More Light!

[Kim]

Today I finally got around to updating my shop lighting.  One of my 8’ fluorescent fixtures went out a few weeks ago, which probably means it needs a new ballast or something. But rather than put any money into the old fluorescent fixtures I purchased a new 8’ LED fixture.

And while I was at it, I purchased an additional two of them to add some lighting in areas that have been a little lacking in light – like one over the table saw/paint area and one over my assembly bench.  I considered replacing all the fluorescent fixtures at this time but that would have doubled my cost.  So I decided to leave those till they die.  They are 10 years newer than the one that recently croaked – that’s the one I put in when we first moved here.  I thought one 8’ bright fixture like that was a monstrous amount of light!  Over the years I’ve added more.  Everything in the last 5-6 years has been LED.  But any expansion before that was florescent (unfortunately.  Though it did make sense at the time).

Anyway, my son was on leave this week and helped me remove the dead light and add the new three LED fixtures.  Now I’ve got a TON of light!  I love it!


Almost have to put sunglasses on to walk into the shop 

Kim

[fumopuc]

Hi Kim.
WOW
I am jealous.

[Jo]

Good move 

I keep promising myself to do this then I talk myself out of it by saying the Fluorescents also provide heat as well as light which we need in winter and I still have 10 more spare bulbs 

Jo

[simplyloco]

I put three LED battens in my workshop a couple of years ago. The improvement was nothing short of miraculous!

[PJPickard]

Light is good! But it also nice to see a bigger view of your shop!

Your title made me think of one of my favorite TV show scenes:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg8pN4GjvxI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg8pN4GjvxI</a>

[Alyn Foundry]

You can’t beat a well lit workshop. 

A former customer built one of my Gardner engines in under 4 weeks, I asked him what was his secret? His reply was that his workshop was in his conservatory and he worked from dawn till dusk. Making full use of natural daylight.

We installed 3 LED units that my number 2 sons employers were scrapping a couple of years ago. The difference was phenomenal! There’s still the “ stroboscopic “ effect present, but at a different frequency.

Now my near vision is getting a little tired I am using an LED head torch more and more. Super bright, rechargeable and depending on light intensity up to 3 hours of use. The strobe facility is, however a flipping nuisance.

   Graham.

[steamer]

I have found that light is the biggest most powerful tool in the shop as I get older.   And I need more!    So glad you did this Kim!

Dave

[crueby]

Great lights, that can really make a big difference. Over the last few years I went through and changed out all the old flickering shop lights with new LED ones, huge difference!  In my model shop, I replaced just the original halogen bulbs in the track lights on the ceiling with LED spot lights, it got rid of a ton of heat the old bulbs were putting out, lots more comfortable in the summer as well as great steady light. I wound up taking a car load of old 4' shop light tubes to the recycling place.

[wagnmkr]

I have also swapped out all of the old bulbs in the house for L.E.D's It not only gives better light for my tired eyes, but it saves on the production of heat as well as cuts down the hydro bill.

[Kim]

Thanks, everybody!

Yeah, more light is good!  Couldn't agree more That's what we've been searching for since we climbed out of the primordial ooze!   

Kim

[Twizseven]

More light, more light.

I changed all my 8ft fluorescents out about 6 years ago.  I had eleven in the workshop.  I replaced with 11 off 5ft LED's, each of which was 60W (5900lm), all rated IP65 for indoor or outdoor use.  A colleague supplied them at trade price (£85 each).  He said you wont need that many to replace the fluorescents, he felt I could have put 5 or 6 in.  I installed the eleven but put a number of them on individual switches, most were initially set up as pairs.  I can now just switch the ones on I need where I am working. It transformed the workshop.  Never had any issues with stroboscopic effects.

Colin

[crueby]

I agree with Colin - I had rows of 4 footers out in the garage for when I have boats and such under work out there, and I put in 4 fewer LED's and it is brighter than before.  Up in my wood shop I added more 4 foot LED lights and took out some of the track lights. Love how it is instant on, no buzzing, and works on the outside ones even when its cold where the flourescent ones would barely come on in the winter.  I was able to put in some that just replaced the old bulbs but kept the original fixtures with the ballasts bypassed, others had to do the entire fixture since the old ones were the older pin spacings. Some of the LED bulbs will work with certain ballasts, some will require bypassing the ballast, some will work either way - need to check the specs when buying. Bypassing the ballast is simple, the bulbs came with the diagrams.

[Charles Lamont]

My shop, a double garage roughly 6 x 6 metres, now has nine 60W LED strips. I had the sparks put in a 3 x 3 switch panel so that I could switch them individually and in practice I do that, especially with the current price of juice. After 3 years, I still have to think about the switch-light mapping.