Workshop lights

[Warp Land Farmer]

Does anyone have any good suppliers of workshop lights...30ft by 30ft by 12ft to eaves...would like to go LED but price is a little high...

 

[Zebbedee]

I am also needing lights for my workshop, I think the best is probably still fluorescent tubes but seems an old fashioned system now????

 

[TheTallGuy]

My preference is for fluorescent lights - LEDs just don't do it for me.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I'm using a couple of toolstation 500w halogens. Yes they may be dearer to run but they aren't used all day every dsy. Lots of light for a tenner each.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

My preference is for fluorescent lights - LEDs just don't do it for me.

Can I ask why out of interest?

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

I'm using a couple of toolstation 500w halogens. Yes they may be dearer to run but they aren't used all day every dsy. Lots of light for a tenner each.

These lights could be on 8 hours a day, 5 or more days a week so d t want to bust the bank on running costs. Initial outlay vs. Running cost is a conundrum

 

[Dave W]

@Grassman has LED's. They are good but I think reliability may be an issue

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

@Grassman has LED's. They are good but I think reliability may be an issue

What do you have in yours Dave?

 

[Dave W]

I had some of those low bay things but they didn't like being run off a generator. Got 8 double fluorescent now on 30 x 30 shed. Plenty bright enough but wouldn't want any less really
Power usage wasn't an issue as genny has to be on regardless

 

[Sussex Martin]

I have Iviti Ice led high bay lights in my shed and they are brilliant, haven't a clue how to put a link on using the iPad but look them up. 100 watts gives a tremendous amount of light 1400 lumens, sealed to IP66, 50,000 hours life, I'm very pleased with them . Beware, very expensive but in my view worth it to me as I should never have to do anything to them.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Can I ask why out of interest?

Without spending a lot of money the "quality" of the white light is not very good (in my opinion) for higher power units. LED's generally mix four or five spot colours/frequencies of light to emulate white, whereas the phosphors in fluorescent tubes produce much broader spectrum colours to produce a more natural white. I also like my light to be more diffuse/softer than is available with most LED systems. If I was fitting out a storage area then I probably would use LED, but for somewhere I'm likely to be working for any length of time it would be HF fluorescent battens and tubes from a reliable manufacturer.

 

[milkloss]

Without spending a lot of money the "quality" of the white light is not very good (in my opinion) for higher power units. LED's generally mix four or five spot colours/frequencies of light to emulate white, whereas the phosphors in fluorescent tubes produce much broader spectrum colours to produce a more natural white. I also like my light to be more diffuse/softer than is available with most LED systems. If I was fitting out a storage area then I probably would use LED, but for somewhere I'm likely to be working for any length of time it would be HF fluorescent battens and tubes from a reliable manufacturer.

That's what I would have said if I knew how so it made sense!

 

[Pan mixer]

Low bay, low bay low bay. LED lighting is not quite right for tricky workshop tasks IMHO, Low bay shadows more than fluorescent but is miles better as it is like strong sunlight to work in

 

[Lincsman]

Fluorescent are cheap to run/repair and dont cost much and are low tech, whats not to like?

 

[Pan mixer]

Fluorescent are cheap to run/repair and dont cost much and are low tech, whats not to like?

They flicker, it can be in time with rotating things like grinders, you used to have to have them in threes in industry, one on each phase so that they didn't strobe in time with machinery.

 

[TheTallGuy]

They flicker, it can be in time with rotating things like grinders, you used to have to have them in threes in industry, one on each phase so that they didn't strobe in time with machinery.

High frequency units don't have the flicker of the old style inductor ballasts, plus no starters to replace.

 

[RWG Contracts]

Low bay, low bay low bay. LED lighting is not quite right for tricky workshop tasks IMHO, Low bay shadows more than fluorescent but is miles better as it is like strong sunlight to work in

+1 for lowbays only problem with them is after being in workshop all night you can't see bugger all when you go out in dark.

Wouldn't recommend LEDs for a workshop. Firm I ised to work for ripped all there lowbays out spent a fortune on these hellish expensive LEDs, in workshop it looked nice and bright but you couldn't read plans and welders couldn't see so thy ripped them back out and put the lowbays back in

 

[Grassman]

@Grassman has LED's. They are good but I think reliability may be an issue

Sorry missed this.
I put some 50 watt led off eBay in the workshop. A few packed in and some of those that didn't aren't as bright as I expected. Get some off a uk supplier preferably local to you.