Lighting Info/Feedback..please

[slddnmatt]

(UPDATE)Lighting Info/Feedback..please

hey all, im trying to get some feed back on these style lights love them or hate them, i would like your feed back. i have a line on some used ones but want to know if they are worth a **** or am i gonna have to take out a loan to run them...
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1EB39

thanks
matt

thanks for all the feed back everybody. i ended up just quickly hooking 3 of the lights up to see how they looked and im impressed... the shed is pretty bright, a lot brighter than what shows up in the pics. they are about 16' up and they light up the everywhere pretty evenly. i think i did pretty well for 100 bucks!! thanks again everybody

matt

 

[ddawg16]

Its a good light...assuming you are using it right (needs to be up high for proper light spread.

MH lights have about twice the efficiency of fluroscent and the color is good.
About the only light more effcient is los pressure sodium...but the color on those is more in the red region.

About the only down side to MH is the bulb life which is about 5-15K hours vs 15-18K hours for sodium.

Even new the price is good...used....expect to replace the buld sooner than later unless they have just been changed.

Here is a good reference.

 

[Ezzie]

I used 250W low-bay metal halides in my shop (16'-6" clear) with a 28" reflector/diffuser. I put 4 of them up on 30' centers and they give a nice even light over the 60' x 60' area. The only thing I notice is they take a while to come up to intensity after turning them on - not ideal for a quick switch on/off. With these still, you need task lighting (such as flourescents) directly over a work bench, etc.

 

[Matti]

I would check out the coloring and the noise level before buying. I can't remember what type our shop lighting was (it was a few years ago) but I did not like the spectrum or the noise. It was okay for an industrial shop but not for a home garage.

 

[kbs2244]

"20 foot min height"

 

[Ezzie]

"20 foot min height"

... that's why I used "low-bays". The main difference from a "high-bay" is the shape of the reflector. A proper "low-bay" also has a diffuser lens.

 

[greenlion]

I couldn't go to the link (blocked at work) but I have 400w lowbay MH's in my shop. Six in a 75 x 50. They put out a tremendous amount of light and I'm happy with them. Mounted at about 16' high. I have a row of 8' 2 bulb t8's down the middle for quick on/off lighting and a few more over benches for task lighting. The low bays take about 3 min to fully light up and longer than that if you turn them off and then want to turn them right back on (hence the fluorescent lights). They hum a teeny bit but aren't annoying. The color seems good to me. The box said you could use ~36' spacing and I have about 25'. The only other thing I'd have considered for main lighting was T5HO lowbays (use a little less energy and come on quicker, but I think they cost more). Didn't want to use all floro's b/c it'd take a lot of them and wiring isn't so much fun. Very happy with my choice.

 

[slddnmatt]

thanks for the replies everybody. i ended up picking up 9 of them for 100 bucks. so i don't think i did to bad even if i end up not using them or go a different route. my garage is 50X60 with a 16ft eve height, have an idea what a good layout would be????

 

[Stuart in MN]

If your ceiling is 16 feet high, the lights will probably be hanging at 15 feet or less. Since they're designed to be installed at least 20 feet above the floor, you're going to have 'hot spots' under each one and the light distribution in between the lights won't be so good.

 

[ersatzs2]

I have had four of these 400w Lithonias for a year now except in a low bay configuration which I think just means they have a diffuser lens. They are mounted about 22' from the floor and light up the space like a bright sunny day. They are somewhat noisy however, not an issue since I usually have music on. I wish I had them on paired circuits since most times I don't really need all four going.

 

[e-tek]

Holy **** - I just learned more about lights than I really needed to - what a site!

 

[ddawg16]

$100 for 9 of em'....that is a good deal....assuming they work...

I would test all 9...keep 4 and sell the rest.

Take those 4 and suspend them right down the center evenly spaced...I would put two to a circuit (front/back). Then use flurescent down the sides for the fast/task lighting.

 

[chad pickens]

If anyone else is interested in mh lights there is a guy on ebay (sunlighting) he sells only lights, all types .I got mine from him .He gives a 2 year guarantee on ballasts and bulbs. He will also sell used and new bulbs at a very low price. He has been very good to me. I bought 8 400 watt mh low bays with prismatic covers that give up-light also Normally i only have to use 4.I think you should also put up a few fluorescents for quick in and out trips into the garage. I put 3-8 ft 110 watt ho fluorescents down the middle of my garage,it is 30x60

 

[ersatzs2]

I think you should also put up a few fluorescents for quick in and out trips into the garage. I put 3-8 ft 110 watt ho fluorescents down the middle of my garage,it is 30x60

+1
Oh yeah absolutely in case this wasn't mentioned earlier. These things take almost 5 minutes to 'warm up' so you'll want plenty of other lights for when you are dashing in and out. Or don't need all that light which is most of the time.

 

[kbs2244]

I think all of us would like to know if you get any "hot spots" and dark areas if you hang 20 foot lights at 15 feet.
The 20 footers are kind of common on the used market, but not many of us have 20 celings.

 

[slddnmatt]

still not sure if i plan to use them or not, but i have them in case i do. i probably keep my eyes open for some low bay ones. if i hang them down the center i will get a little bit more height out of it too, almost 2' so that would be good. i have six skylights to use during the day. i plan on putting a mezzanine in at the back and the side so ill probably mount some flourescents under it too.

 

[chad pickens]

The owner of sunlighting will tell you the correct spacing for the height you are hanging your lights .He has dealt with every kind of lens and shade .On mine I have prismatic shades that throw 30% up light .I only have 11 foot ceilings.I altered the hook assembly and mounted directly to the ceiling for an extra 3-4 inches of clearance. He told me to hang them on 15 foot centers,which worked out very well in a 30x60 garage. I am very happy with my lights ,If I do detail oriented work i use all 8,but most of the time i only use 4.My lights are pulse start they only take a couple minutes to start.I bought two of my lights with th extra feature of Re strike lights.They are a 250 watt halogen bulb in the shade, if the light goes out for any reason and comes back on it takes a while to cool and restart,the re strike lights come on until the mh bulbs restart.and when you first turn them on the re strike lights up.I put them next to entrance to the garage. this is a link to a sale he has on ebay.the light in the picture is like mine http://cgi.ebay.com/60-320-Watt-Pul...26219QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
he is hard to get in touch with sometimes because he goes all over the country buying out store lighting on remodels.but he always returns phone calls and emails, good luck

 

[5wndwcpe]

If anyone else is interested in mh lights there is a guy on ebay (sunlighting) he sells only lights, all types .I got mine from him .He gives a 2 year guarantee on ballasts and bulbs. He will also sell used and new bulbs at a very low price. He has been very good to me. I bought 8 400 watt mh low bays with prismatic covers that give up-light also Normally i only have to use 4.I think you should also put up a few fluorescents for quick in and out trips into the garage. I put 3-8 ft 110 watt ho fluorescents down the middle of my garage,it is 30x60

That's who I got mine from.

 

[slddnmatt]

i hung some lights.... im impressed

 

[chad pickens]

I knew you would be,great color and plenty of it !