LED workshop lighting - the saga continues

[newbury]

I've posted several times about my failing ballasts in 8' T12 fixtures. Up till yesterday it seemed my best option was going to be replacing them with LED 4' fixtures, some of which I bought at HD for $25@, some at Costco for $32@.
Well I took down 1 of the old 8' fixtures (a slight pain in itself w/ 12' and 14' ceilings) and put up just one of the 4 footers in it's place. It seems to provide almost as much light as the 8 footer. I'm sure 2 of them would more than replace the old fixture.

But yesterday my BIL told me about the Hyperikon replacement tubes. They require a slight rewiring of the old fixture (cut out the ballast), so there is still a small amount of work involved BUT they will use the old reflectors and mountings. And according to some reviewers at Amazon 1 bulb will replace the light from 2 of the T12 bulbs. I've ordered a 4 pack and hope to stretch them between 4 of the about 14 fixtures I have.

At about $40/bulb they cost about what just one of the Costco lights cost but using all the old wiring and mounting points were a good feature for me.

 

[Opti-Mist]

It will be interesting to see how this works as I'm getting ready to move and will be lighting a workbench in a pole barn (more of a garage) and was contemplating T8s but am receptive to LEDs.

 

[Bird]

My attached 2 car garage, which also houses the washer/dryer has two 8' T12 fixtures. Both work just fine now but I'm wondering what I'm going to do when one quits working, or even if one of the tubes burn out. I wish whoever built this place had stayed with 4' fixtures.

 

[flusher]

When I decided to get rid of the tubular fluorescents in my 24x42 ft shop (12 ft walls), those LED replacements were way too expensive. So I used the screwbase fluorescent outdoor spotlights with the integral ballast as replacements. Sockets are the weatherproof outdoor type, readily available at HD. Relatively inexpensive solution at the time. Used 24 of these spotlights. Plenty of light on the workspaces in the shop.



Looks like linear LEDs are the way to go now.

Good luck

 

[Steppenwolfe]

T-5's are the way to go right now, but, are pricey.

 

[newbury]

T-5's are the way to go right now, but, are pricey.

Not if you already HAVE the fixture in place wired with a failed T12 ballast.

I just rewired a fixture in my 12' ceiling in one shop and installed an 8' LED tube.

The ballast had failed, DEAD, kaput. I removed the old ballast, this was the most time consuming, just getting one little screw off. Clipped the old wires and wire nutted up the new configuration. Tested both tombstones to make sure it worked, put the covers back on and good to go. The one bulb is as about as bright as the two OLD fluorescent in the next fixture over, so I might only use 1 bulb.

Net cost $37.50, or about the price of a T12 ballast for 8' lamps.

To replace with a 4 bulb T5 fixture would have cost about $90 from HD PLUS bulbs.

 

[Concordriver]

I converted approximately twenty four foot fluorescent light fixtures in my business to LED's using conversion kits. It was very easy. The following video shows how to do it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjw2UXVJaS0
I elected to go with the 5000 Kelvin bulbs which are very bright. I am extremely happy with the results.

 

[Sodo]

I removed the old ballast, this was the most time consuming, just getting one little screw off.

Sounds like a good option. When the bulbs become available for less $$ than the entire fixture it will be even better. Why remove the old ballast, can't you just bypass it and leave it there for some other sucker to wonder about in 25 years?

 

[newbury]

Sounds like a good option. When the bulbs become available for less $$ than the entire fixture it will be even better. Why remove the old ballast, can't you just bypass it and leave it there for some other sucker to wonder about in 25 years?

I wanted less dead weight in the ceiling and I didn't realize the screw would take so long to get undone.

I went ahead and put the second bulb in.

In http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/329656-4-led-shop-lights-32-a-2.html I posted about my PDA and light meter readings I did in Virginia with the Feit Electric 4Ft LED Shop Light sold by Costco for $32.

In my shops in Mississippi:
With one of the Feit lights about a foot below my 12' ceiling I measured 450 Lux at waist level.
With one of my old 8 foot tube dual 60 watt bulb fluorescent fixtures about 6 inches below the ceiling I measured 230 Lux at waist level.
With one of the tubes in my "deballasted" fixture about 6 inches below the ceiling I measured 420 Lux at waist level.
With TWO of the tubes in my "deballasted" fixture about 6 inches below the ceiling I measured 700 Lux at waist level.

I think I'll drop back to one tube for many of my fixtures

I fully expect prices to drop further but I had about 4 of the 8 foot lights with dead ballast.

Other vendors sell probably the exact same light and perhaps with better packaging but Hyperikon was very responsive when I called to complain about the poor packaging. Now I'm waiting to see what they are going to do in the way of 2'x4' troffer lights w/ 5,000K LED's.

 

[newbury]

I converted approximately twenty four foot fluorescent light fixtures in my business to LED's using conversion kits. It was very easy. The following video shows how to do it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjw2UXVJaS0
I elected to go with the 5000 Kelvin bulbs which are very bright. I am extremely happy with the results.

Did you have to replace the tombstones? I didn't.