Fluorescent light fixture source.

[ryan.s]

Does anyone know a good source for fluorescent light fixtures? The things I'm looking for are;

1. Cheap
2. 4'
3. Electronic ballasts
4. Compatible with T8 bulbs

I've checked google but really couldn't find too much information on sources. I've also checked out a lot of the lighting threads on this forum which is why I want to go with T8 bulbs with electronic ballasts but didn't come across any information on some good sources. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[jonmulzer]

Have you looked at the big box stores yet? Lowe's and HD usually have a fair selection.

[Tom Slick]

home depot or lowes is your best bet. if your local electrical supply will sell to you then you will have more selection and higher quality fixtures.

[LarryG]

I bought mine at Wal-Mart. Four-foot, two-tube, T8, zero-degree electronic ballasts, with full reflectors. About eight bucks per. As I recall, the 6500K "daylight" bulbs I bought for them actually cost a few pennies more than the fixtures themselves.

At least locally, the big-box stores had no good alternatives that would accept T8 bulbs. Lowe's had some strip-type fixtures for about ten bucks each, but since they had no reflector I rejected those. HD had some Lithonias with reflectors that were very nice (I bought four, before I found the ones at Wal-Mart) but cost ~$21 each.

[iceman61]

Ditto on Home Depot or Lowes. Locally, this is where I bought the lights for the shop I'm just finishing up. My local Walmart only had cheap quality lights.

[ryan.s]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll have to check out Walmart again. Last time I was there I didn't see any that would accept T8 bulbs. I had pretty much settled on the $21 fixtures at home depot but wanted to know if there was a cheaper alternative online but it doesn't seem like it.

[cabinetman]

The local Lowes here have periodic sales on a rapid start, four foot, two light flourescent, that uses the standard T-12 bi-pin lamp (which are also pretty cheap to replace). The fixture comes with a on/off pull chain, and wired with a cord and male cap (plug). For around $8.00 a pretty good deal.

IMO, the "cool white" lamps seem to give a better light than the other choices.
.

[burrellski]

Around here, Menard's has sales on the T8 electronic ballast lights frequently. Pretty nice models, reflectors, etc... I bought a few at $7-8. Same story as previously mentioned, I spent more on the bulbs than the fixtures.

[jseklund]

I recently re-did a basement with fluorescent strip lighting. I bought 5 of these from sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...orescent+light

They had everything I wanted- cold start, good balast, would take either T8 OR T12 bulbs, and CHEAP. They had the same brand in lowes for about $5 more, but when I went back they had changed to Utilitech or something...

After putting up 5 of those lights, I decided I needed one more to really get rid of the shadows in one corner- and not wanting to order just one light, I held off.

A few weeks later I was walking through Wal-Mart and saw a whole stack of the $8 lights that were mentioned. It too took T8 and T12, and looked close enough to the others...so I bought it. Funny thing is, I looked in that exact same place for the lights at Wal-Mart before and they weren't there.

For $7, I may go with the higher-priced Sears lights. It's the ONLY time I've ever found the cheapest price at sears, and quite honestly- they're much nicer lights. Heavier duty housing, and they turn on instantly. The $8 light takes about 1-2 seconds to warm up after you turn it on. I would probably not notice too too much, except the other three turn on so much faster and then you have this last one just flicker on. Once it is warm though, you can turn it on and off just as quick as the others. If price is an issue- just go to Wal-Mart. If you want the best quality- I think the $15 from Sears will compete with any other 4' strip out there...but I've only tried these two....

I also use the GE 6500K light bulbs in these. They aren't too expensive, and I'll tell you what- my basement is NICE with this setup. It's not yellow like a lot of flourescents create, nice and bright- like daylight.

[LarryG]

Ryan, I finally remembered the manufacturer of the $8 fixtures I bought at Wal-Mart: Lights Of America. The topmost fixture shown here, model 8045E, is what I have. Incidentally, despite the lowball price, note that these are made in the USA.

I bought and installed about 20 of them. One fixture would only work for about a half-hour and then go out, so I took that one back and swapped it for another. Otherwise, no problems, and I'm well pleased. They've been installed not quite one year, so their long-term reliability is yet to be known. However, I bought seven of the same basic fixture in a T12 version at Lowe's four years ago, for my previous, smaller shop. Five of these were transplanted into my current shop. These don't have cold-start ballasts so they take a long, flickering while to warm up at this time of year, but that aside -- which is not really the fixtures' fault -- all seven of these four-year-old fixtures are still working perfectly.

BTW, in my post earlier I mentioned using 6500K "daylight" bulbs but didn't explain why. Although at least twice as expensive as the garden-variety 4100K "cool white" bulbs typically used in office buildings and department stores, the 6500K bulbs provide a much more natural color rendition. CW bulbs have that infamous sickly-green cast*** that can fool your eye into seeing a stain or paint color, or even the natural shading within two pieces of wood, as markedly different from what it actually is. With the more accurate daylight bulbs, you won't have to worry about getting a nasty surprise when you take a finished project into a room with a more natural lighting system and suddenly realize it's not even close to the color you intended it to be.

(*** A digital photo taken under such lighting, without using the flash, will make this shortcoming readily apparent. If you've ever bought new clothing and found the colors of the various pieces didn't match when you got them home, it was almost certainly because the store lighting had CW bulbs.)

[ryan.s]

Thanks again guys. You guys provided the exact info I was looking for. Hopefully my local Walmart will carry the fixtures. Is there any harm in installing the lights directly to the ceiling without using the chain? I'm wondering if there will be an issues with overheating since they have reflectors and there will be no air circulation above the light.

[jseklund]

I did not install these exactly as intended- I did not want the lights hanging too low (don't want to whack them with a piece of wood or something if I can help it)- so I bought 4 hooks for each light, and some extra chain. I then cut lengths of chain and put two hooks on each side of where I wanted the light to be between two joists in the ceiling. I ran the chain from one hook, to the hanger on the light, to the other hook on the opposite side, and repeated for the other end. This took some measuring and planning, but I was able to get these up flush with the joists with little effort.

I was concerned about the heat also- and the Sears lights stated they needed 3 inches of clearence. With the insulation, I definately do NOT have this clearance in my basement. However, I have checked enough over the last 5 months to feel confident that they stay cool enough to not be an issue. I barely notice any heat build-up at all....Fluorescents don't get nearly as hot as an incandescent would.

Good luck!

[MilDoc]

OK folks - you've lost me completely I know little to nothing about fluorescent shop fixtures.

So, what's the difference between T8 and T12, or T-anything?

Why T8?

Why electronic ballast? Advantages?

I looked at the Sears link. Does that come with the bulbs?

Any info appreciated as the old fixtures in my shop are giving up the ghost, and aren't very good to start with.

[Tom Slick]

This website will answer some of your questions
http://www.mge.com/business/saving/madison/PA_12.html

The "T" number refers to the diameter of the bulb, but each different "T" uses different, incompatable, technology. T12, T8, and T5 (now T5HO) are common. T12 are standard fat bulbs that are usually 8' or 4' or smaller. T8 are slimmer and T5 is really slim. T8 and T5 are only 4' or smaller

T12 is old technology. T8 is now old technology but has many advantages over T12. T5ho is newest, but not readily available for home/shop use. T8 benefits are instant start, better cold start performance, 30% more efficient, give off less heat, more light, longer life...
The efficiency difference is significant enough that, in commercial applications, replacing T12 fixtures with T8 fixtures, will pay for themselves in less then 2 years, often less then 1 year.
T12 is being phased out, they haven't met minimum efficiency standards for new construction for quite a few years. that means a builder cannot install a new T12 fixture in a new building and meet code requirements. by 2010 it may become difficult to find anything T12.

not all of this is applicable to home/shop usage but T8 is certainly better then T12, it is not just semantics. cost difference is very small.

[MilDoc]

Thanks for the info and the great link Tom!