# Shop Lighting



## MattM (Feb 7, 2020)

I'm at the point of deciding on shop lights for my new shop.  Floor space is 1200 sq ft, ceiling height is 13'.  I want to go LED and I want very good lighting.

Suggestions as to source, type, and number of fixtures?  I humbly await the wisdom of the fraternity.


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## FOMOGO (Feb 7, 2020)

Check out this thread. Mike     https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/brightest-ceiling-shop-lights.68021/page-4#post-709462


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## aliva (Feb 8, 2020)

I just installed 6, 5000 lumen LED corncob lamps. They cover all areas of my 25 x 30 garage.  Goodbye fluorescent's.


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## MattM (Feb 8, 2020)

aliva said:


> I just installed 6, 5000 lumen LED corncob lamps. They cover all areas of my 25 x 30 garage.  Goodbye fluorescent's.


What's a "corncob lamp"?  How high is your ceiling?


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## aliva (Feb 9, 2020)

My ceiling is 12 feet


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## MattM (Feb 9, 2020)

Seems like those might work for me.  Do they screw into standard 120vac sockets?

If you have six for 750 sqft I'd probably need about eight to cover my 1200 sqft area.  (Actually less subtracting the office and restroom)

Thank you---Matt


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## pontiac428 (Feb 9, 2020)

I've spent the last two days hanging 12 x 21000 lm high bay LEDs in my 13' ceiling 960 sf shop...  That's 262.5 lumens per square foot.  Still pulling wire today, but I can post a picture when I'm finished and the lights are on...  It should be brighter than the sun in there.


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## RJSakowski (Feb 9, 2020)

A newcomer on the block are adjustable LED lamps.  They have three  plates for a total of 8,000 lumens and a power draw of 80 watts.  *I've seen them for less than $30.







			https://www.amazon.com/Deformable-Tri-Light-Basement-Lighting-300W-400W/dp/B07RWYXM4H


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## MattM (Feb 9, 2020)

The more I research this subject the confuseder I get.


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## Aukai (Feb 9, 2020)

I closed my eyes, and pointed with my finger, then ordered 6 lights for my garage extension. Seemed like a reasonable solution to choose.


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## DavidR8 (Feb 9, 2020)

I bought a couple of packs of these. 
Once installed I discovered new corners of my garage!

(Pack of 6) Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Ligh https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01HBT3BVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_GQtQOuFdLhWNO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Aukai (Feb 9, 2020)

I'm crossing my fingers on these.....



			https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSUQ603/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## JimDawson (Feb 9, 2020)

I already had seven 8 ft dual fluorescent fixtures already installed.  I replace the bulbs with direct wire LED replacement tubes, the highest, whitest output I could find.  Required rewiring the fixtures, but that was easy.  My shop is also 1200 sq/ft w/13 ft ceiling.  Plenty of light.  I placed the lights to best light the center area of the shop and let the corners and walls be a bit dark because I don't really need the light in that area.  I have a mezzanine above my lathe & mill and placed one of the fixtures on each side of the mill, and I added a 4 ft fixture directly above my lathe.


  The 3 fixtures around the door rails are hung so the lights still work when the door is open.  I re-hung them, the door used to cover 2 of them, still gives plenty of light in that area.



After taking this picture I realised that I'm an idiot.  The two 8 ft fixtures are lighting a lot of area that they don't need to.  Don't need much light on the back of the mill.  But the lathe could use more direct lighting, I'm going to move the fixtures a couple feet to the left, over the lathe.


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## Aukai (Feb 9, 2020)

My main garage has 3, 4' 4 bulb fl that I rewired for LED. The LED upgrade is worth it to me.


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## stupoty (Feb 9, 2020)

flicker free drivers are worth looking at , some led's are direct mains voltage with no drivers as such, they have the most flicker.


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## ACHiPo (Feb 9, 2020)

Aukai said:


> I closed my eyes, and pointed with my finger, then ordered 6 lights for my garage extension. Seemed like a reasonable solution to choose.


Yeah pretty hard to go wrong.


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## NCjeeper (Feb 9, 2020)

I will be going with LED bay lighting for my new shop. Ceiling is 14+ft tall.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/UFO-LED-High-Bay-Light-500W-300W-200W-100W-Watt-Warehouse-Led-Shop-Light-Fixture/312984966143?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=611682285355&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649


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## stupoty (Feb 9, 2020)

not exactly dedicated shop lighting but I have been loving the light from the led ceiling grid lights , they are sized to fit standard drop ceiling grids but most have kits available for hanging them also , nice defused light and quite cheep too.


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## Stonebriar (Feb 9, 2020)

2400 sq ft shop.  10 lights in center and 12- 8' old florescent fixtures with LED replacement bulbs with ballast removed. Each fixture is 13,000 lumen.


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## JimDawson (Feb 9, 2020)

I wish my shop looked like that, but I could never keep it that clean. Looks like you could eat off of the floor.


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## NCjeeper (Feb 9, 2020)

Good looking shop Stonebriar.


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## Stonebriar (Feb 9, 2020)

NCjeeper said:


> Good looking shop Stonebriar.


Thank you.  Looking forward to see yours complete and full of machinery.


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## Stonebriar (Feb 9, 2020)

JimDawson said:


> I wish my shop looked like that, but I could never keep it that clean. Looks like you could eat off of the floor.


I always try to clean up after each project and start with a fresh mess. I still get a complaint or two on chips somewhere they aren't suppose to be.


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## MattM (Feb 9, 2020)

Stonebriar said:


> 2400 sq ft shop.  10 lights in center and 12- 8' old florescent fixtures with LED replacement bulbs with ballast removed. Each fixture is 13,000 lumen.
> 
> View attachment 313114



Beautiful shop. 

 I'm going to use 13,000 lumens as a goal.  How high is your ceiling?


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## Stonebriar (Feb 10, 2020)

MattM said:


> Beautiful shop.
> 
> I'm going to use 13,000 lumens as a goal.  How high is your ceiling?


12' walls


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## Firstgear (Feb 10, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> I bought a couple of packs of these.
> Once installed I discovered new corners of my garage!
> 
> (Pack of 6) Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Ligh https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01HBT3BVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_GQtQOuFdLhWNO
> ...


I put 10 of these in my shop.  My wife’s comment was “it’s like daylight out there compared to dusk like in the other garage”.  Plan is to buy 30 more and put 20 in the adjacent garage and 10 in the back garage.  They really make a huge difference.  My ceiling height is 10’.


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## Mgdoug3 (Feb 10, 2020)

I installed 12 5500 lumen shop lights from Rural King about a month ago.  My shop is 36x36 with 20 foot ceiling.  I was surprised how well they worked.  They were on sale for $20 a piece.


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## fixit (Feb 10, 2020)

MattM said:


> I'm at the point of deciding on shop lights for my new shop.  Floor space is 1200 sq ft, ceiling height is 13'.  I want to go LED and I want very good lighting.
> 
> Suggestions as to source, type, and number of fixtures?  I humbly await the wisdom of the fraternity.



*Sunco Lighting 6 Pack Flat LED Shop Light, 4 FT, Linkable Double Integrated LED, 40W=300W, 5000K Daylight, 4500 LM, Clear Lens, Plug in, Suspension Mount, Pull Chain, Garage - ETL + Energy Star*

I just purchased these for the 2nd time, I now have 12 in my shop. They are GREAT, I am now a happy camper that can see. $130 for a package of 6 lights with all the trimmings & they can be daisy-chained together. They are complete with switches, cords, built-in receptacles, & suspension chains & screw-in hooks. Two-year warranty.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Feb 10, 2020)

do it right...do it once!
Big ass lights


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## vtcnc (Feb 10, 2020)

I used six of these. I like it bright. 









						Commercial Electric Plug In or Direct Wire Power Connection 4 ft. White 4000K Integrated LED Strip Light (with Power Cord and Linking Cord) 54261141 - The Home Depot
					

Need to concentrate on a task where clear crisp lighting is essential; Commercial Electric's 4 ft. LED Strip light is the best for you. This fixture replaces outdated, buzzing and glaring fluorescent fixtures. It offers traditional linear lighting using the latest and energy-efficient LED...



					www.homedepot.com


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## Joeman77 (Feb 11, 2020)

Mgdoug3 said:


> I installed 12 5500 lumen shop lights from Rural King about a month ago.  My shop is 36x36 with 20 foot ceiling.  I was surprised how well they worked.  They were on sale for $20 a piece.


I think I caught lights similar to yours on a "Black Friday" for $10 ea. I've tried hanging a few, I've only got a 9' ceiling & they are BRIGHT!


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## aliva (Feb 11, 2020)

Getting back to the corn cob lights they are medium base E26 120 VAC.
Some of these are also available in Mogul base E39. So check before you consider purchasing


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## pontiac428 (Feb 11, 2020)

I think I found the right shop light...


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## Nogoingback (Feb 11, 2020)

MattM said:


> The more I research this subject the confuseder I get.




Keep it simple then.  Everbody pretty much agrees the bright, white LEDs are the way to go.
You need both general area lighting as well as task specific lighting at the mill, lathe, workbench or whatever.
Direct wire LED tube replacements have dropped in price, are available at Home Depot and put out a ton of light.
Screw in LED spots work well over machines.  How you lay them out just depends on your shop configuration.
By wiring task specific lights or (in a big shop) some of your area lights to different switches, you can save energy
by only lighting the areas you need.


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## pontiac428 (Feb 11, 2020)

@Nogoingback gives good advice with task (supplemental) lighting, and I do agree that simplicity is often the best approach.

So, here are a few things to know for reference.  Don't get too wrapped up on what it means, just match your units before doing any math..

-Lux is luminous flux, think of it as light energy density.
-Lumens is energy output without regard to the area that a light casts.  It directly relates to watts power output. 
-One lumen per square foot equals one foot-candle which equals ~10 Lux.

How much light do you need?

-In the US, lighting recommendations for fine tasks with high contrast and low size require 500 Lux (50 foot-candles) and detail work of low contrast and small size require 1000 Lux (100 foot-candles) (Source: IESNA)
-If your shop is 1000 square feet, and you want 100 foot-candles of light, you need to shop for 100,000 Lumens worth of illumination.  If you are looking at modest 5,000 Lumen strip light fixtures, then you should be looking at a total of 20 fixtures for your space as a starting point.

There is a lot of bad info out there (I know because I just bought $1400 worth of lights for my shop), so I thought I'd try to pass on something useful about lights.  Not all light fixtures are appropriate, and as usual there's cheap and then there's quality, and we all have our own ways of managing that.  Personal preference plays a big part with color temperature and lighting power.  Ultimately, when you turn on the light switch what you see is largely going to be a result of light intensity.  Hopefully this is useful if you're planning for some new light in your shop.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Feb 11, 2020)

I put in (4) 2 tube led shop lights. They look like fluorescent shop light but are LED tubes (t5?) Anyway, 2 are at the far end and 2 are at the other end. They work great unless its summertime and I want to work with the garage door open. When I open the door, it slide up against the roof and blocks out the two at the far, garage door side. Stupid, but I don't know any alternatives.


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## vocatexas (Feb 11, 2020)

I bought the Barrina T5s to put up in my shop. At $7.00 a light you can't beat the price and they are BRIGHT. A friend of mine installed them in his shop, and we replace the old florescent lights in our fire station with the Barrinas as well.


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## Joeman77 (Feb 12, 2020)

GunsOfNavarone said:


> I put in (4) 2 tube led shop lights. They look like fluorescent shop light but are LED tubes (t5?) Anyway, 2 are at the far end and 2 are at the other end. They work great unless its summertime and I want to work with the garage door open. When I open the door, it slide up against the roof and blocks out the two at the far, garage door side. Stupid, but I don't know any alternatives.


Maybe an easy switch that opens when you raise the garage door breaking the circuit to  the lights involved?


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## GunsOfNavarone (Feb 12, 2020)

Thanks @Joeman77 its not any kind of danger, lights don’t get hot and they are a good 18” from the garage door, but when the door is up, those lights do nothing to light the garage. Oh to have a real shop. When we retire. I’m selling the house moving to Tennessee and making damn sure I have a free standing shop WITH NO CAR PARKING IN IT. But there is a lot of good lighting advice here....I will revisit it.


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## ACHiPo (Feb 13, 2020)

GunsOfNavarone said:


> I put in (4) 2 tube led shop lights. They look like fluorescent shop light but are LED tubes (t5?) Anyway, 2 are at the far end and 2 are at the other end. They work great unless its summertime and I want to work with the garage door open. When I open the door, it slide up against the roof and blocks out the two at the far, garage door side. Stupid, but I don't know any alternatives.


I have a similar situation in my shop.  I’m toying with hanging LED strips below the door rails.  There will still be a darker area under the door itself when it’s raised, but I can live with that.


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## MattM (Feb 13, 2020)

I have the same problem in my present (garage) shop.  But it is not much a problem because there are only a few days  I can comfortably have the doors open. so it is not a big deal.

The new shop has a rollup door.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Feb 13, 2020)

ACHiPo said:


> I have a similar situation in my shop.  I’m toying with hanging LED strips below the door rails.  There will still be a darker area under the door itself when it’s raised, but I can live with that.


that is NOT a bad idea! Thank you!


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## MattM (Feb 13, 2020)

Here is what I settled on: Commercial Electric 2ft  Industrial High Bay Light, suggested mounting height 16-24Ft, 500K, 171 input watts, 120-277vac, Daylight, 18,000 Lumens.

I bought them at Home Depot; $99.00 less my 10% Military Discount.

I mounted four of them which provides more than adequate light for normal garage operations, however for machine shop ops I'm going to install five more.  Probably be brighter than a sunny day in Oregon.  When they are all in I'll post a picture.  Ceiling height is 13', sqft is 1200.

Thanks for all the great info.---Matt


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## keeena (Feb 14, 2020)

If using 4' type units: I'd avoid a solid, end-to-end run. I did this at first but found that spacing them out and turning 90* had better coverage. 

I have a 2.5 car garage with 10-foot ceiling. I used 10x of these: Link. They are 25w, 2300lumen. Bright enough for me! The CRI is not the greatest though.

If you can: run them from 2 different switches. I wired mine up where I can turn on 4 of the 10 bars for general lighting. The other 6 are on a second switch when needed. I tell myself it saves a few pennies when I'm not doing any serious work in the garage.


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## Chips O'Toole (Feb 14, 2020)

It's really dangerous to commit to an LED solution, because 3 months from now, they may have something so much better you'll wish you had waited. It's amazing how quickly things are changing.


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## MattM (Feb 14, 2020)

Chips O'Toole said:


> It's really dangerous to commit to an LED solution, because 3 months from now, they may have something so much better you'll wish you had waited. It's amazing how quickly things are changing.




Guess i shoulda stayed with candles...


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## pontiac428 (Feb 18, 2020)

Let there be light!


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## Chips O'Toole (Feb 19, 2020)

MattM said:


> Guess i shoulda stayed with candles...



Candles? You kids and your fancy gadgets. I'm sticking with flaming mastodon manure.


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