8' LED (same thing only different) that replaced it is less than 50 watts and brighter.
View attachment 310693
You can see the difference in brightness above and below.

I have 9) 8' LED tubes for my 24 x 30 shop and it is nice and bright.
View attachment 310694

Thanks
Aaron

Aaron,
That looks great! Are they daisy-chained together, or how do they all get power? I see in the listing that there are 6" jumpers and a 20" pigtail.

Evan

 

[ACHiPo]

I just picked some of the led shop lights from costco but I havent had a chance to hang them yet.

The 4 LED shop lights I have are from Costco and they are BRIGHT.

 

[DavidR8]

I have tho

Aaron,
That looks great! Are they daisy-chained together, or how do they all get power? I see in the listing that there are 6" jumpers and a 20" pigtail.

Evan

I have those lights and they changed my garage from a cave to a place I can safely work.
My double garage has an open ceiling, 8' high with the rafters running across the space. I snapped a chalk line down the middle of each 'bay' and ran the lights end to end using the supplied connectors and little brackets screwed into the rafters.

A bit of work is required to connect them to wall switches but nothing crazy.