OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am looking
for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for me. Not
the fancy ones.
I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just thought
if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the help.
It's getting darker in my shop...
--
Strube
Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
This is Charles Struble and I approve this email
On Apr 2, 10:32 pm, "Charles Struble" <[email protected]> wrote:
> OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
> These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am looking
> for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for me. Not
> the fancy ones.
> I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just thought
> if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the help.
> It's getting darker in my shop...
> --
> Strube
> Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
> This is Charles Struble and I approve this email
The cheapos are magnetic ballists. Buy the ones with solid state
ballists which are more efficient, run cooler and last a lifetime. OR
you can replace the ones in your existing fixtures with the solid
state ballists which cost about $20 CAN.
On Apr 2, 10:13 pm, Jody <[email protected]> wrote:
> Charles Struble wrote:
> > OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> > stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
> > These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am looking
> > for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for me. Not
> > the fancy ones.
> > I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just thought
> > if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the help.
> > It's getting darker in my shop...
>
> I got a new case of electronic ballasts for less than half price on
> ebay. I then got the 7 dollar fixtures and changed them out as I put
> them up. Other than MY time I spent it was still half the cost of
> getting good fixtures and ballasts in one.
Could you provide a link to the electronic ballasts that you bought?
Are there differences in electronic ballasts?
I have a set of older fluorescents in my shop and would perfer keeping
them.
Thanks
TMT
On Apr 2, 10:38 pm, "maico" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Apr 2, 10:32 pm, "Charles Struble" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> > stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
> > These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am looking
> > for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for me. Not
> > the fancy ones.
> > I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just thought
> > if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the help.
> > It's getting darker in my shop...
> > --
> > Strube
> > Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
> > This is Charles Struble and I approve this email
>
> The cheapos are magnetic ballists. Buy the ones with solid state
> ballists which are more efficient, run cooler and last a lifetime. OR
> you can replace the ones in your existing fixtures with the solid
> state ballists which cost about $20 CAN.
Did a post-mortem on a Lights of America cheapie double 40 watt
fixture that kept blowing out after running 15 minutes. Scorched
PC board underneath what looks like the voltage regulator chips
(TO-220 power tab packages) tells everything. Poor heat dissipation
due to bad design is what does them in. The plastic casing around
the
ballast traps heat. A sheet metal housing would conduct enough
heat to prevent the regulators' thermal cutoffs from kicking in.
The only problem I've ever had with magnetic ballasts is an
occasional slight hum from the ballast core. Hardly a big deal in
a machine shop.
I'm building my retirement home at the lake and doing everything myself. My
wife wanted a sunshine ceiling in her kitchen and I talked her out of that
and went with pot lights, 4 in her kitchen that can be directed or set so
they shine on what you want to see. I too was a fire fighter now retired and
never liked pot lights before(been to too many fires caused by them but now
days with the florescent bulbs there is hardly any heat generated and I
think they give more light per watt than the 4 footers. Leaves a nice smooth
ceiling as well.
"Charles Struble" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still
> fine. These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am
> looking for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for
> me. Not the fancy ones.
> I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just
> thought if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the
> help.
> It's getting darker in my shop...
> --
> Strube
> Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
> This is Charles Struble and I approve this email
>
Charles Struble wrote:
> OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
> These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am looking
> for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for me. Not
> the fancy ones.
> I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just thought
> if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the help.
> It's getting darker in my shop...
I got a new case of electronic ballasts for less than half price on
ebay. I then got the 7 dollar fixtures and changed them out as I put
them up. Other than MY time I spent it was still half the cost of
getting good fixtures and ballasts in one.
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
>>getting good fixtures and ballasts in one.
>
>
> Could you provide a link to the electronic ballasts that you bought?
>
> Are there differences in electronic ballasts?
>
> I have a set of older fluorescents in my shop and would perfer keeping
> them.
>
> Thanks
>
> TMT
>
They are Advance REL-3P32-SC They retail for around $25 or $30 and I
found them on ebay for around $6 each (box of 10). I run Philips T8
bulbs that are 4100K with a color index of 78. I think that gives me the
best light but everyone is different. You could change the bulb
temperature but shoot for a high color index to give the best color.
Charles Struble wrote:
> OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the
big box
> stores.
Things are looking up in your neighborhood<G>
> I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still fine.
Are you sure?
> These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I
am looking
> for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for
me. Not
> the fancy ones.
If you are serious, find a good industrial electrical distributor who
has a lighting specialist on staff.
They can give you a lighting layout designed to meets your needs as
well as local weather conditions.
Don't be surprised if they use 2 lamp, F96T12HO fixtures.
Won't be "cheap", as you define it, but the good stuff usually isn't.
Lew
"Charles Struble" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> OK, I am no longer gonna buy those 7 or 8 dollar fixtures from the big box
> stores. I have some fixtures I bought 25 years ago and they are still
> fine. These cheepos work for the life of the bulb and that's it. So, I am
> looking for some reasonably priced shop type fixtures. 48" works good for
> me. Not the fancy ones.
> I know: google. That's good for about a bazillion hits or so. Just
> thought if someone knows a good place to buy them I would appreciate the
> help.
> It's getting darker in my shop...
> --
> Strube
> Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
> This is Charles Struble and I approve this email
I bought the fixtures for my recessed lights from Grainger. The bulbs are
the 6500 color temp. Nice and bright.
Max
Combat Infantryman, Korea, '50-'51.
Professional firefighter '53 - '86
Amateur tinkerer, welder, woodworker, photographer, RVer.