Seeking suggestions for workshop lighting

[highstandard40]

I am preparing to build a 40X50 steel building and am uncertain what type of lighting to utilize. This new shop will have 14' side wall height and will not have any sky lights. This is not a commercial construction, it will just be for my personal use. My uses for the building will be mostly to store my "stuff" but I do light mechanical work, hobby steel fabrication, and wood working. So what would be my best options for lighting this space, taking into account cost, performance, and maintenance?

 

[jjoker16]

3 or 4 tier chandeliers would work.

 

[Barry J]

I have four foot, four bulb fluorescent in my garage and shop. Get the bright white bulbs.

 

[Danny Abear]

Not the old timey 4' flouresants get the new T-8 or T-10 fixtures, they cost more but much better than the old kind

 

[Expert684]

8 foot high intensity they run somewhere around 180 volts. I have some 25 feet up in my warehouse. They work great! Talk to an electrician.

 

[highstandard40]

I have used fluorescent lighting for the past 20 years in my current shop and have not been please with them on a couple of levels. Cold weather output is poor and upkeep has been a pain. This has been mostly 8' single pin bulbs but also some of the newer instant start T8s. I have been considering Lowbay. Any advice there??

 

[3fifty7]

We have a 50'X150' indoor shop and had 5 metal halide fixtures with acrylic refractors about 10 years ago. They take a little time to warm up but provide Plenty of light. I believe we have changed 1 bulb and a couple ballast.

 

[Leonidas]

I'd try LED's for just about any application. The technology has really come along.

 

[2011Corvette]

I have a 50' x 60' shop with 14' eves at my home.
I went with the t8 fluorescents and it works well. I went with 12 fixtures with 4 - 4' bulbs in each.
Plenty bright to do anything. Your welcome to come check it out for yourself if you would like to see.

 

[sparky_benton]

you can get different temps of light also , if you go with a 8 foot strip with 4, 4 foot t8 lamps, a 6500 k lamp will give off a brighter (a little bluish )light . some people don't like them, but I dislike soft and cool white ( 3500k )..

 

[highstandard40]

Has anybody tried to mix the 6500 k with the 3500 k bulbs in an attempt to get a more pleasing light temp.

 

[Ellis1958]

One little tidbit is to use residential rated ballasts rather than industrial rated ballasts. The rating has nothing to do with duty cycle or longevity. The rating has to do with RFI. Radio Frequency Interference.

My garage was lit with three each, four tube T12 fluorescent lights and the RFI was terrible. Carport with three more of the same lights. Trip to the big box store and replaced all the ballasts and the problem went away.

 

[sparky_benton]

have not ..hmmmmm

 

[Scottr88]

I have 16 fixtures with 2 T8 fluorescent bulbs in each,the 6500's I believe ,output is great


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