LED lights for garage

EarPlug · Jan 30, 2015

Bird said:
I was quoting page 12 of the online manual that may be either older or newer than yours.
http://www.liftmaster.com/CatalogResourcesV3/en-us/shared/files/tucmanuals/114A4565.pdf

The manual you are quoting it the 8500, not the same. However the online 8550 manual http://www.liftmaster.com/CatalogResourcesV3/en-us/shared/files/tucmanuals/114A4665EN.pdf does say on page 11 not to use LED's. My Printed Manual I received with the install is different and does not say anything about LED's.

But, they do not seem to be causing a problem so I will leave them in there for now.

Kyle_in_Tex · Jan 30, 2015

Threepoint said:
I was in Costco today and saw that they have Feit dual-tube 48" LED shop fixtures on sale ($8 instant rebate) through Feb. 22 for $31.99. Very bright. I picked up four, and will probably go back for more. I have quite a few 48" fluorescent fixtures in my shop that I've gradually been retrofitting with T-8 bulbs and new ballasts. But LED fixtures for $32 have me thinking that's not worth the candle!

Is that $32 after the rebate?

newbury · Jan 30, 2015

rlgustafson said:
We have 5 x 8ft. T-12 dual tube fixtures in the workshop. They hang at about 16ft. above floor so are a big PIA to replace tubes. I would like to replace with LEDS fixtures but, have yet to find any 8 ft. units to have a direct replacement. Can the 4ft. ones from COSTCO be mechanically connected together to create an 8 ft. fixture?

I bought a used rolling warehouse ladder, like the ones in the aisles at Home Depot, specifically for working on shop lights. I roll it up onto my 6' x 12' utility trailer, for extra height, and run tie down ratchet straps to all four corners for added stability.

The ones at COSTCO do not mention any easy connection. The ones at HD I bought for $25 came with a 13" patch cord to daisy chain up to 9 of them together,

Kyle_in_Tex said:
Is that $32 after the rebate?

Yup

RalphVa · Jan 30, 2015

Only place I've had trouble with an LED bulb is in the light fixtures affixed to overhead fans. Same problem with CFLs in those fixtures. Both LED and CFL flicker in those fixtures. In one that takes 3 light bulbs, if only one of them is incandescent, the 3 lights do not flicker.

I've had LOTS of trouble with CFLs in fixtures with the very small bases. I'm slowly (as the CFLs fail) replacing them with LEDs. They're getting down to about the price of CFLs now.

You likely cannot use LEDs to replace the turn signals on your car. Tried it on our 1983 Benz. Turn signals wouldn't work. Actually, they worked as though the bulb was burned out, e.g. came on but very fast. There's a retrofit for this, but it involves putting a resistor in the circuit. That would defeat the reason for replacing the incandescent bulbs. The resistor would just burn off the electricity as heat.

I've 3 very old CFLs in our garage light fixtures. Those old ones (about 1970s vintage) really last as opposed to the Chinese made ones we can only get today.

Ralph

Scrambler82 · Jan 30, 2015

IMHO... from long term experience.
First I am an LED fan, my truck has a lot of LED lighting, my tractor is due for the LED Lighting upgrade and added work lighting, my house has almost all LED Blubs and future plans for all lighting to be LEDs BUT...

For the shop taking in the initial cost of both, the LEDs vs fluorescent, LED tubes and fixturing and use factors(biggy), you will find for most people and basic shop use fluorescent will win.

Fluorescent tubes just don't burn out that fast, the light given out by a Daylight High Output Version Fluorescent Tubes is amazing and the new T5 H/O Tubes are reasonably priced ($80 / 40 lamps).

All I am saying is... run the numbers before buying, after I searched and priced new H/O LED Tubes (1800 Lumens) $1600 for Tubes alone just didn't make sense. For my home workshop I will be using T5 Fluorescent Daylight Tubes in Workshop two tube fixturing.

Thks for listening...

kc5dlo · Jan 30, 2015

I am going to try and some of those fixtures from Costco for my home shop.
I have a ceiling fan that had a 3 bulb fixture and was too dim with even the brightest incandescents I could find. I was pleased with a LED ceiling fixture I bought from Home Depot for the utility room. While installing that light I noticed it was a circular strip of LEDs. I bought an extra fixture and cut away the metal on the outside of the light ring. The transformer hockey puck was relocated above the light ring. I had to buy a longer threaded tube to mount the light ring and globe. It is now much brighter than before and works with the fans remote dimmer too.

newbury · Jan 30, 2015

Scrambler82 said:
IMHO... from long term experience.

Taking in the initial cost of both, the LEDs vs fluorescent and fixturing and use factors, you will find for most people and basic shop use fluorescent will win.

Fluorescent tubes just don't burn out that fast, the light given out by a Daylight High Output Version Fluorescent Tubes is amazing and the new T5 H/O Tubes are reasonably priced ($80 / 40 lamps).

All I am saying, run the numbers before buying, after I searched and priced new H/O LED Tubes (1800 Lumens) $1600 for Tubes alone just did make sense. For my home workshop I will be using T5 Fluorescent Daylight Tubes in Workshop two tube fixturing.

I was in the same boat and had about decided to go with 4 bulb T5 HO for my shops in Mississippi. In one shop alone I've about a half dozen t12's to replace NOW because they have failed.

But comparing candle to candle -
I have a "Lux" app on my PDA. I held it 4' from about the center of a 2 bulb (4' at 32 watt@) T8 light fixture with white reflector and it read about 1200 lux, 4 foot from about the center of the Home Depot LED light (w/ reflector) and it read about 1050 lux, 4 foot from the center of a 2 bulb (54 watt T5HO w/o reflector and it read 950. These were just quick and "dirty" readings, the lights were just hung about the shop and there was varying degrees of reflective surface (shop miscellaneous stuff). And come to think of it my T5 reading was within a minute of it being turned on. So essentially they are providing about the same amount of light.

The 2 bulb t8 fixture costs $40 at home depot w/o bulbs, but I think I got it on sale for $30. The T5 cost $40 for 2-Light High Output Multi-Volt T5 Compact White Fluorescent Strip Light, plus bulbs, the LED cost $25.

The T5 fixture and T8 Fixture required assembly and a plug. The LED fixture came fully assembled with a pull string and can easily be daisy chained. Plus it weighs hardly anything. When I'm swinging a 4 foot fixture (and bulbs) around in my 12' and 14' shop the LED fixture is going to be much nicer I think.

Bird · Jan 30, 2015

Only place I've had trouble with an LED bulb is in the light fixtures affixed to overhead fans. Same problem with CFLs in those fixtures. Both LED and CFL flicker in those fixtures. In one that takes 3 light bulbs, if only one of them is incandescent, the 3 lights do not flicker.

I've had LOTS of trouble with CFLs in fixtures with the very small bases. I'm slowly (as the CFLs fail) replacing them with LEDs. They're getting down to about the price of CFLs now.

Ralph, in the last few days, I replaced CFL bulbs in two ceiling fan lights (both 3 bulb fixtures, one with the small base and one with the normal base) with LED bulbs. So far no flickering or problems. I also replaced the incandescent bulbs with LED in another one with the small base. And one ceiling fan in the house that I've never liked in the 9 years we've been here is going to be replaced with a new ceiling fan that came with 3 CFL bulbs, but I'm going to use LED instead.

Kyle_in_Tex · Jan 30, 2015

Scrambler82 said:
IMHO... from long term experience.
First I am an LED fan, my truck has a lot of LED lighting, my tractor is due for the LED Lighting upgrade and added work lighting, my house has almost all LED Blubs and future plans for all lighting to be LEDs BUT...

For the shop taking in the initial cost of both, the LEDs vs fluorescent, LED tubes and fixturing and use factors(biggy), you will find for most people and basic shop use fluorescent will win.

Fluorescent tubes just don't burn out that fast, the light given out by a Daylight High Output Version Fluorescent Tubes is amazing and the new T5 H/O Tubes are reasonably priced ($80 / 40 lamps).

All I am saying is... run the numbers before buying, after I searched and priced new H/O LED Tubes (1800 Lumens) $1600 for Tubes alone just didn't make sense. For my home workshop I will be using T5 Fluorescent Daylight Tubes in Workshop two tube fixturing.

Thks for listening...

I was just researching HO fluorescent bulbs and see that they are far cheaper initially to install than current LED. And the lumens that you can get are pretty incredible.

Here's 8100 lumens from a $22 T8 96" bulb.
Philips 236893 - F96T8/TL850/PLUS/HO/ALTO Straight T8 Fluorescent Tube Light Bulb at eLightBulbs.com

Xfaxman · Jan 31, 2015

rlgustafson said:
------------------------------------
I bought a used rolling warehouse ladder, like the ones in the aisles at Home Depot, specifically for working on shop lights. I roll it up onto my 6' x 12' utility trailer, for extra height, and run tie down ratchet straps to all four corners for added stability.

I also have one that I found on craigslist. Decided it was a good place to store my 6' stepladder.