Workbench lighting....under cabinet...

[EmptyWallet]

I'm looking at picking up some lights of some sort to be mounted underneath the cabinets that overhang my workbench.

Any suggestions or recommendations on where to start?

The need to be under 30 inches long and I'd need two of them. Any ideas?

 

[2JZGTESC300]

Do you want it to be really bright? I've just swap out my Single T8 4 feet shop fixture for a Aquarium light that is really bright.

I'm using a Hagen Glo 4 feet fixture with 2x54 watts High Output PowerGlo T5 bulbs mounted 3 feet high.

Lights up the entire work bench without a problem.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I'd like it to be pretty bright. The bottom of the cabinet is 24-25 inches from the top of the work bench.

 

[2JZGTESC300]

Go with the Aquarium Lighting! Hagen Glo. They have it in smaller sizes as well.

I have the Hagen Glo 4 feet one, even with 1 bulb one it's bright as heck! Using two just makes it even brighter. If mounted 12'' up, you don't feel the heat.

Here is a link to one being used in a Aquarium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=MwUDH0DUhB4

 

[EmptyWallet]

Alrighty so that's one option. Any others? That video makes it look crazy bright!

 

[2JZGTESC300]

They come with hangers and a timer switch as well. You can either use the light on the timer, or use the timer as a on/off switch. I have a canopy on my workbench and I've hung it right under the canopy.

 

[EmptyWallet]

Is this what you're referring to?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VJWGUW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$65 or so for a single 24 inch fixture seems high. Am I wrong?

 

[EmptyWallet]

Hmmm, this might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-T5-HO-Aq...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item43b103d67f

 

[DHCrocks]

Yes t5 aquarium lights are incredibly bright. Almost too much light if that's possible. puts t8 bulbs to shame.

 

[Gary S]

I took the cheap and easy way. I mounted two 4' florescent fixtures under my cabinets. Each one has two 32w T8s in it. The workbench is very well lit now.

 

[canuckian]

i picked up some surface mount halogen potlights on clearance at home depot. I think theyre actually designed for mounting under kitchen cabinets. they've got their own swich built into the wire. Works for me!

 

[RKA]

I got some 24" under cabinet lights from lowes. They are linkable, so one power cord goes to one unit, daisy chain the other with their little cord and you're good to go. The nice thing about these is they part that holds the flourescent bulb can pivot/tilt forward which allows you to easily adjust where you want to throw the light (toward the leading edge of your work surface if you have the lights mounted back closer to the wall).

 

[vartz04]

Look on craigslist. Lots of used office furniture for sale and a lot of time there is florescent under cabinet lights for sale for office use. I have a couple (one inside my home made gun cabinet) and they are very bright and work great. Got a 24" for $10, a 48" for $15 and a 72" for $35.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I took the cheap and easy way. I mounted two 4' florescent fixtures under my cabinets. Each one has two 32w T8s in it. The workbench is very well lit now.

I know T12's are old school, T8's are better and then there are T5's. Will T8's fit in a T12 fixture and so on?

 

[Steevo]

Office furniture makers are now using LED strips under the overhead cabinets.
I have one in my office at work, and it is very bright!

This model even has a plug at both ends and can be daisy-chained to additional strips.

I have been thinking about getting some for under my shop cabinets at home.

 

[EmptyWallet]

What model/brand is that?

 

[Rico.]

My workbenches came with a backboard and a little overhead shelf, so I
modified the shelf a bit and used six thin kitchen under cabinet lights, each
of the three benches has two lights linked together. They are quite low
wattage but provide more than enough light to work on really small items
but are not dazzling. The best thing is as they are very thin all of the light
is thrown down so it never catches your eye.... Highly recommend this kind
of set up.... Good luck.

 

[EmptyWallet]

What model brand are those? I wouldn't mind finding some super bright LED strips for cheap.

 

[EmptyWallet]

The Strip LED lighting looks pretty interesting. Anyone have any brands that might work for my application?

 

[Jarhead0408]

Nice bench setup!^^^

 

[Rico.]

Nice bench setup!^^^

Thanks, I prefer the thin Fluro lights rather than LED's as they give a very even spread
of light, but if you don't have that little front panel to stop the light being thrown into your
eyes I would think that an LED setup might be a bit better.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I got some 24" under cabinet lights from lowes. They are linkable, so one power cord goes to one unit, daisy chain the other with their little cord and you're good to go. The nice thing about these is they part that holds the flourescent bulb can pivot/tilt forward which allows you to easily adjust where you want to throw the light (toward the leading edge of your work surface if you have the lights mounted back closer to the wall).

Do you know which model you have?

 

[EmptyWallet]

i picked up some surface mount halogen potlights on clearance at home depot. I think theyre actually designed for mounting under kitchen cabinets. they've got their own swich built into the wire. Works for me!

This might work!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50119351/