well, my old 8ft lights in the garage are dropping like flies

2 twin lamps, so 4 strips in total:

1 bulb won't light, the other one in that fitting only comes on when the heater's blowing on it(?)

in the other fitting, one bulb is flickering, and the other is fine.

so, in short, i've only got one...

since 8ft tubes are now banned i think its time for new fittings.

what are the ones to go for?
T5, T8, or T12?

the garage is maybe about 4 or 5m square i think? i still want 4 tubes in there, nice and bright

do i go for 2 twin fittings? or 4 seperate ones?

are T5 the brightest, AND most efficient? how do they compare to the old 8ft tubes i already have?

Well placed halogen downlighters perchance? Was thinking of a strip of them above my lathe for more illumination.

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Originally posted by coozer
Well placed halogen downlighters perchance? Was thinking of a strip of them above my lathe for more illumination.

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i would put 2x 6' twin ncf's in mate! very good light,and nice and cheap,if your in the trade like me.lol!

whats ncf?

i guess with 6ft, i'm only losing a foot either side, so thats good.
i was worried that i'd loose some light out the ends with the narrower ones (if that makes sense lol)

none corrosive. they are a plastic fitting with a clear plastic outer casing. it just stops all crap getting to them. easily cleaned and long lasting

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Originally posted by daniel mason
none corrosive. they are a plastic fitting with a clear plastic outer casing. it just stops all crap getting to them. easily cleaned and long lasting

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you will pick up 2 complete fittings for under £50

Flourescent lighting shouldnt be used above moving machinery, as the frequency can make the machine look static when its moving at 50 Hz.

Just go and buy 4 x 4'38W fittings, the cheapest you can buy. They will do the garage, and last as long as you need them to. Plus, the tubes are cheaper than 6'. If one goes out, you still have plenty of light.

ah, nice may well be the way forward. they're not planning to phase out 6ft tubes soon then?
what tubes should i fit? is T5 the ones to go for?

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Originally posted by MakeEverything
Flourescent lighting shouldnt be used above moving machinery, as the frequency can make the machine look static when its moving at 50 Hz.

Just go and buy 4 x 4'38W fittings, the cheapest you can buy. They will do the garage, and last as long as you need them to. Plus, the tubes are cheaper than 6'. If one goes out, you still have plenty of light.

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Not necessarily if you place them correctly.

T8's are generally "normal". T5 offer more energy benefits apparently, but tbh, you wont notice until you go to buy new ones!! T8 are cheaper and t12's are the fat tubes.

6 foot, T8, NCF, twin fittings are the job. I have 5 on the ceiling and a further 2 on the wall about 2 foot off the ground - excellent for when I'm working at the wheels, etc.

you need a bicycle wheel with loads of torches attached to it

or a PA who can switch the car lights on when you need a bit more light

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Originally posted by Benzine
you need a bicycle wheel with loads of torches attached to it

or a PA who can switch the car lights on when you need a bit more light

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so, 2 6ft twin T8 fittings? would be an easy enough swap

I replaced some of my single fittings with twin fittings and was amazed at the improvement - double the light for only 50% extra cost. I wish i had done the whole garage with twin fittings now.

For value for money use battenholders (50p) with plug in fluorescents (5 for £1 at Tesco) but you will spend all day connecting the wiring! I did this in my attic and it is very effective giving the same light as 500W of tungstone lighting but much cooler

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Originally posted by v8kid

For value for money use battenholders (50p) with plug in fluorescents (5 for £1 at Tesco) but you will spend all day connecting the wiring! I did this in my attic and it is very effective giving the same light as 500W of tungstone lighting but much cooler

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nooo, 70p each sounds far too cheap to be near what i'm looking for. sounds good for the loft though...

I am using G10 LED spotlights for task lightling in the garage ---- The light output of this type of lightling is improving rapidly and the cost is falling.

The only problem we have had is with the life of lamps, we were originally using Phillips lamps but thse weren't lasting much longer than normal light bulbs we have now using generic lamps and so far have had none fail.

Banned?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TNPP2100.html?utm_source=froogle

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Originally posted by blakep82
since 8ft tubes are now banned i think its time for new fittings.

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the guy at CEF in greenock told me you don't get 8ft tubes anymore. said they were phased out a few years back by european cobblers.
mine don't have the usual screw in starters either, they're electronic if that makes a difference

finally got my lights today, 2 x twin 6ft T8 lamps. what a difference!

spoke to the guy again. with 8ft tubes, its the same deal as 100w light bulbs. you can still get them in some places, but they've been phased out, so no one makes them anymore. the ones you can still buy are just like the stock thats left.

6ft tubes are next, but he reckons thats a few years off, so i went with 6ft anyway. the 8ft tubes i had must be about 20 years old. reckon these wil last fine