Tek Pro Ultimate Shop Light at Costco

[air cooled]

Hi all
I did a search for "Tek Pro" and nothing came up.
Does anyone have any experience with the Tek Pro lights at Costco?
Item #845642
They use four T5 lights.

They don't seem to specify what kind of ballast it has (who makes it, etc.)
Nor who the parent company of Tek Pro is.

There is a fairly uninformative video on youtube


Are they good quality?
Are they too bright for a basement? (perhaps better suited for a higher ceiling)
If they are too bright, will they still work if I only use 2 bulbs in each
instead of four?
Doing this will still use the same about of power because the ballast takes the most juice, not the actual bulb?

Thaks
Brian

 

[jonathan75]

Is this the video you are talking about? How much for the light in the store? I may consider that for over a work bench because I love really good light over the bench but for the whole garage I would find a cheaper one that I can surface mount. You are paying more for the fancy looks and "German Steel". hahaha Love that part.

Why can't I embed videos anymore? This is what happens when I do.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jNFnsGfTS68" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Light links:

http://www.costco.com/Tek-Pro-Silver-Ultimate-Shop-Light-.product.100096165.html

http://www.costco.com/Tek-Pro-Black-Ultimate-Shop-Light-.product.100096158.html

 

[air cooled]

Jonathan
That is the light (they have the same one in either chrome or black).
They are $150, which seems ok for a 4 bulb T5 fixture (and costcos no questions asked return policy counts for something)
However, I cant find info on the ballast which may be the most important part.

 

[troybal]

Here is the link at Costco. http://www.costco.com/Tek-Pro-Silver-Ultimate-Shop-Light-.product.100096165.html

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Don't waste your money. Lookieheer:

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-L...ut-Fluorescent-High-Bay-IBC-454-MV/202838871/

It's a "high bay" fixtures, but it's comparable to what you found at Costco.

Tommy

 

[allinon72]

I'm not seeing what's so ultimate about it. Especially when you can get a 4 bulb fixture for around $50

 

[2ManyProjects]

Hi all
I did a search for "Tek Pro" and nothing came up.
Does anyone have any experience with the Tek Pro lights at Costco?
Item #845642
They use four T5 lights.

As compared to more "normal" fixtures designed to use the same tubes, you'd be paying a small fortune for "styling" and marketing hype.

They don't seem to specify what kind of ballast it has (who makes it, etc.)
Nor who the parent company of Tek Pro is.

If I had to guess, I'd bet on it being a Costco private label (i.e.., "house brand"); which means it's very probably made by whichever Chinese job-lot shop bid lowest -- this month. Notably, the brand has ZERO presence on Google independent of Costco.

Are they good quality?

Anybody's guess. How do YOU feel about private-label products made by anonymous Chinese job-lot vendors?

Are they too bright for a basement? (perhaps better suited for a higher ceiling)

Presuming your basement does NOT have exceptionally high (say, 12-15 feet or more) ceilings, yes.

If they are too bright, will they still work if I only use 2 bulbs in each instead of four?

That MIGHT not even work, depending on the ballast, and how it's wired. But even if it does work, you're now taking something which represents a marginally poor value, and turning into an EXTREMELY poor value. Compare the cost to ANY of the following FAR more appropriate fixtures:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-2-Light-Utility-Light-3348-2L32W-WRAP/100654395

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...hite-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-3324/202192968

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163697-337-WP232RLU_0__?productId=3181895

http://www.lowes.com/pd_336745-13537-336745_0__?productId=3686312

http://www.lowes.com/pd_384285-337-WP217RNKLLU_0__?productId=50077497

Doing this will still use the same about of power because the ballast takes the most juice, not the actual bulb?

Not exactly. But it's a moot point, for reasons cited above.

Is this the video you are talking about? How much for the light in the store? I may consider that for over a work bench because I love really good light over the bench but for the whole garage I would find a cheaper one that I can surface mount. You are paying more for the fancy looks and "German Steel". hahaha Love that part.

It's "German aluminum" -- so that makes ALL the difference, right?

Jonathan
That is the light (they have the same one in either chrome or black).
They are $150, which seems ok for a 4 bulb T5 fixture (and costcos no questions asked return policy counts for something)

At $150, it's high, even in that context. But the larger point is that you don't NEED four-tube T5HO fixtures for your application; and you would likely NOT be happy with them, regardless of cost.

Don't waste your money. Lookieheer:

{mobile-device-specific link deleted}

It's a "high bay" fixtures, but it's comparable to what you found at Costco.

No, actually it's even worse, at least in terms of being suitable for the OP's application. Regardless of the type or number of tubes it may be based on, a "High Bay" fixture is the LAST thing you want in a low-ceiling application -- and when was the last time you saw a residential basement with a 12-15 foot ceiling, hmmmm..?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I get what you mean by it being a high bay & I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to start a flame session, but in terms of the output of what the OP was originally looking at, it's absolutely comparable. Same wattage. Same lumens output. Same bulbs. VERY similar reflector.
If you really wanna talk not comparable, the T8 fixtures you listed aren't even on the same planet in terms of output and all the truly good T8 bulbs will be off the market in a year or so...

No disrespect intended!

Tommy

 

[2ManyProjects]

I get what you mean by it being a high bay & I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to start a flame session, but in terms of the output of what the OP was originally looking at, it's absolutely comparable.

But that kind'a misses the point, since the fixtures cited by the OP are already wholly inappropriate for what he's trying to do with them. Adding "High Bay" to the mix just makes the situation that much worse.

Same wattage.

Maybe. Depends on the ballast.

Same lumens output.

Again, "maybe" -- for the same reason. And besides, you can safely bet that the photometrics ARE different, if for no other reason than the "High Bay" designation.

Same bulbs.

Yes; but they're still the WRONG bulbs.

VERY similar reflector.

That one's a stretch; but really doesn't matter, in light of everything else.

If you really wanna talk not comparable, the T8 fixtures you listed aren't even on the same planet in terms of output

Which is precisely what makes them MORE suitable for the OP's application.

and all the truly good T8 bulbs will be off the market in a year or so...

NOT true.

Where are you getting this?

 

[jonathan75]

Don't waste your money. Lookieheer:

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-L...ut-Fluorescent-High-Bay-IBC-454-MV/202838871/

It's a "high bay" fixtures, but it's comparable to what you found at Costco.

Tommy

If he buys his bulbs at Home Depot also I think they are $10 each there. So total cost would be around $130. The Costco version comes with bulbs. In the end he would only be saving $20 if he went with the Home Depot light and loosing the look or style he may be looking for.

 

[jonathan75]

Jonathan
That is the light (they have the same one in either chrome or black).
They are $150, which seems ok for a 4 bulb T5 fixture (and costcos no questions asked return policy counts for something)
However, I cant find info on the ballast which may be the most important part.

I think it says Made in USA. But who knows where the parts are from. You have no risk with Costco so even if it does break just take it back. At the worst you can pay $20 for a new ballast down the road. I am all for you being our guinea pig and trying it out. hahaha

It should be great for over a bench but for my whole garage I want surface mount. I LOVE light when I am working so this light is tempting me but just for my work bench. For everything else I will go with T8's probably because I am cheap.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

2Many,
T12's are already gone. T8s are no longer 40 watt & the 700 series medium bipins that most budget shop lights use will be out of production July 14, 2014. As for the wattage & other specs, the fixture the OP was interested in had the exact same wattage & lumens specs as the one I listed. You and I both KNOW it's inappropriate in both output & description, but it's specifically what the OP wanted...

Again, not trying to start an argument...

Tommy

 

[2ManyProjects]

and all the truly good T8 bulbs will be off the market in a year or so...

NOT true.

Where are you getting this?

2Many,
T12's are already gone.

Well, most of them anyway. But that's T12 -- a different beast, and not the one under discussion.

T8s are no longer 40 watt

AFAIK, they never were, at least in the common "4-foot" length.

There ARE some special-application FIVE-foot T8 tubes rated at 40 watts:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/category/f40t8-fluorescent-tubes/

Old-school 4-foot T12s were also nominally 40 watts; the so-called "energy saver" versions were 34 watts. But again, that's T12, not T8. Standard 4-foot T8 tubes have had a nominal rating of 32 watts for as long as I can remember; and that IS sufficient to meet the DOE requirements, both now and for the foreseeable future.

& the 700 series medium bipins that most budget shop lights use will be out of production July 14, 2014.

That rather mischaracterizes the situation. The "ban" you speak of means only that newer tubes must have a CRI ratings of 80 or better (actually, the minimum is either 81 or 83, depending on the tube type, if you want to be picky about it), which is already the norm anyway. In short, it's a "non-event". (Now, if you want to question why CRI is being legislated, when it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with "energy efficiency", and therefore how that could possibly be ANY of the government's business... Be my guest.)

As for the wattage & other specs, the fixture the OP was interested in had the exact same wattage & lumens specs as the one I listed.

Only because it (coincidentally, really) happens to use the same type & number of tubes. But that is a wholly different matter than the design of the fixture itself (particularly the optical design) being the same, which it isn't. Just because two given fixtures happen to be similarly lamped doesn't make them "equivalent" to each other.

You and I both KNOW it's inappropriate in both output & description, but it's specifically what the OP wanted...

The OP has not been back to confirm or deny his reasoning. But my take is that, for whatever reason, the fixture in question caught his eye, and he therefore wondered if it would be suitable to his application. He clearly already had some doubts about that, as shown by his comments about attempting to disable two of the four tubes in each fixture.