The HF 4' LED shop light?

[6PTsocket]

Just looking for a little info. It seems to have only one bulb. They claim 5000 lumens. Whatever that led bulb is, it is a lot brighter than any LED fluorescent replacement bulb I could find. The brightest I saw was 3000 lumens and that one wasn't cheap. Just curious how they got that much brightness into one bulb. Is it an oversize tube? In typical HF fashion, there is a lack of information on color temp.. Most LED fluorescent replacement fixtures are the same color temerature as the work area bulbs they replace, around 4100K. I am not a big fan of so called daylight bulbs that can be as high as 6500K. Is the box marked with the color temp or can somebody that bought one give me a best guess? I bought the magnifying fluorescent lamp, which was very good but switched out the circline bulb for a warmer 4100K. Thanks for any info.

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[zendriver]

I just put one longways in a long narrow passage way in my basement.

It works good for that, but I don't know if I'd put it on the normal ceiling since a single run of LEDs does not seem to spread out the light as much is a double does. And therefore end up having more fixtures spaced closer together

Nice light but I don't know if I do my whole garage with it

I don't know if the color temperature is listed on the box but it looks close to daylight




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[87FoRunner]

I’ve got a workbench I want to toss one over. Worth a shot at the asking price and warranty.

 

[ndnchf]

I bought three of them. I put one over my welding table, one over the garage workbench and one over a basement workbench. They are very bright and work great. Oh wait, I have four. I put one over the engine bay area of my garage too. I can finally see what I'm doing.

One note on the one over the welding table. It does not cause my welding helmet to trip and darken like an incandescent bulb does. Another advantage.

 

[rlitman]

It is so lightweight that I plan to attach one to the back side of my garage door, so I can get extra light under it when it's rolled up.

 

[Wyoming09]

If you have a Menards near you they have a 4' LED shop light on sale for $13.99 plus a $4 rebate making it $9.99. I just came home with four. The last time they had them I also bought four and put them up in the garage. Sure lights it up nice, especially compared to the single 100 watt bulb that was there previously.

 

[gungatim]

I have a 2 of the Menards and loved them but paid too much (I think they were closer to $35), bought 3 more of the HF ones for $20, and they are nearly identical. extremely bright, lightweight, and a great value.

I don't know the color of them but they are easily twice as bright as my old twin fluorescent 48" ones, even though they have a single bulb.

my woodshop is literally almost too bright using 3 of them, and I used to have 4 of the old style fluorescents.

my auto shop has 4 of them and they are brighter than 12 of my regular fixtures when I had CFL's in them, though I have since replaced those with LED 300w equivelants.

definitely recommend the HF or Menards LED's, wish they existed when I built my shop as I would have completely wired the lighting differently and skipped the regular fixtures altogether.

 

[cybrdyke]

Just looking for a little info. It seems to have only one bulb. They claim 5000 lumens. Whatever that led bulb is, it is a lot brighter than any LED fluorescent replacement bulb I could find. The brightest I saw was 3000 lumens and that one wasn't cheap. Just curious how they got that much brightness into one bulb. Is it an oversize tube?

Brightness of the LED's is a function of how much current they are receiving. To get more lumens out of a strip, you need to have LED's that are capable of emitting alot of light and a driver that can deliver enough current to get them to their max. A typical LED tube will have a tiny little driver stuffed inside it. The tiny dimensions are one factor that limits how much current that driver is capable of delivering. If you have an entire fixture, you can use a much bigger driver capable of delivering a lot more current, mount it externally, and get a
much brighter fixture.
Plus, LED tubes are not designed to put out a maximum amount of light. They are designed to put out the same amount of light as a fluorescent tube. They are capable of being much brighter than a fluorescent, but that's not what they are designed for.

All that said, there's nothing special about the HF fixture, or any of the other el-cheapo LED fixtures. They are designed to a price point using the cheapest components possible. They might be right for casual use, but not for commercial use.
Hope that helps.
CD

 

[eschoendorff]

Brightness of the LED's is a function of how much current they are receiving. To get more lumens out of a strip, you need to have LED's that are capable of emitting alot of light and a driver that can deliver enough current to get them to their max. A typical LED tube will have a tiny little driver stuffed inside it. The tiny dimensions are one factor that limits how much current that driver is capable of delivering. If you have an entire fixture, you can use a much bigger driver capable of delivering a lot more current, mount it externally, and get a
much brighter fixture.
Plus, LED tubes are not designed to put out a maximum amount of light. They are designed to put out the same amount of light as a fluorescent tube. They are capable of being much brighter than a fluorescent, but that's not what they are designed for.

All that said, there's nothing special about the HF fixture, or any of the other el-cheapo LED fixtures. They are designed to a price point using the cheapest components possible. They might be right for casual use, but not for commercial use.
Hope that helps.
CD

What makes them unsuitable for commercial use? The price point? Is there something inherently wrong with the design? Sounds like they would hold up just fine wherever they are installed.

We just had commercial LED lights installed in a building here in town. I saw the parts coming out of the boxes - didn’t appear to be that much different

 

[Ign]

I've also questioned the specs. I've got a ton of the Sam's Club LOA's (Lights of America) in my shop, and I think they claimed 4400 lumens. I LOVE them, but they're basically two strips of LEDs

I have a single-row Feit that looks similar to the HF but it *****, relatively dim

I think claims of commercial use are just how long these will last. As with most LED stuff the problem isn't the diodes (they'll last your lifetime) but the durability and QC of the drivers and electronics

 

[6PTsocket]

I've also questioned the specs. I've got a ton of the Sam's Club LOA's (Lights of America) in my shop, and I think they claimed 4400 lumens. I LOVE them, but they're basically two strips of LEDs

I have a single-row Feit that looks similar to the HF but it *****, relatively dim

I think claims of commercial use are just how long these will last. As with most LED stuff the problem isn't the diodes (they'll last your lifetime) but the durability and QC of the drivers and electronics

I had one sort of fail The led fixture in my freezer that contains a single 3030 (3mm x 3mm) quit. I found that it worked for a while when I took it out and quit as soon as it got cold. The PC board was also the heat sink and the surface mount solder joint would open up as things contracted from the cold. They want 100 bucks for that plastic POS fixture. I found the actal LED or a very similar one at Mouser. They are 10 cents each. I'm getting a few and hope to get one onto that board. Surface mount parts with no edge exposure are a pain to solder.

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[BroncoAZ]

It is so lightweight that I plan to attach one to the back side of my garage door, so I can get extra light under it when it's rolled up.

I’ve considered this.

I have an array of 6 Costco LED shop lights in two strips of three over my welding table, plenty of light for anything and minimal shadows from the 6 fixtures.

 

[555]

I have one of these in my shop. It was an emergency purchase to replace a failing florescent light. I plan to replaced all my lights in the near future with linkable LED fixtures. I took a chance on this cheap Lithonia until I install the new lighting system. It has really done well. It stays on 24/7/365 and provides excellent light for $20. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lithonia-L...mon-4-ft-Actual-2-36-in-x-45-43-in/1000704778

 

[bwringer]

That single tube stuffed with LEDs puts out a LOT more light than either of my two-tube fluorescent fixtures did.

I suppose I should look at it with my welding shield on and see if I can count the LEDs.


So now I have two of the HF LED fixtures, the fluorescent tubes are headed to recycling, and the fluorescent fixtures are in the metal scrap bin.

The part I really like is that the tube is just a hunk of plastic with no pressure inside. If I accidentally tap one with a long tool or something, it won't shatter and rain toxic waste and glass shards onto me and my work.

I think the light spread is about the same or better, but I don't have very high ceilings.

 

[Ign]

That single tube stuffed with LEDs puts out a LOT more light than either of my two-tube fluorescent fixtures did.

I suppose I should look at it with my welding shield on and see if I can count the LEDs.


So now I have two of the HF LED fixtures, the fluorescent tubes are headed to recycling, and the fluorescent fixtures are in the metal scrap bin.

The part I really like is that the tube is just a hunk of plastic with no pressure inside. If I accidentally tap one with a long tool or something, it won't shatter and rain toxic waste and glass shards onto me and my work.

I think the light spread is about the same or better, but I don't have very high ceilings.

Separate the ballasts, they pay better than scrap tin, but they gotta be labeled "No PCB's"

 

[cybrdyke]

What makes them unsuitable for commercial use? The price point? Is there something inherently wrong with the design? Sounds like they would hold up just fine wherever they are installed.

We just had commercial LED lights installed in a building here in town. I saw the parts coming out of the boxes - didn’t appear to be that much different

The low quality components, paper thin materials, and poor performance. The unknown manufacturer, the lack of information provided. The 90 day warranty.

There was another thread on this product late last year....
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7480216

CD

 

[Ign]

The low quality components, paper thin materials, and poor performance. The unknown manufacturer, the lack of information provided. The 90 day warranty.

There was another thread on this product late last year....
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7480216

CD

I can't disagree. Plus w Chinese manufacturing it's unlikely it'll stay identical for more than 6-12 months at a time.

Even the LOA thru Sam's went through a couple changes during their run.

The cord coming out the top makes surface mounting difficult.

 

[.Dan.]

Just upgraded my garage lighting from fluorescent (2 fixtures of 2 bulbs) to these leds I found on sale at Home Depot. At 7.99, I couldn’t pass up the price. Didn’t know how bright 3000 lumens would be but it’s plenty bright with 4 of them. [emoji41]

 

[.Dan.]

First one during the day, the rest at night. Photography is not my day job [emoji28]

 

[bwringer]

...The cord coming out the top makes surface mounting difficult.

Agreed, the one thing I might change is to place the cord on the end. No big deal.

And it would be awfully nice to have a version where you can link several together and switch them from one master. Might cost a buck or two more.

 

[sweetk30]

i have been running the sam's club honeywell 4ft 2row led shop lights now for over 2 years and not 1 problem . i use my shop a lot and love the no hummmmm / white light / no cold start flicker / just plain work great . there linkable up to 10 per set and high/med/low power on each via the pull cord plus off .

 

[.Dan.]

i have been running the sam's club honeywell 4ft 2row led shop lights now for over 2 years and not 1 problem . i use my shop a lot and love the no hummmmm / white light / no cold start flicker / just plain work great . there linkable up to 10 per set and high/med/low power on each via the pull cord plus off .

Yuss. Sam’s Club always has good deals. [emoji41][emoji1360] That’s been my goal. Something that just works every time. No more flickering or burned out bulbs. But where I saved in money, mine lacked in options. No high or low, no linking together, no even so much as an on/off switch. But the overhead receptacle they’re in is powered via a light switch so it worked out for me.

 

[ndnchf]

I went over to the HF store to pick up another LED shop light with the $19.95 coupon. But dang, they were sold out :-( I'll check back next week.

 

[Ign]

Yep the Sam's Honeywells came after the LOAs (Lights of America) went away. I too have been running mine a lot and I make my living in my shop.

The Honeywells also suffered from the ******* design problem of cord coming out of the top. The LOAs came out the end.

On really cold mornings I have one that flashes as if to warm up. It does not flicker - it deliberately, predictably flashes for a few seconds

 

[guy48065]

I bought 4 of the Menards single-tube LED fixtures for $9.99 (after $4 rebate) and I was surprised at the wide light pattern. I compared it to a cheap old LOA 2-tube T12 shop light by setting both on the floor in my basement and shining their light up to the ceiling. They both throw a lot more light to the sides than I expected--nearly 180° coverage. Maybe that's because they have such shallow reflectors compared to expensive industrial fixtures. With 3200 lumens the LED lights can be spaced pretty far apart without any noticeable fall-off in between. What that distance is you'll have to determine based on your ceiling height, & your expectations re uniformity wall-to-wall.

The cord exits the end and each light has a pull switch. No ability to daisy-chain them and that's the only sacrifice compared to the Feit 3200 lumen 2-tube LED shop lights I've been buying from Costco for $30.

For 1/3 the cash of the HF or Feit the Menards lights are amazing.

 

[Newell33]

I looked back to see when I had purchased 13 of the Menards V1536 Smart Electrician 4200 lumen fixtures. I installed them in my 28x40 shop in early January of 2017. To this date they've all performed flawlessly. I paid a bit more than I wanted at the time ($29.99 each), but I also wanted the project completed that day. Like the tools that we use, there are plenty of cheaper brands that get the job done, and are more than adequate for the purpose. I invested about $418.00 dollars after taxes, and couldn't be happier with the performance. Overall, the consensus on the reviews for these types of imported fixtures is pretty good. The savings versus the high dollar fixtures allowed me to put more money into additional shop upgrades.

 

[6PTsocket]

Just upgraded my garage lighting from fluorescent (2 fixtures of 2 bulbs) to these leds I found on sale at Home Depot. At 7.99, I couldn’t pass up the price. Didn’t know how bright 3000 lumens would be but it’s plenty bright with 4 of them. [emoji41]

A 100watt incandescent is 1600 lumens, if that helps for a frame of reference.

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[guy48065]

I wish these LED shop lights were available at these prices several years ago when I replaced my shop VHO 8' 2-tube fixtures (215W PER TUBE). I replaced with 4' T8 fixtures and have been happy with the light but LEDS would have been an even more dramatic savings on my electric bill.

 

[6PTsocket]

I was looking for a fast and dirty, maybe temporary, solution for my garage. I had two screw in bulb sockets on the 11 ft ceiling. I bought 6 of those 2 bulb adapters that let you screw 2 bulbs into one socket. I put them together in 2 groups of 3, so I could put 4 bulbs in each fixture. I ordered 10 (8 + two spares) Lumegen 4000K ( personal preference) 100 watt equiv. LED bulbs. There are two clusters of 4 for a total of 12,800 lumens. It all went together in a couple of minutes without so much as a screw driver or hook. The actual wattage per socket is only 60 watts so they stay cool. A lot of LEDs are unreliable but these Lumegens have been great for a few years. I even have one in my stove hood where no other led survived. I was lookind at fixtures for my unfinished ceiling basement shop but the screw in LEDs took care of the garage.

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[DerekV]

I have eleven (11) of these in my garage. They tick all of the boxes for me:

4000k
3000 lumens
80+ CRI
30 watts

I absolutely love them, but if I could change one thing, it'd be to have a *********** cord. The newer, cheaper 3 footers have white cords, but I value the extra foot of "lumen spread" that the 4's give. The 4's are also linkable by a standard polarized 120v plug. Even though I added ceiling receptacles by each light (no black cords spiderwebbing across my white ceiling), I appreciate having the flexibility of being able to quickly string them without special linking cords. The 4's are also made in Taiwan whereas the 3's are made in China, if that means anything to anyone.

In my view, these HF lights are nothing - at all - to write home about. Just another $15-$30 LED light shop light.

 

[gungatim]

male chickens

 

[DerekV]

those look nice I like the hanging setup. for $5 more than the HF, it's worth it to be linkable.

Yeah they have been great so far. All of mine are flush mounted, but it’s nice that they come with the hardware to stand them off wherever they’re mounted.