Fluorescent tubes

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    Fluorescent tubes

    I was in the garage and notice one of my workshop lights had one tube out.
    Having one working arm and a bad shoulder (another story) makes it rather difficult to change tubes (twice) but I managed and it was still not working
    I managed to replace it with a LED fixture I bought for this day (again hard with one working arm)
    I salvaged the T12 bulbs and tossed the cheap fixture in the trash (OK, I cut off and saved the power cord).
    I now have 7 or 8 T12 bulbs in the spare bulb bin
    but originally I had 6 T12 fixtures (probably around 2003) and now it appears I'm down to one working fixture...
    I have two LED and three T8 and one T12 left as I've replaced them over the years.

    It appears that the cheapo T12 fixtures are way outlasted by the bulbs.
    I figure I'll burn out the last T12 fixture before I use up the T12 bulbs.
    Does anyone actually use T12 anymore or are they all gone? I was thinking of posting and giving away free T12 bulbs in the local internet news, but then maybe no one uses them anymore..
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • tfischer
    Veteran Member
    • Jul 2003
    • 2343
    • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
    • BT3100

    #2
    I believe T12s are being phased out for efficiency reasons. I replaced all my T8's with new LED retrofit bulbs (Hyperikon from Amazon) and love them. I had a couple very old T12 fixtures I also replaced with new LED shop light fixtures.

    The LED light is brighter, more reliable, and starts quickly and brightly in colder temps, which is important here.

    Comment

    • LCHIEN
      Internet Fact Checker
      • Dec 2002
      • 20914
      • Katy, TX, USA.
      • BT3000 vintage 1999

      #3
      Yeah, I would call T12s two generations s old.

      I just wondered out loud if anyone would want them that had a bunch of T12 fixtures.
      Loring in Katy, TX USA
      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

      Comment

      • tfischer
        Veteran Member
        • Jul 2003
        • 2343
        • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
        • BT3100

        #4
        Originally posted by LCHIEN
        I just wondered out loud if anyone would want them that had a bunch of T12 fixtures.
        I've found that if something still works, and you're willing to give it away, there's a good chance someone will take it. One possible exception might be old tube TVs but I suspect I just didn't try quite long enough

        But I've used Craigslist and Freecycle to give away bizarre things like an old used toilet, crappy painted bath vanity, and broken down worthless gas grill that was 15 years old.

        Comment

        • capncarl
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 3564
          • Leesburg Georgia USA
          • SawStop CTS

          #5
          All of my 4’ flour were originally T12s. I was able to acquire about 50 double bulb fixtures from a demolition project, they were washdown fixtures that have a plastic enclosure the metal fixture fits in and has an opaque cover that snaps on to provide the water repellent feature. I kept 20 fixtures for my shop and have slowly converted them to T8 when the ballast died. When Lowe’s closed out theiir brand of 4’’ LED tubes they were about $2 per tube so I picked up enough to do several change outs. The fixtures that had T8 ballasts were a direct change out but the older T12 brick ballasts were not comparable so I had to purchase about 5-6 universal ballasts for about $18 ea. Still cheaper than starting over with new fixtures. I really like the wash down lights because that plastic cover has saved me numerous glass showers when I get carried away with a long piece of wood and hit the fixture. To me the cover is worth the extra cost to protect me and the bulbs.

          Comment

          • tfischer
            Veteran Member
            • Jul 2003
            • 2343
            • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
            • BT3100

            #6
            That's another advantage of the LED retrofit tubes: you're unlikely; to break them, as they are made structurally of aluminum (for a heat sink) with a flexible plastic front.

            Comment

            • dbhost
              Slow and steady
              • Apr 2008
              • 9209
              • League City, Texas
              • Ryobi BT3100

              #7
              I still have my 7 T12 fixtures in the garage and probably a Box and a 1/2 of bulbs. I have had 6 of those fixtures since 2006 and the other 1 since 2001. I have probly been through about 5 boxes of bulbs so I think you're having a worse time with the fixtures than I am. I can still find T12 bulbs at home depot near me but they are certainly harder and harder to come by. I think when this last Box or so of bulbs is done I'm going to just convert to LED shop lights
              Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20914
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #8
                Originally posted by dbhost
                I still have my 7 T12 fixtures in the garage and probably a Box and a 1/2 of bulbs. I have had 6 of those fixtures since 2006 and the other 1 since 2001. I have probly been through about 5 boxes of bulbs so I think you're having a worse time with the fixtures than I am. I can still find T12 bulbs at home depot near me but they are certainly harder and harder to come by. I think when this last Box or so of bulbs is done I'm going to just convert to LED shop lights
                I suspect I bought once really inexpensive model of shop light fixtures - probably $8 without bulbs. I think I have tossed several of them due to failures so they definitiely did not outlast the bulbs. At the same time I think the office was changing out T12s for T8s and tossing them wholesale so I picked up a box of used but still working bulbs. So that's why I seem to have a lot more T12 bulbs than fixtures now.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

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