Shop lighting with 300w CFL's

[GregWeld]

Ah -- forgot one other thing...

I've replaced TWO - total - light bulbs in 4 years.... I'm running 16 total double tube 8 foot T-12 HO's (not the cheap versions either). And I'm still shocked at the LIFE of the bulbs...

[CarlC]

I'm with kaptainkw, Home Depot $18.00 T8's. 15 on the ceiling, three over the bench, and three across the car work area. The only time I need a droplight is when working underneath the car.

Is it overkill? Probably. Is it a pleasure to work? Absolutely.

[rwhite692]

+1 for High Output T8s

I used a total of sixteen 8 foot, four-bulb Lithonia commercial fixtures. 64 bulbs. I ordered them through my local electrical supply house.

In the Lithonia line, you want to make sure to get the low THD, instant start ballasts (the "GEB10IS", in the box label info, below)

TC 2 32 MVOLT 1/4
GEB10IS
Bare Lamp Channel
Packaging: U

These are not great pics but you get the idea. Now that the sheetrock is all up, it is crazy bright in there.

At night, when you stand outside, the windows are lit so bright thru the shades, it looks like there is a supernatural event or crazy experiment going on in there….or Indiana Jones is in the process of opening the Ark of Turin.