New led shop lights

[flyng_fool]

Hey guys,

I was looking at some 4 ft led linkable shop lights that Sams Club has. They are a two pack, two tube fixture that uses a pull chain for on/off and plugs into an outlet. Would there be any issues with removing the pull chain switch and wiring them directly so that I can use my wall switch?

I want to put 6 in the two car bay and 4 in the one car bay.

Cheers!

 

[CJ7VFR]

Hey guys,

I was looking at some 4 ft led linkable shop lights that Sams Club has. They are a two pack, two tube fixture that uses a pull chain for on/off and plugs into an outlet. Would there be any issues with removing the pull chain switch and wiring them directly so that I can use my wall switch?

I want to put 6 in the two car bay and 4 in the one car bay.

Cheers!

If they are linkable, how do they link together? Do they each have some type of female receptacle that another one could plug into? Or do they say they are linkable in some other fashion?

I would think that if they are linkable, then you could do what you want to do. Do they have any knockouts in the outer casing?

Can you post the model number of the lights?

Jim

 

[hangfirew8]

Is this it?

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/linkable-shop-light-honeywell-led/prod20590154.ip?athcpid=prod20590154

I don't think much of tube LED's, they're just a fluorescent fixture retrofitted with LED bulbs. You won't get as good a light spread as discrete LED's in the same size fixture.

Price is right, though.

 

[White Shadow]

Lowes sells similar LED shop lights that are designed to be hardwired and controlled by a wall switch. The price is a few dollars more though, but they are good lights. I have a bunch of them in my garage.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Buy the Costco one (online; non-member add $5). Do NOT remove the pull chain switch, just leave is clicked on.

Not sure how you plan to wire it "directly". I had bare bulb porcelain fixtures. Remove the fixture and install an octagon plate with cut outs for a duplex receptacle. You're done !

 

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I have the Costco version. For retrofit. I did exactly as theoldwizard said - replaced the existing light fixture with an outlet. On my new wiring setup in the shop, I ran all of the lights from duplex outlets on a switched circut. Just leave the pull cord "on" and turn on/off with the light switch.

 

[E.Marquez]

. Just leave the pull cord "on" and turn on/off with the light switch.

That ^^^ and if you don't want the look of the pull cord..just remove the chain and cord from the switch
I have 10 of these in my garage 1 over each machine, 3 over each bike lift, 1 over the work bench. Need 3 more as when the garage door is up it blocks 2 and I want one more over the hydraulic press

I have at times turned off one or more so I could get a picture I wanted without glare from one of the lights..... reach up with a pair of long handle needle nose pliers, switch off light, take pic, switch that fixture back on.
While I like having them all on, it has come in handy to turn a few off for a specific need.

I chose not to hand them by the included chain(wanted more overhead room), but was cautioned not to surface mount them either. So I made brackets that mount them from both ends 1" off the ceiling.

 

[Platonic Solid]

The Honeywell does not offer frosted lens. Suggest finding something else.

 

[BLUE72CAMARO]

I have 18 of the honeywell fixtures in my shop plugged into outlets that are hardwired. Couldnt be happier with them.

 

[My Old Tools]

Costco has them on for $19.99 right now at my store.

 

[flyng_fool]

They link together short extension cord. They're only $15 for a 2 pack.

 

[tom-ky]

I have 18 of the honeywell fixtures in my shop plugged into outlets that are hardwired. Couldnt be happier with them.

So far I have been happy with mine. The ones the OP posted don't show up for me on the Sam's club site.

 

[flyng_fool]

Here they are on another website.

https://www.rakuten.com/shop/cheapees/product/980014855/

 

[flyng_fool]

So far I have been happy with mine. The ones the OP posted don't show up for me on the Sam's club site.

For some weird reason they show up in the app but I can’t find them using a browser and their website.

 

[DynoDave]

They link together short extension cord. They're only $15 for a 2 pack.

That seems like a nice deal.

Dear Santa....

 

[J king]

I have about 40 surface mounted . Never heard not to but I never looked at the instructions. Lol!

 

[iplumb]

That ^^^ and if you don't want the look of the pull cord..just remove the chain and cord from the switch
I have 10 of these in my garage 1 over each machine, 3 over each bike lift, 1 over the work bench. Need 3 more as when the garage door is up it blocks 2 and I want one more over the hydraulic press

I have at times turned off one or more so I could get a picture I wanted without glare from one of the lights..... reach up with a pair of long handle needle nose pliers, switch off light, take pic, switch that fixture back on.
While I like having them all on, it has come in handy to turn a few off for a specific need.

I chose not to hand them by the included chain(wanted more overhead room), but was cautioned not to surface mount them either. So I made brackets that mount them from both ends 1" off the ceiling.

Why not surface mount?

 

[E.Marquez]

Why not surface mount?

The ones designed to be hung by chain..The caution is they can overheat and cause a fire if surface mounted. I recently replaced some T8 fixtures, they were the chain hanging type I had surface mounted. They used electronic ballast not older magnetic..
I found a heat discolored mark on the painted ceiling over where the ballast was.
Perhaps LED lights are less of a concern for that issue, but I chose not to push my luck.

 

[Platonic Solid]

You can use fixture efficiency as a partial guide as to whether a fixture can be safely surface mounted.
Example:
45W 3600 Lumen fixture = 80 Lumens/Watt efficiency,
will generate a lot more potentially damaging heat than
30W 3600 Lumen fixture = 120 Lumens/Watt efficiency.

 

[Falcon67]

>You can use fixture efficiency as a partial guide

Actually, the two Sams LED (non-linkable) shop lights I have can be surface mounted by drilling a couple of holes straight through the middle of the fixture. It's a casting and noes not come apart so you can't hide the mount screws under the center cap - there is no cap. PCB fits in one end where the cord goes, so that's about the only way to "hard wire" one.

They do not produce any appreciable heat and there is basically a 1/2" x 1" x 48" heat sink between the bulbs and the back of the fixture. I bought them with intentions of surface mounting in a trailer and found them to be useless for that task so they are still in the boxes. I'd imagine the linkables to be about the same deal - made to hang, could probably surface mount if you don't mind drilling holes through the whole thing and missing any wiring.

 

[J king]

I drilled one hole in the center and screwed it inti ceiling. The led lights are very light

 

[flyng_fool]

I only plan on linking two in a row. The others will be wired into the junction box.

 

[flyng_fool]

The ones designed to be hung by chain..The caution is they can overheat and cause a fire if surface mounted. I recently replaced some T8 fixtures, they were the chain hanging type I had surface mounted. They used electronic ballast not older magnetic..
I found a heat discolored mark on the painted ceiling over where the ballast was.
Perhaps LED lights are less of a concern for that issue, but I chose not to push my luck.

I think what I'll end up doing is use a 1" spacer so the air will circulate. I don't want them hanging on chains.

 

[E.Marquez]

I think what I'll end up doing is use a 1" spacer so the air will circulate. I don't want them hanging on chains.

I used 1.5x1.5"Aluminum angle cut the width of the fixture.
Drilled and riveted the piece to the end of the fixture at the top 1/2" of the unit giving me 1 1" air cap.
took me longer to type and post this than it did attach one piece of angle to the light fixture.

 

[BLUE72CAMARO]

I just drilled straight thru the center of mine about a foot from each end and bought some white screws to screw them to the 2x4 mine is mounted to. I see how they could possibly produce any amount of heat pulling that little current and having a large aluminum extrusion that they are mounted to acting as a heat sink.

 

[Platonic Solid]

If you want to surface mount and hard wire, why not just buy surface mount 4ft strip light housings and bypass bulbs?

107Lm/W Honeywell 4-ft LED Linkable Shop Light (no frosted lens) $34.88 4500lm 42W = 120lm/$

88lm/W Feit LED Shop Light Costco 2-pack $39.99 3700lm 42W x2 = 185lm/$

2 Lamp LED Retrofit from Pg1 of the best light fixture thread:

140lm/W 5280lm 44W = $14.38 (2 bulbs) + $15.96 (hsg) = $30.34 = 174lm/$

 

[flyng_fool]

I just spent $75 and got 10 lights. Merry early Christmas to me!

 

[Platonic Solid]

I just spent $75 and got 10 lights. Merry early Christmas to me!

Congrats. No link?

 

[flyng_fool]

Get the sams club app and type in greenwatt led shop light. For some odd reason I can’t get it to show up on their website using a browser. I tried to link it earlier.

 

[flyng_fool]

Looks like I'm going to up the ante a bit. I've decided to go with 9 in the main bay and 5 in the single bay. It'll only cost me $30 more. Also, I won't need a spacer. The ends have a keyhole mount which still gives the main housing a 1/4" gap from the ceiling. Removing the pull chain switch is super easy as well. Only 2 screws to get at it.

 

[flyng_fool]

Looks like I cleaned them out and I was just one fixture short. They had an open box with just one instead of a pair. I guess the side bay is still going to be just 4.

 

[MrSurly]

I haven't seen the greenwatt lights but I put in ten of the Honeywells from Sams club. I like them a lot. They’re 4000Kelvin I think and they happen to match the color of some hi-bay LEDs I have and they really fill in the perimeter of the shop. I may pick up a few more if they'll put them on sale again.

 

[flyng_fool]

Nice! I think mine are 5000k. Just a bit whiter.

 

[flyng_fool]

Finally installed my lights ( almost a year after I bought them). Geez, I need to stop procrastinating so much! They are awesome! I love the light they put out, it’s just perfect. I can finally see clearly in both bays of my garage. The only downside is that for one of the fixtures, the garage door motor assembly is in the way so I had to mount it to the side. So for Xmas the wife is letting me grab one of those Liftmaster jackshaft garage door openers and then I’ll be able to mount it like the rest.

I ended up removing all the pull chains and just using and insulated crimp terminal, shortening up all the excess cord, putting in additional junction boxes, and hardwiring the three at the front of the bay. I’ll post pics later.

I did a load calc and all 9 lights pull a whopping 3 amps

 

[flyng_fool]

Picture time!

 

[flyng_fool]

The offset light that I hate!