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Which are the best shop lights to get?

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Richard

02-17-2001 18:40:24




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Thanks for all of the advice in my earlier post. I'm just trying to do it right the first time since this is a major investment.

In the 30x50x12 building, with white interior, what brand / type of lighting should I purchase that will really light it up well?




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ltf in nc

02-18-2001 18:37:09




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
I managed to buy a full pallet stacked at least 4 feet high of industrial fluorescent 4 foot lamps and fixtures at auction for $20 because they were 277 Volts. Nobody wanted them because they diidn't have the correct voltage. I never told the lamps that I was putting them on a diet and from now one they would have to live of 240 volts. It has been several years and the lamps and ballasts have worked great. I read just last week, on a link on this site, that this would not work. It does!

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Old Sparky

02-19-2001 05:27:23




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 Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to ltf in nc, 02-18-2001 18:37:09  
For the kind of bargain that ltf got, if the 277 ballast did require 277, a buck/boost transformer would be feasible. Would use up some of his savings. Buck/boost will make small voltage adjustments. The transformers will actually handle loads (when wired for buck/boost) up to ten times their rated load. Too much for details here. Search out details if you are interested. I am surprised to hear that the 277 works on 240. But must confess that I have not tried it. That is about 15% below rated voltage. Most fluorescents are very voltage sensitive. but ltf had only $20.00 to lose by trying. Handsome payoff!

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Bob M

02-19-2001 16:49:09




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 Re: Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Old Sparky, 02-19-2001 05:27:23  
Hey ltf and Sparky - I picked up (4) 400 watt, 277 volt single voltage (no voltage adjusting taps on the ballasts) metal halide high bay fixtures for almost nothing a sale several years ago. Nobody wanted then because of the voltage rating. Wired 'em to a dedicated 240 line in the shop - they work great. The light they throw is awesome - better than daylight. Only downside is they take 4 or 5 minutes to reach full brightness on startup. ...Bob M

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Old Sparky

02-19-2001 19:32:42




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Bob M, 02-19-2001 16:49:09  
Must confess to never having tried any 277 volt lights on 240. Glad it worked so well. Metal halide has the best color rendition of the HID family. The early metal halide lamps would explode at burnout. The later lamps are improved in this respect. Bob, perhaps consider something to contain the fragments should this happen to you. Yes, I know will be a nuisance to clean. A bit off topic, but in tunnel construction projects, low-pressure sodium vapor ( today's economy champ) lamps had to be supplemented with some metal halide, which are not as efficient. In a tunnel, with only low-pressure sodium, it is impossible to distinguish visually between oil, diesel fuel and blood.

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ltf in nc

02-19-2001 17:38:25




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Bob M, 02-19-2001 16:49:09  
Just today located some similar lamps surplused out of a warehouse. I am going to add these along with the fluorescent. Need more light these days along with the reading glasses.



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Bob M

02-19-2001 18:41:01




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to ltf in nc, 02-19-2001 17:38:25  
You're gonna like those HID lights! I'm finding lotsa light + reading glasses more and more necessary myself too... Bob M



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Old Sparky

02-18-2001 11:23:16




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
Ordinary fluorescents do not start well below 50 deg. Some of the HID lights give off lots of UV, so be sure any such fixtures used indoors are properly shielded for that application. Mercury vapor lights are considerably less energy efficient than fluorescents. The ONLY advantage to mercury vapor is long lamp life. Light output declines with age on mercury vapor while at the same time, current draw increases.

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Al English

02-18-2001 12:09:04




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 Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Old Sparky, 02-18-2001 11:23:16  
Hi Sparky, Although it was over 15 years ago, when I put my shop together I went through all the figures on this stuff. I can't remember what type I was looking at now, but at that time there was a "daylight" HID light that when you figured out the initial cost of the fixture, bulb life, power usage, amount of light delivered, and the number of them it would take to light my shop, the HID beat out the florescent. As I remember, the major factors were the longer bulb life and smaller number of them needed. I didn't know about the rising current draw. On the other hand, after a coulpe of years the output of florescent tubes falls off quite a bit. After what you said about the UV I'm even happier I didn't go that way...Al English

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Wade

02-18-2001 00:28:44




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
The free ones. Like somebody, T_Bone I think, said- they're always remodeling stuff. Look around. I missed a shot at several free 4x4's earlier. Now I have an opportunity to get some free 8x2's and I'm gonna get all I can carry. The important thing is when it gets dark enough to start replacing bulbs and ballasts, you use up a whole box of tubes. The free fixture benefit revamps the efficiency equation. The walls of my buddy's tractor shop are entirely made of free salvaged doors.

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T_Bone

02-17-2001 21:25:47




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
Hi Richard, I would wait unitl you start repairing in your shop so you'll know where you want them, other than the obvious places. I do know not to buy the cheap ones like I got from Home Depot for $10 for 4ft. Not worth a darn as they won't start well. One thing to consider is to put them on seperate circuits so you can turn them on when needed. They also make a "sun lite" that mounts on the roof, then defuses the sun in a lens. They use mirrors to get the sun lite in and a normal florescent lens to defuse the lite. I don't know who makes them but we built a few for Safeway in there produce dept. that worked well. You might also try and catch a major store for remodle and see if you can get the mirror florescent lites cheap.

T_Bone

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Al English

02-17-2001 20:35:42




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
Hi Richard, The most cost effective lighting is high intensity discharge HID. They are more expensive up front but their longer bulb life and higher efficience win in the end. There are high pressure, low pressure, and a wide assortment of bulb types. If you go this way you'll probably want to get ones that emit a daylight color of light. Having said all that, I don't like working under HID lights. The next most cost effective are 8 foot high output florescent. The bulbs normally sold for these have a good color, and I like working under them. Although you can always add more later, don't try to get by with too few. If you round off on the high side, the recommendations in Graingers lighting application chart work out pretty well. Good luck...Al English

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tommyw

02-17-2001 18:52:41




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 Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to Richard, 02-17-2001 18:40:24  
8 foot floresents with cold weather starting ballast.they really light things up and are energy efficent.



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Alvin

02-17-2001 19:59:45




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 Re: Re: Which are the best shop lights to get? in reply to tommyw, 02-17-2001 18:52:41  
10-4



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