After putting those little LED light strips over my workbench, I quickly developed a healthy respect for how much light you can get from something so small consuming so little power. Now, I seem to have some mental radar for anything I might use in the garage. That’s how I found Big Ass Lights. They’re LED lights for commercial and residential applications and their photos show some pretty impressive changes from the old lighting they replace.
This unit, imaginatively called the Garage Light, looks like it’s just the ticket for a dark garage workshop. Each unit puts out 13000 lumens with 122 watts. They’re supposed to last 150,000 hours and they come with a seven year warranty. They’re not cheap, $399 and another $40 if you want an occupancy sensor, but for that much light with so little power, I have to check these out.
Link: BigAssLight Garage Light
todd says
That’s like having 6 florescent tubes in your fixture instead of two.
For $25 (each) you could go to Home Depot and buy the T8 LED replacement tubes for your existing fixtures. They have around the same efficiency as the light you note but about a third of the light density. If you have a four-lamp fixture, you could use the ballast to power six T8 LED lamps with a little ingenuity and less cash.
-todd
Paul Crowe says
I don’t have fluorescents now. I have a lot of incandescent bulbs evenly distributed across the ceiling. They throw a decent amount of light, but not as much as I want so I’m looking at various options. These LEDs are pricey, for sure, but once installed, it looks like the lighting issue is handled for good. It’s not my top priority at the moment so I have time to look around.
PeachesMcGee says
Costco has twin LED lights. $38.
More money left over for parts and accessories.
Pushrod says
I think Sam’s has the same fixtures as Costco.
I just upgraded the lights in my garage with some salvaged 4-bulb 48″ T-8 fixtures. Now I can work on my tan and grow crops while I putter about in my shop.
Paul Crowe says
When the energy police started demanding everyone get rid of incandescents and store shelves began offering those pigtail fluorescent bulbs, I figured we would get something better before long. LEDs are popping up everywhere and prices are getting better. They are pretty amazing. In colder climates, fluorescents in the garage take a long time to come up to full brightness, LEDs are full on, right now. That’s so cool. Gotta love the technology.
zipidachimp says
5000 K rating on these lights is way too cool/harsh to comfortably work under. Landlord stuck 2 of them in my kitchen, changed them out for nice warm 2300 K bulbs. Makes a huge difference.
Paul Crowe says
You might be right about that. Color temperature is something a lot of people don’t think about, different lights compared side by side, the difference can be striking, but unpleasant in a kitchen or living room might be fine in a shop, the needs are different. When you need light to see what you’re doing working with mechanical or electrical parts, that 5000k light might be perfect, when you’re sitting back with an adult beverage admiring the result of all of your wrenching, something on the warm side makes everything look more appealing.