# Do you have 3500K LED and do you like them?



## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

In a few weeks, I'll be having some wiring done in my dimly lit garage workshop. I've decided on LED lights and had formed the opinion based on my reading that 4000k would be a good colour temp. The electrician however can get me a really good price on dust proof LED fixtures that are 3500K. Looking at them in the new construction he's working on, I don't notice any pink tones or the like that I've read about.

So do any of you have 3500K and do you like them? And do you think 4000k would be worth a 25% increase in price?

Thanks for your comments


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

3500K is going to be very yellow, like an incandescent lamp. 4000K is much whiter but I would suggest going with the 5000K daylight lamps. I have 5000K in my garage shop and would not go with anything else.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks Joey, appreciate the feedback. I don't want to go for the bargain and regret it every time I go into the shop.


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

You could buy a couple of cheap LED bulbs to test the look inside your home. That could be an inexpensive way to see the difference before you make a choice. They have displays at home centers with different types and colors of bulbs. They are hard to judge though because of the size of the store.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

My shop is full of cool white 250watt equivalent CFLs, I notice a big difference when I finish a project, BTW I use Min wax oil base poly, in what it looks like in the shop compared to the house when I put it in its place and the natural light is more yellow. Just something to consider. As far as working light I like the cool white, so I may put in warmer lighting over my finish area.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks con and good idea joey


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Sandra, you want to look at the CRI rating for the bulbs. The higher the better color rendering. You'll never get as good as incandescent, but 92 CRI bulbs are available reasonably priced and it makes a difference vs the bulbs in the 80 or lower range for CRI.


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## ThomasChippendale (Nov 6, 2015)

I just installed today a 4 X 38W fluorescent fixture, 5000K, all for under 100$ and boy, what a lighting setup. For true colors, there is the natural light and there is 5000K. That is what they recommend for artists studio.


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## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

In my shop I have a lot of fluorescent light.

I have about (13) 2 4-foot bulb fixtures.

In them I put *T-12* 6500K bulbs in them.

I'm old so what can I say. It's very bright.

Their life is about 10 years … for me anyway. Not knowing when the govt is going to ban these, I have about enough to change them all out … that for me is a lifetime supply.

I just have outlets installed within the reach of the cords of the fixtures. On some I have clear tubes over them just in case one gets hit. That way there is no glass showers.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

I went with 5000K LEDs.

It is great for the work space….
but Conifur is on point regarding finishing.

That and Tim brings up a good point, regarding CRI.

Glad to know that you will become an enlightened being!!!


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Okay, I'll be the odd man out here.
I put in 5000K and hated it.
Gives me a headach and is good at nothing except creating glare.

I'd go for the 3500K in a heartbeat.
In fact, I threw out all my 5000K lights and replaced them with 2800K.
So much nicer.


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## ThomasChippendale (Nov 6, 2015)

Of course 3500K is nicer, thats why we have it in our homes. But 5000K is like natural light and gives us a true reading of the color of the finish under daylight. Depends what you need, a nice warm workshop that replicates the colour of your home at night or a reference for color that once you take the piece inside, it will come out more amber looking .

I have both in my workshop, depends where I stand.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Something to consider as well, what is in your shop? At my job we have a darker concrete floor that soaks up light like a sponge, walls that are a medium blue and a truss ceiling that is red rust colored with silver underlining that is well… dark. To see details it is difficult to not use task lighting, no matter how many lights of what type we put up. (Not that we have many.) In my shop at home I have low ceilings covered in white pegboard, but the walls are covered in various colored and stained cabinets that again soak up light and give shadows. Just a thought.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Mine are 4000K. Absolutely love them.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Why not pick up a couple bulbs from the store, bring them home and stick them in a lamp for onsite testing?

That being said, I like 3500k in the house. Warm but less orange than incandescent.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks folks. The electrician just sent me this
http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/zl.html#.VlWuh4S3C0g
They're available in 3000-4000K I'm leaning heavily toward 4000. Concrete floor, unpainted drywall ceilings at 10ft high. 
Task lighting is going to be a necessity.


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## ste6168 (Mar 12, 2015)

> Thanks folks. The electrician just sent me this
> http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/zl.html#.VlWuh4S3C0g
> They re available in 3000-4000K I m leaning heavily toward 4000. Concrete floor, unpainted drywall ceilings at 10ft high.
> Task lighting is going to be a necessity.
> ...


On that site, it shows they are available in 5000k. That is what I would go with. I have 5000k LED in my shop, and couldnt be happier. Very bright, white, natural light almost like being outside in the day time.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

> Sandra, you want to look at the CRI rating for the bulbs. The higher the better color rendering. You ll never get as good as incandescent, but 92 CRI bulbs are available reasonably priced and it makes a difference vs the bulbs in the 80 or lower range for CRI.
> 
> - Tim


This.

On higher CRI bulbs, you won't notice the yellow/pink/blue tones as much that are a factor of the color temp. You would probably notice the differences if they were side by side, but not if the whole area is one type.

The link you posted shows a CRI of 83. That's good, but not great. They'll be fine for a general work area, but I wouldn't count on accurate color when working on finishing. If you have windows in the shop to add natural light to the fluorescents, then you'll be able to use that to get better color perception.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

> Thanks folks. The electrician just sent me this
> http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/zl.html#.VlWuh4S3C0g
> They re available in 3000-4000K I m leaning heavily toward 4000. Concrete floor, unpainted drywall ceilings at 10ft high.
> Task lighting is going to be a necessity.
> ...


Hi Sandra, Did you find out how much the 4000K sell for?I'm using four spiral fluorescent bulbs and an eight foot T12 tube in my shop, hate the T12 and would like to replace it with LED type like the one you linked.
HD sells the Commercial Electric 4 FT 3000K for $70 , I wonder how it compares to the one you mentioned.


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## Sawdust4Blood (Feb 16, 2010)

I've got both 4k and 5k LEDs in different areas. I prefer the 4k. They say the 5k are "true daylight" but they're too blue for me. It doesn't feel at all like true daylight but rather an industrial/hospital kind of feel to it.

Maybe it's just the 5k lights that I have or maybe just my preference.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks folks. 
Ken - I'll let you know when I get the price. The electrician had sent me the model number and I posted the link myself.


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## JollyGreen67 (Nov 1, 2010)

I, for one, will not use LED in my shop - I want LIGHT - not something that throws shadows.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

> I, for one, will not use LED in my shop - I want LIGHT - not something that throws shadows.
> 
> - Jimbo4


I'm lost.

I switched to LED and love them.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

I'm interested in what you mean Jimbo. Isn't LED light just light from a different source?


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## AZMike (Oct 27, 2012)

I have 8 4 ft 4000K high output bulbs in my 20×20 shop (Philips F54T5/841/HO/ALTO). I wanted WHITE and I wanted BRIGHT. I got both with this setup and I am very happy with it. Makes it easy on these 68 yr old eyes. I use daylight LED's throughout my house also. SWMBO and I both need a lot more light than we did 30 years ago. I would have gotten 5000K for the shop if I had found them, but these T5's are great.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks Mike Good to know.


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## GregTP (Oct 26, 2015)

I recently replaced the old incandescent bulbs in my shop with 60 watt equivalent LED bulbs and the difference is pretty incredible. I have a total of four lights in my shop, two of which are in my garage door openers (and three power outlets, HOORAY national home builders!). I put little y-splitters in the two ceiling bulb sockets so I can get two bulbs where I had one before. The white light is a little hard on the eyes after a few hours but most of my work is done with some degree of natural lighting which makes it more comfortable. For a total of $28 bucks it made a huge difference. For task lighting I swung by the local habitat restore and picked up a few three foot plug-and-play fluorescent fixtures for two dollars each. One above the table saw, one above my bench and one that has an inferiority complex. For a total of $34 bucks, it gets the job done.

I'm jealous of your ambition though, if this was my "forever" shop I'd drop a sub-panel in and light it up like the surface of the sun…


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Greg - Subpanel is going in! Hopefully not the surface of the sun, but it's going to be bright. Lucky enough to have the means to do so. By the looks of your avatar, you've just started a VERY expensive project. She's cute by the way.


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