I'm in need or your input guys: I'm thinking of converting this to T8 and swapping the preheat fixture in my grandpa's shop's bathroom for this. I can't keep both and I'd rather have the preheater over this. I'd only be replacing the ballast and shunting the (replacement) sockets and this doesn't really look that vintage anyways. I'll also have to see what he thinks... If I get the two-lamp preheater from his shop's bathroom, it'll be mounted in place of this after it is restored and I'll probably put in a keyless lampholder until the restration is completed. I haven't brought this up with anyone yet so who knows if it will "pass" lol. So, what do you guys think? I know it's evil of me to convert any vintage light to T8 lol but I'll do it properly and I'll be getting a "better" light in return so i think it's a win-win since it'll be one less light he has to worry about retrofitting.

Knowing him, he'll never get around to having me change the ballasts. I'd do it for free, but with ONLY the F40 fixtures, all the retrofitting is about $150 with lamps and ballasts. That's not even counting the slimlines which need the retroft more. that retrofit is about $150 with JUST the 10 ballasts. He has over 15 slimline fixtures plus two HO fixtures that will be retrofitted to slimline T8 if him and I ever work something out. The ballasts used will be four of these for the three troffers and 8ft four lamp curved basket wraparound tandem fixture, one of these for the hallway 1X F40T12 strip light, and finally around 20 of these for the slimlines and HOs, plus slimline sockets for the two HO fixtures. The lamps will likely be bought at home depot if this ever happens.

Since i know a retrofit is far off, I want to swap out the preheat fixture before he signs over the building to his co-worker since in the next few years he's looking to do that since oil for heat is about $1200 annually and the shop isn't costing much less to run than it's making him. Sure, i'd love to retrofit all of them but the most that will probably happen is removing two lamps from the troffers to make them use half the energy.

Personally I'd buy a cheapo 2XF32T8 wrap light and replace the preheater with that...this is a keeper! It's your light, though. Or if the building is ever sold, try to get this light back first! I know I'm never getting rid of my Sears shoplight...unless of course I find a preheat industrial...

Sounds ok...i mean a preheat fixture is a must have ! Rapid start fixtures aren't rare yet so i think you have a good plan

But that eiko ballast looks like its probably junk! Plus i see no reviews on it...Id go with a Howard or advance, or universal

Personally I would grab a old fluorescent from Restore and refit it to T8 or buy a T8 light from Restore.

If you still want to convert your old light, I can show some pics of how to shunt the lampholders cleanly (or you could order new shunted ones).

ideally, i'd liek to keep this light, but i don't have room for both lights and I'd much rather have the preheater than this. The preheater is pretty industrial looking compared to the ones I've posted on here from my counin's grandma's garage. The reflector has an extruded pattern on it and the lampholders are huge! so, of course i want to keep this, but i can't keep it if i want the preheater.

Plus spending $15 on a good ballast is better than spending $10 on a plastic hunk of crap called a shoplite with a crappy "fake" ballast inside that drives the lamps at half power or $30 on another fixture that doesn't need to be bought in the first place.

My restore doesn't have any fixtures that would replace a 2X F40T12 chain-suspended shop light. I guess this is is most feasable way even though i don't exactly want to part with this fixture myself. I know how to shunt the sockets though. Just get a short piece of wire and connect the two sides of the socket.

What about installing more fixtures on the ceiling? That's what i do to keep less fixtures just laying around

My parent's won't allow it.

Yeah, even if they aren't turned on often...plus you have multiple lighting choices, especially with different color tubes (like one light with warm white tubes and one with cool white)

How about installing the fixture but just don't connect it to power. I store some of my fluorescent lights this way.

Anyway, I think Universal, Advance or Sylvania should be a good choice for ballasts if you still choose to retrofit.

well, i tried commenting on this pick but the damn server blocked me out so here goes:

my parent's don't want the lights mounted period. i think aaron was talking about just installing then unconnected and they won't allow that either, saying that it looks tacky. the only things i like about this light is that it's a reflector strip light. Otherwise it'd be a very easy decision to part with this since I'd be keeping the ballast anyways. I have to play favorites with fixtures unfortunatly and i'd rather have the 1940s-50 industrial grade preheater over the 1970s residential grade (well, back then at least) reflector strip light.

Hmm, I guess swapping the light would be a good compromise then. Since you're keeping the ballast you could always get the light back when you get your own place and convert it back to T12.

Yeah, you're right...perhaps you can get it back once you're older...i.e. then replace it with a T8 fixture...

Yeah i guess i could do that. With all the vintage fluorescents in my family this wouldn't be at the top of the list though LOL. The first lights I'm going to try and get when i have my own place are the three preheaters in the garage at my cousin's grandma's house, since the replacement fixtures and lamps are already in the garage waiting to be installed so i could get those lights for free plus ask if i can have the remaining lamps for when i replace other fixtures with T8s.

The F90T17 would be top ppriority for me!

Same for me too if I ever come across one.

the priorety level of me getting certain lights is based on how long i think my family will be in possesion of the home. Since i'm not directly related to my cousins' grandma, I don't know how I'd ever get the lights, but with the T17s, i'm directly related to those family members and live close by to them so it would be easier to obtain the lights if something popped up. Plus since i won't need to spend money on the new lights as they're already there, it makes sense to do that one first.

My grandpa is obviously a blood relative too but i don't know how much longer the shop will be around plus, he's trying to get NGrid to do an energy star assesment and upgrade the shop's lighting and if they happens, you know the preheater will either get retrofitted or trashed so that's why i'm going to try and get the preheater from his shop now.

Also for a 2X F90T17 fixture, what replacement would be good? a 2X F32T8 fixture with a HBF ballast? I don't know the lumen rating for a 90W lamp, though i think it's close to what a F40's lumens are.

I was thinking... How would this look with McCann Lighting labels?

That might be cool-looking...but yeah try to get this light back later!

I'll start working on them now.

On this light? Good luck...even if you don't get it back you still have the original ballast...

Yeah that's really all i care about since the fixture itself has nothing vintage on it besides the UL label which i'm not concerned about lol. I might not even try to get this back. I think it'd be funny if a future owner of the shop or an electrician took a look at the fixture and said "what? McCann Lighting? Never heard of them! and they're close by in Rhode Island too?" Then they look up McCann Lighting on the Net and find nothing lol. I might actually even make a spec sheet for this light ans stick it inside just for laughs lol.