T8 LED Upgrade Question

[Reddinr]

I changed all of mine out to the ones needing ballast removal to maximize the energy savings. The Hyperikons I used came with permanent labels to put on each fixture. They fully explain what the fixture is all about. I wouldn't worry about future owners if you use the labels. And the Hyperikons have been great! I couldn't believe how much light had disappeared from the original fluorescent's over the years. I think the old gas tubes will be gone everywhere soon enough.

 

[RJSakowski]

LED's are the way of the future. As they become more common the costs will drop and the cost of fluorescent tubes will increase. Add to that, LED's are currently more efficient than fluorescent, they work in cold temperatures, and they are instant on.

Personally, I would remove the ballasts. Remaining in the circuit, they will draw some energy and lower the overall efficiency. If you are concerned about someone in the future wanting to revert back to fluorescent, you can leave the ballast in place but disconnected and lrave a note with instructions for rewiring.

 

[Shopsweeper]

Have you got a part number to go with the Cree's?
I looked through amazon today because the 16w Toggled I picked up at home depot does not seem any brighter than my GE T8's.
I didn't see any Cree's at all.

@middle.road,
To answer your question, my Cree bulbs appear to have a Fastenal part number of 0749964.
These were on clearance in 2015/2016 and I picked them on my way home with some kind of old arn on my trailer in NE or KS as best I recall. They are not perfect, and they were prohibitively expensive new. I remember paying less than $20 each from the "opps" rack at a small town Fastenal store.

What I like about the Cree:

• The "lenses" are frosted to help diffuse the light. Some newer ones make it hard to look at. (I store stuff strapped my ceiling on hog panels).
• The color temperature (4200k) is very nice for my needs (I like temps between 4000k and 5000k for some reason).
• They are Aluminum on back and plastic on on front so the seem very sturdy for a shop.
• The wider 120º beam angle had a nice "throw" that helps chase shadows across my shop.
• They carry a 10 year warranty?!?!? (I just learned this researching them for you - thanks).

What I don't like about the Cree:

• They are not THAT bright. My friend has newer glass LED bulbs in his garage and they are outstandingly bright. I think LEDs have come a long way since 2013 or so when these bulbs were new tech.
• They are oval in cross section so they look goofy next to a round bulb (I put these in pairs with a 5000k LED to mix colors).
• New "wholesale" they cost $100 each. I remember thinking that I got a deal at $20 cash in hand (how times have changed).

Later this week I should have some new Hyperikon bulbs in similar color temp from AMZ to compare them to.

I'm not sure if I got such a 'good' price on the Crees because I was in the right place/right time or because I was dressed in "Corp Camo" for a machine pick-up. Corp Camo is a small "Ruse de gurre" that I employ when going on-site into a large company facility. I dress in a shop work uniform with a company logo on my shirt and my name on the opposite pocket. I keep a plastic ID card on my belt and wear PPE including steel toes and safety glasses. I find this to be a good social hack so that people who see me spooling up cables or loading up tooling don't think twice. I never, ever use the logos of any company that exists (unless its my company). I mostly wear a grey shirt with a "Weyland Yutani" logo on it with near-matching pants and a grey lid. No one has ever understood the reference/context of Weyland.

 

[Shopsweeper]

Update:
My new bulbs (Hyperikon) came yesterday. After dinner I upgrade 3 t8 dual fixtures and I have 7 more to go. I bought my new bulbs from AMZ warehouse so I didn't pick my exact kind - I was looking for the color temp and the wattage mostly - oh, and a good price (I am surprisingly cheap at times).

I ended up with some glass, clear 4000k bulbs that are wonderfully bright. If I could find a frosted plastic shield it might be best of both worlds (or a fire hazard). But for now, I am going to be happy. I can already see how messy my shop floor is! My price per bulb on these worked out to be $4.17ea (4.17375). Much better than my older $20 ea bulbs. I ordered a pack of 24 that showed "damage to the top and sides of item" as the cause for the return (how the item got into the AMZ Warehouse ecosystem). The outer box was a mess on one end - I can see why some customer refused shipment at full price. However, all 24 bulbs are perfectly sound and the first 6 of them operate flawlessly.

It was really too hot in my shop last night to be working up on a ladder like I was (97º F) so I may wait until cooler weather to finish this project. Happy so far. Mine did not come with labels that I saw, so I used my home made ones. I did remove the ballasts and I had to replace my tombstones (on one end) because my old fixtures were all shunted. I'm planning to try disposal of my old florescent bulbs at a "Batteries" store up in Tulsa that reported will do it safely for less than a buck per.

Thank you all for your guidance on this project.