Walmart Light Fixtures!

[Tom A To]

I buy cheap to see if it will do the job. 99% of the time it does and I'll have saved money. When it doesn't do the job, I keep buying better until I get what I want. Harbor Freight is my favorite store. Thanks goodness for cheap Chinese-made crap...

Now if I can just get that horrible rubber smell to go away.

[Doug9345]

Here's the problems that you do or can run into with cheap fluorescent fixtures. All these apply to the T12 fixtures but I don't see why it wouldn't also apply to T8 and T5 as well.

A given size of Fluorescent tube is designed to be supplied a certain current. I the current that they are supplied with is less they won't be as bright. You might not notice it unless you had two fixtures side by side, but the plants will. The T12 shop lights generally only suppied enough current to be 25 watts per tube instead of the 34 or 40 watts the tubes where designed to be. If you see a allast factor under one then the tube isn't being lit as brightly as a standard ballast would.

The other factor is that a poorly designed ballast will beat tubes up and cause short life spans.

[Got Worms?]

I had old T12 double tube fixtures and converted them over to T8s by replacing the ballasts, the tubes, and doing a slight rewiring (T12s and T8s are not wired the same) Now I have much better ballasts (you get what you pay for), the old fixtures (which are of better quality than the new junk), and tubes of the light frequency of my choosing. The tubes I use are Philips Altos long life tubes, with a frequency (or color) of 6500k (more blue for vegetative growth as opposed to red for flowering/fruiting), as I am not growing to fruition, just transplantation.

Doug, yes the ballast rating would be something to consider as you can guess, a ballast that had a rating of.85 does not put out as many lumins as ones rated .88 or 1.0.(100%) If you are willing to spend the money you can get quality ballasts that are rated 1.15 and produce even more light (think over-clocking). I use GE-232-max-H/Ultras with a ballast factor of 1.15, bought two years ago at about (if I remember correctly) $27. ea. These 32 watt ballasts are more expensive, but not only save wattage, but they put out a lot more light, so you can get by with less of them. I considered T5s, but their initial cost could not be justified by the of savings during their normal life. Walmart is where I go to get the flu or smoke bombs, otherwise known as electronics.

[Got Worms?]

If you're handy, replacing ballasts only takes a basic understanding of electricity, the ability to follow the wiring diagram printed on the label of the ballast, a few tools, and the desire not to let out any magic smoke.

[Worth1]

Wal-Mart is where I go to get the flu or smoke bombs otherwise known as electronics.
Good one Charlie.

Worth

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by tedln

I bought a couple of Walmart, two bulb; T8 fluorescent light fixtures a couple of months ago for my germinating light table. They only cost about ten bucks each. I noticed this morning both bulbs in one fixture were not producing any light. I tested both bulbs in a different fixture and they were fine meaning the electronic ballast in the non functioning fixture was not working.

I had previously read reports stating the cheap ballasts in the cheap fixtures don't seem to last very long. I was expecting it, so I wasn't surprised and I will buy another cheap fixture from Walmart to replace the bad fixture.

I am curious if anyone has tried to replace the bad ballasts in the cheap fixtures with good quality ballasts.

Ted

I don't want to rag on you, but you'd heard that the $10 Walmart fluorescent light fixtures were "cheap" and you were "expecting" them fail. The $25 ones at Home Depot have no such record of trouble, and you're almost going to spend that now.

Feldon,

Thats okay! I enjoy people "ragging" on me. That's why I leave myself exposed to ragging so often.

Yep! I knew exactly what I was doing when I bought the cheapo fixtures at Walmart. I was doing the same thing when I also bought a replacement for the failed fixture at Walmart yesterday. I didn't want to drive the extra 1/2 mile to Home Depot. Someday, when I am very energetic; I may replace the cheapo fixtures with quality fixtures. If I have another failure this winter, that replacement may happen sooner rather than later.



Ted

[OldHondaNut]

My cheap Lowes light fixtures are about 10 and 4 years old. The bulbs fade a bit and are replaced but the fixtures are still working perfectly. About $10 each.

As far as cheapo Harbor Freight, some deals there but lotsa junk. Buyer beware.

[Worth1]

[QUOTE=OldHondaNut;383524]My cheap Lowes light fixtures are about 10 and 4 years old. The bulbs fade a bit and are replaced but the fixtures are still working perfectly. About $10 each.

As far as cheapo Harbor Freight, some deals there but lotsa junk. Buyer beware.[/QUOTE

It seems as though the main reason for the lower price is the cheap labor.
It wouldn't cost that much more to make the Chinese junk into a quality product.
It has been done many times before and even now.
I don't even have a problem with it coming from there but nowadays with many products we don't have a choice just junk.
I guess when all of us older people that know what quality is die off it won't matter anyway.
Worth

[Mark$]

If you really want to fire things up, wire up two ballast together and you won't be able to look at the lamps. I have don this without any problems. Go to the Gardenweb "Growing Under Lights" forum for directions.

[Got Worms?]

Originally Posted by Mark$

If you really want to fire things up, wire up two ballast together and you won't be able to look at the lamps. I have don this without any problems. Go to the Gardenweb "Growing Under Lights" forum for directions.

We're looking to start seedlings here, not fires. I tried that years ago, and thought it was pretty cool, until the tombstones started to overheat.

Sometimes I am a little quick to say "it must have been made in China" when a product doesn't live up to expectations. I took the Walmart lighting fixture apart before I tossed it in the trash. I couldn't find any evidence the fixture was made in China. It was labeled "American Lighting" and the internal components appear to be high quality. After looking at the elaborate circuit board for the electronic ballast, I was impressed and I don't understand how it was manufactured and sold profitably for $10.87. I'm pretty sure most of the components of the circuit board or the entire circuit board were made in China or Malaysia. You can check out the components of the higher priced fixtures and you will probably discover they were also made in China or Malaysia or Vietnam. Sometimes I fall into the group that believes place of origin or price automatically defines quality and I am often wrong.

Ted

[drew51]

My plant light was bought in the 1970's and still works great. They don't make them like they used to! Bulbs have been replaced a few times, but the ballast is still good!

Okay, my change to higher quality (at least higher priced) fixtures occurred today When I checked on my seedlings in my shop this morning, I found another Walmart fixture had failed. The tubes were not functioning and the white enamel fixture had a very light coating of black soot on it. I assume the soot was from the electronics frying in the fixture, but I haven't taken it apart to see what failed.

I purchased a fixture from Home Depot that seems to be of higher quality but I really won't know how good it is for awhile. One thing I did notice is the higher quality fixture will continue powering one bulb even when the other bulb burns out. The Walmart fixtures needed both bulbs functioning or neither would operate.

Ted

[ChrisK]

And when the ballast dies in those it's easy to replace. Of course, a new ballast costs as much as the entire fixture though.

Originally Posted by tedln

Okay, my change to higher quality (at least higher priced) fixtures occurred today When I checked on my seedlings in my shop this morning, I found another Walmart fixture had failed. The tubes were not functioning and the white enamel fixture had a very light coating of black soot on it. I assume the soot was from the electronics frying in the fixture, but I haven't taken it apart to see what failed.

I purchased a fixture from Home Depot that seems to be of higher quality but I really won't know how good it is for awhile. One thing I did notice is the higher quality fixture will continue powering one bulb even when the other bulb burns out. The Walmart fixtures needed both bulbs functioning or neither would operate.

Ted