68-Watt (300W) CFL Light - review

[mebedave]

how many of you guys with larger sized shops lets say around 30x40 use this light as your main source of lighting.

http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I have a few set up as temp lighting while shop is under construction, man they give off some great light! I'm thinking maybe using them instead of the T8's. What do you think?

list pro's and con's, size of your shop, and picture of your shop lite up if possible

 

[StaggeringGoat]

"Soft white" is terrible for shop lighting, you want at least "cool white" or "daylight" but you won't find CFLs that size and color at HD. (soft white is around 2700k most shop lighting is around 5000k)

See this thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119956

 

[TWX]

One problem with a screw-base bulb is that you get point-source lights illuminating from one point in three dimensions. When you use lined up fluorescent tubes, you get a plane of light, so you significantly reduce shadows.

I would probably not use point sources in any space I was building up from scratch unless it was unsafe to use tubes. Like in my garden shed, which will probably not get a tube because the ceiling is too low.

 

[koditten]

I like them. So far been using them about 18 months. Have had no failures yet, at 15 bucks a pop I better not.

KO

 

[KenC]

I plan to use a few as a trial. But, I want to use a big reflector behind them. Someone posted a source for those a few months back. Now that I need it I can't find it. Anyone know what the source was?????

 

[dankicksass]

I bought some of those at Home Depot when I had good coupons, but the soft white is finally getting to me. I'm going to look for some 42W (150W-labeled) 5000k+ bulbs to put in doublers to replace all the lamps in the front of my garage soon. That will give 5400 lumens per point and will look significantly brighter due to color.

 

[IDASHO]

One problem with a screw-base bulb is that you get point-source lights illuminating from one point in three dimensions. When you use lined up fluorescent tubes, you get a plane of light, so you significantly reduce shadows.

With a 13" ceiling they do awesome, with zero shadow issues.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

For those interested in this type of lighting I would suggest looking at 1000bulbs.com, they will be cheaper than home depot and they have many more colors to choose from. I just bought a ton of 23w 5000k CFLs I'm going to scatter around my ceiling in socket splitters for two at each point. I decided to use two smaller ones instead of a bigger one because it's cheaper and that way when they break it's cheaper to replace.

 

[Highbeam]

Consider the lumens per watt and also the cost per lumen. I don't think that these CFLs are going to be as efficient to run or as cheap to buy as the tubes available.

My bad experience with CFLs is the slow to warm up versions in my can lights. PAR something or other take minutes to make light. Very noticable.

What's the upside?

 

[aloxdaddy99]

I have 2 in my 20x20x11 and I love them. Have had them for over a year with no issues. It takes just a second to come on. It's not full on put it only takes a few more seconds for that. I don't have any reflectors or anything to protect them. Although I should get something for that.