Shop lights -- need more light

[slag]

I have a couple fixtures that house 4-T48 bulbs in my garage, but its just not enough light. I'm looking for something inexpensive (with replaceable ballasts), or some other form of lighting that will really give me enough light in my garage.

What do you guys do/use for garage lighting?

I've been scanning craigslist and looking at auctions for lighting fixtures, but not having any luck. I'm really getting tired of having to have a portable light propped up next to me every time I need to work on something.

 

[LTC8K6]

The ballasts cost as much or more than a whole new fixture. Just go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some of their low cost shop lighting.

 

[slag]

The ballasts cost as much or more than a whole new fixture. Just go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some of their low cost shop lighting.

The 9 dollar fixtures at lowes/home depot aren't worth it. They all break within a year or two and just aren't worth a damn. I need something that puts out a lot more light as my garage is dark. Its a large two car garage attached to the house, but is dark inside and needs a ton more light than 4 of those cheapo throw away fixtures can provide.

 

[LTC8K6]

They should have the 8 footers at Lowe's. If they don't put out enough light, then I don't know what to tell you.

All you are going to find is cheap stuff. You aren't going to find a shop fluorescent fixture that lasts 20 years and has the ballast replaced once. They are all basically disposable now.

You can't even find the magnetic ballasts any more. They are all electronic, and they seem to fail well short of the life of the old ones.

I have about 30 of the 8 foot 2 bulb fixtures in this building. They were installed in 1979. Some of those original ballasts have lasted that long.

 

[kornphlake]

High efficiency T5 lighting isn't cheap, but it's what you're looking for. I can't suggest a good supplier, but I doubt you'll get the best quality or prices at Home Depot.

 

[MotF Bane]

My garage is an underground type, so there's almost no natural light (scraps from the garage door windows). In about 750 square feet, two car garage, there's two single bulb fixtures, and seven double bulb fixtures. All bulbs are 4' fluorescents.

Honestly, this is an application where quantity more or less outweighs quality.

 

[Mark R]

Consider getting some metal halide (not to be confused with halogen) lights. These are widely used in warehouses, industrially, shops and for street lighting due to their high power, excellent efficiency, long life and good quality light.

A couple of 250W low-bay halide lamps in even the dingiest garage will light it up like Miami beach in midsummer. Roughly speaking 1W of halide is equivalent to 1W of good quality fluorescent tube, and much brighter than 1W of CFL.

These do have disadvantages which is why you don't see them frequent in homes; long warm up (5 mins) and long cool down (5-10 mins during which time the lamp cannot restart) times mean they are only usable where they are needed for prolonged periods, and they need some form of backup (e.g. Fluorescents) so you aren't plunged into darkness if the power glitches. The bulbs also need careful recycling due to extremely high mercury content. If you can accept these disadvantages, then halide lamps really are fantastic.

 

[stinkynathan]

I built a 28x32(deep) last summer. I put 14 of these in the ceiling. Eight are spaced in the back work area and six are in the parking area. I keep 100w equivalent, 6500K CFL bulbs in all of the fixtures except the one over the entry door, which has a 100w incandescent. As they die I'll probably replace them with 200w equivalents, but it's pretty much surgery-ready lighting in the work area. Once I get the OSB ceiling up and everything painted it will be even brighter.

The CFL bulbs can take a few minutes to warm up when it's cold outside but they're bright enough to run in and grab something. If I know I'm going to be out there all day I'll turn the lights and heater on while I make breakfast and everything is ready when I get back out there.

Supposedly fluorescents have problems starting below freezing, but I haven't had that yet. Of course maybe it doesn't even get below freezing at ceiling level since the walls and ceiling are insulated.

 

[nedfunnell]

Have you looked into electronic ballasts? They switch at a higher frequency and will give you slightly (but noticably) more light from the same bulb and wattage.

 

[7window]

where do you find the ballast on this flourescent lights? I have 8 fluorescent in my garage and the are not the side by side llights. They are the ones that are 4 on one side and then the other side of the garage is another 4lights. Here is the wierd part when it is cold sometimes the bulb doesn't work. So I would take it off and replace it with a used one and the light will come on. I then would use the other one that I took off and put in another fixture and it will work there. Really strange.

 

[LTC8K6]

Regular fluorescents are not rated for cold temperatures, and they sometimes will not start in cool weather. After a few minutes of power, they will warm up enough to light.

 

[hanoverphist]

my friends shop had similar lighting issues the farther away from the bay door you got. we mounted the 4-light drop ceiling type fixtures on the wall at about 7' high and angled them down to the floor a bit. no more lighting problems and they didnt get in the way of the lift and stuff that needed a high ceiling.

 

[Viperoni]

T8 fluorescent bulbs, many of them, and the brightest (whitest) wall paint you can go with.