Would you buy?

[Cruisinga]

12x20 garage/shop.
Unfinished ceiling, bottom of 2x8 ceiling joists is 9ft from garage floor.

A friend has these 2x4 FT32T8 fixtures from a commercial remodel. I can have as many as I want for $20 ea. I am planning to install 6 flush with the bottom of the ceiling joists.
I will test each one before buying.
I don't know how old they are so I'm a little concerned about the lights testing good, then I install them and then have half the ballasts fail in short order creating a bunch of extra work.

Seems like a great deal, just not sure how risky the ballasts are. They have been stored in a barn out of the weather.

 

[tdkkart]

Personally I wouldn't use any recessed fixtures, or surface mounts that don't allow light out the sides. They are fine for office bays where there is task lighting, but for a space that needs overall lighting where you want to be able to see what you're doing you need the light out the sides and reflecting off the ceiling.

 

[Cruisinga]

Reflecting off the ceiling is a good point I hadn't considered, but I have no plans to finish the ceiling so I'm not sure it applies here.

Also, this is 48 sq ft of light fixture in a 240 sq ft garage.
I think this is a much better ratio that most of the large garages on here

 

[Wirepuller]

The parabolic lense you have in them won't be optimal in a work shop setting. They're designed to cast light down and evenly in an office type setting. I'd look at other options.

 

[pablo94sc]

Likely they are set up with a 227V ballast for commercial spaces instead of one for 120V. You might get lucky with a 120V-227V dual ballast, but better to assume you'll be spending another $15+ on new ballasts for each fixture.

 

[nadogail]

Sometimes what looks like a cheap fix. Make sure they are 120 Volt fixtures. New 120 volt ballasts, when you have to pay retail, are not cheap.

If they are designed to lay into a suspended ceiling They will look out of place exposed.

Be very cautious.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The whole parabolic lens frame comes right out of the fixture with 2 levers, and it is hinged on the other side of the frame. No problems there.

Just make absolutely sure they're wired for 120.