Lighting on my reloading bench

[Ben]

For some reason, I seem to always be having problems with lights over my loading bench. I've always had problems with my fluorescent lights. Bulbs going out, ballast failing, etc. I'm slowly trying to replace all my bench lights with LED's.

Not cheap but...................
These bulbs that you see in the photos have a 20 yr. life span, puts out 90 watts of light and use only 13 watts of power. Catch is they are $10 each.

Another advantage is that they burn much cooler. A " Win - Win " for me.

Ben

Here is the new LED light.

Here is the finished product :

 

[Rick]

Not only plenty of light but the incandescent bulbs produce yellow light, the LED's produce a white light which makes everything clearer and sharper. Better all the way around, cheaper to operate is a nice bonus. I've replaced every incandescent bulb in my house with LED inside and out.

 

[Ben]

I could not agree more Rick !

Ben

 

[Brad]

We are no longer buying anything but LED lights. They last longer and we like the nice white light.

 

[smokeywolf]

I too favor the "white" light achievable with LED. However, for living room and bedroom use it might be better to stay below 4,000 degrees Kelvin. Studies are suggesting that the higher Kelvin temperatures (the white to almost bluish white typical of "grow-lights") mimic sunlight and might throw off your circadian rhythm.

Rick has mentioned before that his LED exterior lighting seems to draw fewer flying insects. I believe I'm seeing the same thing in my back yard.

 

[Ian]

That's some serious bench lighting, Ben. I'm coming around to LEDs too, got 12x23W CFLs in the gun room to replace. I never liked flourescent lights because they could be so bright and saturating that it hurt.....but yet I still couldn't see what I was doing.

 

[Rick]

No, actually what I said was that I have read that LED's are supposed to attract fewer skeeters, not insects in general. I still don't know if that's true, moths and other flying annoyances may not be more attracted to LED but don't seem to be any less either.

 

[Rick]

No, actually what I said was that I have read that LED's are supposed to attract fewer skeeters, not insects in general. I still don't know if that's true, moths and other flying annoyances may not be more attracted to LED but don't seem to be any less either.

So . . . As I was typing that post on the DIY TV show "I want that" (new products) they are featuring a skeeter trap that attracts skeeters & other bugs with a blue LED. Go figure huh?
.

 

[Brad]

Then don't use blue LEDs around the house? Best bet is to buy them for all your neighbors so they atttract the bugs from your yard.

 

[smokeywolf]

I have a couple of fluorescent floods and I think 4 LED floods in the back and on the sides of the house. It appears to me that there's more flying insects nearer the fluorescents than the LEDs.
Then again, perhaps it's just wishful thinking.

 

[Hawk]

I don't know about the rest of you, but the older I get, the more light I need and the white from the LEDs really helps.
I wound up with some 6,500k lights for the reloading room. WOW, it sure is bright in there!
We just use a warmer light (2,700k) in the bedroom so it doesn't affect out sleep.

 

[fiver]

I'm still using fluorescents.
heck I just started putting them in.
but I prefer them to be above and slightly behind me.
I also have smaller clamp on lamps I move around on the shelf behind the loaders themselves to concentrate light where I need it.
I cannot stand light in front of or aimed towards me, but I need it to see anything.

 

[Ian]

I have those small $4 spring-clamp spot lamps with the bell-shaped reflectors clamped to shelves and the bottom of cabinet doors all over the place. MUCH better than under-cabinet lighting IMO, and they're extra good with the 75 or 100-watt equivalent soft white LED bulbs in them. That reminds me, I need to pick up a couple more for the lathe.

 

[Gary]

That's what I have Ian, picked up 4 of them at Goodwill, $8 OTD.

 

[freebullet]

Nicely upgraded there, Ben.

Need to do the same myself.

 

[Ben]

That's what I have Ian, picked up 4 of them at Goodwill, $8 OTD.

Great price, unfortunately I didn't get mine for that price .

 

[Rick]

LED prices have come way down, I've seen the regular 60w equivalent LED bulbs on sale for four packs for $8-10 but not the spot light bulbs Ben is using. They are a bit pricier than that yet. I've got 6 of the 90w equivalent spot lights in can lights in the kitchen, they replaced 6 90w incandescent spot lights that got quite hot and was 540 watts every time I flipped the switch. The 6 90w LED's stay cool, draw 78 watts and put out morel light and white light.

 

[Ian]

True, Ben, the LED floodlight bulbs are pricey, but so are the high-output table lamp bulbs. It's nice to be able to "over clock" the fixtures that are rated for 25 or 40 watts (incandescent) with some bright LEDs running 75 or more watts equivalent light output...minus the heat. I have a 100-watt LED bulb in my bench grinder gooseneck fixture which is only rated for a 40-watt incandescent bulb, talk about light up what you're doing!

 

[Rick]

Oopsie, a senior moment. That was 6 60w incandescent bulbs in my kitchen not 6 90w but it was still 360 watts of power getting sucked up vs the 78w with the LED's.

 

[RBHarter]

When the CFL were fairly new I nickle and dimed until I had enough plus a couple to change every bulb . 3 straight months the bill was down $15 from the 3 previous and $17 over the 5 yr average for the months .
75w had replaced 60w and the 75s in the torch and table lamps with 100s .

The power rates went up and as far as the bill went offset the savings . I figure at $180/yr I've paid for those bulbs and their replacements about 30x .

So when the LED lights come down a little more I'll start hording them up for the change over .