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" 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.

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 neighborhoodG

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 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.

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" wrote in message
...
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 in message
...
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.

Thanks for the suggestions, ya'll. I'm gonna figure out which way to go,
and soon, cuz it's gettin' kinda dark out there...

--
Strube
Professional Firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...
This is Charles Struble and I approve this email

On Apr 2, 10:13 pm, Jody 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" wrote:
On Apr 2, 10:32 pm, "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...
--
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.

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.