Costco Led Shop Lights by Feit

[sweetbmxrider]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=270879

Anyone have experience with them? Looking to replace some t12 and t8 fixtures. Wondering about longevity mainly but any insight is appreciated.

[//<86TA>\\]

Not the exact brand but Ive installed a bunch of similar led shoplights a few jobs recently and they are pretty decent. Very bright. Not a lot of longevity testing yet though.

[//<86TA>\\]

If you already have t8 or t12 fixture you can buy retrofit led 4' long tubes for about 20$ each that run off straight 120v. Requires removing the ballast and some sight rewiring of the fixtures sockets.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

If you already have t8 or t12 fixture you can buy retrofit led 4' long tubes for about 20$ each that run off straight 120v. Requires removing the ballast and some sight rewiring of the fixtures sockets.

I need to do that in my garage. Any brand suggestions? What has to be done to the fixture wiring?

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

If you already have t8 or t12 fixture you can buy retrofit led 4' long tubes for about 20$ each that run off straight 120v. Requires removing the ballast and some sight rewiring of the fixtures sockets.

Thanks for posting your experience. This was the other possible route. The one t8 fixture which utilizes the push pin bulbs recently dropped one. I would like to completely replace at least some of the fixtures for that very reason. The retrofit would still use the fixture as is, correct?

[Blackbirdws6]

I tend to stick with the usual well-known brands however Feit has been around in recent years. Their products seem to be pretty affordable and performance is decent.

With any LED product for commercial or residential use, it's best to make sure they are qualified by Energy Star or Design Lights Consortium. While qualification doesn't guarantee the product will be perfect, it does set standards to a market with a very wide range of quality.

Regarding the 4' tubes, there are different types. The most popular at the moment are the plug-n-play ones which work off of an existing electronic instant start ballast. You remove the T8 lamps and install these tubes, that's it. These tubes are compatible with a fair amount of ballasts but you need to make sure before purchasing. The alternative is to purchase direct wire tubes which require bypass of the ballast. When this is done, you now have line voltage going to the tombstones so its important anyone working with these fixtures knows this.

[6spdg37s]

my garage is so dark doesnt matter what the hell i do lol

just read some of the reviews people posted and there not that good... I would say for 60 bucks for 2 units its worth the gamble

[//<86TA>\\]

All retrofit t8 bulbs need 2 pin sockets on each end. Single won't work if you have them.
I am not a fan of most led fixtures that di not have replaceable bulbs or retrofit ked bulbs that still run off the ballast. One of the big selling points of these things is the fact they don't rely on the crappy flourscent ballasts that go bad every two years.

I'll find the name of the ones we use, I think its suntech or something like that for the bulbs and the fixture shells are usually simkar

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

my garage is so dark doesnt matter what the hell i do lol

just read some of the reviews people posted and there not that good... I would say for 60 bucks for 2 units its worth the gamble

In store, they are at $25 now per fixture. The before and after photos look impressive from regular people so I'm very interested.

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

All retrofit t8 bulbs need 2 pin sockets on each end. Single won't work if you have them.
I am not a fan of most led fixtures that di not have replaceable bulbs or retrofit ked bulbs that still run off the ballast. One of the big selling points of these things is the fact they don't rely on the crappy flourscent ballasts that go bad every two years.

I'll find the name of the ones we use, I think its suntech or something like that for the bulbs and the fixture shells are usually simkar

Please let me know what you use. You like them and would recommend? The Feit's are more bang for the buck so its very tempting. It is annoying that they aren't serviceable from a simple stand point but I've seen a few tear downs and it looks simple enough to put a new strip in if they went bad etc. Do you have before and after pics of any of your jobs?

[6spdg37s]

^ then its def worth a shot IMO. I am just too lazy to do it

[//<86TA>\\]

I don't have before and after pictures but you will be impressed how bright these things are. I put 10 in a 20x40 ish garage for rich189's father (jersey devil detailing) it was blinding (I only spec'd 5 but he wanted 10....)
Honestly if the fiet ones are 25$, I'd buy some. Can't really beat that price.

Or just buy one and do some experimenting on your own, most of these fixtures have manufactures warranty's, so you covered for the first few years if they fail.

[sweetbmxrider]

Yup, planning on grabbing two and see what they are like.

[Paul Huryk]

I have one of those units in my basement, not in my garage/shop. It was on sale for $25 last month and they were $40 a few months ago. So far its been working as promised - instant on is nice.

Pros - cost, light output, and size (low profile)

Cons - not a standard 48" bulb, 4000k light output, no shield for the bulbs

Personally I use regular dual 48" flourescent fixtures in my shop - have 6 in a 2 car garage and it works well. I used a combination of 5000k and 6500k bulbs for getting proper light for detailing and it is bright enough for 90% of the work I do.

[sweetbmxrider]

So the color temp is a con due to detailing/lack of natural light resemblance? Do you find it bothersome for regular repair work?

[Blackbirdws6]

I would be more concerned with CRI than color temp for repair work. You want to see contrast when working on a car.

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

I would be more concerned with CRI than color temp for repair work. You want to see contrast when working on a car.

http://www.designingwithleds.com/rev...ntegral-lamps/

83, decent?

[Blackbirdws6]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

http://www.designingwithleds.com/rev...ntegral-lamps/

83, decent?

83 is decent enough for what you will be doing.

[Paul Huryk]

I think the color temp is good for repair work - definitely a great lumens per watt too.

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

So the color temp is a con due to detailing/lack of natural light resemblance? Do you find it bothersome for regular repair work?

[WSex]

My pre fab building has those. They're wee worth the coin

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by WSex

My pre fab building has those. They're wee worth the coin

I.....I don't know what this means

[elle]

I'm going to change my whole shop over. The front I will be converting just the bulbs and by passing the ballast(leaving ballast is not the way to go, from what I have been told). The rear of the shop I will go with new fixtures. I'm going to check out the Costco to make sure they are Energy Star rated. Apparently it makes a huge difference in longevity if they are rated. Many have posted on other sites and rave about the Costco ones.

[WSex]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

I.....I don't know what this means

Well* stop being a hard as*

[LTb1ow]

http://www.costco.com/4%E2%80%99-LED...100223617.html

These?

[Blackbirdws6]

The benefit to the plug-n-play lamps that retain the ballast is the less electrically savvy folks can simply remove a lamp and install a new one. This brings down the install cost but yes, you are reliant on the ballast remaining functional for everything to work.

Regardless, I would prefer to purchase a complete LED fixture versus a retrofit even though the cost can be significantly more.

[sweetbmxrider]

Matt, that is the two pack of fixtures. In store they were $30 for one fixture. Sometimes they go on sale for $25 each.

Originally Posted by elle

I'm going to change my whole shop over. The front I will be converting just the bulbs and by passing the ballast(leaving ballast is not the way to go, from what I have been told). The rear of the shop I will go with new fixtures. I'm going to check out the Costco to make sure they are Energy Star rated. Apparently it makes a huge difference in longevity if they are rated. Many have posted on other sites and rave about the Costco ones.

They are energy star rated. I think they qualify for the nj energy rebate program. I don't know the specifics though. Plugged a couple in to check them out. They are a bit brighter than what we had. Slight eye strain if you stare directly at them unlike my buddy's t8's (I think). Good color though. It doesn't feel blueish at all to me but I'm not the best with lighting/color Overall I am satisfied especially at the price point.