# No bugs in my shop



## Tomoose

Thanks for the review. I have six of these in my 10×20 shop and they are a huge improvement over my old, flickering fluorescents. I didnt know about the bug deal, but you are right about the mounting wires.

Thanks,
Tom


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## jonah

I just hooked an s hook into mine. I think I might have had to drill a small hole, but I can't quite remember.


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## CharlesA

I love these two. My recollection was that the barrel was pretty secure in the fixture, and I like them better than the chains on my old ones.


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## b2rtch

I need to look at these because in the cold temperature my fluorescent lights do not come on.
Thank you for the review.


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## CharlesA

I looked this morning and mine are locked in tight. I couldn't take the cable out without taking the light down and using two hands:


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## loupitou06

I have one just above my table saw - great lights - to solve your issue, I cut a pencil (love the IKEA ones for this task) and insert it to the hole after inserting the barrel - doesn't move any more !

Hope this helps


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## oldnovice

*Charles*, yours are different than mine, the key holes on my lamps run along the length of the fixture and one of them is double ended.
I could not get a tight fit into those openings so instead of trying to get a tighter fit I just went the S hook and chain method like I used on my fluorescent lamps in my old basement shop in Illinois.

Wouldn't mind a shop that size again but that's another story!


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## CharlesA

That makes more sense, then, since I had to really work to get mine seated and they are in tight.



> *Charles*, yours are different than mine, the key holes on my lamps run along the length of the fixture and one of them is double ended.
> I could not get a tight fit into those openings so instead of trying to get a tighter fit I just went the S hook and chain method like I used on my fluorescent lamps in my old basement shop in Illinois.
> 
> Wouldn t mind a shop that size again but that s another story!
> 
> - oldnovice


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## AandCstyle

I have these as well. My ceiling is only 8' so instead of hanging them I removed the tubes and screwed the metal holder to the ceiling rafters then reinstalled the tubes. I have 6 in my 19'x27' shop and I am happy with the brightness.


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## dustyal

I have four sets that I have yet to hang. I notice the cable being loose in the fixture. Figured I would tape in place. Various options to keep in place. Bought one set from Costco and three from another source. All four are identical units. I had twin ballast four tube fixture to hang, but too damn heavy to get up to my 10 ft ceiling. Love the light weight easily handled one handed.


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## jeffski1

Thx for posting this and the review.I have a few spots in my shop that need a little extra lighting so next time at Costco I will check them out.


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## Hawaiilad

Can you guys give a bit more info on these lights. I would love better lights in my shops than the regular fluorescents


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## oldnovice

*Hawaiilad*, I think the link in my opening post cover about everything technical there is to say about these shop lights.

From the users above, and my perspective, these are pretty darn good shop lights for the money.

These lights do not have replaceable tube like fluorescent fixtures but you won't have to replace them as quickly or as often as fluorescent either.

My main reasons for for buying these were cost ~$38, lower power consumption, more light, and there lack of UV in the emitted light (my shop is in the garage and I did not want to attract flying bugs).


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## dustyal

I am reading that people get frustrated with LED since thy may have expectancy of 22 years, they go bad at random… Like circuitry goes out. And, more costly to send to manufacture for replacement than they are worth. However, I am going toward LED throughout hose… Eventually. Bought 2 of these shop lights at Costco, but they were out when I went back for two more… Bought those at Amazon. Tech specs same as:
http://www.designingwithleds.com/review-costcos-feit-led-shop-light-with-integral-lamps/


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## CharlesA

I hadn't paid any attention to the way the "bulbs" worked. Thanks for that review link.


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## oldnovice

I replaced incandescent and fluorescent (CFL and the like) with LED as required when the old ones fail or I can find ones on sale.

My garage is now totally LED. The garage door opener along with the flex arm fixture, over my workbench, are 60 W, and of course the two new Feit shop lights.

On many occassions, I used to use the workbench flex arm light to speed up the cure time for epoxy. I had forgotten about the LED when I tried that again, needless to say it didn't work!

In the house I have replaced one closet light, mainly because of heat, two candelabra based bulbs by the computer, and the reating light my wife uses.

The next in line are the 8 bathroom decorative bulbs as we ran out of incandescent replacements. The current ones are 40 W and put out about 180 lumens when new. A 40 W LED delivers 300 lumens so I will probably need go lower or be blinded by the light.

A friend of mine is in the process of selling his house which is totally LED. He says that he has too much invested in LEDs that he will take them along when he sells the house, and leave the new owner the old incandescent/fluorescent ones! He really likes his LEDs!


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## Hawaiilad

Sorry, I guess I read right over the web link to the lights. Yes that does cover it all.


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## toddbeaulieu

I have two 2×4 LED panels in my shop. LED is THE way to go. One of mine is dim able, which is awesome.


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## dustyal

To follow up… I hung 3 of these in my 20×20 garage. I also have two CFLs in normal ceiling lights. Plus the garage opener has a LED in head unit.

My wife says I will get a sun burn it is so bright. Third unit is unplugged to tone it down. I can use pull chain to shut off CFLs. Still plenty light.

So, given wattage, they are highly efficient. Hope the last because they are not cheap.


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## oldnovice

*dustyal*, but they are cheaper to operate than the CFL or the tubes. 
Plus they don't put out as much heat as the ballasts in the tube fluorescent units or that blasted hummmmmm!


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## dustyal

Oldnovice, Cheaper to operate, but cannot recover cost in my lifetime. And in the winter, I could use all the heat I can get! But, I will enjoy being able to see a dark line on a dark board.


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## jonlruss

Interesting hearing the experiences with LED's. We just had a workshop a week ago at work regarding lighting requirements in the 2015 electrical code and the changes from the 2009 and 2011 codes. The one thing I really came away from the workshop with is the firm belief that in the next 10 years codes are going to require all LED lighting (at least in commercial buildings).


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## toddbeaulieu

I think any arguments for/against LED will drop off soon enough. LED and any advancements from LED will take over and other technologies will fade away. Enjoy the debate while it lasts.

I've been replacing all my home light switches with Lutron Pico Dimmers controlling LEDs. They are networked and scheduled. I no longer turn on/off any lights downstairs or outside, with a RARE exception here and there. 1.5 hours before sunset (automatically changes seasonally) all the outside lights turn on to 100%. At midnight some go out completely, like the porch, but others, like the barn light and the front lamppost dim to 50%. They all go off half an hour after sunrise. Similar schedules in the house. It took getting used to at first, but when going to bed I touch nothing. I just walk upstairs. Eventually some go out and some dim low in case we come down in the middle of the night. I absolutely love this ability. Costly though, at $60 per switch!

Oh, and I can say "Alexa, turn on the kitchen light" and BAM! Last night I was in the shop and tried to ask her only to remember that the shop is "old school" still.


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## CharlesA

> I think any arguments for/against LED will drop off soon enough. LED and any advancements from LED will take over and other technologies will fade away.
> - toddbeaulieu


Yup.


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## Ocelot

I agree that LEDs have the future.

Still I think it's plain stupid for govs to try to force people to do something they would do anyway. If it's better, it's better. People figure that out and use it.


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## oldnovice

*toddbeaulieu*, I agree 100%!

The first LEDs I used (early 1970's) were .25" high dot matrix numerical displays from Monsanto which cost $35 each and they were nearly unreadable in sunlight.

Everyone knows how fast and how much LEDs have improved since then.


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## CharlesA

Gov't regulation can be an unreasonable burden, and it can be of genuine value. It creates the parameters in which creative energy can be unleashed. From a consumer view, it means the loss of choice of lighting. But for manufacturers, it creates a reliable market. While LED technology would advance without gov't requirements, I don't think it would advance as fast because manufacturers don't know if they have a viable market. With gov't requirements, they know that they can risk it.

Gov't regulations have been an unmitigated success with emission standards for vehicles. Partly b/c of regulation, we have cars now that are faster, have better fuel economy, and emit fewer pollutants than the cars we grew up with.


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## oldnovice

I think that new EPA rules regarding the disposal of CFL and fluorescent lamps will make people think twice about using them.

In California we have to pay for disposal/recycling of motor oil and tires (two that I know of) and it won't be long before a fee is added to the purchase of hazardous lamps. Many places already recycle soft drink cans and bottles and people don't realize they are paying for disposal of the container with the deposit fee.


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## splintergroup

If you are looking for efficiency, install low pressure sodium (although the yellow light will make your projects look slightly warmer…......)

Truthfully, T8 fluorescents are more efficient than most LED lights. This does not consider efficiency of the ballast (and efficiency of the LED switching supply) so you really cannot expect to save on your electric bill. The other reasons for LEDs however do make them worthwhile.

The best LEDs have almost tripled the efficiency of a T8 tube, but the current crop is still only about 70% as good.


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## oldnovice

I worked in high tech for 40+ years and witnessed Moore's law!

"Moore's law" is the observation that, over the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years.

And the LEDs are riding on the coattails!

If you understand this, C31520, you are of the same generation!


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