Lighting in my workshop sucks. I started doing some research ... found this document and read it. From what it says I need a color rendering index of 65 or greater, an illumination of 80 to 90 foot candles, and I want electronic ballast if I go fluorescent.

Bright Ideas for Workshop Lighting

All good info BUT I'd like to hear your real world experience and suggestions ...

We have a 3 car garage. One bay is my workshop. It's area is about 230 square feet (21x11). Ceiling is 12' high

I do all my reloading in the shop and my eyes are getting too old for a single light bulb in the ceiling LOL

Thanks!
Paul

LED is the way to go.

LED is the best.
If your walls are paint able they make paint that helps to reflect light and make interior seem brighter. Usually its used in commercial applications. We used it in a basement and it helped a bunch with the existing lighting.

We put LED in my brother basement and right out side the basement where's he's got a parking area under the porch. We went back and wired in a new switch so you could turn half of them on in the inside because you almost needed sun glasses when they all came on at once like the 4ft florescent we replaced did

80-90 foot candles is a LOT OF LIGHT!! A well lit office is normally somewhere around 50-60 foot candles. You want a CRI or color rendering index of 80 to give you a "true" color that you are seeing. 6500 kelvin would be the perceived color of the light and would closely approach true daylight in color.

I changed my shop last year from 8 foot florescent to LED. The difference was unbelievable. No more leaving the shop lit on super cold nights so we could see first thing in the morning. The initial expense was high, but I am getting my money back slowly with lower power bills.

Initial cost of LED will hurt your feelings but you'll get over it pretty quick.

All I'm finding in LED is 4000K ...

I'm liking this one so far

Light the area not used for reloading with fluorescent and put a separate light directly over your reloading area. It could even be a flood light over your bench.

Found a 5000K here, looks good no?

There is no way I would put anything over 5K color temp. I prefer mine to be 3,500.

The higher the color temp, the more "blue" the light begins to look. A 6,500 is going to appear brighter but will not appear as natural light.

Also, instead of going with the LED "fixture" you posted above, you would be better/cheaper just to buy LED tubes and put in your existing fixtures.

Also, 80-90 Ft candles is an absurd amount of light. As someone else mentioned around 30 is normal for an office space. Anything between 30-40 ft candles is more than enough for what most people do in a shop or garage.

I love my LED lights in my shop...I went with LED floodlights. I mounted 8 100W LED floodlights in my 30x50 shop. If I had it to do over I would probably not do flood lights but I would definitely do LED.

Some of you guys post up some pics of your garage lighting.

Wow, what lamps are you using there?

No lamps in those fixtures, they are true LED lights with LED diodes and an LED driver.

I have 2 of these fixtures lighting up a 30x40' shop. They are 3,500K and 18,000 Lumens:

http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/ibh.html#.VypC9k32bcs

All I can find locally like that are these :

3800 lumens, 3500K, 85CRI

4400 lumens, 4000K, 80 CRI

Anyone know where to find good lights in Huntsville area other than Lowes and Home Depot?

I used 6 65w 5000k (daylight)standard base fluorescent twist lights. My shop is 30x36. The 65w is equilivant to a 300w light 4300 lumens and the 105w is equal to a 400w bulb 7000 lumens

STUART IRBY CO. in Decatur should be able to fix you up.

What is your ceiling height? I don't think either one of these will give you enough light. Like I said, mine are 18,000 Lumens and the highest one you found is 4,400 Lumens.

It sounds like you are wanting a commercial/industrial light output, but what you will find at Lowe's or HD is residential grade. Any electrical supply house should be able to help you out. I don't know what you are close to but we have several locations in Alabama.