T-8 need advice

[cruzinZ]

Hello experienced forum members. I'm going to be upgrading the lighting in my three car garage. It's a tandem garage style. It has high ceilings and I will be mostly using it for small around the house projects. Larger projects will be car detailing personal and family vehicles. You can't detail what you can't see. I already have 1,500 watt halogen work lights that help out with this but would still like to light up the garage like a surgeon room.

My plan is to put up several rows of T-8 fixtures and a lower hanging fixture over the workbench area on a separate switch.

Price is a concern as I don't want to overbuy as this is a starter home and I plan on leaving behind what ever installation goes up. At the same time I don't want to buy utter ****. Anyone have suggestions on good middle of the road fixtures and the brightest type of bulbs to get?

 

[regguy1]

I used T8's with 2 48" tubes and a plastic diffuser. Home Depot has them for around $20.00 each 6500K tubes produce excellent color rendering and daylight like brightness.

See them here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140674

 

[NP Carling26]

Just did my 30x40x14H garage with 12 of these, split into three strips of four. You can't beat the price at $40 a pop and I am extremely satisfied with them, not to mention bulbs are much easier to transport since it uses 4 4' bulbs instead of 2 8' bulbs.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163723-337-8TSNF-232-UNV-EB81-U_1z0vgb3__?productId=3181905&pl=1

 

[Onewolf]

Does using high output ballasts reduce the expected lifespan of fluorescent tubes?

 

[coralnut]

lumen hours = lumen hours

 

[cybrdyke]

Does using high output ballasts reduce the expected lifespan of fluorescent tubes?

Good question. Watch your semantics, though.
You can get High Ballast Factor ballasts for T8's. They will drive the tubes approximately 27% brighter than standard ballast factor ballasts. It costs you more watts, however. These ballasts do not reduce the expected lifespan of the T8 tubes.
"High Output" is another lighting term. To use a high output ballast, you must use the corresponding high output lamp. T12HO, T8HO or T5HO, are examples.
These high output lamps and ballasts are designed to run together and are not interchangeable with standard T12, T8 or T5 lamps. The life ratings for HO lamps and HO ballasts are different than those for standard lamps.
Good luck
CD

 

[shadyluke]

Just did my 30x40x14H garage with 12 of these, split into three strips of four. You can't beat the price at $40 a pop and I am extremely satisfied with them, not to mention bulbs are much easier to transport since it uses 4 4' bulbs instead of 2 8' bulbs.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163723-337-8TSNF-232-UNV-EB81-U_1z0vgb3__?productId=3181905&pl=1

I just put these up in my shop. Only have four of them up at the moment and I'm happy with the output but don't plan on turning a radio on. I have no reception as soon as I flip the switch on.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk