Tandem T8 ?

[robertwhite]

So I am in Lowes and while trying to get an idea of how I am going to light my shop, I ask the elec. dept guy (former electrician) what he can recommend in a 8ft T8 fixture. He shows me a T8 tandem mounted 2 light fixture that is 8ft long. By tandem, I mean that they basically took 2 dual bulb T8 fixtures and laid them end to end so that you use 4 ft (4) bulbs in it, thus making it 8ft long. I think the price was right at $40.

I told him I needed to have a reflector (as these didn't have one) and he has to check into it. I have a 24x90 shop in which one side wall is 15ft high and the other is 12.5 ft high, non sheet rock, open rafter, white color on tin that is exposed, so I figure I need to reflect the light, no?

In any event, what is the deal with the tandem lights?

 

[Random Guy]

It is a way of reducing fixture count without having to deal with 8' long lamps. 8 foot long T8 lamps cost more than 2 four footers, are harder to find, and are easier to break. I'd use a tandem fixture before I'd use one that took 8' lamps.

 

[Eds Garage]

I really like those Lowes quad T-8 fixtures. The ones I picked up had a nice Sylvania universial input ballast (120V-277V) and have power factor correction to 1.0. However since you have open rafters, reflectors would be nice.

 

[Rosco]

I have the tandems in mine, no reflectors and it really lights up the place. I also have 4' two bulb fixtures on the walls.

 

[Steevo]

I have seventeen of those Lowes quad-bulb T-8 fixtures in my shop, and they work great. I don't have reflectors, because I have a white painted ceiling to reflect off of.

 

[robertwhite]

Those lights look great. Do you think the light output will be lost in the rafters even with the tin roof is white(ish) on the shop side? As I said, the store is checking into the light with reflector to see if they come that way, but I don't know if they come that way.