cool white vs daylight

[madmanmerc]

hey guys. so i put up my 6 t8 fixtures over the weekend. Now its time for the bulbs. The salesman at rona told me daylights 6500k is the way to go in a garage, but my brother insists on cool white 4500k. is one better than the other for a garage? should I possibly look for something in between?
thanks

 

[4xdog]

It comes down to what you like. I'm with your brother, FWIW. Maybe even lowering the color temperature to warm white.

 

[Modifieddriver]

Mid-range for color temperature is 3500-3900K.

Above or below can cause colors to change.

6500 is like daylight. You might not like that. It bothers some folks eyes.

I'm using 4100 T5's in my house garage and I think that's a good compromise.

 

[Scott P]

I have 5000k "Natural Light" bubs in my garage and enjoy them.

 

[rburke65]

To each their own......I like my 6500K.

 

[GShelton]

The 6500k seems harsh to me. To cold. But I don't like warm either. My house I went with bright white and the garage will all be natural 5000k.

 

[regguy1]

on 6500K here, bright and you can see what you're doing see videos and photos here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140674

 

[knucklebasher]

5000K is printing industry standard for viewing color.
I believe automotive refinishers use the same, however they could possibly lean towards
6500K,
Here's the diff - 6500 is direct sunlight, 5000 is the north side of the Washington monument on a sunny day.
your choice - go figure

 

[tfi racing]

Save your money,41K is all you need.55 or 65K are two to three times the price,chances are you will not like the blue light the 65K's give you.

 

[olytdi]

Yes, daylight is too cold. Cool white is just right. Warm white seems too...dim. The only reason you would need to worry about going with 5K was mentioned -- color reproduction.

 

[Gary S]

I like daylight the best.

Buy what you like.

 

[aka Larry]

6500K Daylight is much brighter IMO and doesn't bother my eyes at all. I switched all mine to Daylight and can't imagine someone wanting to go the other direction, but to each his own.

 

[DirtRoad]

6500k daylight is all i use, freakin bright, color dont bother me in the shop, being very bright is all that matters.
I wont use them in my house though, way to bright for that application.

 

[joe_padavano]

You can't have enough light in the shop. Daylight all the way.

 

[Cryptic1911]

Go with 4500-5000k temp bulbs. They will have WHITE light, and be plenty bright. 5500-6500 starts getting into the blue'ish hue to them. They are bright, but I don't really care for the blue hue

 

[Cryptic1911]

I bought my bulbs - litetronics l-337's from http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3506/F-32T8L85025.html

 

[pattenp]

I have a small shop that I have some 4100K and 5000K in. I prefer the 5000 over the 4100. I like the whiter light of the 5000K. Buy a couple of bulbs of each color temp and try them out. You should be able to return the ones you don't like. But, ask the store manager first to make sure you can return the ones you don't like.

 

[marty_p]

You can't have enough light in the shop. Daylight all the way.

I concur.

You can often have too little shop space or shop lighting, but rarely too much of either.

 

[davidlee]

I go with cool white. I can't stand the color of daylight. I got some by mistake and took them down, looked goofey to me. To each his own.

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

I have 13 foot ceilings, partially painted walls, bare osb ceilings. I went with 6 8' fixtures on the back half of the garage. Plenty bright enough for me with 24 4' 4100k cool whites. Of course all I had to compare them to in there was 5 cheapy outdoor spot lights mounted on the walls, but it was a world of difference.

 

[crosscut]

I just installed 2 six tube T8 fixtures http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...ing-Fixture-IB-632-MVH/202193185#.UUyFx781b8s last Saturday. I used twelve 5k bulbs and I'm very pleased with the brightness and color of the lighting. Upon opening the single 2 car garage door and the walk-thru door (our garage is detached) during the day time (full sunlight), the differences between the fluorescent light and sun light was almost indistinguishable.

 

[Coolerman]

Well, I can weigh in on this thread later this weekend, as Fed-EX just delivered my 44 150W 5000K bulbs! I'll post pics of all 42 bulbs lit in a 24' x 40' shop with 13' max height ceilings.

 

[larry_g]

Put me down as a 6500K user. As I age I find that I need better light to see. I'm working in the machine shop so color shift is not a big deal for me. So age and type of work your doing will play a part in which range will serve you best.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Falcon67]

6500K user here too. I had 24 4' 6500K bulbs in the last shop, when you went in a night and flipped them all on it'd knock you down. I like bright.

 

[Highbeam]

Remember now, color temperature is just that... color. The brightness of the light is measured in lumens and is independent of color temperature. You can have bright 4000k or bright 6500k. Don't go thinking that you are getting better efficiency or brightness because you chose a bluer light.

I'm a 4000 or 4300k user, I can't remember which but I didn't want orange and I didn't want blue so I went for cool white which is 4300k. Halogen car headlights are 4300k.

 

[Shop Specialties]

I have 6500k and it is 100x better than the T12 cool white that I had before.

 

[Marshall2u]

I bought my metal building used, and it came with 15 8' T12 fixtures with 4100K bulbs. I started putting them up and HATED the yellow. Got rid of 'em. Ended up with 6500K all around and LOVE it.

I'm sure there are a number of factors in regard to preference (as others have mentioned here), such as eyesight issues (age in my case- had to start wearing "readers" a few years ago), natural variances in perception, and simple personal preference.

 

[70C-10]

I recently installed 6 4' fixtures in my 16 x 20 and couldn't be happier. Its a very white light but I wouldn't call it bright. Very happy with 6500K

 

[madmanmerc]

WOW. It seems like there is no clear choice. I do like the daylight 6500k but Im worried that it might be to blue, however im not to crazy about 4100. Is there possibly something in between?

 

[Sludge Puppy]

5000 is a solid in between. I thought the 6500 were too blue. At night with 5k bulbs and my garage door open, it looks like a UFO landed in my neighborhood ha. I think the 5k are perfect. I got the 92 CRI bulbs. It really is personal choice on how your eyes adjust to the light.

 

[rburke65]

No clear choice?.......you are correct.......that's why they call it "an opinion!''.

 

[Steevo]

I have 4100k for everywhere but over the workbench, which are 5000k.

 

[Highbeam]

Once you're in the garage with the doors shut and the lights on, I do believe that your eyes will adjust and you won't know which color you chose. It certainly won't be a lingering problem. Only if you have different colors on at the same time do you see the difference.

Pick middle of the road.

 

[Cougar]

Save your money,41K is all you need.55 or 65K are two to three times the price,chances are you will not like the blue light the 65K's give you.

They're not that much more at Menards. About $.83 bulb differance from 6500k to 4100k.

 

[DirtRoad]

That and you can buy them by the case at menards which is alot cheaper than buying them individually.

 

[Cougar]

That and you can buy them by the case at menards which is alot cheaper than buying them individually.

Yes.
And they have a good selection.
Can get Made in the USA bulbs at Menards cheaper than what Fleet Farm sells some made in China **** bulbs.

 

[aka Larry]

I think the color charts are a little misleading. I have all 6500K Daylight bulbs in my shop are they aren't "blue" at all. I think you need to see the colors side-by-side to make a true comparison and subsequent decision. The last time I was at Lowes they had a lighted small box with the different colors which makes it much easier IMO.

In my case I stumbled upon the "Daylight" bulbs 100% by accident. I bought a new fixture for the workbench in my then attached garage and bought the Daylight bulbs by accident. When I noticed how much brighter they looked I switched-out all the "cool white" ones to match.

To be fair, I talked my sister into buying a daylight CFL for her living room, and it just doesn't look right. I guess it depends on the setting, but in my shop I prefer the daylight ones hands down.

 

[dimarcelli]

I like 4100k personally but i know people who prefer 6500k too. Go outside on an overcast day and that's basically what 6500k looks like.

I used to like 3000k bulbs but on accident I purchased some 4100k and then realized how much more i liked those. If i can remember how to white balance my camera i might try to take some comparison pictures later on.

 

[hh76]

No clear choice?.......you are correct.......that's why they call it "an opinion!''.

Once you're in the garage with the doors shut and the lights on, I do believe that your eyes will adjust and you won't know which color you chose. It certainly won't be a lingering problem. Only if you have different colors on at the same time do you see the difference.

Pick middle of the road.

You'll get used to just about anything, so don't sweat too much over light color. I have a mix of 4100's, and 5000's in my shop, and I couldn't tell you which is which anymore. Just don't go too low, or things do start to look orange.

 

[70C-10]

At Menards I bought a Daylight CFL 300w equivalent & it matches my 6500K flourescents. I don't find these lights to be blue at all. Just white. Their Great !