Costco LED shop lights?

[Richard_W]

While I was in Costco today I saw a stack of LED shop lights that looked like the standard 48" florescent shop lights. I haven't seen the light they produce and was wondering if anyone here is using them and if they like them? For $39.99 seemed like a good deal.

Richard W.

[SteveM]

Someone mentioned them in this thread:
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... 4&t=100931

Steve

[stevec]

Richard, did the $39.99 Costco price include the LED tubes? Were they 2 tube fixtures or single?

[hammermill]

http://www2.costco.com/Browse/Product.a ... &topnav=bd



color temp is 4100k

color temp comparison chart

http://lumicrest.com/colour-temperature/

[NP317]

I have 16 sets of those "Feit" LED twin-tube lights sitting in my garage, waiting or the new garage/shop to get built...soon.
Yes, they are complete with tubes and ready to hang and plug in. The light is bright and white, and makes my eyes happy. We'll see what the final results are, in a coupe of months.

I got the first dozen assemblies at COSTCO for $32 each, and this last 4 for $40. And I like them better than the CREE versions available at 2.5x that price. Time will tell how well they maintain lumen output. I have not yet found any reviews of these lights.
~RN

[Richard_W]

Richard, did the $39.99 Costco price include the LED tubes? Were they 2 tube fixtures or single?

They had two tubes shown on the box.

Richard W.

[jim314159]

It is also worth noting Costco's generous return policy. For most products (there are exceptions for computers, software, etc.) you can return them at any time, for any reason. I have returned items many years after my purchase just because they had worn out, and Costco happily accepted them and refunded my money. It makes it easier to take a chance on a new product from Costco.

--jim

[Rich_Carlstedt]

I will be very interested in RN's comments after he installs the LED lights.
Try to research this stuff, is like reading a political ad. It may have a bit of truth in it, but the "motivation" thwarts the truthful message for the average guy who wants objective data for decision making.

My thoughts:
A true 40 watt double tube florescent "fixture" has 80 watts of light or 9600 Lumen
( Make sure you are not looking at the "new economy style" tubes that are 32 Watts or 64 W total !)

So reading the add from Cosco, the LED fixture has 38 watts (total...not per bulb!) and 3700 Lumen
Forgetting the "Color" differences of the light, there is another factor .
Flourescent lights emit completely around the tube, so some of the light needs to be reflected downward.
LED's have focused light (one direction like a "spot" light) and that can make better use ..IF THAT IS NEEDED !

I emphasis the last, because in my shop , I have sloping ceilings (white) and florescent lights that bounce light off the ceiling to give a 100 % shadow free lighting and for high visibility. I also have a little over one watt per square foot of shop ( 529 sq/ft-660 Watts) So the theoretical lumen match is 72,000 lumens (MAX)
Florescents do degrade over time and the light diminishes, but this is my starting point for comparison

I have have LED's for years in our kitchen and the light there has also dimmed...but I believe it is the power supply and not the LED ?? The LED's do produce quite a bit of shadow , unless you are directly under them
So what RN says will be very important for the future----for me and maybe you fellows too !

Rich

[Rich_Carlstedt]

Like to add another comment.
I don't know about you fellows, but I hate noise in the shop.
Sounds of chip making is OK, but not hums --lights--VFD's--compressors etc .
so years ago I switched all my ballasts from the old heavy transformer styles to the electronic type.
So the shop went silent ..great...and unexpectedly, my florescent tubes lasted much longer ( 2-3 X) with greater output .
The downside is I had a "X power" remote control system to turn on/off the lights . It started malfunctioning immediately and the lights would turn on by themselves sometimes ( like 3 in the morning when my wife wakes me and says "someone is in the shop !" ) So I lost that control
enough jawboning..
Rich

[earlgo]

So I got tired of the flickering fluorescent lights in a cold garage/shop and bought one of the $30 Costco LED 4' double tube fixtures. My son took less than 5 min to unhook the fluorescent fixture and hook on the LED fixture. WOW what a difference it made in brightness and to boot, there is no flickering at startup. As time goes on I will replace the other 2 fixtures.
Ace hardware has 4' LED direct replacement bulbs for the fluorescent fixtures but they are $27 EACH or $54/fixture. WHY would anyone not just replace the fixture complete with bulbs for slightly more than half the cost?
So far I am happy to have spent the $.

--earlgo

[epanzella]

I'm just guessing here, but I believe LEDs use only half the wave form of 60cycle AC so would that tend to have a strobe effect on rotating machinery?

[Inspector]

I have new LED fixtures that I bought direct from China for my shop and garage and there isn't any flicker that I've noticed running my table saw. Haven't noticed it with any of the couple dozen or so recessed ceiling lights throughout the house either. I think the built in power supply in each light takes care of that.

Pete