Shop light advice?

[rvaitor]

Rvaitor,
Tried to find your lights on the Internet and didn't have any luck. I want to get the specs on them and find a supplier for them. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Farwell

I've emailed them for specs and info on the lights. This is all I could find which has the canopy lights - I've got two of those(85w) and 4 of the 100w Floods. The are very similar except the case. These are plastic cases and lenses so we'll see how they hold up.

Here is the link to what I could find - http://www.esplighting.com/

 

[wushaw]

How long does it take for your metal halide lights to come on and what brand are they?

They take about five minutes to fully light up it seems. They are Cooper brand. 800.00 worth four years ago for six.

 

[GaryBDavis]

from my days in the lighting world i want to say lumen per watt metal hylide was the best.

to me that means they are the cheepest to run given a certian light output requirement.

I use a combination of Metal hylide (for general lighting and 4' florescent fixtures for task (over the bench) lighting).

i still use drop lights for work on the tractor/car. CF versions are vastly suprior to incendsent ones as a reg light bulb seems to last about 5 min in my shop.

All my research says to get metal halide. There are just two things stopping me: A) start time - I hear I can get a pulse start version that will make them come in in a few seconds B) brand - I like quality like Lithonia, but their 400W High Bay is something like $250.

Anyone have a brand/supplier recommendation for metal halides with the pulser option?

 

[kmdigital]

but their 400W High Bay is something like $250.

In general, don't use high bay lights unless the lights will be hung at least 20' in the air. Obviously, most shops aren't that high, so stick with low bay lights.

High bays usually have full metal reflectors to direct the light down, but they need to be hung high so that the light can disperse far enough so that you don't need a whole bunch of lights to get good coverage in your work area.

 

[Farwell]

Rvaitor,
Thanks a bunch for the light site Internet location. I found the information I was looking for and am planning on ordering a few of them.
Thanks again.
Farwell

 

[mudcat]

All my research says to get metal halide. There are just two things stopping me: A) start time - I hear I can get a pulse start version that will make them come in in a few seconds B) brand - I like quality like Lithonia, but their 400W High Bay is something like $250.

Anyone have a brand/supplier recommendation for metal halides with the pulser option?

Tryhttp://www.e-conolight.com. 400W MH pulse start hi-bays $105.

 

[mudcat]

You may also want to try FarmTek; commercial greenhouses, tension fabric buildings, agricultural supplies, truss arch structures, barn curtain, high tunnels..

 

[GaryBDavis]

In general, don't use high bay lights unless the lights will be hung at least 20' in the air. Obviously, most shops aren't that high, so stick with low bay lights.

High bays usually have full metal reflectors to direct the light down, but they need to be hung high so that the light can disperse far enough so that you don't need a whole bunch of lights to get good coverage in your work area.

My shop has 16' eves and 22' center height. I thought anything over 15' was high bay and otherwise, you should use low bay. You can also get high bay with acrylic lens instead of metal ones. So many decisions...

 

[GaryBDavis]

Tryhttp://www.e-conolight.com. 400W MH pulse start hi-bays $105.

Hey Mudcat, have you used these? Do you know if they are good quality?

 

[kmdigital]

My shop has 16' eves and 22' center height. I thought anything over 15' was high bay and otherwise, you should use low bay. You can also get high bay with acrylic lens instead of metal ones. So many decisions...

Check Graingers catalog. They give you good info about selecting lights, spacing them, etc. There catalog is available online at Grainger Industrial Supply Since their catalog is huge, it could take some digging to find the correct page, but they also sell lights, etc. As I recall, they don't recommend using high bay lights on anthing lower then 20'.

 

[texasjohn]

Mudcat, thanks for the pointers... looks like good site, better prices than I've found elsewhere...

All... so much good info...thanks!

Today I pulled all at once 3 CU lines of 1/0 and one #6 wire from pole to the workshop... 160 FEET, HARD pull thru 2" conduit even though I used lubrication.... actually OB lube that I had left over from the inevitable calf pull... No problems today,though, heifer had a nice little bull calf.

Am getting closer to electrification!

 

[odleefs]

Buy a gross of PAR 38 LED Lightbulbs. They will cost you (~$20/bulb) but they are dimmable, shock resistant, temp does not effect their performance, and will last >50,000 hours (some upwards of 100,000 hours). Each would use less than 3 watts with the light output of ~70-80 watts incandescent. They also do nto put off heat like CFL or incands. You can get them in warm white or cool white varieties, or mix them for great color rendition.
Steve

 

[GaryBDavis]

Mudcat, thanks for the pointers... looks like good site, better prices than I've found elsewhere...

All... so much good info...thanks!

Today I pulled all at once 3 CU lines of 1/0 and one #6 wire from pole to the workshop... 160 FEET, HARD pull thru 2" conduit even though I used lubrication.... actually OB lube that I had left over from the inevitable calf pull... No problems today,though, heifer had a nice little bull calf.

Am getting closer to electrification!

Hey TexasJohn, I'm in Andice, just the other side of Florence. Small world...

I pulled three lines of 3/0 through a 2" conduit 167 feet with 2ea 90 degree sweeps for my shop. Used a bottle of soap, mule tape and an ATV. Plunking down $2400 for the copper was harder than the pull.

 

[kmdigital]

Plunking down $2400 for the copper was harder than the pull.

Are you serious!!?? 167' x 3 of 3/0 costs that much? Wow! What are you powering? A 200 amp or even larger service?

For service cable, I use aluminum, as that is what the utility companies use, and it is a heck of a lot cheaper then copper. Since most of it is buried, you don't have to worry about it getting too hot from a heavy load under most circumstances.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Are you serious!!?? 167' x 3 of 3/0 costs that much? Wow! What are you powering? A 200 amp or even larger service?

For service cable, I use aluminum, as that is what the utility companies use, and it is a heck of a lot cheaper then copper. Since most of it is buried, you don't have to worry about it getting too hot from a heavy load under most circumstances.

Yep, it's for 200 Amp service. The shop is 7500 sq ft. I purchased the copper about 6 months ago when it was at it's highest price peak.

 

[GaryBDavis]

Anyone using the new T5HO fixtures? I can get an American made 4x46" fixture with bulbs and electronic programed ballast for $180. That's about the same as a good brand 400W MH low bay.

 

[npaden]

I have some T5 lights on one of my aquariums. The only drawback is replacement bulbs as they are not very popular yet. They seem pretty bright though. Again, good reflectors are a must for any light so check the fixture out for that. I have individual reflectors on each bulb on my T5 setup and that is supposed to come close to doubling the amount of light that gets where you want it.

 

[CTyler]

I have not heard of a programmed electronic ballast, can you tell me more about them?

 

[GaryBDavis]

I have not heard of a programmed electronic ballast, can you tell me more about them?

I honestly don't know much about them. One of the sales guys I was talking to said it was important to have them or your bulb life would be shortened. He could have been pulling my leg, but his price is cheaper than most of the fixtures, so he's not trying to sell me a higher end product for more money.

 

[texasjohn]

hmm.... I guess I didn't find the good deal on the PAR 38 LED bulbs....

Place I looked has them for $60 each and they put out 200 lumens... don't think that will do what I need... too much money, too little light.