# Great lighting for shop at amazing price



## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

LED Lights beat the Heck out of Fluorescent Ones! I have a couple of LED Flashlights. BRIGHT is the Word!

Good Review Paul! Thanks!

Rick


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

I had switched out my shop to the new T-5 fluorescents and then added 2 LED 4' twin lamp fixtures over a wall bench, cannot tell the difference? Shop is heated full time so start up, warm up not a concern! Considering the fluorescents have diffuser covers and the LED are bare bulb(unbreakable) sort of disappointed in the LED? Bulbs cost more than double and power consumption with in a few watts. I really have doubts about the life expectancy?
Also have heard some rumors the the LED's go yellow with age?


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Most of the high output LEDs actually produce copious amounts of UV, which is converted to various visible colors by the yellow colored phosphor "goop" placed over the emitter. Cheap LEDs will eventually degrade this coating and actually shift color toward the UV as the phosphor breaks down. Yellowing can be caused by the aging of the protective plastic covers.

LED vs. fluorescent lumen efficiency is about the same (100 lumens/Watt), but LEDs are quickly surpassing this.

The cost difference between the two bulbs is still an issue to consider but give it another 10 years!


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## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

Thanks for the tip on those bulbs, maybe I will try those out before putting in the 4' LED that I am planning for my new garage shop space.

I have had extremely good luck with LED bulbs all over the house, once they dropped below an insane price I now buy nothing else. I was a fairly early adopter so I can speak for them lasting longer than CFL. Also you don't have the mercury to worry about. Not only are most of them plastic so they don't break as easily but they don't contain mercury (You should still recycle them in my opinion however).

I also like the instant on, I always got annoyed at the warm up time of CFL.

I personally have not experienced yellowing, or at least havn't noticed it. Maybe I don't have the 'cheap' ones…

Between the lower wattage and long life I certainly see a cost advantage. For example in my experience on a 800 lumen bulb (60w equiv) CFL ranges from 11-14 watts while the LEDs I purchase are 9 watt, I have seen lower but I like the cost and color of these for use in the house (Sylvania brand) I havn't picked the exact ones I will put in the shop yet, but I have no doubt they will be cost efficient over a few years.

One last advantage, I always found with florescent that over time they get dimmer, That doesn't happen with LED so the bulb remains nice and bright though its life. Perhaps in last few weeks of life you might notice some dimming, I have predicted a few burning out based on that…


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

LOL! Cheap bulbs? Around here there wasn't really much choice in LED Bulbs, Costco usually had a bulb! 2 -3 years ago I could buy 3 to 4 bulbs in Bellingham for the price of 1 here in Canada. Yes 90% of my bulbs in my house where smuggled in across the border! This last year Home Depot is getting a little more selection.


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## Hermit (Oct 9, 2014)

I recently put an amp meter on my lighting circuit which is 6 -4' led fixtures. 1.8 amps is all it drew. Compare that to one 4' fluorescent fixture. LED's are the way to go.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

> I recently put an amp meter on my lighting circuit which is 6 -4 led fixtures. 1.8 amps is all it drew. Compare that to one 4 fluorescent fixture. LED s are the way to go.
> 
> - Hermit


Might have to check mine, have 6 Fluorescents on one circuit and 2 LED's on another?


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

When I did my shop build out 4 years ago, I used an array of six 48" fluorescent fixtures, and nine bare-bulls incandescent fixtures. I find the combination to be excellent for my use. (My goal was to eliminate shadows, and I judge the scheme to have been about 97% successful.)

But my real point for this thread is that I have been switching some of the 150 watt conventional bulbs to the largest LEDs readily available. Now, given this thread, I plan to order some the 30-watt LEDs described, and test out how they change things. I appreciate the advice on this. Switching to them should reduce heat output and total electric power use.


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## Woodbutcher38 (Jan 22, 2018)

I went from incandescent to CFL bulbs that were garbage to LED bulbs and was amazed at the amount of brightness as compared to the same wattage CFL or incandescent bulbs. I haven't had one of the 41 LED bulbs fail since they were installed over a year ago. The CFL bulbs I replaced had failures ranging from of a bad bulb out of the box to a few months to darkening to the point of being too dim. The average life was six months not the five years or so advertised. Don't waste your money on CFL install LEDs if you haven't already.


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## GaryCN (Aug 18, 2007)

I had a 4 pack delivered today to try them and will be getting 8 more at under $8 each this is a great deal way brighter than a similar size CFL.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

They are awesome, definitely brighter and saves money


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