In article . com,
"Stretch" wrote:

What is your time worth? If it is worth nothing, then the time you
spend replacing the cheap fixtures/ballasts costs you nothing and you
should keep buying the cheap stuff. My time is worth a lot, so I buy
good stuff and it lasts a long time. I save money and agravation in
the long run. Just my two cents worth.


Stretch

Good point. I would like to avoid the time-consuming hassle of
replacement, but don't want to shell out a bunch of extra cash for just
a few years of extra life. If the 2-year cheapo units cost $8, and the
5-year units cost $40... the latter units are double the cost per year
of service and it just isn't worth it.

But further research indicates that electronic ballasts can last from 2
to 20 years depending on the vendor. That's a very wide range, and I'd
probably pay $40 or even $50 for the 20-year quality units, but so far
I've seen no indication on any of the units for sale at Home Depot,
Lowe's, or Ace Hardware that will guarantee a lifetime beyond 2 years.
Usually there is no guarantee at all. If anyone has specific
brands/models to recommend, that would be great... otherwise I'll keep
looking and hopefully pin down a make with quality parts.