Workbench light

CIP4

We have a small shed with just a few bulkhead lights in it which are fine for the most part they give enough light as I have 20w CFL bulbs in them for finding stuff on the shelves etc. However there is a workbench that just doesn't have enough light and you often see in a workshop 4ft tube units over workbenches. However a 4ft or 5ft tube would be a bit unnecessarily long plus with brackets and stuff already on the wall a 2ft or 3ft double tube unit would be ideal. But is there actually such a thing I've never seen one and can't find any online. An other alternative would be one of them Robus 560mm t5 striplight units but obviously these wouldn't be as protected / sturdy and aren't really designed for sheds in the first place.

Anyone any idea whether I'd get a 2ft double tube unit ?

rob w

CIP4 wrote: »

We have a small shed with just a few bulkhead lights in it which are fine for the most part they give enough light as I have 20w CFL bulbs in them for finding stuff on the shelves etc. However there is a workbench that just doesn't have enough light and you often see in a workshop 4ft tube units over workbenches. However a 4ft or 5ft tube would be a bit unnecessarily long plus with brackets and stuff already on the wall a 2ft or 3ft double tube unit would be ideal. But is there actually such a thing I've never seen one and can't find any online. An other alternative would be one of them Robus 560mm t5 striplight units but obviously these wouldn't be as protected / sturdy and aren't really designed for sheds in the first place.

Anyone any idea whether I'd get a 2ft double tube unit ?

Something similar to this?

http://www.kellihers.com/oci/product/2900000906/NVC-Phoenix-2-x-18W-Fluorescent-Batten-Fitting-with-Magnetic-Switch-Start-T8-Steel-Body-101x617x86mm-White

Go to any electrical wholesalers and tell them what you need. They should have them!

~2ft would be the 18w lamp
~3ft would be a 36w lamp

Feck tubes! What you want is a lunchbox of swanky MR16 leds ona zipline powered by photons!

Steve

I put in some phillips 20w 1500mm LED tubes in my shed, happy enough with them.

You can get IP65 fittings for LEDs without ballast and starters etc cheap enough or you can retrofit them to ballasted fittings.

Irish Steve

For a workbench, it's hard to beat a 600 x 600 LED panel, the type that's normally used in suspended ceilings, the light area means no shadows, and no strobe effect if you're using power tools and the like. It's also less power than a fluorescent tube uses.

CIP4

Thanks for the input everyone. It's not a large work bench and there is shelves over it so the plan is just to mount it on the bottom of the shelf which is chipboard. I'd normally go for a lot of light and the LEDs route but it gets little use a few hours a month so it's really unnecessary to use anything other than plain fluorescent tubes and 2ft would be perfect length for the section I want to light up. Just the rare time I'm out taking apart something on the bench the lack of light is a pain. I'll go to my local electrical wholesaler as I know the lads in there if they don't have 2ft I might get a 4ft but I need to measure it up as the shelf brakets might be in the way meaning it would have to be position lower than I ideally want.

CIP4

Update: Went to my electrical wholesaler today they didn't have any 2ft tube fittings in stock only 4ft. So I decided to go a different route and get Robus striplights T4. One 8w 395mm and one 30w 815mm I arranged them in a T shape and wired them to a new separate switch so they can operated separate to the main shed lights. There is also switches on the fittings themselves. While they certainly aren't as strong as a traditional tube fitting and would be big enough or give out enough light for any big shed they suit me down to the ground for what I want loads of light output more than I thought there would be. I'm delighted with them quite cheap to buy too.