Dang, what happend to $3 lights

[kyles974]

It's been over 10 years since I bought any lights. Just had a 24x26x9 metal garage built. I've been busy putting up a radiant barrier. I have not thought about lighting much. Today a stepped on the 4ft shop light I had on the floor.

So, decided to run up to wally world and buy a new one for the time being. I've read a little on these here and also the T-8's.....

I ended up buying the T-8, $6-7 bulbs because I couldn't justify paying $12 for the one I really wanted. (daylight)

Anyhow, I know there is alot of info here to read when I get the the "lighting" part of my shop,
............. but man, I just had to rant a little!

I remember when I could go to Menards/Lowes and buy a 4ft shop light and bulbs for under $10. They were good too. I guess that's what happens in 10years maybe 12 years now.

Oh, what I mean about the $3 lights, I swear bulbs used to be like 3 bucks for 2 of them.?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Yes, prices have gone up, and you get what you pay for. Reality is, as you grow older, you need more light, and a hodge podge of lighting with poor color rendition willl be something you will grow to hate.

Pick out some good light fixtures, some good bulbs, and price them out, add about 20% to that for and start putting the money away.

Best thing I EVER did lighting wise in my shop was spending $200 on two fixtures and bulbs over the workbench to replace the old 8ft T12 **** I had. This is a comparison pic before putting up the second fixture.

Charles

New one on the right

 

[BevoZ06]

I got a real shock (no pun intended) a couple of weeks ago when I went to HD to buy a 250' coil of 12/2 Romex. It was $70.00, and I swear the last time I bought it the price was about $30.00. Of course that was more than 30 years ago.

 

[Stuart in MN]

You used to be able to get a cup of coffee for a dime, too.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I got a real shock (no pun intended) a couple of weeks ago when I went to HD to buy a 250' coil of 12/2 Romex. It was $70.00, and I swear the last time I bought it the price was about $30.00. Of course that was more than 30 years ago.

In the past 30 years you have MISSED a couple of ups and downs where the price was way over $100 for a 250 ft roll, so don't feel too bad.

Charles

 

[pontifex4]

Best thing I EVER did lighting wise in my shop was spending $200 on two fixtures and bulbs over the workbench to replace the old 8ft T12 **** I had.

That is a great looking light! Are there more details somewhere I can look at?

 

[slacker garage shop]

Yea what Charles said. $70 you got a deal. We have paid upwards of $130 for a roll of 12\2. Florescent lamps took a huge jump a few months ago. Thank your tree hugging environmentalists for that one.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

That is a great looking light! Are there more details somewhere I can look at?

THIS thread

Charles

 

[regguy1]

What happened to the $3000.00 new car?

I just bought a new car....wow! what a difference from the last one

 

[kyles974]

THIS thread

Charles

Thanks


............trying to hold back from swooping down to a certain level..... don't want to insult their intelligence, LOL

 

[pontifex4]

THIS thread

Charles

Yes, thank you!

 

[Falcon67]

I got a real shock (no pun intended) a couple of weeks ago when I went to HD to buy a 250' coil of 12/2 Romex. It was $70.00, and I swear the last time I bought it the price was about $30.00. Of course that was more than 30 years ago.

$72 yesterday. I bought a roll at $71 and a second at 69, I need to get that pulled in case I need another before it goes up again.

 

[Highbeam]

I just bought a pack of 25 4 foot t8 bulbs from the home depot for 35 bucks. 4100k phillips. What's that, 1.50$ per bulb?

You need to choose carefully when you buy bulbs.

 

[Gary S]

You have to watch for sales. Last summer, Menards put 10pack T8 4' tubes on sale for $10. On a normal day, you can easily pay 2-3x that amount. Menards has a sale every week. I always take the time to look through it and get whatever I need that is on sale. It saves me a pile of money.

 

[kyles974]

I just bought a pack of 25 4 foot t8 bulbs from the home depot for 35 bucks. 4100k phillips. What's that, 1.50$ per bulb?

You need to choose carefully when you buy bulbs.

You have to watch for sales. Last summer, Menards put 10pack T8 4' tubes on sale for $10. On a normal day, you can easily pay 2-3x that amount. Menards has a sale every week. I always take the time to look through it and get whatever I need that is on sale. It saves me a pile of money.

Wow, that makes me fell much better!
Thank you both.

Like I said, I have not got to the "lighting" part of my garage, so have not looked into pricing or really much about the subject. I was a little worried that I was going to have to put the lights into next season's budget.


and ya, Charles, ya, I'm at the age where I'm noticing the eye sight starting to change a little

 

[ishiboo]

Those fixtures also used magnetic ballasts... I'll never forget the sounds growing up in my grandfather's workshop with the insanely loud buzzing ballasts.

The new $10 fixtures start in the cold, are more efficient and don't kill all radios, televisions and computers in a block-radius around them... big improvement over yesterday's lights.

As many said, the prices of EVERYTHING have gone up. As Gary said, watch for sales... I just picked up 30 T8 4's from Menards on clearance for a buck a bulb.

 

[kyles974]

Those fixtures also used magnetic ballasts... I'll never forget the sounds growing up in my grandfather's workshop with the insanely loud buzzing ballasts.

The new $10 fixtures start in the cold, are more efficient and don't kill all radios, televisions and computers in a block-radius around them... big improvement over yesterday's lights.

As many said, the prices of EVERYTHING have gone up. As Gary said, watch for sales... I just picked up 30 T8 4's from Menards on clearance for a buck a bulb.

Oh, I know. It's just took me by surprise.
Kinda like when I went to buy a quart of rustoleum. I used it every year to paint my lawn care trailers. Closed that business and moved south. Well about 5-6 years later I went to buy a quart. I used to pay 4.95 and now it's 7.95, well then I realized it had been 5-6 years since I pirchased any

Thanks guys

 

[Gary S]

Menards has some pretty good every day prices if you buy more than one or two lamps.
http://www.menards.com/main/lightin...32-watt-t8-4100k-12-pack/p-1522793-c-6337.htm

 

[paranoid56]

i know the daylight bulbs are around 3 bucks extra per 2pack last time i was at HD but even then they were still only 8 bucks.

 

[taterdog]

You used to be able to get a cup of coffee for a dime, too.

and you used to make $0.30/hr...