Nice. I'm trying to set up a new work bench and need a lot more lighting. Two of these should do nicely.
Did you see who makes these? I can't make out branding in your pictures.
It might be the Feit 73990. I guess the fixture adds 400 lumens if they're using these 1650 lumen tubes.
Since when is 4100k “cool white”? LOL
Normally, I’m all about LED fixtures but this strikes me as a product that’s searching for a niche. Here’s the problem: if I’m in the market for shop light fixtures, chances are I need lumens. At 3700lm, this guy is pretty weak for a dual-tube fixture.
By comparison, 4-foot T8HO tubes typically rate 3500-4000lm and T5HOs typically rate around 5000+lm (though the T5 temperature de-rating curves suggest that T8s might perform better in unheated workshops in winter…I’ve never actually tried T5s in a cold environment so I can’t say).
I think the 4-foot LED tube form-factor needs another iteration or two of development before it’s a legitimate alternative to fluorescent tubes.
That’s almost right down the middle under “neutral”
I happen to like T6-4C tint ant I believe it runs at 4500k, and the color renditions (to my eyes at least) seem to be the most natural and vibrant (not too much yellow or blue hue)
No, it's not the best use of volume, but I don't see the big deal in hanging two of these from the ceiling. Fluorescent tubes are great when they're brand new IF they don't flicker or buzz, but they go downhill so quickly. They're okay if you have an office ceiling plastered with them to mask a flickering bulb or three. Price is competitive with Cree's bulbs as it'd take four of them at $20 each to match the output, but the Cree bulbs still need a lamp. I checked to see if I could put together something that offered more lumens per dollar. 12V 100W power supply for $25, copper heatsink for $10, two MT-G2's on Noctigons for $40 and it's already about the same lumens per dollar without even attempting to build a housing for it. If you have a bunch of leftover XM-L's from modding projects, then you could beat it, but using free leftovers is cheating a bit.
That answers my question.
Got one yesterday. As expected, the housing feels really cheap, like it would with any low end fluorescent housing. That's probably exactly what it is.
From about 5 feet away it has at least 200 lux out to about 45° out. That's enough to work in, but I want a very brightly lit workspace, so I'll get one or two more to put directly over my main work table.
This is a bit of an odd case, but does anyone know if these suffer with voltage drop like fluorescent units do? (Last weekend, I was out in the middle of nowhere with long extension cords connected to a noisy generator, and the fluorescent units were a bit flaky… I’m not positive it was voltage drop that made them flaky, especially since the first 100’ of about 150’ was 12AWG but I have suspicions.)
I'll let you know tomorrow, but I might only have 100 feet of cord to experiment with unless I kick the spiders out of their extension cord home in the garage.
I'm very much liking this light. I keep forgetting to turn it off because it seems like it's just a bunch of natural light filtering into the room. If there's PWM, it wasn't a problem with the 70 pictures I took under it today. Normally pwm will result in a few underexposed pictures. One odd thing is that it takes a moment to turn on, much like a fluorescent light. So LED shop light strobe rave parties aren't going to happen.
How about opening it up and telling us what the guts are? If it’s a fluorescent ballast inside, that would be hilarious! But, it might explain the slow startup. Could be someone got the (not so) bright idea to just package the fluorescent fixture with LED replacement bulbs for a convenience sale. In fact, I suspect that would be the only way this light could exist. If you think about it, LED tubes are made to replace fluorescent tubes, which take a high voltage. If there was an LED driver in that fixture, the tubes would have to be made differently, thus making them proprietary and incompatible with all the LED tubes that are already on the market. I bet you could put a T8 tube in those sockets!
Yes, I would like to know also. I’m guessing that there will be a constant current driver in there and that it will look similar to the solid state ballasts used in most of the new, cheaper florescent fixtures. I have found that those new SS ballasts are the weakest link in the cheap 4’ florescent shop lights. Hence my interest in this LED
The label on that box says “No lamps to replace.”
Huh?
Did you see the Feit tubes a few posts up. Those fit into any fluorescent fixture. I'm sure that's all this is. I'll take apart the next one I get.
Thanks! Looking forward to it.
Long cords didn't bother it. Cords were 150-250 feet.
Great to know… thanks.
2 weeks ago I was able to go back to the Costco store in Waterbury, 40 miles away, where I snapped the pics in the OP. They were completely out. I asked customer service about them and they told me they were a 1 time thing, they were not going to restock. I asked them why, was there a problem with them, were they pulled from the shelves? They looked it up and said “they sold through”. I asked them to check the other Connecticut store in Enfield, 35 miles from out house in the opposite direction, and they had 27 still in stock. By the time I was able to get there a week later, they too were out of stock. I was able to see the display model, still hanging and still shinning brightly. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Anyway as a consolation I will put up this as an imitation shoplight. Is 3 feet long and with 6 LED screw in bulbs it will have 4800 Lumen, about the same as the LED shoplight. The light will be spread out along the length of the fixture to reduce shadowing. It will do until I get another chance at that Costco light. The 6 screw in LED’s came from Costco and they were 3 for $10. Not the best bulb, a little cool and the light is not quite omnidirectional. But for this usuage both of those “flaws” are actually good features because for a work light I prefer a cooler light and also because the bulb will be upside down, all the light will be directed downwards were it is needed. I have used this kind of fixture before in work areas mounted to the ceiling with CFL’s and they work quite well. They look funny installed but they get the job done. Besides, when a bulb glows, it is easy and cheap to replace. I got the fixture free.
They’re back, I shot these pics the other day as I did a quick walk through my nearest Costco. When I am out that way I always do that as it isn’t often that I get a chance to visit there.
Last time they had these I passed on them and when they ran out regretted that I didn’t get one. Funny thing is, now that they are back, I passed on them again! I now regret that too, I need to replace the innards of a 4’ florescent kitchen ceiling fixture. The tenant is complaining that it “hums”
Sorry about the last pic, I used the “pano” function on my new iPhone and I didn’t pan smoothly enough for the phone to stitch the picture correctly. LASTS 45 YEARS! 
ROFLOL!
45 years?
it is possible but highly improbable .
some of mine are older than that.one in my bedroom is from 1946!and i trust its safety over that cheap led thing anyday.
Long cords going back to a generator might be a whole different scenario…
LED shop lighting is definitely a topic I’d like to keep a weather eye on.