Light fixtures/bulbs

[Dragster Racer]

Dumb question. If we are talking about 4 ft two bulb units, does the fixture have much to do with the output, or is it strictly the bulb? Where can you get decent bulbs? I'm not real impressed with the ones I picked up at Menard's. I want some light!

[kartracer23]

Strictly the bulb. Well, fixture design does play a part, but most of them are very similar until you get to the really high end stuff. Personally, I like the 6000K Daylighters in a 4ft. I wouldn't try to paint under them, but for general purpose, I like the higher K (also a bit of a mood lifter in the winter). I'm going to swap out all the lights in my windowless office to the 6000K for the winter so I don't get depressed. LOL!
I can't remember if Menard's has the comparison chart like Lowe's, but most stores that sell a lot of fluorescents have a chart that shows what temp is best for different applications. And don't worry if they're a few bucks more - fluorescents last forever so it's not a huge expense to spend a buck or two more a bulb.

*Thank you for mentioning Menards...now I have that dang jingle in my head..."Save Big Money at Menards". :)

[jmack]

It could be a combination- so you'd need to clarify what you mean by not being happy with the output. If you mean it doesn't output enough light - then you need to add more fixtures. If you mean you don't like the color/type of output your getting, then as mentioned above, step up the K value to a 6500K "daylight" bulb. Color render index (CRI) should be >85 as well if seeing true colors of your work is important.