New LED Lights

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
After seeing a YouTuber I like, WranglerStar put up new LED lights in his shop, I started to wonder about replacing with LEDs myself.
The fluorescent lights in my workshop are hand me downs from the old liquor shop. That shop was demolished in 1998, and the fixtures must have been at least 20 years old, so they are from the 70's for sure.

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I had one over the bench area with a bunch of small slim fluorescents that I took from some shelving units a while back. There were a few of the slim lights burned out, I did not replace them as they are special order and are about $20 each, yikes!

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The new lights

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The additional light is amazing!!

The old lights are rated at 3569 lm, and the color temp is 3000 K

The new lights are 4000 lm and 5000 K, on paper not that much of a difference but in person the new LED lights are bright!

Now they say that the new lights will save you 65% on electricity, (they work it out on an 8 hour day, five days a week) ¥5400 a year ($50). I'm also sure that the very old fixtures I had were much less efficient, so I hope to cut down on my electric bill a lot. The other thing is the old fluorescent tubes would get a build up if dust on the tops of the tubes, which also cut down on the light getting to the workshop.

These new lights cost me ¥7980 ($70). One new 4' fixture equals one old 4' twin bulb fluorescent fixture.

They are supposed to last 8-10 years.

I can certainly see the difference, these area LOT brighter to my eyes, and should pay for themselves fairly quickly.

I think I'll be buying more of them. Maybe a couple a month.

Cheers!


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I've been planning on doing the same thing. I have 8 ft. hi output florescent fixtures in my shop. After one of the ballasts died I replaced it with a new digital ballast. What a disaster, the new ballast puts out massive RF noise and I can no longer listen to the radio in the shop. So the only thing I am trying to discern is which LED fixtures are RF compliant. Some claim to be so , but are not. So I am in search mode to find a quality fixture. I also have around 7-8, 4 ft. fixtures in the basement, plus several more in another part of my barn so it will be a campaign of replacement when funds are available.
 
Just replaced the neon tubes in my shop with the Let's t8 what an improvement. A few of my ballasts were going out so it was time. I did remove ballasts on all fixtures and direct wired. The ballast is built into the led tubes. The ones I used can be installed with or without removing ballast. I figured why leave in a ballast that can go bad so out they came. They are also instant start,no waiting for warm up. So far the cold weathered has not affected the start up. Radio is next to one of fixtures and no interference have been noted.
I'm just sorry I didn't retrofit sooner.
David
 
My basement shop is lighted with many 4 foot standard fluorescent shop lights. Some of these are 30 years old and the ballasts are going. As a unit bites the dust now, I have started replacing with the 4 foot long LED shop light versions. So far I am pleased with the LEDs (except for the cost).
 
Dang didn't even know these existed, just updated all my fixtures year before last in the shop (five fixtures, dual tube), still got half a box of replacement tubes. May keep them for the garage side, and from now on when a light goes out in the shop, gonna get the led replacement tube and convert my fixture. Looks pretty simple, just gut the fixtures of the ballast and wire up one end for hot/cold put in the new led's. Sure wish I knew these were around year before last, could have left my old fixtures in and did the conversion, the only reason to get new fixtures was the old ones needed both ballast and lights replaced, so...the cost would have been about the same but sure would have lasted longer, and cheaper to operate...dang, always a day late and a dollar short...lol
 
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I just added two more over my tablesaw.
I had one 4' and three 2' fluorescents, now these two new LEDS are so much brighter.
Good spot for an upgrade I think!!
Cheers!


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