Shop Lighting

[jy211]

What are you guys using to light up your shops? I am moving into a 1200sq foot warehouse to store my toys and need some new lighting so I can work on them...Any recommendations???

[paul67]

florecences give a good overall light and I also put some on the walls , used twin 8fts.

[dropit69]

and put alot of them ..i didnt put enough and now need to add somemore..learn from our mistakes..lol

[newbaa]

at school we have "daylight adjusted" lighting so it helps if you're trying to match a paint chip to a car or something. don't know how much more expensive they are, but that's what we've got.

[68sixspeed]

I put in a bunch of industrial type t4's - 8ft fixtures, take 4 of the 4ft small bulbs- more energy efficent. Also be sure to get cold start balasts if you are in a cold area and the garage will be left cold.

[ertoys]

I have an oversized 3 car (900) s.f. and I used six 8 foot dual tube flourecents.

I feel thats ample lighting for my needs.

[Midwest Performance]

I worked nights midnight to 8AM for 11 years and the only time I had to work on stuff was when it was dark. In my 705sqft garage I installed 8 8 foot twin tube flouresent cold start fixtures that I can turn on and off in any combination. I also installed the brightest bulbs I could get. I also have semigloss white walls to make it brighter. I can post pictures if interested.

Kevin

[Beegs]

28'x36' shop, T8, electronic ballast, I have 3 rows running lengthwise. Each row is comprised of 3- 8' twin bulb and 1 - 4' twin bulb. I am very happy with the lighting, very quiet and bright. I also have 6 switches so I can light the whole thing or just where I am working.

[Bad94]

we work out of a 30x40 building and we have 14 8' lights,white walls and lighting is great.

[CHROMAHOLIC]

I use 8' flourecents which I wired plug ends on and when I built my shop I installed outlets in the ceiling so all my lights plug into there own outlet. I did this so when a ballast goes I just take the whole light down take off the plug end and toss it in the garbage. Cheaper to buy a new fixture than to get a new ballast in most cases.

[Bill Howell]

Metal Helide

Just as cheap as several flourecents.

I put them in all my buildings, about $150 each and two will light up 1200-1500 ft very nicely.

[MonzaRacer]

Another trick is get some of the lights in the edges where the alls and ceiling meet kind of like a body shop so they point towards the cars side, just make sure you have guards over them near the bench grinder or bolts/metal will fly and take oput bulbs and the mercury in the floresents can make you sick if you cut your self working on floor or bench.
You can also make them just up the walls far enough to avoid hitting them with tools, projectile parts, fighting with friends (buddy had some at waist level, his brother came over and they got into it and both spent 3 days in hospital for cuts and scrapes to backs and mercury poisoning).
I for one am looking into industrial LED plates to replace the halogen bulbs in my spots on a stand. $25 bucks a light and the LEDs are replaceable.
BUT right now I need a few walls, roof , floor, etc. IE no garage yet. Im a shade tree with no shade tree.
Lee

[jy211]

mercury vapor.

Just as cheap as several flourecents.

I put them in all my buildings, about $150 each and two will light up 1200-1500 ft very nicely.

Got a link to them?

[Bill Howell]

I buy them locally at the local electrical and lighting supply store, but I am sure you have one in your town. I just did some quick research on them and need to update the above post.
They are about $140 each, Medal Halide (not mercury Vapor) and you can get them in High or Low bay. That just means the area it covers depending on ceiling height but my new building is 20feet high and still has low bay. They have a blueish color and really work well. They do wire for 110,220 or 208 if you happen to have 3 phase. I have them in a autorepair shop I rent out, our Countertop Shop and the new building that has a Top Fuel drag race team, a commercial laundry and a landscaper's storage area, and everyone loves them. Only issue I know would be they hang about two feet down, so would be a pain in an 8' ceiling.

Here is a link to the type bulbs http://www.bulbs.com/Metal_Halide-Hi...bs-_-hid+bulbs

I use 400 watt bulbs.

Here is a link to the fixture, just for looking at, you can probably get them cheaper locally, I did. Also, the ones I use do not have a lens on the bottom
http://www.bulbs.com/eSpec.aspx?ID=1...tures&RefId=15


The ones I bought locally for the new building were part # EXCEBYL22400MA8 W/LA

[dropit69]

hey Bill how about lying on floor working on car..dont they blind the crap outa ya ..i know at work if i look into 1 im blind for a sec but think we have 1k watt bulbs..just curious

[Bill Howell]

hey Bill how about lying on floor working on car..dont they blind the crap outa ya ..i know at work if i look into 1 im blind for a sec but think we have 1k watt bulbs..just curious

I have never stared at one, so I can not say...hehe
No, but remember, all my ceilings are at least 14' high, so not an issue with the 400 watt bulbs. I would think 1000 watts would be blinding though if you are a looker....hehe

[68sixspeed]

personally, I don't like the lighting of mercury vapor or metal hylide (sp?) lights- our shop is mostly t4 flourescents, nice... the addition isn't and it is really noticeable going back and forth, there is a kind of pink or peach glow out there. Also, if they get shut off or the power flickers, they take 10-15 minutes to come back on. The only good thing is they work fine cold.