8 ft vs. 4 foot tubes

[raferguson]

My new/old shop has several 8 foot two tube fixtures. I will want to add some additional lighting. I have been told that the 8 foot tube fixtures are kind of obsolete, partly because the tubes are so expensive. However, I have some spare tubes that came with the shop. It looks like T12 bulbs are obsolete, and that may be what I have. It probably makes sense for me to use the fixtures and bulbs that I have, and replace the fixtures and bulbs when I run out of my stock of bulbs. I am a bit confused, in that I heard that they were going to stop making T12 bulbs, but I still see them for sale. I understand T8 is the current industry standard.

I like standardization, if it makes sense, but if the correct plan is to migrate, that is OK also. The ceiling is relatively low, about 8.5 feet. The current fixtures are directly mounted to the ceiling. I am thinking that some kind of tube lighting makes sense, whether fluorescent or LED. 8 foot long fixtures have some appeal, just in terms of being less work to install than two 4 foot fixtures.

Yes, I am interested in energy savings, but I know that the lights are not going to be on 40 hours a week. Do I really need LEDs? The shop is not going to be heated to room temperature, but will usually be at least 50F. I am not going to be working in the shop below 20F; I will fire up the wood stove if it is really cold. My impression is that with electronic ballasts, fluorescent bulbs will start OK in cold weather, at least to a point.

Looking at what is available at home depot, it seems like 8 foot fixtures are less than $50, plus bulbs, which seems viable. I assume that magnetic ballasts are obsolete, so anything I buy today would be electronic ballasts.

Anyway, what about 4 foot tubes vs. 8 foot tubes?

Can I drag my feet a bit about replacing the existing fixtures?

 

[The Cobbler]

personally I wouldn't but any more ballasts, as the bulbs & ballasts die I would replace with led.
having said that, I put up t5 4' fixtures in my shop a year ago. the fixtures were a good deal & I found t5 bulbs for I think $1.50 each .

 

[bushmechanic]

Four foot.

They are easier to dispose of, easier to replace, less likely to be broken, easier to store when they go bad, and they give you more options for how many lights you want to be using at any given time.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Four foot.

They are easier to dispose of, easier to replace, less likely to be broken, easier to store when they go bad, and they give you more options for how many lights you want to be using at any given time.

I'd agree. I wouldn't take 8' fixtures if you gave them to me....that use 8 foot bulbs.

The price point on LEDs has come down in the last 18 months. I like the LED bulbs better than the regular T8s I had. If anything, swap your old ones out as the older ones die out or as they go on sale.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Four ft LED are a painless transition.

They do make higher quality, more expensive, and brighter LED choices, too. Read the sticky.

 

[mxtwo50r]

I am in the same scenario. I have 10 8ft fixtures (t12) on my 14ft ceiling. I ordered 8ft lunera bulbs, 5000k color, 5500 lumens each. 10 bulbs were 235 to my door.

comparing prices:

4 foot bulbs - 8 each
retrofit kit to use 4ft bulbs in the existing housing - 15
rewire the fixture to use unshunted sockets and power only goes to one end of the lights, so while not much work, its more than a drop in bulb.

Works out to 47 bucks per fixture to upgrade to LED and use 4ft bulbs.

8 foot bulbs are 23.50 a piece. There is no retrofit kit required. Also 8ft single pin bulbs use power on both ends. So the rewire is beyond simple.

So 47 a piece to use the 8ft bulbs and less work to do so. I went the 8ft route.

I'd never use ballast compatible bulbs, I see no need. More stuff to go wrong. If the ballast dies and takes out the bulbs, that just got expensive as well.

Just my .02 being in the same scenario and going off of others advice on the forum.

 

[EOC_Jason]

8' bulbs are a PITA to handle, store, and dispose of... The quad 4' fixtures are the way to go if you want to keep the 8' in length.

T12's are being phased out, but like everything even though production is forced to stop in the US I'm sure that doesn't mean we will be importing bulbs & ballasts and such for many years to come...

Personally I wouldn't spend a penny more on T12 stuff... T8's are the most common and widely available these days and best for a budget.

I would like to go LED, but I bought a 30pk of T8 bulbs at HD for $19 on clearance, so I can't justify the switch yet! lol...

 

[Falcon67]

I'll share this - I bought 20 LED bulbs from Lowes as a test to convert 5 4 builb 8' long fixtures. Note that all bulbs I use are 6500K color temp, both T8 and LED. This morning it was about 50F in the shop when I set out the dog food. First time so far we've been "cold" -
37F outside. The T8 lights in part of the shop came on easily (all zero F units/ballasts/etc) but were noticeably affected by the temperature. Not a lot, but noticeable. A couple were "swimming" while they warmed up.

For a test I switched on the LEDs in the other part of the shop. Instant full bright.

I use the $40 8' T8 fixtures from HD, the bulbs are Utilitech drop in LED 6500K from Lowes and were on sale for $18/4 pack.