LED Shop Lights

[KV Bruce]

Last month, while at Home Depot,(40 miles away) I spotted the 4ft LED tube lights by Philips. $7 each, so I thought I'd try a couple to replace the bulbs in the shop that don't come on when it's cold. Picked the fixture over the vice, replaced the old with the new and wow, instant on every morning. I return to Home Depot yesterday and bought 6 more and none of the fixtures will work with the LED tubes. Is there a way to modify my old fixtures to get the LED to work? I've collected these shop lights over the years and they might be worth saving.

 

[Greg K]

Some of the LED tubes require an electronic ballast this may be your problem.

 

[Steve@Advance]

The LED lamps don't require a ballast.

Just connect the line to one end, the neutral to the other or the sockets.

Take a good look at the sockets, if they are old and crumbling, replace them.
LED Update

 

[Teakettle]

Most of the LED tubes from name-brand makers are double-end wired (hot to one end and neutral to the other) and work with electronic T8 ballasts or without but won't work with old magnetic T12 ballasts.

Apparently there are a few tubes that work only with the ballast still in place so check the packaging. The tubes that you can get on-line made by funny Chinese companies you've never heard of may be double-ended (as above) or they may be single-ended (hot to one pin and neutral to the other); be careful.

 

[plainview]

I bought those from Home Depot as well. They need a ballast to work, and they say they work with "most" ballasts. I tried them in 4 different fixtures with different ballasts and never got them to work.

Lowes has a version that works either with or without ballasts but it's $11/tube or so.

 

[Dave Sherburne, NY]

You have to read the label on the box. I bought4 Utilitech from Lowes $11 each took out the cheap ballast and wired it up so they were powered from one end. Then I went back and they were out of UTilitech so I bought Phillips with out reading the label. They needed a Ballast and wouldn't work without it..So I returned them Then my grandson and I made a trip to Lowes in Utica and I bought 10 more Utilitech $9 each. Haven't got them all installed yet. He bought Phillips. He has new Fluorecent light fixtures with ballasts Phillips wouldn't work. Read the label and check out You Tube videos A couple of them appear to be electricians those are the ones to watch, NOT Bubba the wanna be electrician

 

[D beatty]

There are 2 different LED bulbs . One is to be used in old fixture with ballast ( direct replacement) and other is for fixture without ballast. The bulbs that don't need a ballast in fixture have a starter built into bulb.

 

[KV Bruce]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. This is a great place to come for all types of information, not just tractors. I discovered that my old fixtures had magnetic type ballasts and the Phillips will not work. Looks like I've got another trip to the city coming. Thanks again. Bruce

 

[ss55]

I've been buying complete 4 foot LED fixtures for $20 to $40 and daisy chaining them together with 1 foot and 5 foot connector cords. They have about the same "lumen" light output as florescent fixtures they replaced, but have higher 6000K "daylight" colored light. So far that has been much quicker and easier than trying to match up different LED tubes with various florescent light ballasts.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Some of the LED bulbs are actually a kit including new sockets wired for the new lamps. Some assembly required. What they give you is a little device called a "tombstone." which is a tombstone shaped socket that snaps in fixture in place of existing socket. Now if yours are different, (most of mine are), conversion to straight un-ballasted service is much more difficult. Most of mine are one piece end caps with sockets molded in and would be difficult to rewire.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Look on the internet at one of the several YouTube and other's directions for rewiring and conversion.