Fluorescent lighting Replacement Shop

[Carroll Courtney]

Guys,another one of my 20yr old fluorescent lights have bit the dust.I have 12-4' light fixtures and now 4 of them is out.I replace the bulbs,check the sockets but no cigar.Off to my local HD for a new ballast.OUCH! dang 48.00 for a ballast?While there I look at other fixtures and there is afew choices,but which one?What bulb buts out the most light for someone who can't see that good in sun light?
Guys I have 8' ceilings and its time for replacement of the fixtures so what have others gone with to get the most for the buck?Not going down and purchase 12 of them but maybe one per pay check,or does someone know of a source on the net that's cheaper than the local HD or Lowes?Happy New Years----Carroll

[roger wiegand]

I used the T5HO fixtures with the diffuser cover in my shop and they are great. You probably won't like the total price, but the bulbs are rated for a very long life and the light quantity and quality is a relief to my old eyes. (the covers do help with the glare and they give me another target for whacking with a board besides those expensive bulbs).

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-...MVPS/203124228

[Carroll Courtney]

I do have a gift card,so the first one will be kinda free----lol

[Don Jarvie]

I suggest the Lithonia T8 Model 3348 at HD. They are around 20 bucks a piece. Mine have lasted 6 years and counting. I had to replace 2 of them lately, but the price is very reasonable if you need more than a few.

[Jim Andrew]

You might check Ebay for replacement ballasts. I bought a box, for much less than at lowes or Menards.

[Curt Harms]

You might check Ebay for replacement ballasts. I bought a box, for much less than at lowes or Menards.

That would be my thought, check into alternative ballasts. I bought a few replacement ballasts at one of the borgs. Here's one example that works with T8 tubes which I wanted. Some ballasts are rated for either T12 or T8 tubes.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-120-Vo...1037/100632123
$14.99

[Malcolm Schweizer]

This won't be a cheaper alternative, but I have converted all my lighting to LED, and love it. Just make sure you get the warm white, because the "bright" white and "daylight" are hideous blue-white. The warm white is very nice- just like an incandescent bulb. Look for something in the range of 2700 kelvin. I've saved a ton of money converting to LED's but I live in a place with the second highest electricity rates in the world, so for me the savings are quicker to see.

[Carroll Courtney]

Guys thanks for all the wonderful ideals from light replacement to ballast replacement.This post has open up alot of choices that I did not think about from LED's,T12,T8,T5,T5HO.Today off to HD to look again,then to ebay to check there also.Thanks Carroll
Poot,if my eyes would wonder around alittle I would have seen the sticky note on lighting at the top in this section

[allan kuntz]

just put nine of these in my shop. Very easy to instal
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/4-ft...p-light/825098

[John Sanford]

When looking at LEDs, be aware that Costco has a well regarded (by the guys over at Garage Journal) 4' LED shop fixture for $40, which is 50-60% the cost of equivalent fixtures from Home Depot or Lowes.

[Carroll Courtney]

John,thank you for posting.Do you have a number on the fixture that I could google?I went to costco website and did not find the LED fixture.There's a Costco about 30mins away so just wanted to find some info----Carroll

[Alex Stace]

is there any real reason not to use a bunch of ceramic sockets and regular lighbulbs? to many shadow angles or something?

[Ole Anderson]

is there any real reason not to use a bunch of ceramic sockets and regular lighbulbs? to many shadow angles or something?

Getting harder to find incandescent bulbs, they use 5 times a much juice as a fluorescent for the same light, they break easier than a fluorescent and when they do you have 110 volts exposed in the broken filaments, they will hang down farther than a fluorescent, bulb life is a small fraction of a fluorescent.

[george newbury]

I used the T5HO fixtures with the diffuser cover in my shop and they are great. You probably won't like the total price, but the bulbs are rated for a very long life and the light quantity and quality is a relief to my old eyes. (the covers do help with the glare and they give me another target for whacking with a board besides those expensive bulbs).

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-...MVPS/203124228

Double check the T5HO to make sure they are not TOO bright for your application. I bought one of the 2 bulb fixtures w/o diffuser and found it too bright for my basement shop. However a 4 bulb T5HO unit w/o diffuser hung at about 10' is bright but useable in my warehouse shop.

[Alex Stace]

Getting harder to find incandescent bulbs, they use 5 times a much juice as a fluorescent for the same light, they break easier than a fluorescent and when they do you have 110 volts exposed in the broken filaments, they will hang down farther than a fluorescent, bulb life is a small fraction of a fluorescent.

Well yeah I would use LEDs or CFLs in em, but cost is about 3 bucks a piece per fixture vs 20+